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RECRUITMENT &
SELECTION
Better recruitment and selection strategies result in improved organizational
outcomes. The more effectively organizations recruit and select candidates,
the more likely they are to hire and retain satisfied employees.
Human Resource
Management
Section - B
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Submitted To:
Mr. Ghulam Muhammad
Compiled & Written By:
MurtazaAsgher Ali
Naeem Ahmed
ShaziaSiddiq
Syeda Farah Naz
Syeda Sarah Fatima
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Acknowledgement
Our term report would have not been possible without theassistance of the human resource department at TransWing
Logistics, TradeKey, Logistic Services Pakistan and MCB, who
with their contacts made all our visits possible. We thank all
the owners and employees of these organizations who
welcomed us and cooperated with us, resolving all our
questions and queries. All the problems that we faced in
different sections of our report were resolved in the most
effective manner.
We would also like to thank our course instructor Mr. Ghulam
Muhammad, who took time off his busy schedule to guide us
through a few sections of our report.
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Table of Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 6
Recruitment and Selection Practices Survey Report ............................................................................. 6
Purpose ........................................................................................................................................... 6Definition ......................................................................................................................................... 6
General Profile ................................................................................................................................. 7
Purpose of the guide ............................ .......................... ........................... ................................ ........... 7
Contents .............................................................................................................................................. 8
Improving the guide ............................. .......................... ............................ ............................... ........... 8
Training ............................................................................................................................................... 8
Documentation ................................ ......................... ............................... ............................ ................ 8
Equal Opportunities .............................. ........................ ............................ ................................ ............... 8
Addressing conflicts of interest .......................... ................................ ...................... ................................ 9
Recruitment Procedure............................................................................................................................ 9
Step 1: Analyse the job ......................................................................................................................10
Job analysis ....................................................................................................................................10
Job design ......................................................................................................................................10
Job titles ........................................................................................................................................10
Job descriptions .............................................................................................................................11Person specification .......................................................................................................................11
Step 2: Obtain authorization to recruit ...............................................................................................12
Step 3: Advertising the post ...............................................................................................................13
Do we need to advertise? ..............................................................................................................13
Composing the advertisement .......................................................................................................13
Advertisement process ..................................................................................................................14
Where to advertise ........................................................................................................................14
Cost of advertising .........................................................................................................................15
Information required of applicants .................................................................................................15
Step 4: Composition of the selection panel ........................................................................................15
Step 5: Select candidates for interview & identify any tests or presentations required .......................16
Shortlisting the applicants ..............................................................................................................16
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Shortlisting paperwork ...................................................................................................................17
Selection tests and presentations ...................................................................................................17
Invitation to interview letters .........................................................................................................18
Travel and accommodation expenses .............................................................................................18
References .....................................................................................................................................18
Step 6: The selection interview ..........................................................................................................19
Preparation ....................................................................................................................................19
The venue ......................................................................................................................................19
Welcoming the candidate ..............................................................................................................20
The interview questions .................................................................................................................20
Question types ...............................................................................................................................21
Taking notes ..................................................................................................................................23
Candidates that require permission (work permit) to work in the UK ............................................. 23
Avoiding discrimination ..................................................................................................................24
Step 7: Appoint the successful candidate ...........................................................................................24
Making a selection decision ...........................................................................................................24
Probation periods ..........................................................................................................................25
Completing the interview record and offer details forms ...............................................................25
Step 8: Notify unsuccessful candidates...............................................................................................26
Unsuccessful candidates ................................................................................................................26
Feedback .......................................................................................................................................26
Step 9: Returning recruitment documentation ...................................................................................26
Step 10:Inducting the new employee ................................................................................................27
Research Analysis ..................................................................................................................................27
Recruitment .......................................................................................................................................27
Strategies .......................................................................................................................................27
Organizational Offerings ................................................................................................................29
Best Recruiting Strategies ..............................................................................................................30
Selection ............................................................................................................................................31
Current Selection Practices ............................................................................................................31
Best Selection Systems ...................................................................................................................34
Future Selection Practices ..............................................................................................................35
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Making an offer .............................................................................................................................37
Impact of Offerings on Employee ...................................................................................................38
Outsourcing Recruitment and Selection Activities ........................... .......................... .............................39
Barriers to Effective Recruitment and Selection .................................................................................41
Survey of Different Organizations ..........................................................................................................42
Comparison of Recruitment Practices ................................................................................................42
Recommendations:................................................................................................................................ 44
The Big Picture.......................................................................................................................................45
References............................................................................................................................................. 46
Bibliography ..........................................................................................................................................46
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Introduction
Recruitment and Selection Practices Survey Report
Better recruitment and selection strategies result in improved organizational
outcomes. The more effectively organizations recruit and select candidates, the
more likely they are to hire and retain satisfied employees.
Purpose
The objectives of this study were to:
y Identify general practices that organizations use to recruit and selectemployees.
y Determine which recruitment and selection practices are most effective.y Determine how the recruitment and selection practices affect
organizational outcomes.
This report is based on results of recruitment and selection survey provided to
members of different organizations mainly in Pakistan and In some other
countries of the World. The member organizations that responded, 60 in all,
provided information about the following topics:
y General recruitment and selection profiles.y Recruitment strategies.y Organizational offerings to prospective employees.y Impact of offerings on employee outcomes.y Current and future selection practices.y Outsourcing recruitment and selection activities.y Barriers to effective recruitment and selection.
Definition
This report focuses on recruiting and selecting individuals for employment in an
organization.
Recruitment is the process of identifying and attracting potential candidates from
within and outside an organization to begin evaluating them for futureemployment. Once candidates are identified, an organization can begin the
selection process. This includes collecting, measuring, and evaluating information
about candidates qualifications for specified positions. Organizations use these
processes to increase the likelihood of hiring individuals who possess the right
skills and abilities to be successful at their jobs.
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General Profile
Organizations fill positions with external candidates more often than internal
candidates.
y Although internal candidates typically stay in positions and are moresuccessful than external candidates, organizations fill positions withexternal candidates, on average, 13 percent more often than internal
candidates.
y 44 percent of positions are filled with internal candidates, with anapproximate success rate (people who stay in the positions and are
successful) of 86 percent.
y 57 percent of positions are filled with external candidates, with anapproximate success rate of78 percent.
Organizations plan to increase the money they spend on recruiting and selecting
candidates.
y On average an organizations human resources department specificallyallocates 17 percent of its budget to recruitment and 10 percent to
selection.
y Over the next two years, 75 percent of the organizations surveyed plan toincrease their spending on recruiting; 68 percent plan to increase spending
on selection.
Nearly half of the organizations plan to change their approach to recruitment and
selection.
y Overall, organizations perceive their approaches to recruitment (mean =6.57) and selection (mean = 6.53) to be only moderately effective. Ratings
were made using a 10-point scale (1 = not at all effective; 10 = extremely
effective).
y Almost half of the organizations plan to significantly change their currentapproach to both recruitment (47 percent) and selection (41 percent)
within the next two years.
