SELECTION

GROUP VI
DINAKARAN M 24
PUNEET KUMAR
AGARWAL 29
GAURAV MITTAL 32
BENJOY P S 33
SELECTION
Selecting qualified employees is like putting money into bank. – John Bud

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
 Learn what selection is.
 Understand why and how selection is important.
 Know the cost of wrong selection and how to minimise this risk.
 Familiarize with each of the steps in the selection process.
 Be aware of the alternative methods of selection.

INTRODUCTION
It is commonly accepted that management‘s main job is to get
appropriate results through the effective use of people. The first step toward
the proper use of an organisation‘s human resources is to hire the right
people. This is done by recruitment and selection. Once a pool of suitable
applicants is created through recruiting, the process of selecting applicants
begins. This involves a series of steps which are explained in this chapter.

MEANING AND DEFINITION

According to Werther and Davis, the selection process is a series of
specific steps used to decide which recruits should be hired. Selection is the
process of choosing the most competent for a particular job, or weeding out
the unsuitable. Another definition says, Selection is the process of choosing
individuals who have relevant qualifications to fill jobs in an organization.
Without qualified employees, an organization is in a poorer position to
succeed. Selection is much more than just choosing the best available
person. It is about selecting people with the appropriate set of knowledge,
skills, and abilities (KSAs).

THE LOGIC OF SELECTING PERSONNEL

If variability in physical and psychological characteristics were not so
prevalent, there would be little need for selection of people to fill various
jobs. Without variability among individuals in abilities, aptitudes, interests,
and personality traits, we would expect all job candidates to perform
comparably. Research shows clearly that as jobs become more complex,

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individual differences in output variability would also increase. Likewise, if
there were 5 job openings available and only 5 qualified candidates,
selection again would not be a significant issue since all 5 candidates would
have to be hired. Selection becomes a relevant concern only when there are
more qualified candidates than there are positions to be filled, for selection
implies choice and choice means exclusion.

The economic value of good selection is greater than most people realize. For
example, the U.S. government‘s use of ability testing for entry level jobs has
been estimated to save the government over $15 billion per year. For a large
organisation, a modest increase in the performance of its employees can
yield significant results.

THE COST OF WRONG SELECTION AND THE TWIN

CONCEPTS REGARDING SELECTION TOOLS
However good the benefits of selection be, there are certain risks attached to
selection. Costs of wrong selection are great. The figure drawn below shows
four possible outcomes of a selection decision. Two of these-‗true
positive‘(‗high hit‘) and ‗low negative ‗(‗low hit‘)-are right selection decision.
The other two outcomes represent selection errors. In the ‗false positive
error‘, a decision is made to hire an applicant based on predicted success,
but failure results. In ‗false negative error‘, an applicant who has succeeded
is rejected based on predictions of failures. In either case, the selectors will
have erred. They may remember that the selection successes will be written
in sand and failures in stones.

SUCCESS False True Positive

Negative Error (―High Hit‖)

FAILURE True Negative False

(―Low Hit‖) Positive Error

FAILURE SUCCESS
PREDICTED PREDICTED

An organization with a false positive error incurs three types of costs. The
first type is incurred while the person is employed. This can be the result of
production or profit losses, damaged company reputation, accidents due to
negligence, absenteeism, and the like. The second type of costs is associated
with the training, transfer or terminating the services of the employee. Costs
of replacing an employee with fresh one-costs of hiring, training, and

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replacement-constitute the third type of costs. Generally, the important the
job, the greater the costs of the selection error. In most cases of false
negative error, an applicant who would have succeeded is rejected because
of predicted failure. Most false negative errors go unnoticed except when the
applicant belongs to a reserved category and files a discrimination charge.
Costs associated with this type of error are generally difficult to estimate.

A careful selection will help an organization avoid costs associated

with both false positive error as well as negative error. The risk attached to
the wrong selection can be minimised if the twin concepts of Reliability and
Validity are applied while choosing the selection tools.

