| 61
Chapter 5
Learning Objectives:
Be able to name and discuss the steps in the selection process.
Be able to explain why criteria development is an important part
of the selection process.
Give examples of types of criteria that can be developed.
Describe the advantages and disadvantages of internal and
external candidates.
Explain the various types of interviews and interview questions.
Discuss interview methods and potential mistakes in
interviewing candidates.
Explain the interview process.
Explain the types of tests that can be administered as part of the
selection process.
Be able to discuss the types of selection models.
Explain the steps in making the offer to the candidate.
The Interview
Many of us have sat in a waiting room in our best clothes,
anticipating a job (or school) interview, or will do so in the near
future. As you wait for your name to be called, your hands sweat
and your mind races. You take a glance around the workplace and
envision yourself walking through those doors on a daily basis.
People grin as they pass by, and you get a great initial impression
of the organization. You can only hope that they like you.
62 |
While reviewing all of your experience that qualifies you for the
position, you urge yourself to remember to smile. You could have
a moment of self-doubt when you consider the talents of the other
interviewees and hope that you have more experience and create
a better impression than they do. When you hear your name, you
get up and give the HR manager a strong handshake. The
interview is now underway.
Selection is an essential stage in the hiring process, which takes a
lot of time and effort. A proper recruiting procedure is time-
consuming and accurate. The interviewer should have questions
prepared in advance and be prepared to pitch the company to the
candidate.
The Selection Process
The procedures required in selecting candidates with the
necessary qualities to fill a current or future job opportunity are
referred to as the selection process. Managers and supervisors
are usually in charge of recruiting people, while human resource
management (HRM) is in charge of defining and guiding
managers through the process.
There are five main components to the selecting process:
1. Criteria Development
All personnel engaged in the recruiting process should be
adequately trained in the processes of interviewing, which include
creating criteria, examining resumés, devising interview
questions, and weighing prospects.
The first step in the selection process is to design the interview
procedure, which involves developing criteria. The process of
selecting which sources of information will be used and how those
sources will be assessed during the interview is known as criteria
formulation. The job analysis and job requirements should be
closely connected to the criterion.
63
The text is a continuation of content about the selection process
in human resource management, building on what was shared in
prior pages. It elaborates on key components:
- It further explains criteria development, noting that job analysis
elements like personality or cultural fit may be included, and that
some organizations use biographical sheets or applications to
gather candidate background info.
- Details the next components of the selection process:
1. Examining applications and resumés: Can be done manually or
via computer systems that search for keywords to narrow down
candidates.
2. Interviewing: After screening for minimal requirements,
candidates are selected for interviews; phone interviews may be
used to reduce the applicant pool.
3. Test administration: Various tests (drug, physical, personality,
cognitive) and checks (reference, credit, background) may be
conducted once the pool is narrowed.
This content is part of a textbook chapter focused on hiring and
selection procedures, with no specific test questions, named
entities like brands or media titles, or creative tasks required.
64 |
5. Making a proposal.
The final stage in the selection process is to offer the chosen
candidate a position. A more official element of this procedure is
the development of an offer through e-mail or letter. An offer will
specify the compensation and perks.
When was the last time you went for
a job interview? Did the procedure
appear to be well-organized?
Why do you think that is?
Criteria Development and Resumé Review
Before we start reviewing resumés and applications, we need to
have a good sense of who we want to employ for the job. The job
criteria, of course, will help us determine the minimal credentials,
such as education level and years of experience. Additional
factors, on the other hand, may include the potential hire’s
attitude, capacity to take initiative, and other essential personal
traits and professional talents that aren’t usually evident in an
application or resumé. The criteria should include a specific score
on a personality test, the quality of work examples, and other
methods for determining credentials. To put it another way,
understanding precisely what you want before you start browsing
at resumés will make the process a lot easier. Knowledge, skills,
abilities, and other personal qualities that make a person
successful on the work are referred to as KSAOs in human
resources.
| 65
Criteria Development Considerations
Before evaluating any resumés, many HR professionals and
managers create recruiting criteria as well as interview questions.
