Module 5: Recruitment Process

Learning Outcomes
 On successful completion of this module, you will be able
to:

o List the two different approaches to assessing suitability for a particular job.

o Distinguish between the two principle ways to recruit works.

o Describe some points of handling the administration of the recruitment process.

Person-job Fit or Person-organisation Fit

 Person-job Fit or Person-organisation Fit
 It is important for both the job applicant and the organisation to ensure that the right job goes to the
right person. Taking the wrong job may be just as disastrous for the employee as for the
organisation.

Recruitment and selection, therefore, involves the organisation (represented by the manager) and
the applicant trying to discover the extent to which their separate interests are likely to be served by
the appointment. In other words, it is a two-way process.

There are two different approaches to assessing suitability for a particular job: person-job fit and
person-organisation fit. They are based on different assumptions about people and what determines
their behaviour at work.


Tasks

Person-job fit - The traditional approach to recruitment and selection is based on the
view that organisations should specify the requirements of the job as closely as possible
and then look for individuals whose personal attributes fit those requirements.

It is based on the assumption that human behaviour is determined by factors particular

to the individual, and the clear implication is that selection techniques should be
concerned with accessing and measuring these personal factors, which can then be
compared with those required for the job.

A criticism of the person-job fit is that the nature of jobs change and organisations may
benefit more from people who have the capacity to adapt to their changing role within the
organisation.

Motivation

Person-organisation fit - This approach stresses that people's behaviour and

performance are strongly influenced by the environment in which they find themselves.
So being successful in a job in one organisation does not necessarily imply success in a
similar job in another.

In assessing the suitability of a job applicant a manager should explore the reasons why
a person has performed well in their existing job and consider whether similar conditions
apply in the new job.

Advocates of the person-organisation fit approach stress that an important consideration in

recruitment is how suited the applicant is to the organisation - its style, approach, pace of
change and informal ways of working. In other words, you need to think beyond whether
someone simply has the technical skills to perform in the job and assess their fit with the
culture of the organisation.

Job Analysis
Job Analysis
Job Assessment

To find the right person for the job, you need to have an accurate idea of the job itself
and of the particular skills and attributes it demands.

This can be carried out in a series of stages outlined below:

 job Analysis

Job analysis involves examining a job systematically and in detail. There is no single way of doing this.
Some methods include:

1. Direct observation may be helpful if you are analysing repetitive manual jobs, for
example.

2. Discussion with the current job holder and supervisor or line manager is also a
useful source of information.

3. Another method of job analysis is to use the checklist approach, ticking off the
various aspects of the job as you consider them.

Organisational Analysis

The broader organisational requirements can be as important as the specific ones for the job
itself.

The organisation needs creativity, flexibility, the ability to work in a small team, and so on, from
the job holder.

In line with the person-organisation fit described earlier, it is important to think beyond the
technical aspects of the job to the cultural aspects of the organisation.
Job Description

From your analysis of the job you can write a job description which will state what the
job holder is responsible for and what they are required to do.

There is no one right way of setting out job descriptions. An accurate job description has
various uses outside the recruitment process.

For example, it can be used to review staff performance in appraisals or to assess

training needs when someone new starts with the organisation.

Within the recruitment process, the job description leads on to the next stage of specifying
the type of person you are looking for to fill your vacancy.

Person Specification

Once the job and organisational analyses and the job description have been completed,
the next stage is to write a specification of the kind of person needed to fill the job you
have just described.
It is important to be as precise as possible about the skills, knowledge, qualifications
and attributes that are required for the job and about the experience and personal
characteristics that are needed. It is good practice to specify what is essential or the
minimum required to perform the job, as well as what is desirable.

To decide on the qualities required for the person specification you need to pick out key
features from the job description. Think also about the context of the job and the wider
organisational requirements to specify any elements of person-organisation fit that are
important.

Dealing with HR Administration

Dealing with HR Administration
Handling the administration of the recruitment process is largely a clerical activity - but
that does not mean you can ignore it.

Here are a few points you should bear in mind:

 Inquiries from candidates

 Application forms
 Returned application forms
 Giving notice
  Shortlisting
 References
 Correspondence

Inquiries from candidates:

Candidates will be particularly anxious to know what is happening, so you will probably need to brief
the switchboard and your colleagues or secretary to handle expected calls

Application Forms:

Application forms and further particulars should be ready to go out immediately after a candidate
contacts the organisation. Keep records of the people to whom they are sent.

