SELECTION

DEFINITION
 Selection is a process of differentiating
between applicants in order to identify and
hire those with a greater likelihood of
success in a job.
 It is a process of picking individuals who have
relevant qualifications to fill jobs in an
organisation.
 It leads to creating a contractual relation
between the employer and the employee.It
involves steps leading to employment of
persons who possess the ability and who have
fallen vacant in the organisation.
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
Recruitment Selection

OBJECTIVE To attract maximum number of To choose best out of the

candidates so that more options available candidates
are available

PROCESS Positive process-adopts the Negative process-Adopts the

process of creating application process through which more
pool as large as possible and more candidates are
rejected and fewer
candidates are selected
TECHNIQUES Donot require highly skilled Requires highly skilled &
people specialized people

OUTCOME Application pool which becomes Finalisation of candidates

input for selection process who will be offered jobs.
SELECTION PROCESS
Application Blank
SELECTION TESTS
(i) Aptitude tests
(ii) Achievement tests
(iii) Situational tests
(iv) Interest tests
(v) Personality test
1. Aptitude Tests:
These tests measure whether an individual has the capacity or latent ability to learn a
given job if given adequate training. Aptitudes can be divided into general and mental
ability or intelligence and specific aptitude such as mechanical, clerical, manipulative
capacity etc.

 Intelligence Tests: These tests in general measure intelligence quotient of a candidates. In

detail these tests measure capacity for comprehension, reasoning, word fluency, verbal
comprehension, numbers, memory and space .Other factors such as digit spans—both
forward and backward, information known, comprehension, vocabulary, picture
arrangement and object assembly.
Though these tests are accepted as useful ones, they are criticized against deprived
sections of the community. Further, it is also criticized that these tests may prove to be too
dull as a selection device.

 Mechanical Aptitude Tests: These tests measure the capacities of spatial visualization,
perceptual speed and knowledge of mechanical matter. These tests are useful for selecting
apprentices, skilled, mechanical employees, technicians etc.
Psychomotor Tests: These tests measure abilities like manual dexterity, motor ability and
eye-hand coordination of candidates. These tests are useful to select semi-skilled workers
and workers for repetitive operations like packing, watch assembly.
Clerical Aptitude Tests: Measure specific capacities involved in office work. Items of this
test include spelling, computation, comprehension, copying, word measuring etc.
2. Achievement Tests: These tests are conducted when applicant claims to know something as
these tests are concerned with what one has accomplished These tests are more useful to
measure the value of specific achievement when an organization wishes to employ
experienced candidates. These tests are classified into:
Job Knowledge test; (b) Work sample test.
 Job Knowledge Test: Under this test a candidate is tested in the knowledge of a particular
job. For example, if a junior lecturer applies for the job of a senior lecturer in commerce,
he may be tested in job knowledge where he is asked questions about Accountancy
principle, Banking, Law, Business Management etc.
Work Sample Test: Under this test a portion of the actual work is given to the candidates as
a test and the candidate is asked to do it. If a candidate applies for a post of lecturer in
Management he may be asked to deliver a lecture on Management Information System as
work sample test.
Thus, the candidate’s achievement in his career is tested regarding his knowledge
about the job and actual work experience.
3. Situational Test: This test evaluates a candidate in a similar real life situation. In this test the
candidates is asked either to cope with the situation or solve critical situations of the job.
 (a)Group Discussion: This test administered through group discussion approach to solve a
problem under which candidates are observed in the areas of initiating, leading, proposing
valuable ideas, conciliating skills, oral communicating skills, coordinating and concluding
skills.
 (b)In Basket: Situational test is administered through ‘in basket’ The candidate, in
this test, is supplied with actual letters, telephone and telegraphic message, reports and
requirements by various officers of the organization, adequate information about the job
and organization. The candidates is asked to take decisions on various items based on the
in basket information regarding requirements in the memoranda.
4. Interest Test: These tests are inventories of the likes and dislikes of
candidates in relation to work, job, occupations, hobbies and
recreational activities. The purposes of this test is to find out
whether a candidate is interested or disinterested in the job for
which he is a candidate and to find out in which area of the job
range/occupation the candidate is interested. The assumption of this
test is that there is a high correlation between the interest of a
candidate in a job and job success. Interest inventories are less faked
and they may not fluctuate after the age of 30.
5. Personality Tests: These tests prove deeply to discover clues to an individual’s
value system, his emotional reactions and maturity and characteristic mood. They
are expressed in such traits like self-confidence, tact, emotional control, optimism,
decisiveness, sociability, conformity, objectivity, patience, fear, distrust, initiative,
judgment dominance or submission, impulsiveness, sympathy, integrity, stability and
self-confidence.
(a) Objective Tests: Most personality tests are objective tests as they are suitable for
group testing and can be scored objectively.
(b) Projective Tests: Candidates are asked to project their own interpretation of
certain standard stimulus situations basing on ambiguous pictures, figures etc, under
these tests.
Personality tests have disadvantage in the sense that they can be faked by
sophisticated candidates and most candidates give socially acceptable answers.
Further, personality inventories may not successfully predict job success.
INTERVIEW
TYPES
• Informal Interview: This is may take place anywhere. The employer or a manager in the personnal
department, may ask a few questions, like name, place of birth, previous experience, etc. It is not
planned and is used widely when the labour market is tight and you need workers very badly. A
friend or a relative of the employer may take a candidate to the house of the employer or manager
where this type of interview may be conducted.

 Formal Interview: This held in a more formal atmosphere in the employment office by the
employment officer with the help of well-structured questions. The time and place of the interview
are stipulated by the employment office.

 Planned Interview: This is a formal interview carefully planned. The interviewer has a plan of
action worked out in relation to time to be devoted to each candidate, type of information to be
sought, information to be given, the modality of interview and so on. He may use the plan with
some amount of flexibility.

 Patterned Interview: This is also a planned interview but planned to a higher degree of accuracy,
precision and exactitude. A list of questions and areas are carefully prepared. The interviewer goes
down the list of questions, asking them one after another.

 Non-directive Interview: This is designed to let the interviewee speak his mind freely. The
interviewer is a careful and patient listener, prodding whenever the candidate is silent. The idea is
to give the candidate complete freedom to ‘sell’ himself without encumbrances of the
interviewer’s questions.

 Depth Interview: This is designed to intensively examine the candidate’s background and thinking
and to go into considerable detail on a particular subject to special interest to the candidate. The
theory behind it is that if the candidate is found good in his area of special interest, the chances
are high that if given a job he would take serious interest in it.
 Stress Interview: This is designed to test the candidate and his
conduct and behavior by putting him under conditions of stress
and strain. This is very useful to test the behavior of individuals
under disagreeable and trying situations.
 Group Interview: This is designed to see how the candidates
react to and against each other. All the candidates may be
brought together in the office and they may be interviewed. The
candidates may, alternatively, be given a topic for discussion and
be observed as to who will lead the discussion, how they will
participate in the discussion, how each will make his presentation
and how they will react to each other’s views and presentation.
 Panel Interview: This is done by members of the interview board
or a selection committee. This is done usually for supervisory and
managerial positions. It pools the collective judgement and
wisdom of members of the panel. The candidate may be asked to
meet the panel individually for a fairly lengthy interview.