UNIT 5

SELECTION

Unit Structure 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5." 5.5 Overview Learning Outcomes Introduction e!initions T#e Im$ortance o! Em$%o&ee Se%ection 'actors In!%uencing Se%ection ecisions 5.5.1 5.5.2 5.) 5.+ 5., Interna% Environment 'actors E(terna% Environment 'actors

T#e Se%ection *rocess *re%iminar& Screening Se%ection -et#ods 5.,.1 5.,.2 Se%ection Tests Interviews 5.,.2.1 T&$es o! Interview 5.,.2.2 -et#ods o! Interviewing 5.,.2.3 *ro.%ems o! Interviews 5.,.3 5.,." /io0data 1rou$ -et#ods 5.,.".1 2o%es 5.,.".2 *ro.%em So%ving 5.,.5 5.,.) 5.,.+ 5.,., 5.,.6 In0tra&s *resentation 3or4 Simu%ation 5ssessment Centres 2e!erence and /ac4ground C#ec4s

5.,.10 -edica% E(amination 5.6 5.10 Se%ection ecisions Summar& 1

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O7E27IE3

This Unit discusses one of the most important Human Resource Management practice tool, that is, selection which is a continuation of the previous unit on recruitment. This unit will define the process of selection and the factors influencing selection decisions.

5.1

LE52NIN1 OUTCO-ES

By the end of this Unit, you should be able to do the following ! 1. "#plain the importance of employee selection. $. %escribe the factors influencing selection decisions. &. "#plain, in details, the selection process. '. %escribe the types, methods and problems of interviews.

5.2

INT2O UCTION

Human resource is the most important asset of an organisation. Therefore, any organisation which intends to compete through people must be very careful of how it chooses organisational members. (electing the best employees is one of management)s top priorities and such decisions are instrumental to the ability to survive, adapt, and grow in this competitive environment. *n order to ma+e sound selection decisions, managers must be able to evaluate reliable data from candidates. The competitive aspects of selection decisions become especially critical when organisations are faced with tight labour mar+ets or when competitors tap the same labour mar+ets.

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5.3

E'INITIONS

(election may be defined as ... the process of choosing individuals who have relevant qualifications to fill existing or projected job openings. ,(nell - Bohlander, $../ $&'0. *n simple terms, selection involves choosing the best applicant to fill a position ,1robler et al, $..2 13$0.

5."

T8E I-*O2T5NCE O' E-*LO9EE SELECTION

The importance of the selection process is to obtain and retain the best 4ualified candidate. (election is the process of choosing from a group of applicants the best suited individual for a significant impact on the 4uality of the selection decisions. 5n organisation that invests in high 4uality employees reap substantial returns in terms of better productivity and greater profit. 5 bad hire can affect the morale of the whole wor+force, especially in a situation where teamwor+ is essential. The hiring process, itself, can be complicated, time consuming and costly to an employer. (electing the wrong person for any 6ob can be even more costly to the firm and may cause irreparable damage. Michael 7. 8otito ,$..10 former chair of the (HRM board of directors, declared, HR has traditionall been seen as the soft side of business, but ! sub"it that attracting and retaining the right people for our organisation is the hard side of business because that is the foundation upon which ever thing is based.

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5ctivit& 1 ,i0 9hat importance is given to the selection process in your organisation:

5.5

'5CTO2S IN'LUENCIN1 SELECTION ECISIONS

;el et al. ,$..3 $&<0 identify both internal and e#ternal environmental factors which influence selection decisions.

5.5.1 Interna% Environmenta% 'actors

*nternal "nvironmental factors which influence selection decisions include The size of the organisation the bigger the organisation, the more formal the selection process. The type of the organisation 1reater comple#ity re4uires more sophiscated selection. The nature of social pressure (uch pressure may emerge from ethnic groups, social and religious groups, trade unions and even legislation. Speed of decision making 5 slow selection decision!ma+ing process may bring production to a stand still.

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Selection methods Those selection methods which are determined by a number of factors including the abilities of the staff involved in the selection process, the cost of various selection assessment and the comple#ities of the administration.

