RECRUITMENT & SELECTION

Managing Diversity and Equal Opportunity

HUMAN RESOURCES PLAN

Recruitment & Selection

R & S process

Recruitment Selection

Internal promotion

External recruitment

Recruitment consultants

Application forms

Recruitment Ad

ReferencesTesting

Assessment Centres

Interview

AimsLegislation

Roles & responsibilities

Stages

Recruitment and selection: the processes by which org’s solicit, contact & interest potential appointees, and then est whether it will be appropriate to appoint any of them.

Recruitment: selecting a supply of possible candidates for positions within an enterprise.

Selection: choosing from a number of candidates the one most suitable for a specified position.

Choosing the right candidate for a job or selecting the right person for promotion, is a critical org decision.

The overall aim of an org’s recruitment & selection process is to obtain the quality & quantity of employees required to fulfill the objectives of the org. That is, finding the right person, at the right time, and placing him/her in the right position, in order to ensure that he/she is doing the right thing.

The Recruitment process:

Nature of the job – all the tasks performed by the jobholder

Job analysis – detailed study of the job

Job description – purpose & duties of the job

Person specification characteristics & qualities

Job advertisement

Definition: selection is a process of choosing from a number of candidates the most suitable for a specified position.

The thoroughness of a selection exercise will depend on: The consequences of faulty selection Time & finances available Company policy

The selection process becomes more important the longer the length of the training period, since this represents a considerable investment on the part of the organization.

SELECTION

REVIEWING APPLICATION FORMS

INTERVIEWING

REFERENCE CHECKING

TESTING

Medical examinations

Group selection methods

Assessment centres

Importance of Recruitment & Selection

Consequences of effective

R & S

Consequences of poor R & S

The person appointed will:Have the technical competence & ability to perform certain tasksHave the potential for training & future promotionBe flexible & adaptableBe sociable, work harmoniously & fit in with cultureComply fully with all legal requirements relating to employment & EEO

High staff turnover

The cost of advertising

Waste of management time

Expense of dismissal

Effects of high turnover on morale, motivation & JS

Reduced biz opp

Reduced quality of p/s

The R & S process

Agree vacancy to be filled – understand job

Job analysis – sort out KSAO needed to do the job

Attract a field of candidates – decide where suitableApplicants can be found & persuade them to apply

Sorting candidates – find out if candidates haveSuitable KSAO

Selection interviews – make actual choice

Induction – ensure new recruit starts with enthusiasm& settles down quickly

Stage 1

Stage 2

Stage 3

Stage 4

Stage 5

Stage 6

Recruitment

Selection

Job Analysis

Definition: A JA refers to the examination about the facts about a specific job to determine its essential component factors & the qualities required by the employee to perform it satisfactorily. It is a method of obtaining facts about a job in such a way that it can be used for the purposes of: Job evaluation Defining job requirements Training

A JA can be used for the Placement Selection Training & Promotion of employees Job evaluation

The purpose of a Job description:

A job description specifies the: Tasks details & responsibilities Sets authority limits Distinguishes accountability limits, & Outlines the org relationships that the job

entails.

The purpose of the person specification:

The PS is an interpretation of the kind of person most suitable for the job. It contains a list of the attributes that the ideal candidate would possess & by which candidates for the job can be measured.

Roger’s 7-Point Plan Fraser 5 – Point Plan

S – Special Aptitudes

C – Circumstances

I – Interests

P – Physical make-up

D – Disposition

A – Attainments

G – General Intelligence

F – Flexibility & adjustment

I – Impact on other people

R – Required qualifications

M – Motivation

I – Innate abilities

Recruit or PromoteSeveral alternatives to external recruitment:

Promotion Secondment Closing the job down, by sharing responsibilities Rotating jobs among staff, so that the vacant job

is covered by different staff

Preparing recruitment advertsAdvertising method will depend upon:

Type of organisation Type of job Whether the advertisement will be for internal or

external recruitment or both The choice of medium

Content of advert should be:ConciseAttractivePositive & honestRelevant and appropriate

Sources of applicantsEmployment service job centres & agenciesPrivate employment agenciesCareer advisory officesUniversities, colleges & schoolsProfessional & executive appointmentsExecutive search or head huntingAdvertising

Ways of encouraging suitable external candidates to come forward and apply for vacancies in an org include: Nominating existing employees Casual speculative applications Government employment services Recruitment consultants Advertising

Attracting suitable employees

Assist clients in selecting the best staff to fill particular vacancies. Their main tasks include: Assessing the requirements of the job & the

KSA needed by the ideal candidate. Drafting the job specification Drafting the advertisement Producing shortlists for the various stages of

interviews Selection of the interview team Interview & final selection process.

Recruitment consultants

The cost effectiveness of the use of outside consultants

Internal problems such as lack of impartiality Any problems that may arise with an internal staff if

an outside consultant is used The availability of in-house expertise & its likely

effectiveness The availability of a consultant with adequate

experience. The need to develop its own expertise in

recruitment.