Purpose of the guideThis report supplements and provides further information and practical advice for those
involved in all aspects of recruitment and selection. Recruitment and selection is a very
important process and it is important to select the best candidates. This guide sets out
best practice guidelines to assist you in making this process as effective as possible. In
addition, our Human Resources Team is very willing to support you and give further
advice should you require it.
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Contents
The guide sets out to:
y encourage good practice and adopt an equal opportunities approach throughouty explain the policy, procedures and link with the legal obligations laid out in the
relevant legislation in a pragmatic wayy specify what information is required from schools and departments at each stagey indicate what the Human Resources Team will do in response at each stagey provides working examples of the documentation using a sample posty assists schools and departments in recruiting the best people for each job in a fair
and efficient way.
Improving the guide
This guide has been recently updated to comply with amendments to employment law,
and to improve the guidance and best practice examples given. We would greatly
appreciate any comments on this guide and the recruitment process generally, and theinformation and advice provided. Please contact either myself, or one of my colleagues in
the Human Resources Team with any suggestions. Amendments will be made
periodically and the most up-to-date copies will be available on the Web at
www.bbk.ac.uk/hr.
Training
All those involved on a regular basis, or who may be required to assist with, the
recruitment and selection of staff should attend the appropriate workshop (see
http://www.bbk.ac.uk/sd/ourcourses/coursedirectory.html for more information).
These workshops provide detailed guidance on the legal framework and equal
opportunities issues throughout the process, as well as the more practical skills involved
in interviewing. From 1 October 2004, attendance at the Recruitment and Selection
workshop is mandatory for those involved in recruitment, in accordance with the Human
Resources Strategy.
Documentation
All the standard forms and documents that are used in the recruitment process are
available on the Human Resources intranet site, http://www.bbk.ac.uk/hr/forms/, or
from the Human Resources Team.
Equal OpportunitiesBirkbeck is committed to equality of opportunity and fair treatment of both current and
potential employees. Equal opportunities and anti-discrimination measures are promoted
throughout the whole recruitment and selection process. Guidance on how to ensure you
are complying with this commitment is set out in this document. However, please refer
to, and ensure you are familiar with the Equal Opportunities Policy. The "Code of Practice
onDisability in Employment" is also included in the appendix for your information.
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In addition to the ethical and effective business case reasons that support an equal
opportunities approach, we are also open to legal challenge. It is therefore vital that our
selection and interviewing processes are fair and objective. If an applicant makes a claim
against the organization to an Employment Tribunal, on the grounds of alleged unlawful
discrimination, the organization will be required to demonstrate that:
y the person(s) appointed most closely matched the selection criteria and hadgreater relevant experience and/or skills than other candidates;
y the complainant was not unlawfully discriminated against.There is a considerable volume of employment legislation that is relevant in the
recruitment and selection process; please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further
details. Please do not hesitate to contact the Human Resources Team if you require
further advice or assistance in this area.
Addressing conflicts of interestPlease refer to the organizations Addressing Conflicts of Interest Code of Conduct on
Relationships at Work and the Recruitment Policy, which aim to ensure that no real or
perceived unequal treatment, or conflict of interest occurs throughout the recruitment
process or within working relationships.
Recruitment Procedure
Please refer to appendix for a flow chart of the whole recruitment and selection process.
Step 1: Analyse the job
Step 2: Obtain authorisation to recruit
Step 3: Advertising the post
Step 4: Composition of the selection panel
Step 5: Select candidates for interview & identify any tests or presentations
required
Step 6: The selection interview
Step 7: Appoint the successful candidate
Step 8: Notify unsuccessful candidates
Step 9: Returning recruitment documentation
Step 10: Inducting the new employee
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Step 1: Analyse the job
Job analysis
If an employee leaves the organization, it is likely that you will want to replace them.
However, before getting approval to appoint and advertising the same post, you should
take time to consider the role and decide if there are any changes required. Job analysis isthe term given to this assessment of a role. Job analysis is a systematic procedure for
obtaining detailed and objective information about the post, before it is advertised and
filled; giving the opportunity to tailor it to what is currently required.
Questions to ask about the role:
y What tasks did the previous postholder carry outy What level were these tasksy Did they have supervisory responsibility or budgetary controly Are the reporting lines still appropriatey Are there any other tasks that would need to be added to this role (or taken away
if the role is considered too large)
y Is the level at which the role holder is expected to undertake tasks still appropriate(note, if changes are made here, the role may need to be regraded; please contact
your Human Resources Adviser for advice).
y Is the grade of the post accurate for a new person to come in and fill (this isespecially important if the previous postholder was promoted during their time in
the role (you should consult with Human Resources to determine the correct
grade)
y Are the hours of work still suitable (i.e. does it need to be made full-time or viceversa)
y Is there still a requirement for this role at allJob design
If you wish to create a new post, which is not replacing a leaver, or filling an established
post, you will need to design the job. This involves considering the duties that the new
post will cover, and the level these tasks will be (e.g. maintain, develop, manage, or assist
etc.). You will need to decide how the post will fit in with the current organizational
structure for your org, what the reporting lines will be, and if the post will be responsible
for supervising or managing people in other posts.
Job titlesThe job title should be an accurate reflection of the scope and nature of the role
undertaken, including giving an indication of the seniority of the post. In view of this, and
of the fact that job titles relate to other processes in the organization, please give due
consideration to the correct job title for the role. If you feel a current job title needs to be
changed before being filled, and/or if you would like advice on selecting the most
appropriate title, please contact your Human Resources Adviser.
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Job descriptions
Once you have either analysed an existing role, or designed a new post, you will need to
produce a job description. The job description should provide basic information about the
role, including the title, whom the post reports to (job title of the postholder only, not
their actual name), any other posts for which the job has responsibility, and the date it
was created or updated.
Please see appendix for a sample Job Description and Further Particulars, using a
standard Birkbeck template, which should be used for all jobs.
The main purpose of the role should come next, followed by a breakdown of the specific
duties. Whilst the description should be comprehensive, it must be concise; there is no
need for every minor task to be quoted. The working relationships that the postholder
must maintain should be outlined to illustrate the communications aspects of the role
(e.g. relationships with students, members of the public, trade unions etc.). Finally, the
dimensions of the job may be noted where applicable (e.g. size of budget managed,
number of students supervised, number direct line reports etc.).
A good job description will enable candidates to apply effectively; it is a statement, which
sets out:
y the roles and functions of the faculty, school or departmenty the general purpose of the joby an outline of the duties involvedy a full description of the main responsibilities of the post
The more accurate and informative a job description is, the more likely it will be that the
Organization will attract applicants who meet a school or department's needs. This oftenmakes shortlisting and interviewing easier and less time-consuming for everyone
involved. A well-written and laid out job description also helps to give potential
applicants a positive first impression of the school or department and the Organization.
Job descriptions should not contain any personalized information, such as the names of
postholders as this can mean they become out of date very quickly.
Job descriptions are working documents that will be used for other purposes following
the selection process, such as for staff development discussions and job
evaluation/promotions reviews.
