You Don’t Make Princes by Kissing Frogs

(But you do build successful organisations by knowing which is which)

What links these four people and Who’s the odd one out?

Ian Huntley

Nick Leeson

Shaun Jenkins

Jeffrey (Lord) Archer

Question

How does your organisation measure the effectiveness of its Recruitment and Selection process?

Latest Trends in R & S

• Improving the Employer Brand• Improving the quality (efficiency and effectiveness) of the R & S

process – ‘Evidence Based HR’• Psychometric Testing• Using social networks, blogs & other electronic media• Using referral programmes• Outsourcing your recruitment• Using assessment centres• Generalised ‘job boards’• Competence modelling

Out-of-Fashion Ideas

• Psychometric Testing• Using social networks, blogs & other electronic media• Using referral programmes• Outsourcing your recruitment• Using assessment centres• Generalised ‘job boards’• Competence modelling

Lesson One

Don’t Follow Trends

7

Why Do Organisations Follow Trends?

1. If everyone else is doing it, it must be right - casual benchmarking• Copy the most visible, most obvious (and least important) practices• What an organisation needs to do to be successful is unique to that

organisation

2 Doing what seems to have worked in the past• But how do we know? – Cause and effect

3 The Consultants recommend it so they must know

4 Following deeply held yet unexamined ideologies (e.g. that pay motivates)

The Challenges

• The most important challenge is to recruit the best people for the organisation

• Adaptability to globalisation• Lack of motivation – Recruitment is considered to be

a thankless job • Process analysis - The process should be flexible,

adaptive, responsive and cost effective • Strategic prioritisation – reviewing resourcing needs

and prioritising the tasks to meet the changes in the market

The Challenges (Cont)

• Attracting the highly talented - All the big boys are trying to attract these people with high salaries, perks, incentives etc

• These days, it’s not just salaries which will pull the candidate in but factors like:• brand• culture• location • job security/flexibility• reputation of the company

Becoming an Employer of Choice

There are measurable things organisations can do to attract and keep the best people:

1. Leadership • Studies show that strong leadership (linked with good

management) is the single most powerful feature in motivating and keeping employees

• Employees understand that poor leadership will impact on:• the success of the organisation• the quality of the work environment• their own ability to develop

2. The Organisation

• This encompasses the organisation: reputation, values, culture and its contributions to the community. 

• Employees might be willing to work longer hours or for less compensation for a company with stronger corporate values or a better reputation.

Lesson Two – Avoid PR Disasters

Exxon

Enron

Lehman Brothers

The Halifax

XL

BA (after Terminal 5)

3. Job

This involves many of the day-to-day aspects of a job:• How interesting and compelling is the work? • Can employees grow and be fulfilled in their jobs? • Do they have the resources and training to achieve

their goals?   • How much freedom, autonomy, growth and challenge

do employees have in the job that they are asked to do?

4. Rewards

It’s not just wages and benefits that count as employee compensation, but also include intangibles such as:

• career prospects• development opportunities• flexibility• recognition and • social contact with co-workers

“Lots of companies believe their competitive advantage is their unique culture; however, if you can’t attract and retain the right people, your culture will soon stop delivering any advantage.”  

Lesson Three

It’s about ‘who’ not ‘what’

Investing in the Labour Market

• High Risk (unpredictable return at high cost)

• Junk Bond (negative equity)

• Gilt-Edged investment (heavily in demand)

• High yield investment (long term)

CAPABILITY

COMPATABILITY

Effectiveness of Selection Techniques

• Graphology

• References/Testimonials

• Application Forms

• Unstructured Interviews

• Psychological Tests

• C.V. & Biodata

• Practical Tests

• Structured Interviews

• Assessment Centres

• 0.00• 0.13• 0.20• 0.31• 0.38• 0.40• 0.55• 0.63• 0.69*

Applying the Relevant Techniques

• The references confirm the person is who they say• The application form outlines capability for the sift• The c.v. gives evidence on compatibility for the sift

and material for effective questions • Practical ‘tests’ can be used for virtually any vacancy• Any interview should concentrate on:

• assessing compatibility match• confirming quality of capability

Maximising the Effectiveness of the Techniques

• Consider the nature of the job• Consider the type of person

Questions About The Job

• Job Title – does it convey the nature of the work? • Job Purpose – why does the job exist?• Key Tasks/Responsibilities – what would they spend

most of their time doing?• Conditions – hours, particular circumstances?

Keep the descriptions simple but comprehensive

Questions About The Person

• Education and Academic Qualifications?• Professional Qualifications?• Experience and Career History? • Particular Skills and Abilities?• Attitude and Personal Qualities?

Selection Criteria

• Organisational Criteria – organisational values• Function/section/group Criteria – sub-culture• Individual Job Criteria – from J.D. & P.S.

The criteria may be essential or desirable

If you don’t know who you’re looking for.....

Discussion Point

What to Look for on the C.V. and Application Form

Discussion Point

• Why don’t interviews deliver the best candidates?• What have you experienced going wrong?

Assessing the Candidates

• The selection criteria are key – ensure people keep focused on them the whole time.

• Review all the evidence, behavioural examples, objective assessments:

• what do they tell you?

• what patterns emerge?

• is there congruence?

• is the quality/depth adequate?

• would you like to work with

them?

Remember

It is seven times more costly to recruit the wrong person than the right one