This facilitates a simplified procedure by establishing certain
standards prior to examining a resumé. Criteria for a project
management position, for example, may include the following:
- Two years of experience managing a project budget of Php2
million or more
- A bachelor’s degree in business administration or a closely
related discipline is required.
- Working on many projects at the same time
- Ability to solve problems
- Ability to deal with conflict
- Ability to lead a group of five to six people who are all different
from one another.
- A cognitive ability test score of at least 70% is required.
- The most recent employer gave you an outstanding rating.
The recruiting team will have a clear image of the credentials they
are searching for if they define criteria ahead of time. As a result,
determining who should advance in the selection process is easy.
If someone does not have a bachelor’s degree, for example, and
this is a requirement, their application papers might be stored
aside for a future job vacancy. Similarly, the HR manager can put
those resumés in the interview pile who have two or more years
of experience and a bachelor’s degree, and then create interview
questions that demonstrate the applicants’ problem-solving,
multitasking, and conflict-management talents.
Software for resumé parsing or scanning is widely available and
can make the first screening process go more smoothly. For
example, the HR manager can use terms like bachelor’s degree or
management in the Sovren software. This program analyzes all
resumés received and
66 |
chooses those that include the keywords. While reviewing
resumés is still required, this sort of software can save time by
eliminating the need to go through resumés that clearly do not
match the minimal criteria.
Validity and Reliability
The validity refers to how useful the tool is to measure a person’s
attributes for a specific job opening. A tool may include any and
all of the following:
- Resumé-scanning software
- Reference checks
- Cognitive ability tests
- Work samples
- Credit reports
- Biographical information blanks
- Weighted application forms
- Personality tests
- Interview questions
The degree to which different selection procedures provide similar
results over time is referred to as reliability. For example, if you
ask the same project management interview question to every
applicant and the “correct” response consistently produces
similar, good consequences, such as the employment of a
successful employee, the question is deemed trustworthy.
Reference checks are a good example of an unreliable test. Most
candidates would not provide a reference who may offer them a
bad evaluation on their resumé, making this a less trustworthy
means of assessing applicants’ talents and competencies.
Fit Issues
Fit encompasses not just the appropriate level of technical
competence, education, and experience, but also a match with
the company’s and team’s culture. The company culture
emphasizes customer service and people’s commitment to offer
the finest customer service possible in all parts of the business.
An emphasis on creating
| 67
leaders to grow alongside Amazon, the massive online retailer, is
a key pillar in their business culture. If a candidate is not engaged
in long-term career advancement, he or she may not be
considered a strategic match for the company. The majority of
employees in today’s workplaces are obliged to work in groups.
As a consequence, team compatibility is just as crucial as
business culture compatibility. Microsoft, for example, engages in
a great deal of collaboration. Marketers, accountants, developers,
and a slew of other professionals work on a single product at a
time in the firm. As a consequence, Microsoft considers not only
corporate culture fit but also team member fit.
What is a Resumé?
A resumé is a formal document that a job applicant creates to
itemize his/her qualifications for a position. A resumé is usually
accompanied by a customized cover letter in which the applicant
expresses an interest in a specific job or company and draws
attention to the most relevant specifics on the resumé.
What should be written on the resumé:
1. Focus on your most relevant experiences. Spend most of your
time discussing the most relevant parts of your resumé.
2. Show what value you can add.
3. Mention specific accomplishments.
4. Highlight your skills section.
5. Prove that you will be a good fit.
The Difference between Resumé and Curriculum Vitae
The Curriculum Vitae presents a full history of your academic
credentials, so the length of the document is variable. In contrast,
a resumé presents a concise picture of your skills and
qualifications for a specific position, so length tends to be shorter
and dictated by years of experience (generally 1-2 pages).