5.5.2 E(terna% Environmenta% 'actors

"#ternal "nvironmental factors which impact on selection decisions include T#e nature o! t#e %a.our mar4et in the instance there are few individuals with the s+ills re4uired, the selection process would be unsophisticated and short. Trade unions where employees who belong to a trade union can ma+e certain demands. Socia% grou$s employees of a particular social group can put pressure to have their members be selected to fill certain vacancies 1overnment regu%ations where legislation may affect the manner in which the selection process is e#ecuted. ,;el et al. $..3 $&<0. 1robler et al. labour legislation has a significant impact on the manner in which organisations conduct selection activities. *ndeed, the legislation stipulates that an organisation that either directly or indirectly discriminates against a 6ob applicant will be regarded to have committed an unfair labour practice. 5ctivit& 2 %escribe the internal and e#ternal factors that affect the selection decisions in your organisation.

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T8E SELECTION *2OCESS

The Human Resouce ,HR0 activity of selection may be understood as a process. There is no standard selection process for all organisations. 5 diagrammatic representation of the selection process is provided below

*2ELI-IN529 SC2EENIN1 >rovisional (election *nterview "valuation of 5pplication ?orms

SELECTION -ET8O S (election Tests *nterviews Biodata 1roup Methods ,roles and problem solving0 *n trays >resentations 9or+ (imulations 5ssessment @entres Reference and Bac+ground chec+ Medical "#amination

SELECTION ECISIONS 5ppointment *nduction T#e Se%ection *rocess

'igure 1:

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*2ELI-IN529 SC2EENIN1

This is the first phase of the selection process and involves the >rovisional (election *nterview and the evaluation of the company)s application form. i. The provisional selection interview usually last for about ten minutes and is used to determine whether the applicant meets the minimum re4uirements ,;el et al. $..3 $'$0. 5lso, this initial screening of applicants is to eliminate those who obviously do not meet the position)s re4uirements. ii. "valuation of 5pplication ?orm,s0 5pplication forms set out the information on a candidate in a fair number of replies have been received, it is important to sift the application forms. 5 standard ac+nowledgement letter to be sent to each applicant. *f application has been done electronically, applicant may be as+ed to complete and return an application form. @ompare the applications with the +ey criteria in the 6ob specification and sort them into three categories possible, marginal and unsuitable. (crutinise the possible again and draw up a short list for interview. 5ctivit& 3 ,i0 %escribe the preliminary screening selection process of a post in your

organisation or an organisation well +nown to you.

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SELECTION -ET8O S

%uring this phase of the selection phase of the selection process, various selection methods are applied including selection tests, interviews, biodata, group methods, in trays, presentation, wor+ simulations, personality assessment, assessment centres, reference and bac+ground chec+s and medical e#amination.

5.,.1 Se%ection Tests

The selection tests are conducted to assess the individual)s potential for success and hisAher analytical mind. *n many organisations, written e#aminations are conducted to assess the individual)s potential, whereas assessment tests can also be in the form of *B tests or technical tests. The main ob6ective of these tests as a screening method, will aim at testing the potentials of candidates and thus eliminate all those who are not to the e#pected standards.

5.,.2 Interviews
Cne of the most widely used selection tools is the *nterview. ,;el et al. $..3 $''0. *t is important that the interviewers are well trained and be conversant with the ob6ectives of the interview so as to get the relevant information following the interview. *t is e4ually important for interviewers to +now the 4uestions that should not be as+ed during the interview stage of employee selection. *t is illegal to discriminate against anyone based on race, national origin, religion, se#, colour or marital status. 'ace to 'ace Interview

The most common interview is the face to face communication which allows the interviewers to gain considerable information about the applicant)s bac+ground, e#perience, attitude, value and interest. *t also gives the interviewers the opportunity to

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observe the non verbal cues and dress code of the applicant. *t is an opportunity for 6ob applicant to find out more about the 6ob and the organisation. Te%e$#one Interview

Crganisation are always struggling to reduce selection costs. Telephone interviews, which is not a new method, lac+s the advantage of face to face contact. ;evertherless, the telephone may be the most economically feasible way to e#change information with applicants in distant locations. *n addition, an employer can screen a larger number of candidates using this method. Many Mauritians apply for posts in international organisations such as the United ;ations ,U;0, *nternational 8abour Crganisation ,*8C0 and the (outhern 5frican %evelopment @ommunity,,(5%@0. Those who are short listed are interviewed by telephone.

