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What is Recruitment & Selection?
Recruitment
Finding and/or attracting applicants for the employer’s open
positions.
Recruitment refers to the process of giving advertisement for
the vacant positions and encouraging prospective employees
to apply for jobs.
Recruitment is said to be positive in its approach as it seeks
to attract as many candidates as possible.
Selection
Selection is concerned with picking up the right candidates
from a pool of applicants.
Selection is said to be negative in its approach as it seeks to
eliminate as many unqualified applicants as possible in order
to identify the right candidates.
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Sources of Recruitment
Sources should match the position
to be filled.
Sources:
1. Internal Searches
2. Employee
Referrals/Recommendations
3. External Searches
4. Alternatives
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Sources of Recruitment
1. Internal Searches:
I. Job posting
Publicizing an open job to employees (often
by literally posting it on bulletin boards).
II. Rehiring former employees
Advantages:
They are known quantities.
They know the firm and its culture.
Disadvantages:
They may have less-than positive attitudes.
Rehiring may sent the wrong message to
current employees about how to get ahead.
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Sources of Recruitment
1. Internal Searches:
III. Succession planning
The process of ensuring a suitable supply
of successors for current and future senior
or key jobs.
Succession planning steps:
Identifying and analyzing key jobs.
Creating and assessing candidates.
Selecting those who will fill the key
positions.
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Sources of Recruitment
2. Employee
Referrals/Recommendations:
Current employees can be asked to recommend
recruits.
Advantages include:
The availability of accurate job information for the
recruit
Employee referrals tend to be more acceptable
applicants, to be more likely to accept an offer and to
have a higher survival rate.
Disadvantages include:
The possibility of friendship being confused with job
performance
The potential for nepotism
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Sources of Recruitment
3. External Searches:
I. Advertising
The Media: selection of the best medium
depends on the positions for which the firm is
recruiting.
Newspapers (local and specific labor markets)
Trade and professional journals
Internet job sites
Marketing programs
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Sources of Recruitment
3. External Searches:
II. Employment agencies
Management consulting, executive search or
headhunter firms specialize in executive
placement and hard-to-fill positions.
Charge employers up to 30-35% of the first year
salary
Have nationwide contacts
Do thorough investigations of candidates
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Sources of Recruitment
3. External Searches:
II. Employment agencies
Reasons for using a employment agency:
When a firm doesn’t have a HR department and is
not geared to doing recruiting and screening.
The firm has found it difficult in the past to
generate a pool of qualified applicants.
The firm must fill a particular opening quickly.
The firm wants to reach currently employed
individuals, who might feel more comfortable
dealing with agencies than with competing
companies.
The firm wants to cut down on the time it’s devoting
to recruiting.
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Sources of Recruitment
3. External Searches:
III. Schools, colleges, and
universities:
May provide entry-level or
experienced workers through
internships.
IV. Unsolicited applicants (Walk-
ins):
May provide a stockpile of prospective
applicants if there are no current
openings.
V. Cyberspace Recruiting:
Nearly four out of five companies use
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the Internet to recruit employees.
Sources of Recruitment
4. Alternatives:
I. Temporary Help Services:
Temporary employees help organizations meet
short-term fluctuations in HRM needs.
Older workers can also provide high quality
temporary help.
II. Employee Leasing:
Trained workers are employed for longer
periods of time by a leasing company, in
exchange for a flat fee.
III. Independent contractors :
Do specific work either on or off the company’s
premises.
Costs of regular employees are not incurred. 11
The Selection Process
The selection process typically consists
of eight steps:
1. initial screening interview
2. completion of the application form
3. employment tests
4. comprehensive interview
5. background investigation
6. conditional job offer
7. medical/physical exam
8. permanent job offer
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The Selection Process
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The Selection Process
1. Step 1: Initial Screening
Involves screening of inquiries and screening
interviews.
2. Step 2: Completing the
Application Form:
Gives a job-performance-related synopsis of what
applicants have been doing, their skills and
accomplishments.
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The Selection Process
3. Step 3: Employment Tests
Estimates say 60% of all organizations use some type of
employment tests.
a) Work sampling: Job analysis is used to develop a miniature
replica of the job on which an applicant demonstrates his/her
skills.
b) Assessment centers: A series of tests and exercises, including
individual and group tests, is used to assess managerial potential
or other complex sets of skills.
c) Cognitive ability tests: typically use questions or problems to
measure ability to learn quickly, logic, reasoning and other
enduring mental abilities that are fundamental to success in many
different jobs.
d) Integrity tests: are used to identify individuals who are likely to
engage in inappropriate, dishonest, and antisocial behavior at
work.
e) Personality Tests: Some commonly measured personality traits in
work settings are extraversion, openness to new experiences,
optimism, agreeableness, service orientation, stress tolerance,
emotional stability, and initiative or proactive.
f) Physical Ability Tests: tests typically use tasks or exercises that
require physical ability to perform. These tests typically measure
strength, balance, and speed. 15
The Selection Process
4. Step 4: Comprehensive Interviews:
Interviews involve a face-to-face meeting with the
candidate to probe areas not addressed by the
application form or tests.
Interviews are the most widely used selection tool.
a) Formal Interview: It is held in formal atmosphere with pre-
decided and planned procedures and questions.
b) Informal interview: There is no specific procedure followed
in this case. They are conducted at any place, and any types of
questions can be asked to the candidate.
c) Stress Interview: It is conducted to evaluate the behavior of
the candidate under stressful conditions.
d) Situation Interview: An imaginary situation is told to the
candidates and they are asked to respond to it.
e) Directive Interview: It is structured interview. A same set of
questions is repeated for every candidate to make the compari
son among the answers received from them. 16
The Selection Process
4. Step 4: Comprehensive Interviews:
f) Non-Directive Interview: It is non-structured interview.
There is no specific format, and any questions can be asked
to candidates. Candidates are free to express themselves
under this type.
g) Panel Interview: A selection committee appointed for
interviewing candidates is called a panel. It generally
consists of three or more members who collectively perform
the task of selection. The final decision is taken with the
consent of all panel members.
h) Group Interview: Candidates are supposed to form groups,
and one group together will be interviewed at one time. It is
a sort of group discussion. The person’s ability to lead, their
presence of mind and communication can be evaluated
under this technique.
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The Selection Process
5. Step 5: Background
Investigation:
Verify information from the application form
Typical information verified includes:
former employers
previous job performance
education
legal status to work
criminal records
6. Step 6: Medical/Physical
Examination :
Offers of employment made contingent upon
successful completion of background check,
physical/medical exam, drug test, etc.
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The Selection Process
7. Step 7: Conditional Job Offers:
Should be used only to determine if the
individual can comply with the essential
functions of the job.
8. Step 8: Permanent Job Offers:
Actual hiring decision generally made by the
department manager.
Candidates not hired deserve the courtesy of
prompt notification.
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The Selection Process
Now It’s Up to the Candidate
The candidate now has to decide whether this
is the job for him or her.
Applicants who are not hired this time will still
form an impression about the company.
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