68 |
Reviewing Resumés
We may begin the evaluation process once we have defined our
criteria for a certain position. This is something that everyone
loves to do in their own unique way. For example, all recruiting
decision makers might go over all resumés, establish a list of
persons they would want to meet in person, and compare the
lists. Another option is to assess each candidate and interview
just those who score higher than a specified threshold. Obviously,
a lot of the procedures will be determined by the size of the
company and the sort of project. None of this can be done fairly
unless the job’s criteria are established beforehand.
A manager should be concerned with the ideas of disparate effect
and unequal treatment while reviewing resumés to decide who to
interview. Disparate effect refers to unintentional discrimination
against a protected group as a whole as a result of the application
of a specific rule. In the interviewing process, as well as other
employment-related procedures such as salary raise and
promotions, disparate effect may be present. A need to be able to
lift 110 pounds, for example, may be seen as having a
disproportionate impact on women unless the work necessitates
it.
Every new criterion should be carefully examined to see if it would
have a disproportionate impact on a protected group of people.
Immigrants, for example, who may not have a well-developed
credit rating, may be harmed by the need for a specific credit
score. If the ability to manage money is a significant part of the
work, however, this demand may not be discriminatory.
Not interviewing an applicant because of one’s opinion on the
individual’s age, ethnicity, or gender is an example of
discrimination in hiring.
The final point to consider is whether to hire internal or external
applicants. An internal candidate is someone who currently works
for the company, whereas an external candidate is someone who
currently works for a competitor. Internal applicants may be
notified of open positions through a bidding procedure. In general,
it is advisable to conduct formal
| 69
interviews with all candidates, even if they are employees of the
company. As a result, an HR expert can ensure that differential
treatment is not the result of bias.
You may start the interview process once you’ve fulfilled the job
requirements and limited down your options.
| 73
Interviewing
It costs money to interview individuals. As a result, making
effective use of time once applicants are chosen is important in
ensuring that the interview process allows for the selection of the
best candidate. In an unstructured interview, questions are
tailored to the individual applicant; for example, inquiries
regarding the candidate’s past and how it relates to their resumé
may be asked. In a structured interview, a series of standardized
questions is asked based on the job analysis rather than the
resumés of individual candidates.
While a structured interview may appear to be the best way to
learn more about a candidate, the greater risk is that the
interview will be focused on the specific position for which the
prospect is applying. The expected or desirable responses are set
ahead of time in a structured interview, allowing the interviewer
to assess responses as the candidate gives them. According to
the US Office of Personnel Management¹, this provides for a fair
interview procedure. Unless otherwise stated, we will presume
that all interviews HR conducts will be organized for the purposes
of this section.
Types of Interviews
Interviewing can be time consuming, it is important to pick the
proper sort of interview(s) for each position. For example, some
positions may just need one interview, while others may require a
telephone interview as well as one or two traditional interviews.
Keep in mind however, that there will very certainly be additional
ways to assess a candidate’s potential, such as testing.
1. Traditional interview.
In most cases, this sort of interview takes place in the workplace.
The interviewer and the candidate are both present, and a series
of questions are posed and answered.
74 |
2. Telephone interview.
A phone interview is frequently used to reduce the pool of
candidates coming for a regular interview. It may be used to
figure out wage needs or other information that would instantly
rule out a traditional interview. It is still unreasonable to interview
twenty-five candidates in person if you receive two hundred
resumés and filter them down to twenty-five. You could opt to
perform phone interviews with the remaining twenty-five
candidates at this time, reducing the in-person interviews to a
more manageable ten or so people.
3. Panel interview.
When multiple individuals interview one candidate at the same
time, it’s called a panel interview. While this sort of interview
might be stressful for the candidate, it can also be a better use of
time. Consider the fact that some firms require three to four
persons to interview job prospects. It would be unreasonable to
expect the applicant to come in for three or four interviews,
therefore they should be questioned by everyone at the same
time.