Person specificationThe person specification is one of the most important documents within the recruitment
and selection process and so is an essential requirement for every post. The purpose of
the Person Specification is to set out a list of the knowledge, skills, experience and level of
qualifications that are required to carry out the role effectively, and should be developed
from the job description. Consider the range and depth of duties to be undertaken, and
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assess what the post holder will need, under the headings above, to enable them to do the
job.
This specification then forms the objective criteria against which all candidates will be
assessed throughout the selection process. These criteria must consist of the minimum
standards considered essential for the effective performance of the job.D
esirable criteriamay be included, but these must be referred to only if candidates have met the essential
criteria.
Mention of selection tests, which form part of the recruitment process, should be made on
the person specification form.
The following key points will help you to develop your person specification:
y identify the key duties from the job descriptiony translate the duties into the skills and knowledge required to do the joby separate the essential skills from the desirable ones; specify as far as possible in
precise job-related terms
y identify any specific knowledge requirements for the job or the requirement ofsome evidence of the ability to learn
y indicate qualifications and level of education required for the job, if relevant(remembering to state "or equivalent" to cover all types of qualifications)
y identify what experience is required to carry out the job. This should be realisticand appropriate to the role
Reference to age, marital status or to dependents should not be included since these are
unlawfully discriminatory. The main aim of the person specification is to set out the skills
and abilities that a candidate would need in order to be able to carry out the role to asatisfactory standard. It is not a 'wish list'; setting the criteria too 'high' may result in a
lack of suitable applicants. However, pitching them too low may mean you have a high
volume of applicants who all meet your criteria. Please refer to appendix for a sample
person specification for the post of Lecturer in Psychology, which uses the standard
template form.
The job described and the level of skills/experience required must relate to an
appropriate grade. Where necessary, the Human Resources Team will undertake job
evaluation; any subsequent amendments to the job will have to be agreed before the post
is advertised, to ensure the correct grade and salary.
Step 2: Obtain authorization to recruit
Before beginning the recruitment and selection process, you must obtain the appropriate
authorization for your post. Please refer to the Recruitment Policy for further
information, or alternatively seek advice from your Human ResourcesAdviser.
You must inform Human Resources of any requests to recruit in order for us to advise on
the correct grade for the post.
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Step 3: Advertising the post
Do we need to advertise?
All Organization-funded posts that are for 6 months or more, must be advertised in
external media. This is in accordance with the Organization's Equal Opportunities Policy.
Certain rare exceptions may apply, such as:
y temporary/fixed term posts of 6 months duration or lessy externally funded research posts, where a named researcher has been identifiedy when employees whose fixed-term contracts of employment are ending are
offered a permanent post to avoid a redundancy situation (where the original
appointment was made in accordance with the Organizations Recruitment and
SelectionGuidelines);
y where there is a risk of a redundancy situation within the Organizationy where an individual employee is being considered for re-deployment under
another Organization policy
Maternity cover posts are normally advertised if the vacancy is for 6 months duration or
more. The advertisement will need to state that the post is available up to a certain date
in the first instance, to allow for the possibility of the permanent postholder extending
her maternity leave. If the permanent postholder decides not to return to her post then
the permanent vacancy will be advertised.
Please note that all advertisements must be placed via Human Resources; no post should
be advertised without prior consultation with the Human Resources Team. Birkbeck has
an account with a professional advertising agency, which has developed an agreed
template and corporate style for our advertisements. This encourages consistency and
ensures that the text is appropriate and free from bias or discrimination.
Composing the advertisement
There is a standard template for Birkbeck advertisements, and certain paragraphs need
to be included. Please refer to appendix for a sample advertisement for our post of
Lecturer in Psychology, which includes these standard paragraphs in bold italics. These
standard paragraphs contain important information and keep the look of Birkbecks
adverts consistent; they should not be changed without reference to your Human
ResourcesAdviser.
When composing the non-standard parts of your advert (normally no more than one or
two paragraphs), you need to think about how you can attract the people that will meet
the criteria for the role. It is therefore advisable to develop an informative paragraph
about what the role involves, and include at least two of the main criteria that are
essential to carry out the role (e.g. "applicants must have experience of managing a
team and have a working knowledge of database design")
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You may wish to include the contact details of an individual to whom informal inquiries
can be made.. However, it is better to include it with the information that goes out to
those who actually respond to the advert. This allows them to read the details sent about
the role, before deciding whether they still require further information from the contact.
If you are including contact details for someone, please ensure that they are aware thatthey may be receiving some calls, and that they will be available for the period when the
advert appears in the media (e.g. not on annual leave!).
Advertisement process
You should send your draft advertisement to your Human Resources Adviser, along with
the Job Description, Person Specification, Further Particulars and Information on the post,
and any other details that you would like to go to applicants. Please state in which
publications you would like your advert to appear and when.
This information should be sent via e-mail as an attachment, or if not possible, on a disk
in Word for Windows format (no hardcopies please). Please note that deadlines are set bythe advertising agency for receiving advertising copy, in order to place it in time in the
appropriate media. These deadlines are at least a calendar week before the publication
date, and in addition, your Human Resources Adviser will need time to process the advert
and get it to the agency. For details of actual deadlines, please contact your Human
ResourcesAdviser.
Along with your draft advert, it is important to include a copy of the appropriate
authorization for the post and ensure that the source of funding is highlighted.
Each post is given a reference number by the Human Resources Team. The number
relates to the Human Resources database post number and is quoted in theadvertisement, the job description and other documents related to recruitment and to the
post thereafter. This reference number should be used for this post for any further
correspondence or actions.
Where to advertise
The Human Resources Team places all adverts on the UKs leading higher education
recruitment website, Jobs.ac.uk, which is accessible via the Organization website.
In addition to these sources, please indicate in which, if any other publications you would
like your advert to appear. The choice of publication will obviously depend on the nature
of the role.
Care must be taken to ensure that the advert will reach as diverse a range of the
population as possible, to ensure indirect discrimination does not take place. For
example, placing an advert, solely in "Ms London" magazine, which is aimed at women
would be indirect discrimination as there is less chance of men seeing and therefore
being able to apply for the post. Certain exceptions may be made in cases of targeted
recruitment to reach under-represented groups. However, this would need to be justified
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and may still need to be placed in other publications. Human Resources may advise you
where necessary.
Cost of advertising
The Organizations central recruitment advertising budget normally covers the cost for all
agreed Organization funded posts to be placed in one publication. Your School orDepartment or the relevant Faculty will be required to meet the cost of advertisements
placed in any additional requested publications.
Recruitment costs for non-Organization funded posts are normally met by the funding
body. Therefore it is advisable, when applying for a grant to an outside funding body
(other than a Research Council) to include recruitment expenses in the calculation of the
overhead spending money required, together with provision for the Organizations
maternity and sickness absence leave (copies of these policies are available on the Web at
www.bkk.ac.uk/hr or from the Human Resources Team).