Reliability: A measurement is considered to be reliable if it is consistent or

stable, for example:

 Over time- such as on a hearing test administered first on Sunday

morning and then again on Thursday night.
 Across different samples of items
 Across different raters or judges working independently

Validity: Reliability is certainly an important characteristic of any

measurement process, but it simply a means to an end. Unless a measure is
reliable, it cannot be valid. From a practical point of view, validity refers to
the job-relatedness of a measure, that is, the strength of the relationship
between scores from the measure and some indicator or a rating of actual
job performance.

Validity is proof that the relationship between the selection device and
some relevant job criterion exists. Reliability is an indicator that the device
measures the same thing consistently. For example, it would be appropriate
to give a keyboarding test to a candidate applying for a job as an
administrative assistant. However, it would not be valid to give a
keyboarding test to a candidate for a job as a physical education teacher. If
a keyboarding test is given to the same individual on two separate
occasions, the results should be similar.

INPUTS TO SELECTION
Employment managers use the selection process to find new workers. The
selection process relies on three helpful inputs. Job analysis information
provides the description of the jobs, the human specifications, and the
performance standards each job requires. Human resource plans tell
employment managers what job openings are likely to occur. These plans
allow selection to proceed in a logical and effective manner. Finally, recruits
are necessary so that the employment managers have a group of people from
which to choose. These three inputs largely determine the effectiveness of

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selection process. If, job analysis information, human resource plans, and
recruits are of high quality, the selection process should perform well. At the
same time there are other inputs that limit its success. To succeed,
employment managers must meet the challenges of limited labour supply,
ethical considerations and organizational policies.

Job analysis Orientation

Training

Development
SELECTION
Career planning
Human resource PROCESS
plans Performance evaluation

Compensation

Collective action
Recruits
Personnel control

SUPPLY CHALLENGES It is important to have a large, qualified poll of

recruiters from which to select applicants. But some jobs are so hard to fill
that there are few applicants. Low-paying jobs or openings for extremely
specialized work are examples of positions with small selection ratios. A
selection ratio is the relationship between the number of applicants hired
and the total number of applicants available. A large selection ratio is 1:2;a
small selection ratio means there are few applicants from which to select. In
many instances a small ratio means a low quality of recruits.

Alfred Bester an employment manager for a chain of motels faced a

low selection ratio for the third-shift desk clerk‘s job. Although it paid
25 cents an hour more than the day or evening clerk job, few people
applied for it. Alfred decided to enrich the job by resigning it. The job
was expanded to include responsibility for completing the daily
financial report and other new title-night auditor. The result was more
applicants.

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ETHICAL CHALLENGES Since employment specialist strongly influence the
hiring decisions that decision is shaped by their ethics. Hiring a neighbour‘s
relative, gifts from a placement agency and bribes (especially overseas) all
challenge the employment specialist‘s ethical standards.

Each summer, Charlotte Bronte was told to find jobs for some of the
executive‘s children. To disobey would affect her career. On the other
hand, hiring some of them would be an admission that she selected
people on criteria other than merit. Although many of her peers in
local personnel association thought employing a boss‘s child was
merely a benefit of the executive suite, Charlotte felt it was improper.
So each summer she found jobs in other companies for some of the
executives‘ children.

ORGANIZATIONAL CHALLENGES The selection process is not an end; it is

a means through which the organization achieves its objectives. Naturally,
the organization imposes limits such as budgets and policies that may
hinder the selection process. Without budget limitations, recruiting efforts
and budgeting techniques could be refined. But without limits, employment
expenses may be so high that organizational effectiveness would suffer.
Policies against discrimination reinforce external prohibitions for example.
Or internal decrees may exceed legal demands from outside. For example,
policies to hire ex-convicts further societal objectives but are not legally
required. Yet such internal policies add still another challenge for
employment specialists.

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THE SELECTION PROCESS
Following are the steps in the selection process in an organisation. However,
it is not compulsory for the companies to follow the steps and in the same
order.

