Selection Methods

Question 1

What are the different methods of selection?

Answer 1

Application forms and CVs

Interviews

Testing

Assessment centres

References

Trial periods

Question 2

What are application forms?

Answer 2

An application form is a document, produced by the employer, containing questions that applicants answer to provide details of their skills, experience and qualities.

Question 3

What are CVs?

Answer 3

Usually a two page document listing a person’s work experience, qualifications and personal experiences.

Question 4

What are interviews?

Answer 4

All interviews are designed to compare the applicant’s responses to questions against a set criteria.

Interviews can be one-to-one, successive or panel.

Question 5

What are the advantages of interviews?

Answer 5

Interviews find out how an applicant reacts under pressure.

Interviews give an indication of the applicant’s personality and character.

Question 6

What are the disadvantages of interviews?

Answer 6

Some applicants can train specifically for interviews and say what the interviewers want to hear but may not be the best person for the job.

Interviews can be highly stressful. This means an organisation may miss out on quality employees who underperform in the pressure of an interview.

Question 7

What is testing?

Answer 7

Tests provide additional information about an applicant.

Question 8

What are the advantages of testing?

Answer 8

Interviews find out how an applicant reacts under pressure.

Interviews give an indication of the applicant’s personality and character.

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of testing?

Answer 9

They can be time consuming to carry out.

They may put applicants under too much pressure to perform as they would once they get the job.

Candidates may be more prepared on the day and once hired not perform to the same levels evident in the test.

Question 10

What are the different types of testing?

Answer 10

Attainment test

Aptitude test

Psychometric test

Intelligence/IQ test

Medical test

Question 11

What are attainment tests?

Answer 11

This allows an applicant to demonstrate their skills, e.g. ICT skills by completing a typing test.

Question 12

What are aptitude tests?

Answer 12

This assesses if a candidate has the natural abilities and personal skills for the job, e.g. a prospective customer services assistant roleplaying a scenario with an angry customer.

Question 13

What is a psychometric test?

Answer 13

This assesses an applicant’s personality and mental suitability for a job.

Question 14

What is an IQ test?

Answer 14

This measures a candidate’s mental ability; used for jobs where candidates may be solving problems.

Question 15

What is a medical test?

Answer 15

This measures physical fitness levels which may be required for certain jobs, e.g. the fire service, armed forces etc.

Question 16

What are assessment centres?

Answer 16

Organisations use assessment centres to see a large number of applicants at the same time. Applicants take part in a variety of team-building and role-play exercises as well as a number of tests.

Question 17

What are the advantages of assessment centres?

Answer 17

Allows an organisation to really scrutinise applicants over a longer period of time.

Assesses how applicants interact with others.

Assesses how applicants react to role-play scenarios that mimic real work situations.

Reduces the chance of interviewer bias as the results are a true reflection of each applicant’s abilities and not just what one manager thinks.

Question 18

What are the disadvantages of assessment centres?

Answer 18

A venue will need to be hired, if an organisation doesn’t have its own assessment centre, which is expensive.

Several managers will need to be sent to the centre to conduct and supervise the tests, losing production time.

Such tests require careful planning and preparation, all of which takes time.

Question 19

What are references?

Answer 19

These are used to confirm that the candidate is who they say they are, and that they are reliable.

Question 20

What are trial periods?

Answer 20

This involves an applicant being employed for a short period of time, a day, a week or longer, before they are offered the position permanently, to make sure they are capable of doing the job, and that they are reliable and trustworthy.