4. Information interview.
When there isn’t a specific job opportunity, but the candidate
wants to learn more about a certain subject, informational
interviews are commonly utilized. The opportunity to identify
outstanding candidates ahead of a job vacancy is one of the
benefits of doing these sort of interviews.
5. Meal interviews.
For the interview, several companies offer to take the candidate
out to lunch or dinner. This can allow for a more informal
encounter in which you, as the interviewer, can learn more about
the individual, such as their etiquette and how they treat wait
staff. This sort of interview may be classified as an unstructured
interview because it is more of a discussion than a session with
specific questions and responses.
| 75
6. Group Interview
Two or more candidates are interviewed at the same time in a
group interview. If you need to know how they could interact with
other individuals in their workplace, this sort of interview might be
quite useful.
7. Video Interview
Traditional interviews are conducted in the same way as video
interviews, with the exception that video equipment is employed.
If one or more of your applicants are from out of town, this can
save you money. For example, Skype offers free video calls.
Although an interview may not seem like a typical interview, the
same information about the candidate may be collected.
8. Non-directive Interview
The candidate effectively leads the debate in a non-directive
interview. Although the interviewer may ask some very generic
questions that have been prepared ahead of time, the applicant
spends more time talking than the interviewer. Instead of asking,
“Do you like dealing with customers?” you might ask, “What did
you appreciate best about your past job?” The benefit of this style
of interview is that it allows applicants to demonstrate their
talents, but, because questions are not pre-determined, it may be
difficult to compare possible candidates. It is based on a “gut
feeling” approach.
Interview Questions
The majority of interviews include a variety of questions, although
they tend to trend toward situational or behavior description
interviews. A situational interview is one in which the applicant is
presented with a hypothetical circumstance and asked how he or
she would handle it. During a behavior description interview, the
applicant is questioned about what he or she performed in a
range of scenarios. In this style of interview, the idea is that
someone’s prior experiences or behaviors are a predictor of future
behavior.
76 |
Unlike the conventional “tell me about yourself” inquiries, these
sort of questions help the interviewer understand how a person
would or has handled problems. These interview techniques
likewise employ a systematic approach and give a more solid
foundation for making decisions.
Interview Process
It is time to start interviewing people once the criteria have been
chosen and interview questions have been written. The direction
and procedure that should be followed can be determined by your
interviewing plan:
1. Find new people to hire.
2. Establish the criteria that will be used to evaluate candidates.
3. Based on the findings, create interview questions.
4. Establish a schedule for interviewing and making decisions.
5. Connect your calendars with the schedules of those who are
participating in the interview process.
6. Set up candidate interviews as well as any testing processes.
7. Conduct interviews with the candidates and any required tests.
8. When all of the results are in, meet with the recruiting team to
go through each prospect and make a selection based on the
criteria you specified.
9. Assemble a package for the applicant.
As you can see, planning is a big component of the interviewing
process. Consider the hiring manager who does not know exactly
what kind of person or talents she is searching for but
nevertheless schedules interviews. If you do not know what you
are searching for in the first place, it is difficult, if not impossible,
to figure out who should be employed. Furthermore, using time
lines for interviews may assist to keep everyone on track and
guarantee that the chosen applicant begins work on time. Here
are some pointers to keep in mind as you progress through the
interview process:
| 77
1. Ensure that everyone is familiar with the interviewing process.
Allowing an interview to be conducted by someone with weak
interviewing skills would almost certainly result in not hiring the
best applicant. In a worst-case situation, if the interviewer asked
an unlawful question, the applicant may end up suing the
company.
2. Pay attention to the applicant and make an effort to build a
relationship with them. Recognize how nervous they are and
make an effort to put them at ease.
3. Be honest with yourself regarding the work. Do not attempt to
portray a “rosy” image of the entire work. Being upfront and
honest allows an applicant to know precisely what they are
getting into when they start their new employment.