13. Evaluation of the process

12. Concluding the process

11. Contracts of employment

10. Making job offer

9. Medical evaluation

8. Hiring decision

7. Realistic job preview

6. Supervisory interview

5. Reference and background checks

4. Selection interview

3. Employment tests

2. Application forms

1. Preliminary reception and screening

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PRELIMINARY RECEPTION AND SCREENING

In addition to matching qualified people to jobs, the selection process

has an important public-relations dimension. Discriminatory hiring
practices, impolite interviewers, unnecessarily long waits, inappropriate
testing procedures, and lack of follow-up letters can produce unfavorable
impressions of an employer. Providing courteous, professional treatment to
all candidates during the selection process is important because for most
applicants a job contact of any kind is an extremely personal and significant
event. A job applicant‘s perception of the organization, and even about the
products or services it offers, will be influenced by the reception stage of the
selection process. Whoever meets the applicant initially should be tactful
and able to offer assistance in a courteous, friendly manner. If no jobs are
available, applicants can be informed at this point. Any employment
possibilities must be presented honestly and clearly.

In some cases, it is appropriate to have a brief interview, called an

initial screening or a job preview/interest screen, to see if the applicant is
likely to match any jobs available in the organization before allowing the
applicant to fill out an application form. For instance, in most large
organizations, this initial screening is done by someone in the employment
office or in the HR department. In most situations, the applicant should
complete an application form after the screening. The screening is intended
to determine if the applicant is likely to have the ability to perform available
jobs. Typical issues might concern job interests, location desired, pay
expectations, and availability for work. One firm that hires security guards
and armored-car drivers uses the screening interview to verify whether an
applicant meets the minimum qualifications for the job, such as having a
valid driver‘s license, being free of any criminal convictions in the past five
years, and having been trained to use a pistol. Because these are required
minimum standards, it would be a waste of time for any applicant who
could not meet them to fill out an application form.
Computerized Screening: The job preview/interest screen can be done
effectively by computer as well. Computerized processing of applicants can
occur on several different levels. Computers can search resumes or
application blanks for key words. Hundreds of large companies in the West
use types of ―text searching‖ or artificial-intelligence (AI) software to scan,
score, and track resumes of applicants. Some firms using these techniques
include Sony Corporation, Coca-Cola, IBM, Paine Webber, Nations Bank,
Avis Rent A Car, Microsoft, Pfizer, Shell Oil, and Staples. Companies note
that computerized screening saves time and money. It also helps with better
placement, thereby reducing turnover.
A second means of computerizing screening is conducting initial
screening interviews electronically. Coopers & Lybrand, a large U.S.
accounting and management consulting firm, holds initial screening
interviews for college students on an Internet site. Students answer 40
questions, their answers are scored, and they are told at that point whether
they qualify for a face-to-face interview. The firm estimates that it eliminates
25% of its 5,000 initial applicants in this way.

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 Finally, computer-assisted interviewing techniques can use tools such
as videotape scenarios to which applicants react.

APPLICATION FORMS
Application forms are widely used. Properly prepared the application form
serves four purposes:
1. It is a record of the applicant‘s desire to obtain a position.
2. It provides the interviewer with a profile of the applicant that can be
used in the interview.
3. It is a basic employee record for applicants who are hired.
4. It can be used for research on the effectiveness of the selection
process.
Many employers use only one application form, but others need several. For
example, a hospital might need one form for nurses and medical
technicians, another form for clerical and office employees, another for
managers and supervisors, and another for support persons in
housekeeping and food-service areas.
The information received on application forms may not always be completely
accurate. This problem is discussed in greater detail later, but an important
point must be made here. In an attempt to prevent inaccuracies, many
application forms carry a statement that the applicant is required to sign. In
effect, the statement reads: ―I realize that falsification of this record is
grounds for dismissal if I am hired.‖ The statement has been used by
employers to terminate people.
Application forms traditionally have asked for references and requested that
the applicant give permission to contact them. Rather than asking for
personal or general references, though, it may be more useful to request the
names of previous supervisors on the application form.
Weighted Application Forms: One way employers can make the application
form more job related is by developing a weighted form. A job analysis is
used to determine the knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs) needed for the
job, and an application form is developed to include items related to the
selection criteria. Then weights, or numeric values, are placed on possible
responses to the items based on their predictive value. The responses of
applicants can be scored, totalled, and compared. One interesting example
involves a company that had very high turnover among sewing machine
operators. It hired a consultant, who took the applications of 100 successful
operators who stayed with the company and 100 operators who left or were
fired. He identified 10 variables that differentiated the two groups. Some
were unusual; one variable identified was that the better performing sewing
machine operators weighed more than 300 pounds and did not own a car,
among other factors. Based on this analysis, a weighted application form
was developed, but its usefulness could be questioned.
To develop a weighted application blank, it is necessary to develop questions
that differentiate between satisfactory and poor performing employees and
that can be asked legally. But there are several problems associated with
weighted application forms. One difficulty is the time and effort required to
develop such a form. For many small employers and for jobs that do not
require numerous employees, the cost of developing the weights can be

