Recruitment, Retention, Selection Development and Retention

of Personnel

Educ 567 Summer 2009

Thomas DiPaola, Ph.D.

Recruitment Recruitment identifying appropriate identifying appropriate sources personnel and sources personnel and attracting applicants to attracting applicants to apply apply for employment for employment

SelectionSelection is the process by which employers is the process by which employers choose the most suitable choose the most suitable applicant for a vacancyapplicant for a vacancy

Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment and SelectionRecruitment and Selection

Recruitment and Selection Process

Typically, a Typically, a job descriptionjob description is written, is written, stating the purpose of the job and the stating the purpose of the job and the tasks, duties, and responsibilities it tasks, duties, and responsibilities it entails. entails.

This enables a This enables a personnel specificationpersonnel specification to to be created, listing the qualifications, be created, listing the qualifications, experience, and personal attributes that experience, and personal attributes that will be required in the successful will be required in the successful candidate candidate

KSAOs KSAOs

Abbreviation for: Abbreviation for: kknowledge, nowledge, sskills, kills, aabilities, and bilities, and oother ther characteristics:characteristics:

attributes of an employee or attributes of an employee or job applicant that are assessed job applicant that are assessed for selection and employment for selection and employment decisionsdecisions

Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment and selection practices are governed and Recruitment and selection practices are governed and influenced by law and regulation.influenced by law and regulation.

In general there are three forms of discrimination that are In general there are three forms of discrimination that are against the law:against the law:

DirectDirect

IndirectIndirect

VictimizationVictimization

The Legal Context

Key Statutory and Regulatory Provisions

A key is to align performance within roles with the A key is to align performance within roles with the strategy, so recruiting for the ‘right’ people for a role strategy, so recruiting for the ‘right’ people for a role depends on how it is defined in terms relating to depends on how it is defined in terms relating to performance to achieve the strategy. Begin with district performance to achieve the strategy. Begin with district vision and mission and ALL positions are aligned to vision and mission and ALL positions are aligned to perform within that context.perform within that context.

Competencies are criterion-related behaviors or standards Competencies are criterion-related behaviors or standards of performance.of performance.

Competencies can be used to describe the behaviors Competencies can be used to describe the behaviors needed at work to achieve the district or school goals and needed at work to achieve the district or school goals and objectives, and enable the organization to define a model objectives, and enable the organization to define a model of the kinds of employee it wishes to attract.of the kinds of employee it wishes to attract.

Recruitment and Attraction

Recruitment and Attraction

The main approaches to attracting applicants can be The main approaches to attracting applicants can be summarized as follows:summarized as follows:

Make your district or school a place where people want to Make your district or school a place where people want to workwork

• Walk-insWalk-ins

• Employee referralsEmployee referrals

• AdvertisingAdvertising

• WebsitesWebsites

• Professional associationsProfessional associations

• Educational associationsEducational associations

• Professional agenciesProfessional agencies

• E-recruitment (general recruitment agents/ companies’ own sites)E-recruitment (general recruitment agents/ companies’ own sites)

• Word-of-mouthWord-of-mouth

Recruitment and AttractionRecruitment and Attraction

An organization will take account of a number of factors An organization will take account of a number of factors when forming its recruitment plans and choice of media.when forming its recruitment plans and choice of media.

These might include:These might include:

CostCost

Time taken to recruit and selectTime taken to recruit and select

Labor market focus, for example: skills, profession or Labor market focus, for example: skills, profession or occupationoccupation

Mobility of labor – geographic and occupationalMobility of labor – geographic and occupational

Legislation on sex discrimination, race discrimination Legislation on sex discrimination, race discrimination and disabilityand disability

Recruitment and Attraction

Recruitment and AttractionRecruitment and Attraction

Recruitment and AttractionRecruitment and Attraction

Job SpecificationJob Specification

Personnel specifications versus competenciesPersonnel specifications versus competencies

Personnel specifications may contain stereotypes of the Personnel specifications may contain stereotypes of the ‘ideal’ person and so organizations may be reinforcing the ‘ideal’ person and so organizations may be reinforcing the stereotype in their recruitment practices.stereotype in their recruitment practices.

The use of competencies allows organizations to free The use of competencies allows organizations to free themselves from traditional stereotypes in order to attract themselves from traditional stereotypes in order to attract applicants from a variety of sources.applicants from a variety of sources.

Competencies appear to be more objective, have a variety Competencies appear to be more objective, have a variety of uses in attracting applicants and allow an organization to of uses in attracting applicants and allow an organization to use more reliable and valid selection techniques.use more reliable and valid selection techniques.