4. Recognize your own stereotypes and do not allow them to
influence your assessment of a possible applicant.
5. Pay attention to your own and the candidate’s body language
during the interview. Body language is a strong tool for
determining whether or not someone is a good match for a job.
6. Stick to your hiring criteria. Do not ask queries that are not part
of your defined criteria.
7. If not everyone on the interviewing team agrees on who should
be chosen, know how to handle conflict and develop a fair
method.
| 81
Testing and Selecting
Testing
Following a successful interview, a number of exams may be
administered. These job exams might compare a person’s KSAOs
against those of another candidate. The following are some of the
most common types of tests:
1. Tests of cognitive ability
2. Personality evaluations
3. Physical abilities evaluations
4. Tests of job knowledge
Work sample
A variety of written examinations are available. A cognitive ability
test can assess thinking, numeracy, and linguistic abilities. A
person’s capacity to learn new abilities is measured by an
aptitude test, but their present knowledge is measured by an
accomplishment exam. Depending on the work, one or both will
be more appropriate.
Mechanical aptitude and clerical aptitude are two examples of
aptitude exams (e.g., speed of typing or ability to use a particular
computer program). Typically, an aptitude test will include specific
questions about the job’s needs.
Personality tests like Meyers-Briggs and the “Big Five” personality
characteristics may be assessed and compared to the results of
successful employees.
Extroversion, agreeableness, conscientiousness, neuroticism, and
openness are all factors in the Big Five personality test. The key
elements of self-assessment statements:
- I am a self-assured individual.
- I am a trustworthy person in general.
- I don’t always believe in my own skills.
- I have a hard time adapting to new situations.
82 |
A job knowledge exam assesses a candidate’s degree of
knowledge about a certain job. A job knowledge test, for example,
may challenge candidates to create code in a certain amount of
time or solve a case study problem relating to the position.
Candidates are asked to provide samples of previous work in work
sample exams. This might be a portfolio of designs in the
advertising industry, or prior project plans or budgets in the case
of a project manager.
Other ways of validating KSAOs, such as checking references,
driving records, and credit histories, might be done after the
interview and exam is finished. Some employers even utilize
Facebook to assess a candidate’s professionalism.
To validate a candidate’s background, references must be
checked. It provides further confidence that the candidate’s
talents match what you were informed during the interview. While
employment dates and job titles can be verified with prior
employers, due to privacy regulations, many companies will only
verify what can be verified in the employment record.
A list of questions is acceptable if you do discover someone who
is ready to talk more than dates and job titles. The following are
some examples of possible questions:
- What were the title and duties of the candidate’s employment at
your firm?
- Do you believe the candidate is qualified to carry out those
duties?
- Is this individual punctual and has an excellent attendance
record?
- Do you regard this individual to be a team player?
- What are the candidate’s three greatest and weakest
characteristics?
| 83
Do you think you will hire this individual again?
Considerable employers demand drug testing, which has sparked
some discussions. While some organizations argue that this is a
safety concern (and hence pay reduced insurance costs), others
argue that it is a privacy infringement. Many companies will
continue to demand drug testing as long as they are conducted
for a justifiable purpose (safety). Physical examinations may be
needed by some companies to ensure that the applicant is
capable of doing the job. The honesty test is the ultimate type of
examination. There are several “what would you do” queries
posed. The problem with this sort of test is that many individuals
know the “correct” answer but are not always truthful in their
replies.
Selection Methods
A clinical selection technique is perhaps the most frequent
selection method, and it involves everyone involved in the hiring
process. The decision makers go over the data and decide who
should be chosen for a position based on what they learn from the
candidate and the information they have. Because interviewers
have diverse perspectives on a candidate’s qualities, this
approach is prone to mistake. Disparate treatment is one factor,
in which one’s prejudices may lead to the rejection of applicants
based on their age, color, or gender. Using a statistical technique
in hiring is one way to deal with this and restrict the interviewers’
own prejudices and judgments.