Information required of applicantsAppointees to all posts (Organization funded or not) must complete aOrganization
Application Form. This ensures that the Organization obtains all essential information
regarding the employment status. Candidates are asked to provide Equal Opportunities
data on a separate document. This information is retained permanently by the Human
Resources Team on a database and it is used anonymously for statistical purposes in
accordance with the HEFCE, HESA and the Race Relations Amendment Act 2000
requirements.
Applicants for academic posts may attach a C.V. and a list of publications to the
application form. For some posts, Heads of Schools may wish to request that candidates
send in a sample of work with their initial applications, e.g. a copy of a recent publication.Human Resources send any original documents received to the Head of School. After the
interviews have been held, the publications should be returned to the candidate either by
the School or by the Human Resources Team.
Step 4: Composition of the selection panel
At this stage (or earlier) the appointing manager (the panel Chair) should decide on the
composition of your selection panel. To comply with best practice in equal opportunities
and the Organizations Equal Opportunities Policy, panels should reflect an appropriate
mix of gender and ethnicity. Please note that panels will be monitored in accordance with
the Organizations Race Equality Policy.
The membership of the panel must be agreed upon by the closing date of the post. Panel
Membership of the Recruitment Policy for further information of the minimum
requirements.
The names of the panel members will be provided to shortlisted applicants in their
invitation to interview letter.
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Step 5: Select candidates for interview & identify any tests or
presentations required
All applications received are held in the Human Resources Team until the closing date. On
the first working day after the closing date, one set of all the application forms, together
with a Shortlist memo and Shortlist form is sent to the Chair of the interview panel (or
nominee) along with a list of the names of all applicants. Human Resources retain the
other
Shortlisting the applicants
In order to ensure the best candidates are chosen for the role, and to promote an
objective and non-discriminatory process, shortlisting should ideally be carried out by
the interview panel, or at least by one member of the panel and another appropriate
person. This ensures that a number of people assess a candidate and that individual
opinions or prejudices do not dominate. Those involved in the shortlisting should meet to
discuss their views on applications. If it is possible to gather the panel together, this
makes an ideal opportunity to also plan for the interview itself.
Each applicant should be assessed against the person specification to determine the
extent to which they meet the criteria. Applicants should not be shortlisted if they do not
meet the essential criteria as set out in the specification.
If you have specified a particular qualification, or standard of education, you should note
that many overseas qualifications are comparable and, in some cases superior to those
awarded in the UK, and therefore may warrant the applicant being shortlisted. If you are
uncertain of the status of such qualifications, please contact the Registry for further
advice.
Stereotyping should be avoided and assumptions must not be made whether or not
someone will fit in because of their age, gender or disability, for example. Assumptions
can be incorrect and the Organization could be wrongfully deprived of a potential asset.
Such assumptions are also likely to be subjective and discriminatory, and therefore, may
contravene the Organization's Equal Opportunities Policy.
In terms of the optimum number of applicants to shortlist, it is difficult to put a limit as
each post is different and may attract a very different number of appropriate candidates.
However, it is advisable to restrict the number of interviews that you carry out to five or
six in any one day. If you wish to shortlist more than this, it is recommended that
interviews be carried out over 2 days, and you may consider a two-stage selectionprocess to reduce the number of candidates who reach a panel interview.
For academic posts, the Master has requested shortlists are limited to up to five
applicants for any one post. If you wish to shortlist more than five applicants, you must
make a case to the Master to do so, before the invitation to interview letters are sent out.
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It is possible to identify (usually up to two) applicants as reserves in case any of your first
choice candidates do not attend. However you will need to be able to differentiate as to
why they were not first choice candidates by the extent to which they met the criteria.
Shortlisting paperwork
The Shortlist form is designed to give space for (brief) notes and reasons on why lcandidates were or were not shortlisted. This is necessary in case of any potential
dispute, or if applicants request feedback on why they did not get an interview. The
reasons given must relate to the criteria set out in the person specification for the post.
These notes will also be referred to if a work permit application is required for the
successful candidate at a later stage.
Once the Shortlist form has been completed, you should fill in the Shortlist memo form,
ensuring that all the necessary information required to set up the interviews is included
and send it to your Human Resources Adviser. Please ensure that you allow sufficient
time between getting the forms to Human Resources and the interview date. This is to
allow the appropriate paperwork to be completed and to give the candidates time toarrange leave from work and prepare for the interview, (ideally a minimum of 10
working days).
Selection tests and presentations
If your selection procedure requires candidates to deliver a presentation or undergo a
test, they will be informed of this in their invitation letter. Please ensure that you include
the relevant presentation topic or test instructions on the Shortlist memo.
Selection tests can be very useful tools in the selection process to help with assessing the
suitability of candidates for the role. Any test you use must be fair, unbiased and directly
relevant to the central requirements of the job. Ideally, they should take place in anenvironment similar to the job situation. For example, for some administrative jobs, a
word-processing or written test may be useful. This could include drafting
correspondence or setting up a simple spreadsheet, whereas candidates for a Lecturer
role are likely to be asked to prepare a presentation to test their delivery skills and
knowledge of a subject.
Whilst the Human Resources Team is happy to provide advice about devising tests, the
school or department should provide the material/content. This ensures that the test is
relevant to the job in question. The tests should be held in the school or department
concerned and there should be a member of that school or department available to
monitor the candidates and to offer appropriate assistance if required. The appointing
School/Department should arrange any equipment or rooms required for any
presentations or tests.
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Invitation to interview letters
Once Human Resources receive the Shortlist Memo and Shortlist Form, they will invite
the candidates to interview. The Human Resources Team will then (except for externally
funded posts) send an interview pack to the Chair of the panel, which will include:
y Aset of the application forms/CVs of those shortlisted
y A set of any references received (where applicable)y A copy of the advertisementy Job description & person specificationy Interview Record & OfferDetails form and salary scales
In the invitation to interview letters, candidates are requested to report to the Reception
Desk of the appropriate building, for directions to the interview room. The Human
Resources Team will inform the attendant on duty at the Reception Desk of the interview
arrangements so that they are prepared to welcome the candidates. If you wish to vary
these reporting arrangements for any reason, please ensure that you inform Human
Resources at the short listing stage.
You should make arrangements for the interview papers to be copied to the members of
your interview panel. If you wish to send the invitation to interview paperwork out
yourself directly from your school/department, this is fine. However, you must use the
template letters and documentation, which are available from your Human Resources
Adviser.
Travel and accommodation expenses
The details of expenses available are set out in the Recruitment Policy. However, please
note that any interview travel expenses over and above the 150 limit will be met by the
recruiting School or Department and must therefore be agreed with the candidate
beforehand. This is something to look out for if a candidate will need to travel from a
distance/abroad.
References
The Human Resources Team will request references at the time they invite candidates to
interview. In each case, two references are sought, including one from the current/most
recent employer who should not be a relation of the candidate. If a referee happens to be
a panel member (for either shortlisting or interviewing) then the candidate will be asked
to provide an alternative referee.