Factors to consider when using RC

Recruitment advertising – should produce just enough suitable applicants at a reasonable cost, whilst also helping the org image so that future recruitment is made easier. Adverts can be placed in: The national press The local press Specialist journals Radio & television Internet

P.S. You should understand the advantages & disadvantages of each

Choosing advertising mediaDepends on:

Type of organisation Type of job Geographic coverage Readership & circulation Cost of medium Frequency & duration

Reasons of ineffective recruitment Ineffective recruitment may result from

inadequate job analysis, unattractive terms or a failure in the ,media chosen to attract candidates.

Reasons for ineffective selection Ineffective selection may result from poor

job analysis, bad interviewing, inadequate advertising, ignorance of the job or the lack of a validation system.

Selection methods Several tools/techniques may be used in the

selection process. These include:1. The application form The application form usually seeks the

following type of information about the applicant: Personal details, age; address; nationality Education & experience history Present employment terms & experience Social & leisure interests

The AP provides the applicant an opportunity to qualify for the interview.

The application form is also useful for: It eliminates totally unsuitable candidates It acts as a useful preliminary to selection

interviews Some org’s have extended the role played by

the application form by asking for much more detailed information, sometimes asking candidates to answer questions relating to their motivation towards applying.

Application form cont… It forms the nucleus for the personal

record of individual employees.The main purpose of the AF is to obtain

all the essential information about the candidate. The design of the form is crucial.

Applicant references

References are a key part of the selection process, but are used mainly to verify facts about the candidate, rather than as an aid to decision-making.

The problems with reference checking include: They depend a lot on the referee. Some take the

task seriously but many do not Most referees are well known to the applicant &

hesitate to say something critical. References are very poor predicators of future

performance, with low validity co-efficient. In seeking references employers should ask direct & meaningful questions.

3. Selection Testing: A test is a standardized type of

examination given to an individual. Selection tests include attainment tests, psychological tests, medical examinations & observation of the candidate in group situations.

Paper & pencil tests help:1. Assess the ability & quality of existing employees2. Assess the potential of short listed future

employees3. Reduce the cost of recruitment by cutting down the

time spent on subjective interviewing4. Eliminate or at least reduce the risk of making

costly mistakes

5. Minimize staff turnover, which is also costly.

The main problem with any form of selection testing is to ensure that it is relevant to the type of appointment

Examples of selection tests that may be used

Intelligence tests Aptitude tests Competence tests Personality tests Medical examination Group selection methods

Advantages of testing: Selection tests are standardized & objective They are accurate when well validated & assessed

by qualified examiners They are precise Most tests can be administered in groups – less

costly

Limitations: There is not always a direct relationship between a

person’s ability in the test & ability in the job because of artificial test conditions

It is difficult to exclude bias from tests Most tests suffer from coaching & practice effects.

They measure what a candidate can do, rather than will do.

They are time consuming if many attributes must be assessed

They provide more precision than is necessary.

4. Assessment centers: Assessment centers are used to bring together

groups of candidates for 1 to 3 days of intensive assessment. Traditionally the main purpose of AC has been to contribute to mgt decisions about people.

5. The selection interviewThe interview is the 3rd stage in the selection

process. The aim of the selection interview:

1. Find the best person for the job Confirming, expanding or obtaining further

information than already given on the application form.

Assesses candidates motivation & personality Ensures that applicants have reasonable

knowledge of the job & org which they may join and to provide then with more info if required

The selection interview – aims cont…

Evaluates the suitability of candidates for the job Encourages the most suitable candidate to take

the job Agree to terms of employment

2. Ensure that the candidate understands what the job is & what the career prospects are

3. Make the candidate feel that they have been given fair treatment in the interview

The selection interview – aims cont…

Various types of interviews

Face-to-face – helps establish rapport & are cost-effective, however the decision relies heavily on 1 person.

Successive interviews – are more costly & can be tiring for the candidate, but it may enable a more balanced judgment to be made.

Group interviews – can identify personal qualities such as tact, dominance & persuasiveness.

Panel interviews – have the advantage of sharing judgments, but take up many people’s time & may make the candidates ill at ease.

Skills required for selection interviewing:

The main reasons for poor standard of selection interviewing are lack of training of interviewers, & poor preparation.

Skills required include: Preparing for the interview Analyzing the application form & other information

about the candidate to decide on the main question areas

Skills required cont… Questioning Listening Putting the candidate at ease & keeping the

conservation along the lines of what will be useful to the candidate

Evaluating the candidate by objectively weighing & judging the information which has been obtained from the interview.

Reasons for ineffective interviewing Interviewers have different skills & abilities & even

if the questions are written on a form, the way that they are asked may influence the answers. Some limitations of interviewing include: Subjectivity & bias are considerable dangers There is always difficulty in putting evidence together in a

coherent pattern unless the interviewer is really experienced Because of lack of skill, specialist training, & practice on the

part of interviewers, many interviews are badly structured, interviewers talk too much.

