SELECTION

1. INTRODUCTION

Successful selection activities entail a lot of careful planning. The selection process is composed of
steps, each of which provides decision makers with information that will help them predict whether
an applicant will be a successful job performer. One way to conceptualize this is to think of each step
in the selection process as a higher hurdle in a race. The applicant able to clear all the hurdles wins
the race and the job offer. The aim of employee selection is to achieve person-job fit. This means
matching the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other competencies (KSACs) that are required for
performing the job (based on job analysis) with the applicant’s KSACs. selecting the right employee is
important for three main reasons. Therefore, while person-job fit is usually the main consideration,
person-organization fit is important too as the personality of the person should match with the
organisational values.

In any case, selecting the right employee is important for three main reasons. First, employees with
the right skills will perform better for you and the company. Employees without these skills or who
are abrasive or obstructionist won’t perform effectively, and your own performance and the firm’s
will suffer. The time to screen out undesirables is before they are in the door. Second, effective
selection is important because it is costly to recruit and hire employees. Third, it’s important because
inept hiring has legal consequences. It means hiring employees with criminal records or other
problems who then use access to customers’ homes (or similar opportunities) to commit crimes.

2. THE SELECTION PROCESS

Selection activities follow a standard pattern, beginning with an initial screening interview and
concluding with the final employment decision. The selection process typically consists of eight steps:
(1) initial screening interview, (2) completion of the application form, (3) preemployment tests, (4)
comprehensive interview, (5) conditional job offer, (6) background investigation, (7) medical or
physical examination, and (8) permanent job offer. Each step represents a decision point requiring
affirmative feedback in order for the process to continue. Each step in the process seeks to expand
the organization’s knowledge about the applicant’s background, abilities, and motivation, and it
increases the information that decision makers use to make their predictions and final choice.

2.1 Initial Screening

The first step in the selection process involves initial screening of potential candidates. This initial
screening is, in effect, a two-step procedure: (1) screening inquiries and (2) screening interviews. If
the company’s recruiting effort has been successful, they will have a pool of potential applicants. The
organization can eliminate some of these respondents based on the job description and job
specification. Perhaps candidates lack adequate or appropriate experience, or adequate or
appropriate education. Other red flags include gaps in the applicant’s job history, a listing of numerous
jobs held for short periods of time, or courses and seminars listed instead of appropriate education.
The screening interview is also an excellent opportunity for HRM to describe the job in enough detail
so the candidates can consider if they are really serious about applying. Sharing job description
information frequently encourages the unqualified or marginally qualified to voluntarily withdraw
from candidacy with a minimum cost to the applicant or the organization. Phone interviews are
efficient ways to hold screening interviews.

2.2 Completing the Application Form

After the phone screening interview, applicants may be asked to complete the organization’s
application form. This may be as brief as requiring only the applicant’s name, address, and telephone
number. Most organizations, on the other hand, may want a more comprehensive employment
profile. In general terms, the application form gives a job-performance-related synopsis of applicants’
life, skills, and accomplishments. Applications obtain information the company wants and needs in
order to make a proper selection. Completing the application also serves as another hurdle. If the
application requires following directions and the individual fails to do so, that is a job related reason
for rejection. Finally, applications require a signature attesting to the truthfulness of the information
given and giving permission to check references. If, at a later point, the company finds out the
information is false, it can justify immediate dismissal.

2.3 Preemployment Testing

 Aptitude tests: They purport to measure aptitude for the job.

o Intelligence Tests: Intelligence (IQ) tests are tests of general intellectual abilities. They
measure not a single trait but rather a range of abilities, including memory,
vocabulary, verbal fluency, and numerical ability.
o Mechanical Aptitude Test: It tests applicants’ understanding of basic mechanical
principles. This may reflect a person’s aptitude for jobs—like that of machinist or
engineer— that require mechanical comprehension.
o Psychomotor Tests: It measures the speed and accuracy of simple judgment as well
as the speed of finger, hand, and arm movements. Tests of physical abilities may also
be required. These include static strength (such as lifting weights), dynamic strength
(pull-ups), body coordination (jumping rope), and stamina.
 Situational Test: The candidate are given certain situations and their response to situational
elements are mapped. Some techniques to conduct situational tests are group discussions and
in basket exercise.
 Interest test: A personal development and selection device that compares the person’s
current interests with those of others now in various occupations so as to determine the
preferred occupation for the individual.
 Personality tests: measure basic aspects of an applicant’s personality, such as introversion,
stability, and motivation. Industrial psychologists often focus on the “big five” personality
dimensions: extraversion, emotional stability/neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness,
and openness to experience. Some personality tests are projective. The psychologist presents
an ambiguous stimulus (like an inkblot or clouded picture) and the person reacts. The person
supposedly projects into the ambiguous picture his or her attitudes, such as insecurity.
 Performance Simulation Tests: The single identifying characteristic of these tests is that they
require the applicant to engage in specific behaviors necessary for performing the job
successfully.
o Work Sampling: Work sampling creates a miniature replica of a job. Applicants
demonstrate that they possess the necessary talents by actually doing the tasks.
Carefully devised work samples based on job analysis data determine the knowledge,
skills, and abilities needed for each job. Then, each work sample element is matched
with a corresponding job performance element. The advantages of work sampling
over traditional pencil-and-paper tests should be obvious. Because work samples are
essentially identical to job content, work sampling should be a better predictor of
short-term performance and should minimize discrimination. The main disadvantage
is the difficulty in developing appropriate work samples for each job. Furthermore,
 work sampling is not applicable to all levels of the organization. The difficulty in using
this method when screening for managerial jobs lies in creating a work sample test
that can address the full range of managerial activities and responsibilities.
o Assessment Centers: A more elaborate set of performance simulation tests,
specifically designed to evaluate a candidate’s managerial potential, is administered
in assessment centers. Assessment centers use procedures that incorporate group
and individual exercises. Applicants go through a series of these exercises and are
appraised by line executives, practicing supervisors, and/or trained psychologists as
to how well they perform. As with work sampling, these exercises are designed to
simulate the work of managers and so tend to be accurate predictors of later job
performance.