Although the Human Resources Team does chase up outstanding references, sometimes
these are not received before the interview panel meeting. Whilst it is advisable to see
references before a candidate starts employment, if they have not been received, you
should make the following statement (which will be added to their offer letter) when
making the verbal offer to them, 'this offer is subject to the receipt of two references
which the Organization finds satisfactory.
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Step 6: The selection interview
Preparation
Preparation is a vital part of the recruitment and interviewing process. It is not sufficient
for panel members to meet up 20 minutes before the start of the first interview. Time
should be set aside at least a day or two in advance of the interview date for the panel toconvene and decide on:
y the format of the interview and order of questionsy the questions to be asked of all candidatesy the specific questions to be asked of individual candidatesy who is going to ask which questionsy the optimum start date for the posty any other details candidates may need about the role that were not sent at
application
As noted previously, the ideal time to do this is at the short-listing stage, as all members
of the panel should ideally be convened already for this part of the exercise. You will be
looking through applications forms against the criteria in the person specification, and so
the generic and specific questions could be developed at this stage.
The venue
Where you hold the interviews is important. This should ideally be in a light and airy
room, with sufficient space to hold the panel and interviewees, without being so large as
to be intimidating. Obviously, if a presentation is required, the correct equipment must be
booked.
All potential distractions should be minimized, such as:
y Put a sign on the door to indicate interviews are taking place, and if necessary,redirections to visitors
y Forward any telephones to another office (ensure the occupants know this hasbeen done!) or turn the volume right down
y Provide refreshments (particularly water) for the panel and the interviewee, andreplenish regularly
y Where possible, ensure that the temperature in the room is comfortabley Place the interviewee's chair facing away from any windows where appropriate to
minimize any distractions to them
Arrange the room and furniture in a format suitable to the particular interview you are
doing. There are a number of possible options, dependent on the type of interview and
number of panel members present. Some people think that having a desk between the
panel and the interviewee is intimidating and presents a barrier; others prefer to have the
use of a desk or table for the interview paperwork. An ideal layout is to have a round or
square table around which the panel and the candidate can sit.
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Welcoming the candidate
When organizing the interviews, it is best to allocate a person (not on the panel) who can
meet the candidates as they arrive, complete some of the 'welcoming' tasks, such as
taking their coats, giving them a drink etc, and the show them to the interview room. This
means that the individual is settled when they get to the interview.
At the start of the interview, the Chair of the panel should introduce themselves and the
other members, including names and job titles/roles. Next, outline the format of the
interview so that the candidate is aware of what is going to happen. A typical format
might be:
y Introductions to the Chair and panel membersy A brief introduction to the role/how it fits into the structurey Inform candidate that you may be taking some written notesy The candidate gives a presentationy Panel questions to the candidate on their presentationy Panel questions testing the criteria from the person specificationy Time for the candidate to ask questionsy Informing the candidate of the next step (i.e. they will be contacted either by
phone or in writing of the outcome)
y Thank them for coming and ensure someone shows them outBefore starting the interview, it is useful to ask a few welcoming, friendly questions to put
them at ease, such as asking them about their journey and so on. The interview should
not be about putting the candidate under excessive pressure and making them feel
uncomfortable; putting them at their ease and building a rapport will ensure you get the
right information from them.
It may be appropriate to include a visit to the relevant department or office as part of the
interview so that candidates can see and get a feel for the work environment.
The interview questions
As the interview is the main, and often the only method of selection used after sifting
applications, it is important to get it right, and get the most out of it, so that you build up a
true picture of the candidates' ability to do the job. Careful consideration of the questions
will help ensure that the right information is gathered in order to make an informed
decision. You should use the criteria that you set out in your person specification at the
start of the recruitment process as the basis for question development.
Start with the essential criteria, and design a question (or series of questions) to test for
evidence of their abilities in each area. A few questions that would test some of the
desirable criteria are useful as a tool to differentiate between suitable candidates. These
questions should be asked of all candidates to ensure consistency, enable you to assess
the level to which candidates match your criteria, and make an informed and fair
recruitment decision. However, each interviewee will answer the questions in a slightly
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different way. Therefore, you will need to probe and ask specific questions of the
individual candidates to explore their responses.
You may like to ask some questions of certain candidates that are specific to their
application, or individual circumstances. However, care must be taken to ensure that such
questions do not breach our Equal Opportunities Policy, or any employment legislation(see Section 2. of the Recruitment Policy). For example, if you were interviewing four
male candidates and one female, and you asked the female if she had any childcare
commitments, but did not ask this of the male candidates, assuming that they would not
have any responsibility, this would be discriminatory. Further advice in this area can be
obtained from your Human ResourcesAdviser.
To help you with your interview planning, a bank of sample interview questions is set out
in the appendix.
Question types
There are a number of different question types, some of which should be used frequently,others that should be used sparingly/carefully, and some of which should be avoided
altogether:
Open - questions that start with, "what, when, how, who, why, please" and illicit a fuller
response than just yes or no, for example:
y What experience do you have of managing a team?y Why did you decide to move from working in finance to Human Resources?y How do you keep up to date with the latest thinking/developments in your field?y Whom did you report to in your previous role?
Behavioural - putting a question into a context and asking for examples of the
interviewee's behaviour in the past. These questions are particularly effective as they
provide 'evidence' of a candidate's experience/competence of a particular area or skill,
for example;
y Please tell me about a time when you successfully handled a complaint from astudent
y Please give an example of a complex problem that you solved with minimumassistance from others
y Tell us about a time when you have had to use effective verbal communicationskills
Probing - to ensure that you get the most information out of candidates, and to follow up
an answer you may have got from another question, you need to probe. This is also useful
if you want to be sure that a candidate really understands what they have said to you and
that they have not just used a 'stock' answer. Probing is an important but difficult skill
that becomes easier the more you practice for example;
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y Why do you think that project was so successful?y How do you think you might have approached it differently if you could do it
again?
y So, whom did you speak to about it?y What other people were involved in that group?
Closed - these are questions that only require a 'yes' or 'no' answer, or a very
brief/specific response. These questions should be used sparingly as they do not
encourage the candidate to open up and you will get very limited information, for
example:
y Have you completed your TiLL course?y Do you work well in a team?y However, closed questions can be useful for checking facts, or focusing a very
talkative candidate, for example;
y How many years experience have you had in finance?y So, have you actually created a database before?
Multiple - a common mistake that interviewers make is to ask two or more questions in
one. This can be very confusing for the candidate, and often results in the interviewer
being asked to repeat the question, for example:
y Have you ever done a presentation to a large group of people before, and what wasthe presentation about?
y Tell me about a time when you led a research project, how did you go about it, andwhat were the main outcomes?
These questions are fine, if they are broken down and asked separately.
Hypothetical - the candidate is given a scenario (either fictitious of real) and asked how
they would react/deal with the situation. These questions can be useful to test someone's
reaction under 'pressure' or assess their initiative. However, they should be used
sparingly as it is usually better to seek evidence of what someone has actually done or
how they have behaved in the past ('behavioural' questions), e.g.,
y You are in the office alone. You are dealing with a student who has a query abouttheir coursework, which has gone missing. You have some papers that need
copying for a meeting, which starts in half an hour, and then the phone rings. How
do you manage these tasks?
y A member of your team has been an hour late for work for the last three dayswithout explanation. There is an important meeting in the morning that you need
them to attend. How would you deal with this issue?