5.,.2.1

T&$es o! Interview

There are different types of interviews that may be carried out by the employer and latter needs to consider which type of interview will be more appropriate. The different types of interview include Structured Interview

The structured interview is a guided conversation with specific themes and pre!planned 4uestions. *nterviews are standardised and all candidates are as+ed the same 4uestions in the same order. *n structured interview, the ob6ective is to have consistency in the 4uestions as+ed to all applicants thus, the ability to compare the answers of the different candidates. Unstructured Interview

*n unstructured interview, open ended and probing 4uestions are as+ed. The ob6ective of unstructured interview is to direct the conversation towards the potentials and capabilities of the employee. Through the unstructured interview, more information may be obtained about the candidates.
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However, unstructured interview has some drawbac+s. *t is criticised for being over sub6ective, prone to the interviewer)s bias and time consuming. Semi0Structured Interview

The semi!structured interview is a combination of structured and unstructured interviews, that is, it is partly structured and partly unstructured. This type of interview is conducted with a fairly open framewor+ which allows for focused, conversational, two way communication. ;ot all 4uestions are designed and phrased ahead of time. The ma6ority of 4uestions are created during the interview, allowing both the interviewer and the interviewee the fle#ibility to probe for details or discuss issues. 5ctivit& " ,i0 %escribe the (election tests that are usually carried out by the >(@A%?(@A81(@ or by your organisation.

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Briefly e#plain the type of interview that is used by your organisation.

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5.,.2.2

-et#ods o! Interviewing

Crganisations conduct interviews in different ways as discussed below One to one interview

*t is a face to face conversation between an interviewer and an interviewee. Here, the applicant meets one to one with the interview which is often less frightening. The environment this method provides may allow an effective e#change of information to ta+e place. 1rou$ Interview

*n this interviewing method, several applicants interact in the presence of one or more interviewers. This approach may provide useful clues about a candidate)s interpersonal competence as they engage in a group discussion. *t saves mush time for busy managers and professionals. *ane% Interview

5 panel interview is when one or more interviewers are gathered together to interview one candidate. The most typical situation is when the HR manager and line managers see the candidate at the same time, thus enabling information to be shared and reducing overlaps. /oard Interview

*n a board interview, several of the firm)s representatives interview a candidate in one or more sessions. This type of interview relates to a board evaluating and assessing the potential candidate. This approach permits the firm to get a more holistic view of the candidate. 8atter, may in turn, learn more about the company from a variety of perspectives.

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Stress Interview

The stress interview refers to the techni4ue of intentionally creating an#iety during the interview. The interviewer deliberately ma+es the candidate feel uncomfortable by as+ing unwarranted, embarrassing and often discourteous 4uestions. The ob6ective is to determine the candidate)s tolerance for stress that may accompany the 6ob.

5.,.2.3

*ro.%ems o! Interviews

9hile interviews are the most common selection methods that are used yet, there are certain problems associated with them, namely 8a%o E!!ect

9hen interviewers permit only one or a few personal characteristics to influence their overall impression of the candidates, the best candidates may not be selected. Stereot&$es

The stereotypes images influence the way candidates are assessed. The stereotypes refer to perception that individuals may have about certain issues. (tereotypes may affect, either positively or negatively, the decisions made about potential employees. Contrast E!!ects

5n error in 6udgement may occur when, for e#ample, an interviewer meets with several poorly 4ualified applicants and then confronts a mediocre candidate. Interviewer /ias

*nterviewers must understand and ac+nowledge their own pre6udices and learn to deal with them. The only valid bias for an interviewer is to favour the best 4ualified candidate for the open position.

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*remature ;udgements

Research suggests that interviewers often ma+e 6udgements about candidates in the first few minutes of the interview. 9hen this occurs, a great deal of potential valuable information is not considered. 5ctivit& " ,i0 9hat type of interview is mostly used in your organisation:

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%iscuss the problems associated with interviews in your organisation.

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5.,.3 /io0data
5 highly structured method of sifting applications is provided by the use of bio!data. *t refers to biographical information about the candidate and much of this sort of information is gathered on application forms.

5.,." 1rou$ -et#ods 5.,.".1 2o%es

Many organisations are interested to +now if an employee will fit into an e#isting group. (ome organisations are therefore using Belbin)s wor+ on team roles ,Belbin,1<310 not only to identify what roles e#ist at present within the team and therefore what is the gap, but also to select a candidate with the re4uired role preference.

