MGMT2718

Human Resource Management

Lecture 9:
Recruitment and Selection

Introduction
R&S = matching people to jobs
Job Analysis what is the content and purpose of
the job?
Job or Position Description and Person
Specification
Recruitment assemble a pool of job applicants
Selection choose between them

Danger of unfair discrimination (illegal!)

Selection based on criteria that are not related to the
job religion, race, gender, sexual preference

Jobs Game
4 Corners expose

Cautionary Notes
Assumption job is a stable entity find the
most suitable candidate for it
Job content can drift job increasingly seen as
unstable, as that which needs to be done

KSAOs other can be problematic

skills may not be recognised or codified
skills may include attributes of character
positive attitude; initiative; endurance; sense of
humour aesthetic skills (appearance)

Other may be a means of incorporating into

selection criteria things that are not strictly
speaking necessary for the job but may reflect
preference or prejudice
Ie invalid job requirements

Lecture Aims
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

6.
7.

Describe the various recruitment policies that

organisations adopt
List the various sources from which job applicants can
be drawn, their relative advantages and disadvantages,
Explain the recruiter s role in the recruitment process,
List the common methods used in selecting human
resources
Describe the degree to which each of them meets the
demands of reliability, validity, generalisability, utility
and legality
Examine anti discrimination law in recruitment and
selection
Identify how R&S intersect with public policy towards
the unemployed

Lecture Structure
1.
2.
3.
4.

Recruitment
Selection
The Jobs Game
Legal and Ethical Aspects of R&S

1. Recruitment
Recruitment should be strategic ie
Linked to the organisations objectives not personal
objectives
Assemble a pool of potential job holders and aid to
flexibility response to varying demand

Lead the market strategies

Pay employer of choice

Internal or External?
Direct referrals by someone you know a good choice
BUT make sure they go through the process

Strategic Recruitment

Advantages and disadvantages of Internal R&S

Advantages
Greater mutual knowledge of
employer and employee
Career ladders can motivate
employees, shows employers
value them
But demands on HRs career
development capabilities need clear structure
Internal development can taylor
skills profiles closely to
organisations needs
Organisation can hire entry
level

Disadvantages
Employees may be promoted
beyond level of competence
Can unleash competition and
infighting
Create negative feeling for
those left behind
Can cause inbreeding inhibit
innovation
Investment can be lost if
employee leaves the
organisation (market failure
problem)

Some Recruitment Methods and Sources

INTERNAL
Job posting:

Referal
Bulletin boards
Newsletters
Personal letters requests
Computerised posting
programs.

Computerised record
systems:
Skills inventories
Replacement charts.

EXTERNAL

International recruitment
Advertising
Internet
Employment agencies
Management recruitment
consultants
University recruiting
Employer referrals
Unsolicited applications
Professional associations
Trade unions.
Other

Advantages and disadvantages of External

R&S

Advantages
Bigger pool of talent can infuse
new ideas
Often cheaper to hire from
outside (but not always)
No risk of organisations
investment in employee being
lost if they leave (may actually
benefit from other employers
investment)
New employees probably
distant from existing factions

Disadvantages
Less mutual knowledge and
more room for
misunderstanding
External R&S can be more
expensive
More challenging to get the
right person-organisation fit
Employees competence may
be lacking
Personality may not fit with
org culture

3. The Jobs Game

http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/02/23/4183437.htm

4. Selection
The process of choosing the best qualified candidate/s
from a group of applicants.

Strategic selection
Linking of selection activities to organisations strategic
business objectives and culture.

Selection criteria
Key factors in making a decision to hire or not to hire a
person. May include qualifications, experience, special
skills, abilities or aptitudes. They should be job-related.

Ability fit, experience fit, motivational fit,

Cultural Fit:

whether the persons personality and values match the

organisations culture and values, and fits into the team

Selection
Must conform to requirements of Validity & Reliability
Validity
The ability of a test or other selection technique to
measure what it sets out to measure (job suitability)
Ie is the job criterion relevant to the job? Is the test
Reliability
The extent to which a measure (for example a test) is
consistent and dependable
Fairness
procedural and substantive justice
Legality

Candidate fit

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TbvuqRMUO4

Table 8.1 Top 10 selection criteria for

graduates

Table 8.2 10 least desirable characteristics

when recruiting graduates

Selection Methods: Interviews

Well planned, structured and conducted interviews can
be good predictors of employee performance

structured,
standardised
focused
Critical incidents
Standardise the interview? (procedural fairness)
Vs unstructured and in depth
situational interview items: experience-based and futureoriented

Table 8.7 Examples of experience-based and

future-oriented situational interview items

Medical examinations the need

Ensuring people are not assigned to jobs they are
physically unsuited for
Safeguarding the health of current employees
Identifying symptoms of drug and alcohol abuse
Not placing applicants in positions that can aggravate
existing injuries
Protection against workers compensation claims, and
determining eligibility for insurance.
HIV/ AIDS
All Australian defence recruits are tested. Army
also has bans on recruits with diabetes and gout

Selection Methods: Other

References and biographical data

Physical ability tests
Cognitive ability tests
Personality inventories
Work samples
Honesty tests and drug tests
Psychometric Testing
Personality Testing
Best association is between conscientiousness and job
performance
Faking it? Purists vs Players

10

4. Legal and Ethical Aspects of R&S

In addition to validity and reliability
For reasons of fairness and justice
a characteristic of a group should not be used to
discriminate against an individual when that
characteristic is not a requirement of the job

Direct Discrimination
someone is treated less favourably on the basis of a
particular characteristic

Indirect Discrimination
a particular requirement is attached to the job which does
not affect the performance of the job, and screens
individuals out
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niyGPfwnnjM

Group Characteristics that may be involved in

discrimination

Gender
Marital status
Pregnancy
Breastfeeding
Sexuality and sexual
preference
Race
Colour
Age
Mental or physical disability

Political opinion
Religion
Caring responsibilities
Transgender status
HIV/AIDS status
Physical features
Trade union activity
Criminal record
https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=wxug0BnG-K4

11

Conclusion
R&S to ensure the best people for the job
Job must be clearly defined
In the Job/Position Description and Person Specification
Difficulties in both

R&S must take care with validity and reliability

AND legality! (relatedly, conforming to ethical
precepts)
Especially strategic vs indiv need

Importance of training HRMs in correct

procedures!

12