Checking/Reflective - used to clarify a point made by the candidate, and to check that you
have understood what they meant, for example:
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y You say that you felt frustrated at the time, why was this?y So, you actually spoke to the student?y It seems that you felt you coped very well with the situation, is that right?
Leading/Loaded - these questions should be avoided as you are giving the candidate a
limited possible response; they are likely to answer based on what they think you want tohear rather than what theyactually think. Trying to ascertain 'political' answers is not
helpful in seeing whether they have the ability to do the job, and in some cases could be
seen as discriminatory, for example:
y This is a very stressful environment; I presume you cope well under pressure?y Do you think it is better to own up if you have made a mistake, or attempt to cover
it up and risk the consequences?
Taking notes
Most people like to take notes during an interview to assist with making recruitment
decisions. It is good practice to let the candidate know that this will happen so they do notget alarmed when someone starts scribbling after their first answer! It is quite difficult to
make notes and listen actively to responses at the same time. Therefore, a good tip is to
take it in turns to make notes so that when one person is asking questions another panel
member makes some notes.
It is important to remember that any notes made must be appropriate and non-
discriminatory. Under the Data Protection Act 1998, individuals have the right to see any
documentation held about them, this includes any formal and casual notes kept after the
interviews. Therefore, if you wouldn't want the candidate to read it, do not to write it!
Candidates that require permission (work permit) to work in the UKBefore an employee can start work at the Organization, it is necessary to ascertain their
eligibility to work in the UK. All candidates are asked to make a declaration of their status
on their application form. The successful candidate will be asked to provide documentary
evidence of their status to Human Resources on appointment (see Section 11. in the
Recruitment Policy).
The law and rules around employment of Non-EU Nationals is complex and so this section
is not designed to represent a definitive guide to this issue. It is best to consult with your
Human Resources Adviser to ensure compliance, or if you have any queries about a
candidates eligibility, prior to making an offer.
The basic principle under The Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 is that it is illegal to
employ an individual who is not a British Citizen or an EU National, without prior
permission, either through obtaining a work permit, or if their individual circumstances
allow it.
Circumstances that may not require a work permit:
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y The spouse of an EU Nationaly The spouse or family member of a Non-EU National who holds a valid work permity A Student who holds a valid entry Visa, authorizing them to take up work. They
must not be employed for more than 20 hours per week during term-time.
y An individual with a Working Holiday Visa (restrictions will apply).If you select a candidate who requires a work permit, the work permit application
requires evidence of why the other EU National candidates could not perform the role.
Therefore, if for example there are two candidates who are suitable for the role and one
requires a work permit and the other does not, you are obliged by the legislation to select
the individual who does not require a permit. It is important not to make assumptions
about a persons right to work based on their nationality, as this may be direct
discrimination under the Race Discrimination Act. You should get advice from Human
Resources before making any offer in this situation.
Please note that the roles and professions for which the Home Office will issue work
permits are limited and are usually those that are considered to be 'shortage
occupations', or very highly specialized. Work permits are highly unlikely to be approved
for any posts other than academic or research roles, and will not be approved for any
clerical, administrative, or manual posts. Again, it is strongly recommended that you seek
advice from Human Resources if you are in any doubt as to a posts' eligibility.
Avoiding discrimination
It is important to distinguish between complying with the legislation in this area, and
being discriminatory. Assumptions should not be made about a persons eligibility to
work based on their appearance, accents or names, for example. All candidates are
required to declare their eligibility to work on the application form, sign to say the
information they give is correct and then bring evidence to the interview. Therefore it
would not be appropriate to ask certain candidates to confirm their eligibility at
interview because they are an ethnic minority, or have a 'non-western' sounding name as
this could constitute discrimination and is based on prejudice and assumptions.
Step 7: Appoint the successful candidate
Making a selection decision
Once you have seen all of the candidates, you will need to assess the extent to which each
one met your selection criteria, based on evidence they gave from the questioning and
any tests or exercises. It is very tempting to start comparing the candidates against oneanother; however, it is best practice (and minimizes the risk of discrimination) to try to
stick to looking at how they each meet the person specification and selecting the
individual who best fits this profile.
Some panels like to construct a scoring system. This could be something fairly simple
such as looking at each area of criteria and assigning, 'Fully met', Partially met' or Not
met' to each one. You will need to decide on what constitutes evidence for each category
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before you start the process. It is not essential to follow this sort of system. However, it
can be useful in justifying decisions and making them as objective as possible.
The most important thing to remember is that you will need to be able to justify your
decision, and you must complete the Interview Record & Offer Details Forms for each
candidate, stating brief reasons why they were successful or unsuccessful (seeA
nnex J forexamples). Many interview panels have a second choice candidate who is a suitable
appointee, if the first candidate declines the offer. This should be marked clearly on the
Interview Record and OfferDetails Form.
Probation periods
New appointees to academic posts are subject to a probationary period of up to three
years, dependant on their experience and qualifications. Please indicate on the Interview
Record and Offer Details Form if the probation is to be less than three years. New
appointees to all other professional, research and support posts are subject to a six
months probation period. Please refer to the Probationary Policy, which is available on
the web, or from the Human Resources Team before making the offer to the successfulcandidate. The probationary period should be discussed at the interview.
Please note that existing Birkbeck employees whom have already completed their
probationary period will not be required to complete another period of probation if they
are successful in obtaining an internal appointment. They should, however, have some
form of induction into their new role, where they receive the appropriate support and
training.
Completing the interview record and offer details forms
The Chair of the panel must complete an Interview Record and Offer Details form for each
candidate, even if they did not attend, and return them to the Human Resources Teamimmediately so that a contract can be sent to the successful candidate, and the
unsuccessful candidates can be notified of the decision.
If the successful candidate wishes to consider the offer of employment for a few days it is
recommended that a deadline (of not more than 5 working days) be agreed by which time
the candidate will communicate his/her decision to the Chair. In such circumstances the
Interview Record and Offer Details forms should still be returned to the Human
Resources Team immediately after the offer has been madewith a covering note stating
the situation. If there is another appointable candidate this should be clearly noted and
he/she will be sent a holding letter. Once the Chair has been notified of the candidates
decision he/she should inform the Human Resources Team in writing.
A copy of the appointment letter is sent to the Head of School and to the Dean of
Faculty/Administrative Section Head. Candidates are welcome to contact the Human
Resources Team if there are any questions. Please note that due to their legal status,
written offers of employment should only be sent by Human Resources, and not directly
by Schools/Departments.
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Step 8: Notify unsuccessful candidates
Unsuccessful candidates
Unsuccessful candidates are normally informed in writing of the outcome of their
interview as soon as the successful candidate has accepted an offer of employment.
However, if the panel had decided that a candidate is not appointable to a post(regardless of whether the first or second choice accepts) then they will be written to as
soon as possible.