A selection model is created using the statistical technique, which
distributes scores and, if required, provides greater weight to
particular criteria. This technique makes the process more
equitable and can reduce uneven treatment, however it may not
reduce disparate effect. A statistical technique may go something
like this: you and the hiring team evaluate the job analysis and
job description, then decide on the job requirements. You add
weights and score ranges to each area of the criteria, evaluate
applicants on each area when they interview, and then grade
exams or look at work examples. After each hiring manager has
rated each prospect, the recruiting team may compare the results
in each category and, ideally, hire the best candidate in the most
efficient manner.
84 |
There is greater objectivity with the statistical method than with
the clinical approach. The compensating model, multiple cutoff
model, and multiple hurdle model are examples of statistical
methods. A similar scoring technique as the weighted model is
employed in the compensatory model, but it allows a high score
in one crucial area to compensate for a lower score in another.
A candidate must meet a minimum score level on all selection
criteria in a multiple cutoff model. Only candidates with high
(preset) scores advance to the following stages of the selection
process in the multiple hurdle model.
Making the Offer
HR professionals sometimes believe their job is done after a
decision to employ a candidate has been made. Making an offer
to the selected applicant, on the other hand, might be just as
crucial as the interview process. If the offer is not handled
appropriately, you risk losing the applicant, or if the prospect
accepts the position, he or she may get off to a bad start.
When you have established throughout the interview process that
the pay expectation is within your range, the first step is to make
an offer as soon as you have made your decision. Waiting a week
or two in a tight labor market may affect your ability to hire your
first pick. You have probably already decided on a pay range and
may start narrowing down the offer depending on the individual’s
KSAOs.
Consider the following questions when making an offer to a
candidate based on the pay range you may give:
- What is the scarcity of the skill set in question?
- What are the current “going” salaries in your area?
- What is the present state of the economy?
- What are the current pay rates in your company for similar
positions?
| 85
- What is your compensation plan for your company?
- What is the job’s fair market value?
- What is the job’s degree of importance inside the company?
- What are your financial limitations?
- When will the employee be able to contribute to the company?
- Are there any other applicants that are as competent but seek a
lesser salary?
- What are the unemployment rates at the national and regional
levels?
- Can you provide other benefits, such as a signing bonus or a
flexible work schedule, if you cannot pay more?
It is appropriate to allow the candidate some time to consider the
offer once it has been made, but not too much time, since this
may result in the loss of other candidates if the candidate rejects
the job offer. It is conceivable that the applicant will return and
request a better pay or benefits package. Here are some pointers
on how to properly negotiate:
- Prepare yourself. Know what you can and cannot provide.
- Explain how the company can help you advance your career.
- Discuss the advantages of the applicant joining the company.
- Discuss the whole offer, including the employee’s additional
advantages.
- Consider the discussion to be a win-win scenario.
- To be able to give pay research for comparable jobs and rivals
for the same job title, you must be able to provide salary research
for similar positions and competitors.
- Make use of the trading strategy. “I cannot offer you the pay you
are looking for right now,” for example, “but what if we could
discuss salary at your six-month performance review, providing
targets are met?”
Following the phone conversation and the candidate’s acceptance
of the offer, an email or official letter should be sent explaining
the employment agreement’s terms. The following should be
included in the job agreement or offer letter:
--- 86 |
- Job title
- Salary
- Other compensation, such as bonuses or stock options
- Benefits, such as health-care coverage, 401(k)
- Vacation time/paid holidays
- Start date
- Non-compete agreement expectations
- Additional considerations such as relocation expenses
You should clarify acceptance details in writing and get
confirmation of the start date once the pay and benefits package
has been satisfactorily negotiated and the offer letter (or e-mail)
has been issued. It is very uncommon for employees in higher-
level roles to need a month or two to adjust from their previous
work. During this time, be sure you keep in touch and, if
necessary, complete the new hiring paperwork.