Returned application forms:

Keep a record of returned application forms, and acknowledge these by return of post, preferably
with some indication of what the next step will be. If costs prevent this, invite applicants to include a
stamped addressed envelope if they require acknowledgement of receipt.

Giving notice:
Give as much notice as possible to those whom you intend to interview, giving them some choice of
date and time if that is feasible, and ask them if they have any special needs.

They should also be given a name and telephone number to contact if they have any queries. Make
sure they know where and when to attend for the interview.

Shortlisting:
It is common to shortlist up to six applicants per position, but the exact number may reflect the time
you have available for interviewing and the strength of the applicants. The important point is to
ensure that as far as possible you finish up with the best possible candidates on the shortlist.

Send a courteous letter to those who are not shortlisted as soon as you are certain they will not be
required.

References:
If you intend to take up references, you should send out letters as soon as possible, allowing plenty
of time for the references to arrive before the date of the interviews. But make sure candidates are
happy for you to ask for references from their current employer before you send out the letters.
 References can be useful, but they do have some limitations: no one would supply the name of a
referee who was likely to give a bad reference. It is helpful for referees if you enclose all the
information sent out to the prospective candidate and point out clearly any essential requirements of
the job. You may want to ask specific questions relating to the candidate's suitability in certain areas.

Correspondence:

Keep detailed records of all correspondence at every stage.

Lesson Summary
The key points from this module are:
It is important for both the job applicant and the organisation to ensure that the right job
goes to the right person. Taking the wrong job may be just as disastrous for the
employee as for the organisation.

Recruitment and selection, therefore, involves the organisation (represented by the

manager) and the applicant trying to discover the extent to which their separate
interests are likely to be served by the appointment. In other words, it is a two-way
process.

There are two different approaches to assessing suitability for a particular job: person-
job fit and person-organisation fit. They are based on different assumptions about
people and what determines their behaviour at work.

There are two principal ways to recruit workers: internally and externally. Most
companies will actively use both methods, ensuring opportunities for existing employees
to move up in the organisation while at the same time fielding new talent.

Depending on the time frame and the specialisation of the position to fill, some methods
will be more effective than others. In either case, the establishment of a comprehensive
job description for every position for which the company recruits will help to narrow the
scope of the search, and offer more qualified candidates, aiding in search efficiency.

Internal recruitment is often the most cost effective method of recruiting potential
employees, as it uses existing company resources and talent pool to fill needs and
therefore may not incur any extra costs.

External recruitment focuses resources on looking outside the organisation for

potential candidates and expanding the available talent pool. The primary goal of
external recruitment is to create diversity among potential candidates by attempting to
reach a wider range of individuals unavailable through internal recruitment.
 Module 6: Selection Process

Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this module, you will be
able to:
 Explain what interviews are useful for.

 Describe the functions of the selection interview.

 Discuss the use of selection tests.

 List the four factors to consider in preparing for an interview.

Selection Interview
Selection Interview
Traditionally, the interview has been the main means of assessing the suitability of candidates
for a job. Almost all organisations use the interview at some stage in their selection process.
Similarly, most applicants expect to be interviewed.

Interviews are useful for assessing such personal characteristics as practical

intelligence and interpersonal and communication skills.

The interview can be used for answering applicants’ questions, selling the organisation
and negotiating terms and conditions.

It is a matter of debate whether an interview accurately assesses ability at work, relevant

experience and work skills. A further problem with interviews is that factors that are not
related to the job influence the decision: clothing, colour, ethnic origin, gender, accent, physical
features or a disability might be such factors.

There is also evidence that interviewers make decisions very rapidly on little information.

You need to be aware of the potential pitfalls in using selection interviews and may choose to
supplement them with a variety of selection tests.

The aim of the selection interview is to determine whether the candidate is interested in the
job and competent to do it.

A selection interview also has the following functions:

 to explain the work of the organisation, the job and any features such as induction and
probation
 to set expectations on both sides, including a realistic discussion of any potential
difficulties (if appropriate)

 to enable the candidate to assess whether they want the job being offered

Interview Preparation
Interview Preparation
There are various types of selection tests and various ways in which they might be used
as part of the selection process.
Tests can be very useful in the selection process as they actually replicate certain parts
of the job, whereas a selection interview can only indicate whether the person has that
ability.
However, it would be very unusual to use a test as the sole means of selecting and,
particularly with personality tests, it should not be the major evidence on which the
decision to appoint or not is made.
Aptitude tests:

Tests of physical ability: Used for the selection of manual workers. For example, a test of the
ability to perform lifting operations might be used.