Once an acceptance is received from the first choice candidate, a final rejection letter is
sent to any second choice candidates as required. If the first choice candidate does not
accept then the Chair of the panel is informed and a decision is made about offering the
job to another candidate or re-advertising.
As with other stages of the process, Schools/Departments are welcome to send out the
letters to unsuccessful candidates directly, however, the standard template letters, which
are available from Human Resources must be used.
Feedback
Some unsuccessful candidates may ask for reasons why they were not shortlisted or
selected for a post. If the applicant has specific grounds for concern, the Human
Resources Team will liaise with the school or department concerned to give feedback.
Well thought out and constructive feedback can be very useful for candidates and gives a
good impression of the Organization. However, it is recognized that managers may feel
wary of giving feedback for a number of reasons, and in such cases, you are encouraged to
discuss this with your Human ResourcesAdviser before responding to the candidate.
Step 9: Returning recruitment documentation
After the interviews have taken place all copies of application forms and supporting
documents, and notes from all the panel members should be returned to Human
Resources, as soon as possible by the school or department concerned, as they contain
personal and confidential information, which should not be held in duplicate outside of
Human Resources.
The successful employees original application form, CV, and associated paperwork will
be retained in their staff file and their details entered on the Human Resources IT System.
However, the appointing manager may also keep a copy of the application form and
documents of the appointed candidate for the purposes of managing that employee. Such
records must be kept securely and in accordance with the Data Protection Act 1998.
The Human Resources Team will keep a set of all the other application forms and
recruitment information (including panel notes) for a period of one year in case a
candidate makes an application to an Employment Tribunal claiming discrimination.
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Step 10: Inducting the new employee
All newly appointed staff:
y Will have an induction mentor nominated by their line managery Must attend the Organizations Introduction to Birkbeck for New StaffDayy Must complete the Induction Checklist (supplied with the offer letter and on the
website)
y Must report to the Human Resources Office with the relevant documentation ontheir first day of employment (they will be advised of what to bring in their offer
letter)
For further information and advice on planning an induction programme, please contact
the StaffDevelopment Team or your Human Resources Adviser.
Research Analysis
Recruitment
Strategies
Organizations tailor their recruitment strategies to the specific positions they are
seeking to fill. These strategies might differ depending on the level of the position.
Survey respondents were asked what strategies they use to recruit for two types
of positions: managerial/professional and non-management. Table below
provides the percentage of organizations using each strategy.
Table: Percentage of Organizations using these tools for recruiting
Advertisements
Manageria
l (%)
Non-
Managerial
(%)
internet (e.g bulletin or job boards) 76 51
Local newspaper 71 90
National newspaper 63 18
Trade publications & magazine 56 17
Direct mail 11 9
TV or radio 6 16
Movie screens 1 4
Agencies or Services
EmploymentAgencies 76 39
Government employment services 19 51
Temporary help agencies 16 77
School/College/Community
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College recruiting 68 47
Job fairs 58 60
Targeted minority recruiting 46 36
School-to-work
partnerships/internships
37 53
Military recruiting 16 11
Partnerships with community
organizations
15 43
Retiree job banks 5 12
Professional Associations
Professional organizations 62 20
Professional conferences 38 16
InternalResources
Internal job postings 81 86
Employee referrals 78 83
Company web site 71 60
Walk-ins, unsolicited resumes 59 73
Toll-free number 21 21
The Internet is the most popular advertising medium to recruit for managerial/
professional positions.
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The Internet allows organizations to reach a large number of candidates easily
and efficiently. Although the World Wide Web is becoming the hot new recruiting
tool, traditional methods, such as newspaper advertising, are not yet obsolete.
Local newspapers are the preferred advertising medium for non-management
positions (90 percent), and national newspapers are widely used to recruit
managerial/professional candidates (63 percent).
Organizations utilize internal resources when recruiting both internal and
external candidates.
Overwhelmingly, organizations use internal job postings and employee referrals
to recruit candidates for both managerial and non-managerial positions. Many
companies also place job postings on their company web site to attract
candidates. These are relatively easy, inexpensive ways to identify candidates
both inside and outside the company. Internal job-posting programs are also an
excellent method of providing promotion opportunities for employees and
minimizing employee complaints of unfair treatment and discrimination.
Different kinds of agencies are used to recruit for positions at different levels.
Organizations regularly use both temporary and government agencies to recruit
non-management candidates. These kinds of agencies typically provide listings of
individuals who have general, applicable skills and backgrounds for
nonmanagerial work. When organizations are looking for candidates with
specialized skills, abilities, or knowledge to fill managerial/professional jobs, they
use employment agencies (76 percent), colleges (68 percent), and professionalorganizations (62 percent).
Organizational Offerings
Potential job candidates consider many factors when choosing an employer. The
quality of an organizations offerings (e.g., salary, benefits package, reputation)
affects its ability to attract job candidates. Respondent organizations were asked
how a candidate might view the quality of several of their offerings.
Organizations believe they offer candidates a strong company reputation and
high-quality benefits and learning opportunities.
Most organizations rate their offerings to be of moderate quality. Many
organizations, however, believe they offer candidates high-quality:
y Company reputation (69 percent).y Benefits package (65 percent).y Learning opportunities (55 percent).
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The benefits package is an important factor when employees are evaluating the
attractiveness of an organization. Benefits include health care options, retirement
plans, vacation, stock options, etc. Organizations must offer a variety of options to
attract potential employees and to retain their current talent.
Many organizations do not offer candidates stock options or child care options.
Many of the surveyed organizations do not offer:
y Stock options (37 percent).y Child care options (36 percent).y Sign-on bonuses (34 percent).
When a potential employee is considering an employment offer, these offerings
not only affect that persons decision, but they also have an impact on his or her
choice to remain with the company once hired.A
recent national survey ofemployees found that the availability of both stock options and benefits related to
child care (e.g., day care for sick children) are significantly related to employee
commitment. Thus, organizations might consider the quality of these kinds of
benefits when evaluating their recruitment and retention strategies.
BestRecruiting Strategies
The quality of options an organization offers can influence how effective it
perceives its recruiting strategies to be. Respondents were asked to rate the
effectiveness of their organizations current approach to recruiting using a 10-
point scale (1 = not at all effective; 10 = extremely effective). Few organizationsrated their recruiting strategy to be ineffective; hence, the differences were
examined in the quality of offerings between organizations that rated their
recruiting strategy to be moderately effective (4 through 7) and highly effective (8
and higher).
Effective recruiting strategies incorporate benefits, salary, and corporate culture.
These six offerings that distinguish organizations with highly effective recruiting
strategies from those with moderately effective ones. Highly effective recruiting
strategies were more likely to offer candidates high-quality options such as:
y Potential for advancement.y Company reputation.y Stocks.y Benefits package.y Corporate culture.