5.,.".2

*ro.%em So%ving

5 group of = to 2 individuals, un+nown to each other, is as+ed to solve a wor+ related problem within a specified period of time. "ach individual would be as+ed to contribute in solving the problem and provide feedbac+ to the assessors. *n addition, they may be as+ed to appraise another group member.

5.,.5 In0tra&s
This is a simulation of what a manager might find in hisAher tray and the candidate is given a limited period of time to go through the in!tray of letters, reports and other

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documents and ma+e appropriate written decisions. The decisions ta+en will be communicated and e#plained to an assessor.

The ob6ectives of the in!tray e#ercise are to assess the ability to ma+e appropriate decisions when under time pressure. ability to organise and prioritise deal with situations promptly.

5.,.) *resentation
*n this method, each potential employee is re4uested to prepare and present a piece of wor+ to an audience. Usually, the presentation is on a relevant topic and time limited. The candidate ma+ing a presentation will be assessed on Derbal and non!verbal communication s+ills. >resentation s+ills. Relevancy of content. Time management.

5.,.+ 3or4 Simu%ation

5 typical wor+ situation is simulated so that the candidate)s ability to do the 6ob effectively can be assessed. These involve an individual or group of candidates completing e#ercises that they would be re4uired to underta+e as part of the position. These are also effective in predicting future behaviour at wor+.

5.,., 5ssessment Centres

5ssessment centres have been described by 8ewis ,1<3=0 as a selection procedure using multiple methods.
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5n assessment centre is a programme of tests, wor+ simulation situations, e#ercises and interviews which are designed to measure and assess a wide range of different abilities, s+ills, behavioural characteristics and potential re4uired for effective performance in the 6ob. The focus of the centre is on behaviour. "#ercises are used to capture and simulate the +ey dimensions of the 6ob. These may include group e#ercises or one to one play. (everal participants are assessed together to allow interaction and to ma+e the e#perience more open and participative. (everal assessors are used to increase the ob6ectivity of the assessments.

The time, cost and e#pertise involved in setting up an assessment centre is enormous.

5.,.6

2e!erence and /ac4ground C#ec4s

Reference chec+s are additional information about the candidates that are provided by third parties. *t allows to verify the accuracy of information furnished by the applicant. *n fact, applicants are often re4uired to submit the names of at least two references that can provide additional information about them.

5.,.10

-edica% E(amination

*t is a common practice for potential employees to undergo a medical e#amination before the final selection decision is ta+en. The main ob6ective of this e#amination is to ascertain that the potential employee is fit to ta+e up employment and at the same time , to have a full detail of the state of health of the future employee. *n some cases, medical e#amination is done when the employee has already 6oined the organisation.

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5ctivit& 5 %escribe in details the selection methods that were used before you 6oined your present 6ob.

5.6

SELECTION ECISIONS

The final phase in the selection process involves ma+ing a choice between the applicants. 5$$ointment

Darious selection strategies can be utilised to assist the organisation in ma+ing this decision ,;el et al. $..3 $=10. These strategies include the compensatory selection strategy and the multiple hurdles strategy ,1robler et al. $..2 1<<0. The multiple hurdles strategy re4uires that the applicant Epass) each hurdle in the selection process ,e.g. provisional interview, application blan+, etc.0 while the compensatory selection strategy ta+es each applicant through each step in the selection process before ma+ing the final selection decision ,1robler et al. $..2 1<<0. Usually, in any case, the best suited candidate is appointed to fill the vacancy.

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Induction

5 proper induction process that is sensitive to the an#ieties, uncertainties and needs of a new employee is of utmost importance as starting a new 6ob is considered to be a very stressful life e#pression. 5lthough induction means to introduce, or to initiate, it is only part of the process that endeavours to acclimatise the employee into the organisation and turn him into a productive wor+er. Crientation means to become familiar with or ad6usted to facts or circumstances. *t is the process of informing new employees about what is e#pected of them in the 6ob and helping them to cope with the stresses of transition. *n the organisation, socialisation is the process of instilling in all employees the prevailing attitudes, standards, values and patterns of behaviour e#pected by the organisation and its department. 5ctivit& ) ,i0 %escribe the selection strategy utilised by your organisation.

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%escribe how your organisation go about the induction of new employees.

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5.10 SU--529
This Unit has defined selection, discussed the importance of employee selection and analysed the process of selection. 5n analysis of the selection methods has also been described. By now, you are fully e4uipped to analyse the selection process and assess the selection decision

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