Recruitment & Selection

Question 1

Name and explain the six steps of the selection process

Answer 1

1. Reviewing of candidates’ employment applications and résumés.
2. Administering tests to candidates who meet basic requirements
3. Qualified candidates undergo one or more interviews
4. Checking references and conduct back-ground checks to verify the accuracy of information provided by candidates
5. Selecting candidate to fill each vacant position
6. Candidates accepting offers and are placed in the positions for which they were selected

Question 2

Define ways to measure the success of a selection method

Answer 2

• one criterion is reliability, meaning free from random error, so that measurements are consistent
• a selection method should:
• • be valid, meaning that performance on the measure (such as a test score) is related to what the measure is designed to assess (such as job performance)
• • be generalizable, or applicable to more than one specific situation
• • have utility, meaning it provides economic value greater than its cost.
• • meet the legal requirements for employment decisions

Question 3

Summarize the government’s requirements for employee selection

Answer 3

• the selection process must:
• • be conducted in a way that avoids discrimination and provides access to persons with disabilities.
• • be valid for job performance, and scores may not be adjusted to discrimi-nate against or give preference to any group
• • respect candidates’ privacy rights and ensure that they keep personal information confidential
• • obtain consent before conducting background checks and notify candidates about adverse decisions made as a result of background checks

Also: Questions may not gather information about a person’s membership in a protected class, such as race, sex, or religion, nor may the employer investigate a person’s disability status

Question 4

Compare the common methods used for selecting human resources

Answer 4

• gathering information through employment applications and résumés
• references and background checks help verify the accuracy of applicant-provided information
• employment tests and work samples
• interviews are widely used to obtain information about a candidate’s interpersonal and communication skills and to gather more detailed information about a candidate’s background

Question 5

Describe major types of employment tests

Answer 5

• physical ability tests measure strength, endurance, psychomotor abilities, and other physical abilities
• cognitive ability tests, or intelligence tests, tend to be valid, especially for complex jobs and those requiring adaptability
• job performance tests tend to be valid but are not always generalizable
• personality tests measure personality traits such as extroversion and adjustment
• paper-and-pencil honesty or integrity tests, which can predict certain behaviors, including employee theft
• drug tests (if all candidates are tested and drug use can be an on-the-job safety hazard)

Also: Passing a medical examination may be a condition of employment, but to avoid discrimination against per-sons with disabilities, organizations usually adminis-ter a medical exam only after making a job offer.

Question 6

Discuss how to conduct effective interviews

Answer 6

• interviews should:
• • be narrow, structured, and standardized.
• • identify job requirements
• • be trained to recognize their own personal biases and conduct objective interviews
• interviewers shoud:
• • put candidates at ease in a comfortable place that is free of distractions
• • be prepared to provide information about the job and the organization

Also: Panel interviews can reduce problems related to interviewer bias.

Question 7

Explain how employers carry out the process of making a selection decision

Answer 7

• focus should be on the objective of finding the person who will be the best fit for the job and organization; this includes an assessment of ability and motivation
• models:
• • multiple-hurdle model in which each stage of the selection process eliminates some of the candidates from consideration at the following stages. At the final stage, only a few candidates remain, and the selection decision determines which candidate is the best fit

– compensatory model, in which all candidates are evaluated with all methods. A candidate who scores poorly with one method may be selected if he or she scores very high on another measure

Question 8

Discuss how to plan for human resources needed to carry out the organization’s strategy

Answer 8

• first step in human resource planning: personnel forecasting
• > through trend analysis and good judgment, the planner tries to determine the supply of and demand for various human resources
• based on whether a surplus or a shortage is expected, the planner sets goals and creates a strategy for achieving those goals
• > the organization then implements its HR strategy and evaluates the results

Question 9

Determine the labor demand for workers in various job categories

Answer 9

• the planner can look at leading indicators, assuming trends will continue in the future
• multiple regression can convert several leading indicators into a single prediction of labor needs
• analysis of a transitional matrix can help the planner identify which job categories can be filled internally and where high turnover is likely

Question 10

Summarize the advantages and disadvantages of ways to eliminate a labor surplus and avoid a labor shortage

Answer 10

• to reduce a surplus:
• • downsizing
• • pay reductions, and
• • demotions
• > these means deliver fast results - but at a high cost in human suffering that may hurt surviving employees’ motivation and future recruiting
• transferring employees and requiring them to share work are also fast methods, and the consequences in human suffering are less severe
• a hiring freeze or natural attrition
• early-retirement packages may be slow to implement; however, they, too, are less painful than layoffs
• retraining can improve the organization’s overall pool of human resources and maintain high morale, but it is relatively slow and costly
• to avoid a labor shortage:
  – requiring overtime is the easiest and fastest strategy, which can easily be changed if conditions change. However, overtime may exhaust workers and can hurt morale.
  – using temporary employees
  – outsourcing
  – transferring and retraining employees
  – hiring new employees is slow and expensive, but strengthens the organization if labor needs are
  expected to expand for the long term
  – using technology as a substitute for labor

Question 11

Describe recruitment policies organizations use to make job vacancies more attractive

Answer 11

• internal recruiting (promotions from within) generally makes job vacancies more attractive because candidates see opportunities for growth and advancement
• lead-the-market pay strategies make jobs economically desirable
• due-process policies signal that employers are concerned about employee rights
• the Internet provides opportunities for an organization to align its image with the actual experience of working for the company with photos, videos, and stories on the company’s website, as well as direct engagement with workers via social media.

Question 12

List sources of job applicants

Answer 12

• internal sources (job postings) generate applicants who are familiar to the organization and motivate other employees by demonstrating opportunities for advancement
• direct applicants and referrals
• external recruiting (job search and networking platforms)
• job boards
• public and private employment agencies
• schools and colleges, which may give the employer access to top-notch entrants to the labor market

Question 13

Describe the recruiter’s and the applicants role in the recruitment process

Answer 13

• recruiters:
• • can influence the nature of the job vacancy and the kinds of applicants generated through their behavior and other characteristics
• • should not mislead candidates. Realistic job previews have only a weak association with reduced turnover, but given their low cost and ease of imple-mentation, employers should consider using them
• • can improve their impact by providing timely feedback, avoiding behavior that contributes to a negative impression of the organization, and teaming up with job experts
• applicants tend to:
• • perceive job experts as more credible than recruiters who are HR specialists
• react more favorably to recruiters who are warm and informative