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y Salary scale.Organizations with highly effective recruiting strategies reported that these
offerings were of high quality 15 to 19 percent more often than those companies
with moderately effective strategies. Salary is not the only important factor for
companies to focus on when trying to attract potential job candidates. Less thanhalf the organizations with highly effective recruiting strategies (78 percent)
believed their salary scale was of high quality. Other factors, however, were
considered to be of high quality. For instance, 81 percent of organizations with
highly effective strategies considered their reputation a selling point, and 77
percent believed that their benefits package was of high quality. Although many
companies choose not to even offer stock options, 15 percent more organizations
with highly effective strategies offered stock options than those with moderately
effective strategies. HR professionals acknowledge that candidates look for many
qualities in an organization when pursuing employment. To successfully attractcandidates, organizations must provide not only a competitive salary, but also an
environment and culture in which candidates will feel comfortable and can
flourish.
This finding reflects the importance of person-organization fit, which is the
congruence of the values of the employee and the organization. A person is more
likely to find a job attractive if his or her values and goals are perceived to be a
good fit with how the organization conducts business. Alignment of individual and
organizational goals also enhances employee satisfaction and commitment to the
organization, and thus, employee retention
Selection
Current Selection Practices
Organizations use a variety of practices to select potential employees. The survey
asked respondents to estimate how often they use several practices to evaluate
candidates in their selection process. Table below indicates the percentage of
those organizations currently using each practice.
Selection Practices Use
extensively(%)
Use
sometimes(%)
Do notuse (%)
General
Applications 89 8 3
Resume screeningmanual 80 16 4
Reference checks 75 24 1
Drug tests 56 9 35
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Biographical data 18 15 67
Training and experienceevaluations
15 42 43
Resume screening
computerized9 14 76
Testing and AssessmentMotivational fit inventories 18 30 52
Ability tests 17 63 20
Knowledge tests 8 61 20
Personality inventories 7 28 65
Performance/Work sample tests 6 60 34
Assessmentsrole plays andsimulations
4 45 51
Integrity tests 1 7 92
Interviews
Behavior-based interviews 59 38 3
Situational interviews 28 55 17
Computer-assisted interviews 1 10 89
Nearly all organizations use resumes and applications as part of their selection
process.
Organizations typically require job candidates to complete some sort of standard
application that requests personal information such as their education and work
history. Most organizations also screen candidates resumes manually (80 percent
use extensively) rather than using computerized screening methods (9 percent
use extensively). However, this trend might change with the advent of new
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technology and software packages that will make screening resumes through a
computer easier, more efficient, and cost effective.
Behavior-based interviews are widely used in selection systems.
Of the surveyed organizations 97
percent use behavior-based interviews whenselecting employees.
Almost all the organizations surveyed use behavior based interviews to some
extent as part of their selection process. In these structured interviews candidates
are asked to describe specific behavioral examples of their skills. A variety of
research studies have compared the validity of different interviewing techniques.
Behavior- or experience based interviews are found to predict subsequent job
performance better than other interviewing techniques, such as situational
interviews. As a result, more organizations are opting to perform behavior-based
interviews as part of their selection process to increase the likelihood that theywill hire candidates who will be successful in the positions.
Applicant testing and assessment are not widely used in typical selection systems.
Less than 20 percent of organizations use testing or assessment methods
extensively in their selection process.
Respondent organizations indicated that various types of testing are rarely used
in their selection process.
y Ability, knowledge, and performance/work sample tests are sometimesused to select employees.
y Role plays or simulations are used by less than half (49 percent) of theorganizations.
y Integrity tests and personality inventories are used infrequently or not atall.
The selection practices an organization uses are dependent upon the open
positions under consideration. Selecting candidates for various positions typically
requires different practices or methods. Using tests to measure mechanical,
clerical, or other types of abilities is more appropriate for certain jobs (e.g.,
plumber, administrative assistant) than for others (e.g., manager). Assessments
are typically used for evaluating critical competencies required for upperlevel
positions and might not be appropriate for lower-level jobs.
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Thus, organizations that use testing as part of their selection process must be sure
that the tests are appropriate for the positions under consideration as well as
valid measures of the knowledge, skills, and abilities for which they are intended.
Best Selection Systems
Respondent organizations were asked to rate the effectiveness of their selectionstrategy using a 10-point scale (1 = not at all effective; 10 = extremely effective).
Most organizations believe their selection strategy is somewhat effective.
Therefore, the survey looked at which practices are used most often in
organizations with moderately effective (4 through 7) and highly effective (8 or
higher) selection systems.
Selection Finding 4: Five characteristics distinguish highly effective from
moderately effective selection systems.
These five characteristics that organizations with highly effective selectionsystems use more extensively than organizations with moderately effective
systems. Highly effective selection systems are more likely to use:
y Behavior-based interviews.y Training and experience evaluations.y Ability tests.y Biographical data.y Motivational fit inventories.
Organizations with highly effective selection systems report making extensive useof these practices between 15 and 22 percent more than organizations with
moderately effective systems.
Practice 1: Behavior-based interviews
Nearly 80 percent of organizations with highly effective selection systems
reported using behavior based interviews extensively, compared to only 55
percent of those with moderately effective systems. These interviews contribute
to the effectiveness of a selection process by:
y Focusing on job-related behaviors.y Obtaining accurate behavioral data.y Using candidates past behaviors to predict future behavior.
Practice 2: Training and experience Evaluations
Training and experience (T&E) evaluations attempt to assess job-relevant
abilities, skills, and motivations. They work on the premise that individuals who
have successfully performed job relevant tasks requiring certain skills and
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abilities in the past will be successful in performing similar tasks in the future.
T&E evaluations can be used as a screening device for positions where experience
and specific training are necessary for job performance. Organizations can use a
welldeveloped T&E evaluation to set minimum qualifications for essential job
tasks and skills that are necessary for quality job performance.
Practice 3: Ability tests
Ability tests (e.g., mechanical, mental, clerical) are useful in predicting job
performance across a wide variety of jobs. Well-developed ability tests can be a
reliable, valid, and efficient means of measuring applicants capabilities. When
used appropriately, ability tests are robust tools that can add to the prediction
accuracy of a selection system.
Practice 4: Biographical data
Biographical data is a powerful predictor of future job success,6 but our data
shows that it is not widely used by organizations. When compiling data, anorganization gathers information about an applicants past behaviors, attitudes,
and values as they relate to the job under consideration. The information can
provide a nearly complete picture of a candidates life experience and can directly
relate to the persons future job performance. However, many organizations do
not use this tool because they lack the knowledge or resources to develop bio data
forms or because they are concerned about EEOC compliance or the validity of
such measures.
Practice 5: Motivational fit inventories
During the selection process many organizations focus on assessing only the skills
necessary to perform the job. However, skill is only one factor related to job
performance. A candidate could possess all the skills necessary for a job, yet be
unmotivated by the factors associated with it or by the companys values or
operations. Job motivation and organizational fit must also be taken into
consideration.7 Assessing these motivations can help identify candidates who not
only have the can do aspect of the job, but also have the will do.
Future Selection Practices
Respondent organizations were asked if they expect to use the various selection
practices less, about the same, or more over the next three years. Tabl