Mental ability tests: Tests of literacy, numeracy and intelligence.

Analogous tests: Tests which simulate some of the actual tasks in the job, for example a typing or
word-processing test for secretaries. Group problem-solving exercises and presentations may be
suitable for managerial jobs.
Personality tests:

Personality tests: The use of these in selection comes from the assumption that certain jobs
require certain personalities and that tests can identify them.

The most common form of personality test is questionnaires designed to rate respondents on
various personality dimensions. The individual is rated for being persuasive, socially confident,
competitive, decisive, introspective, artistic, conceptual, traditional, independent, extrovert, stable,
optimistic, and so on.

Most reputable personality tests need to be administered and scored by trained and licensed users.
Organisations selling personality tests usually recommend that they are not the only method used for
selection.
Assessment centre:

Assessment centre: This is a process, rather than a place, that uses a number of selection
techniques in combination.

A typical assessment centre would assemble 12 applicants after screening and subject them to tests
such as intelligence tests, presentations, group work and interviews
Preparing for the Interview

Preparation is an extremely important stage in the process and there are four factors to consider in
preparing for an interview:

 What does the interviewer(s) need for the interview?

 What does the candidate need?
 Location requirements
 Requirements of a good interview

What does the interviewer (s) need for the interview?

The interviewer(s) needs the following for the interview:

• Job description, person specification

• Individual application forms, CVs, etc.
• Details of terms and conditions of employment: hours of work, fringe benefits, perks, etc.
• Information on general prospects, training, induction etc. within the organisation

What does the candidate need?

The candidate needs the following for the interview:

• Details of venue; to be met on arrival

• Access to facilities: toilets, any special needs for candidates with disabilities
• Comfortable waiting area

Location requirements

• Suitable room and layout: consider whether formal or informal and what type of setting to create
• Freedom from interruptions and other discomforts and distractions such as extraneous noise,
uncomfortable furniture, extremes of temperature, etc.
• Appropriate access for people with special needs

Requirements of a good interview

• A structured interview plan enabling the interviewer(s) to assess what they are looking for in the
candidate and whether the person:
- could do the job (assessment against the person specification) would do the job (judgements
of motivation and commitment) would fit (elements of person-organisation fit)
(Note: a well-developed person specification should include criteria relating to all three
areas.)

• A clear idea of the areas of questioning for each candidate to check that they fulfil the criteria
• Agreement on the roles of those involved in the interview if there is a panel: who will chair and how
questions will be divided among the panel members in an organised way
• A disciplined approach to timing: enough time for each candidate and not too many candidates per
day
 Lesson Summary
The key points from this module are:
Traditionally, the interview has been the main means of assessing the suitability of
candidates for a job. Almost all organisations use the interview at some stage in their
selection process. Similarly, most applicants expect to be interviewed.

Interviews are useful for assessing such personal characteristics as practical

intelligence and interpersonal and communication skills. The interview can be used for
answering applicants’ questions, selling the organisation and negotiating terms and
conditions.

It is a matter of debate whether an interview accurately assesses ability at work,

relevant experience and work skills.

There is also evidence that interviewers make decisions very rapidly on little
information. You need to be aware of the potential pitfalls in using selection interviews
and may choose to supplement them with a variety of selection tests.

There are various types of selection tests and various ways in which they might be used
as part of the selection process. Tests can be very useful in the selection process as
they actually replicate certain parts of the job, whereas a selection interview can only
indicate whether the person has that ability.

However, it would be very unusual to use a test as the sole means of selecting and,
particularly with personality tests, it should not be the major evidence on which the
decision to appoint or not is made.

Preparation is an extremely important stage in the process and there are four factors to
consider in preparing for an interview:

 What does the interviewer(s) need for the interview?

 What does the candidate need?

 Location requirements

 Requirements of a good interview

 Module 7: Interview Techniques

On successful completion of this module, you will be

able to:
 Explain how to improve interviewing skills.

 Distinguish between the three common methods of interviews.

 Describe different types of questions that can be asked in an interview.

 List the steps involved in concluding an interview.