Typical faults Cloning Halo effect Failure to distinguish Prejudice Lack of preparation Shortage of time

Importance of interviews: Allows individuals to met

face-to-face Develops 2-way

communication Allows for verification of of

information Gives interviewee an

opportunity to enquire about the org

Can be a useful PR exercise

Are recognized & accepted as valid by candidates

Applicants who are external to the org could leave with the clear impression that they have been unfairly treated in the interview, & this view can be expressed to others.

The selection of highly qualified & experienced persons who are initially highly motivated can easily result in disappointment & discontent.

Extra training is required Recruitment in excess of future needs leads to

other problems for the org, e.g. redundancies

The importance of the selection decision

Termination of employment for inappropriately recruited people causes problems, e.g. TU agreement, downgrading of org image.

OD can be constrained because of poor R&S.

Importance of selection cont…

Responsibility for staffingSenior managersHR departmentNew recruits prospective boss – line

managerRecruitment consultants or agencies

Equal Opportunity & the Management of Diversity

• Diversity can be defined as recognising, appreciating, valuing & utilizing the unique talents & contributions of all individuals regardless of age, career experience, colour, communication style etc.

• Equal opportunity is a generic term describing the belief that there should be an equal chance for all workers to apply and to be selected for jobs, to be trained & promoted in employment and to have that employment terminated fairly.

Reasons for adopting equal opportunities policy

2 main :1. It is morally wrong to treat parts of the

population as inferior or inadequate.2. Organizations do not benefit from excluding

any potential source of talent.

Benefits of a diverse workplace• Increased competitive advantage• Improved effectiveness & efficiency• Increased creativity & innovation• Broader range of skills• Better customer relations & service to diverse customers• Ability to recruit best talent from entire labour pool• Improved working relations in an atmosphere od inclusion

Representative workforce

• The HR biz plan is a working tool designed to achieve results. Such plans are aimed at achieving a fair representation of designated groups in an org, & must contain numerical goals, activities to achieve the goals & a monitoring and evaluation procedure to follow the implementation.

Representative workforce

• Numerical goals – must be realistic numbers, related to workforce analysis, & project opportunities for hiring, training & promotion, They must demonstrate bona fide effort to correct under representation or concentration of all designated groups in specific occupations or occupational categories.

• Non-numerical goals – refer to activities associated with a supportive environment, actions such as improvements in access to facilities; targeted recruitment & advertising…

• Monitoring & evaluation determines whether goals are being attained & problems are being resolves.

The planning process is evolutionary because the achievement of employment equity involves org change

and builds on experience.

A diversity assessment is a structured process to

gather information about the experience of current employees &, if desired,

former employees.

Diversity assessment cont…

• The data collected would be used to identify those practices policies & systems which may need modification iot create the desired work environment & to meet diversity goals. The practices, policies & systems include:– Job classifications & description– Recruitment, training & development processes

Managing diversity in the workplace

• Organizations need to create cultures in which all employees can develop their potential & flourish, regardless of sex, race, culture, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation and ethnicity.

• An org’s workforce is representative when it reflects or exceeds the demographic composition of the external workforce.

• A representative workforce is a good indication that the employer is not limiting access to the skills & talents of workers by discriminating on the basis of race…

A diversity assessment provides information about what helps & hinders:– Creation of an inclusive work environment

where all employees can flourish– Career advancement– Teamwork– High morale, commitment & productivity– Retention of diverse employees– Recruitment & hiring of diverse individuals

Main differences between Diversity & EO

Diversity Equal Opportunity

Voluntary Productivity driven Qualitative Opportunity focused Inclusive Proactive

Government initiated Legally driven Quantitative Problem-focused Targeted Reactive

Legal Position

Area Typical Terms

Rights Right not to be unfairly dismissed

Contracts Written statement of certain particulars of their employment, e.g. pay, job title, place of work

Working hours Limits the WH to an average of 48pw + 4 weeks paid leave pa.

Rights of parents Gives parents with children under the age of 5, right to ask for FWA

Maternity & paternity leave

Legislation relating to discrimination

Legislation Typical terms

Pay Equality clause in all CoE: = pay for = work

Sex discrimination Gender, marital status discrimination is illegal

Racial discrimination Prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, nationality, or colour

Disability discrimination Prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability

Terminology• Direct discrimination occurs when one interested group is

treated less favourably than another • Indirect discrimination occurs when a policy or practice is fair

in form, but discriminatory in operation: for example, if requirements or conditions are imposed, with which a substantial proportion of the interested group cannot comply, to their detriment.

• Victimisation occurs when a person is penalised for giving information or taking action in pursuit of a claim of discrimination

• Harassment is the use of threatening, intimidatory, offensive or abusive language or behaviour