2.4 Comprehensive Interviews

Applicants who pass the initial screening, application form, and required tests typically receive a
comprehensive interview. The applicant may be interviewed by HRM interviewers, senior managers
within the organization, a potential supervisor, colleagues, or some or all of these. In fact, at Disney,
like most other organizations, applicants are interviewed by numerous individuals. The
comprehensive interview is designed to probe areas not easily addressed by the application form or
tests, such as assessing a candidate’s motivation, values, ability to work under pressure, attitude, and
ability to “fit in” with the organizational culture. The interview has proven an almost universal
selection tool—one that can take numerous forms.

o Unstructured interviews: The manager follows no set format. A few questions might be
specified in advance, but they’re usually not, and there is seldom a formal guide for scoring
“right” or “wrong” answers.
o Structured interviews: The employer lists questions ahead of time, and may even weight
possible alternative answers for appropriateness.
o Situational interview: The candidate is asked what his or her behavior would be in a given
situation. Whereas situational interviews ask applicants to describe how they would react to
a hypothetical situation today or tomorrow, behavioral interviews ask applicants
o Stress interview: The interviewer seeks to make the applicant uncomfortable with
occasionally rude questions. The aim is supposedly to spot sensitive applicants and those with
low (or high) stress tolerance.
o Panel interview: also known as a board interview, is an interview conducted by a team of
interviewers (usually two to three), who together question each candidate and then combine
their ratings of each candidate’s answers into a final panel score. This contrasts with the one-
on-one interview (in which one interviewer meets one candidate) and a serial interview
(where several interviewers assess a single candidate one-on-one, sequentially).

The interviews can be subject to several issues like:

o Interviewer Bias: Seeing the candidate’s résumé, application form, test scores, or appraisals
from other interviewers may introduce interviewer bias. In such cases, the interviewer no
longer relies on data gained in the interview alone. Data received prior to the interview
creates an image of the applicant. Much of the early part of the interview, then, becomes an
exercise wherein the interviewer compares the actual applicant with the image formed
earlier.
o Impression Management: Impression management is directly related to the applicant’s
actions. It refers to an applicant’s attempt to project an image that will result in a favorable
 outcome. Thus, if an applicant can say or do something the interviewer approves of, that
person may be viewed more favorably for the position.

2.5 Conditional Job Offers

If a job applicant has passed each step of the selection process so far, a conditional job offer is usually
made. Conditional job offers typically come from an HRM representative. In essence, the conditional
job offer implies that if everything checks out—such as passing a certain medical, physical, or
substance abuse test—the conditional nature of the job offer will be removed and the offer will be
permanent.

2.6 Background Investigation

The next step in the process is to conduct a background investigation of applicants who are potential
employees. Background investigations, or reference checks, are intended to verify that information
on the application form is correct and accurate. Common sources of background information include:

o References are provided by the applicant and are usually very positive. Even applicants with
very poor work records can find someone to agree to be a reference; often it may be a friend
or relative.
o Former employers should be called to confirm the candidate’s work record and to obtain their
performance appraisal. Frequently you will encounter employers
o Educational accomplishments can be verified by asking for transcripts.
o Criminal records can be checked by third-party investigators. Most states also have easy to
use Web sites where you can search public records of criminal records.
o Background checks are conducted by third-party investigators.
o Online searches as simple as a “Google” search of a candidate can turn up information on
press releases or news items about a candidate that was left off the application or résumé.
Web 2.0 social networking sites such as Facebook and LinkedIn also provide professional as
well as personal information.

2.7 Medical/Physical Examination

The next-to-last step in the selection process may consist of having the applicant take a
medical/physical examination. Physical exams can only be used as a selection device to screen out
individuals who are unable to physically comply with the requirements of a job.

2.8 Job Offers

Individuals who perform successfully in the preceding steps are now considered eligible to receive the
employment offer. Who makes the final employment offer depends on several factors. For
administrative purposes, the offer typically is made by an HRM representative. The actual hiring
decision should be made by the manager in the department where the vacancy exists. First, the
applicant will be working for this manager, which necessitates a good fit between boss and employee.
Second, if the decision is faulty, the hiring manager has no one else to blame. Lastly, finalists not hired
deserve the courtesy of prompt notification.

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