Recruitment and AttractionRecruitment and Attraction

Organizations have become increasingly aware of Organizations have become increasingly aware of making good selection decisions, since it involves a making good selection decisions, since it involves a number of costs:number of costs:

The cost of the selection process itself, including the use The cost of the selection process itself, including the use of various selection instrumentsof various selection instruments

The future costs of inducting and training new staffThe future costs of inducting and training new staff

The cost of labour turnover if the selected staff are not The cost of labour turnover if the selected staff are not retainedretained

Selection: CostsSelection: Costs

Underlying the process of selection and the choice of Underlying the process of selection and the choice of techniques are two key principles:techniques are two key principles:

1.1. Individual differences: Individual differences: Attracting a wide choice of Attracting a wide choice of applicants will be of little use unless there is a way of applicants will be of little use unless there is a way of measuring how people differ, i.e. intelligence, attitudes, measuring how people differ, i.e. intelligence, attitudes, social skills, psychological and physical characteristics, social skills, psychological and physical characteristics, experience etc.experience etc.

2.2. Prediction:Prediction: A recognition of the way in which people A recognition of the way in which people differ must be extended to a prediction of performance differ must be extended to a prediction of performance in the workplace.in the workplace.

Selection: Principles

Reliability and Validity IssuesReliability and Validity Issues

ReliabilityReliability refers to the extent to which a selection refers to the extent to which a selection technique achieves consistency in what it is measuring technique achieves consistency in what it is measuring over repeated use.over repeated use.

ValidityValidity refers to the extent to which a selection technique refers to the extent to which a selection technique actually measures what it sets out to measure.actually measures what it sets out to measure.

Selection

Information elicitedInformation elicited – interviews have a specific focus, i.e. – interviews have a specific focus, i.e. facts, subjective information, underlying attitudes.facts, subjective information, underlying attitudes.

StructureStructure – ranging from the completely structured to the – ranging from the completely structured to the unstructured. A compromise between the two enables the unstructured. A compromise between the two enables the interviewer to maintain control yet allowing the interviewee interviewer to maintain control yet allowing the interviewee free expression.free expression.

Order and involvementOrder and involvement – the need to obtain different kinds – the need to obtain different kinds of information may mean the involvement of more than one of information may mean the involvement of more than one interviewer. Applicants may be interviewed serially or in a interviewer. Applicants may be interviewed serially or in a panel.panel.

Selection Interviews

SelectionSelection

SelectionSelection

Personality research has lent support to the use of Personality research has lent support to the use of sophisticated selection techniques such as psychometric sophisticated selection techniques such as psychometric tests that have a good record of reliability and validity.tests that have a good record of reliability and validity.

• Ability tests:Ability tests: these focus on mental abilities these focus on mental abilities (verbal/numerical) and physical skills testing. Right/wrong (verbal/numerical) and physical skills testing. Right/wrong answers allow applicants to be placed in ranked order.answers allow applicants to be placed in ranked order.

• Inventories:Inventories: self-report questionnaires indicating traits, self-report questionnaires indicating traits, intelligence, values, interests, attitudes and preferences. No intelligence, values, interests, attitudes and preferences. No right/wrong answers but a range of choices between right/wrong answers but a range of choices between possible answers.possible answers.

Psychometric TestingPsychometric Testing

On-line testing, or e-assessment, is also used for On-line testing, or e-assessment, is also used for selection and other HR purposes.selection and other HR purposes.

Benefits:Benefits:

Online testing enables organizations to test at any Online testing enables organizations to test at any time and anywhere in the world.time and anywhere in the world.

It enables the quick processing of applicants.It enables the quick processing of applicants.

Drawback:Drawback:

Loss of control over the administration of the tests – Loss of control over the administration of the tests – anyone can be called on to helpanyone can be called on to help

E-assessmentE-assessment

Assessment centres are designed to yield information Assessment centres are designed to yield information that can be used to make decisions concerning that can be used to make decisions concerning suitability for a job.suitability for a job.

They provide a fuller picture by combining a range of They provide a fuller picture by combining a range of techniques.techniques.

General methods used include group discussions, role General methods used include group discussions, role plays and simulations, interviews and tests.plays and simulations, interviews and tests.

Candidates attending an assessment centre will be Candidates attending an assessment centre will be observed by assessors who should be trained to judge observed by assessors who should be trained to judge candidates’ performance against criteria contained candidates’ performance against criteria contained within the competency framework.within the competency framework.

Assessment CentresAssessment Centres

Applicants have expectations about how the organization will Applicants have expectations about how the organization will treat them. Recruitment and selection represent an treat them. Recruitment and selection represent an opportunity to clarify these.opportunity to clarify these.

Realistic job previews (RJPs) provide a means of achieving Realistic job previews (RJPs) provide a means of achieving this.this.

RJPs can take the form of case studies, shadowing, job RJPs can take the form of case studies, shadowing, job sampling and videos – this enables the expectations of sampling and videos – this enables the expectations of applicants to become more realistic.applicants to become more realistic.

RJPs: lower initial expectations, cause some applicants to de-RJPs: lower initial expectations, cause some applicants to de-select themselves, increase levels of organization select themselves, increase levels of organization commitment, job satisfaction, performance and job commitment, job satisfaction, performance and job survival.survival.

Realistic Job PreviewsRealistic Job Previews