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prohibitive. Also, the form must be updated every few years to ensure that
the factors previously identified are still valid predictors of job success.
However, on the positive side, using weighted forms enables an employer to
evaluate and compare applicants‘ responses numerically to a valid, job-
related set of inquiries.
Resumes: One of the most common methods applicants use to provide
background information is the resume. Resumes, also called vitae by some,
vary in style and length. Consequently, even if an applicant furnishes some
―illegal information‖ voluntarily on a resume, the employer should not use
that information during the selection process. Because resumes contain
only information applicants want to present, some employers require that all
who submit resumes complete an application form as well, so similar
information will be available on all applicants.

EMPLOYMENT TESTS

Ability and Aptitude Tests: Ability tests assess the skills that individuals
have already learned. Aptitude tests measure general ability to learn or
acquire a skill. The typing tests given at many firms to secretarial applicants
are commonly used ability tests. Other widely used tests measure
mechanical ability and manual dexterity.
A type of ability test used at many organizations simulates job tasks. These
work-sample tests, which require an applicant to perform a simulated job
task that is part of the job being applied for, are especially useful. Having an
applicant for a financial analyst‘s job prepare a computer spreadsheet is one
such test. Requiring a person applying for a truck driver‘s job to back a
truck to a loading dock is another. An ―in basket‖ test is a work sample test
in which a job candidate is asked to respond to memos in a hypothetical in-
basket that are typical of the problems faced by people holding that job. The
key for any work sample test is the behavioural consistency between the
criteria in the job and the requirements of the test.
Mental ability tests measure reasoning capabilities. Some of the abilities
tested include spatial orientation, comprehension and retention span, and
general and conceptual reasoning. The General Aptitude Test Battery (GATB)
is a widely used test of this type.

Assessment Centres: An assessment centre is not necessarily a place; it is

composed of a series of evaluative exercises and tests used for selection and
development. The assessment uses multiple exercises and multiple raters.
In one assessment centre, candidates go through a comprehensive interview,
pencil-and-paper test, individual and group simulations, and work
exercises. The candidates‘ performances are then evaluated by a panel of
trained raters. It is crucial to any assessment centre that the tests and
exercises reflect the job content and types of problems faced on the jobs for
which individuals are being screened.

Group Assessment Approaches: The aptitude, ability and psychological

tests have their place in the selection process and if conducted
appropriately, can prove to be effective selection tools. However, these

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methods have their limitations. They cannot be relied upon to assess an
individual‘s ability or competence to interrelate with people, cope in stressful
situations, solve problems and work with or lead others.
One way of assessing these characteristics is to apply group
assessment methods. Group assessment methods are used to:
 Assess how individuals behave in a group situation and how they
interact with each others
 Assess how individuals respond to realistic situations
 Assess how individuals think and respond to problems
 Identify individuals‘ thoughts and views on particular topics

Plumbley (1985) identified three types of group assessment methods:

 Leaderless groups: here the participants are asked to discuss a
general topic. The discussion is evaluated by assessors.
 Command or executive exercises: here the group is given a real case
study and each individual is assigned a role.
 Group problem-solving: the group is allocated a task to solve.

Psychological/Personality Tests Personality is a unique blend of

individual characteristics that affect interaction with the environment and
help define a person. Historically, predictive validities have tended to be
lower for personality tests used as predictors of performance on the job.
However, some studies have shown that carefully chosen personality tests
that logically connect to work requirements can help predict the
interpersonal aspects of job success. For example, a person‘s ability to
tolerate stress might be a valid concern for a police officer, emotional
stability for a nuclear plant operator, and a ―people‖ orientation for a social
worker.
There is a never-ending list of characteristics that can be used to
differentiate human beings. The multitude of different personality traits has
long frustrated psychologists, who have argued that there is a relatively
small number of underlying major traits. The most widely accepted approach
to these underlying personality traits (although not the only one) is often
referred to as the ―Big Five‖ personality traits. The Big Five can be
considered generally useful predictors of training success and job
performance. The Big Five are:
1. Emotional stability: This is the extent to which a person does not suffer
from neurosis, depression, anger, worry, and insecurity.
2. Extroversion: Sociable, gregarious, talkative people are considered
extroverted.
3. Agreeableness: People who are cooperative, good natured, soft-
hearted, tolerant, and trusting score high on the agreeable dimension.
4. Openness/Experience: This describes people who are flexible in
thought and open to new ideas, broad minded, curious, and original.
5. Conscientiousness: This is the extent to which a person is
achievement-oriented, careful, hardworking, organized, and
responsible.
Conscientiousness has been found to be related to job success across most
organizations and occupations. Extroversion predicts success in jobs

11
requiring social interaction, such as many sales jobs. The usefulness of the
other three varies depending on the kind of job and organization.
When used in selection, psychological or personality testing requires that a
solid link be made with job relatedness.

Polygraph and Honesty Testing These tests are not in vogue in India. They
are mainly used in the West.
Honesty Tests Several types of tests have been devised to assess honesty.
These include polygraph tests and paper-and-pencil honesty tests. Both are
controversial. Individuals who take honesty tests answer ―yes‖ or ―no‖ to a
list of questions. Sample questions include:
 Would you tell your boss if you knew another employee was stealing
from the company?
 Is it all right to borrow company equipment to use at home if the
property is always returned?
Firms use honesty tests to help reduce losses due to employee theft.
These firms believe that giving honesty tests not only helps them to screen
out potentially dishonest individuals, but also sends a message to
applicants and employees alike that dishonesty will not be tolerated.
Concerns about the validity of honesty tests continue to be raised. Many
firms using them do not do validation studies on their experiences. Instead,
they rely on the general validation results given by the test developers.
Honesty tests are valid as broad screening devices for organizations but may
not be as good at predicting whether a single individual will steal. Also, the
use of these tests can have a negative public-relations impact on applicants.
A final concern is that the types of questions asked may constitute invasion
of individual privacy.
Graphology: Graphology is a type of ―test‖ in which an ―analysis‖ is made of
an individual‘s handwriting. Such characteristics as how people dot an i or
cross a t, whether they write with a left or right slant, and the size and
boldness of the letters they form supposedly tell graphologists about the
individuals‘ personalities and their suitability for employment.
Formal scientific evaluations of graphology are not easily found. Its value as
a personality predictor is very questionable, but it is popular in France,
Israel, and several other countries.
Psychics: Similarly, some firms use psychics to help select managerial
talent. The psychics are supposedly able to determine if a person is suited
for a job both intellectually and emotionally. However, most businesses
would not want anyone to know that they used ―psychic advisers.‖
Blood type: If using psychics in selection seems outlandish, how about
blood type as a predictor of personality? In Japan, many people think blood
type is an excellent predictor. Type O blood supposedly indicates a person
who is generous and bold; type A, one who is industrious; type B, one who
is impulsive and flexible; and type AB, one who is both rational and creative.
A manager at Mitsubishi Electric chose people with type AB blood to dream
up the next generation of fax machines. There is a lack of formal evidence
that handwriting, psychics, or blood type are valid as performance
predictors. Some experts have even commented that there may be ethical
problems in using these techniques for employee selection.

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Drug testing: Drug testing may be a part of a medical exam, or it may be
done separately. Using drug testing as a part of the selection process has
increased in the past few years, though not without controversy. Employers
should remember that such tests are not infallible. The accuracy of drug
tests varies according to the type of test used, the item tested, and the
quality of the laboratory where the test samples are sent. If an individual
tests positive for drug use, then a second, more detailed analysis should be
administered by an independent medical laboratory. Because of the
potential impact of prescription drugs on test results, applicants should
complete a detailed questionnaire on this matter before the testing.

Genetic testing: Another controversial area of medical testing is genetic

testing. Some large companies currently are using genetic tests and many
more are considering their use in the future. However, the general public
disapproves strongly of their use. Employers that use genetic screening tests
do so for several reasons. First, the tests may link workplace health hazards
and individuals with certain genetic characteristics. Second, genetic testing
may be used to make workers aware of genetic problems that could occur in
certain work situations. The third use is the most controversial: to exclude
individuals from certain jobs if they have genetic conditions that increase
their health risks. Because people cannot change their genetic makeup, the
potential for discrimination based, for example, on race or sex is very real.
For instance, sickle-cell anaemia is a condition found primarily in African
Americans. If chemicals in a particular work environment can cause health
problems for individuals with sickle-cell anaemia, African Americans might
be screened out on that basis. The question is whether that decision should
be made by the individual or the employer.

SELECTION INTERVIEW
A selection interview is designed to identify information on a candidate
and clarify information from other sources. This in-depth interview is
designed to integrate all the information from application forms, tests, and
reference checks, so that a decision can be made. Because of the integration
required and the desirability of face-to-face contact, the interview is the
most important phase of the selection process in many situations.
Conflicting information may have emerged from tests, application forms, and
references. As a result, the interviewer must obtain as much pertinent
information about the applicant as possible during the limited interview
time and evaluate this information against job standards. Finally, a
selection decision must be made, based on all of the information obtained
in the preceding steps. The interview is not an especially valid predictor of
job performance, but it has high ―face validity‖—that is, it seems valid to
employers and they like it. Virtually all employers are likely to hire
individuals using interviews. Some interviewers may be better than others at
selecting individuals who will perform well. There is very high intra-rater (the
same interviewer) reliability, but only moderate-to-low inter-rater (different
interviewers) reliability. Inter-rater reliability becomes important if there are
several interviewers, each selecting employees from a pool of applicants.

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Types of Interviews
There are six types of selection interviews: structured, situational,
behavioural description, nondirective, stress, and panel interviews. Each
type is discussed in this section.

STRUCTURED INTERVIEW: The structured interview uses a set of

standardized questions that are asked of all applicants. Every applicant is
asked the same basic questions, so that comparisons among applicants can
more easily be made. This type of interview allows an interviewer to prepare
job-related questions in advance and then complete a standardized
interviewee evaluation form. Completion of such a form provides
documentation, if anyone should question why one applicant was selected
over another. Sample questions that might be asked of all applicants for a
production maintenance management opening are as follows:
 Tell me how you trained workers for their jobs.
 How do you decide the amount of work you and the maintenance crew
will have to do during a day?
 How does the production schedule of the plant affect what a mechanic
ought to repair first?
As is evident, the structured interview is almost like an oral questionnaire
and offers greater consistency and accuracy than some other kinds of
interviews. The structured interview is especially useful in the initial
screening because of the large number of applicants in this step of the
selection process. Obviously, it is less flexible than more traditional
interview formats, and therefore it may be less appropriate for second or
later interviews. Even though a series of patterned questions are asked, the
structured interview does not have to be rigid. The predetermined questions
should be asked in a logical manner, but the interviewer can avoid reading
the questions word for word down the list. The applicant should be allowed
adequate opportunity to explain answers clearly. The interviewer should
probe until he or she fully understands the applicant‘s responses.
Research on interviews consistently has found the structured interview to be
more reliable and valid than other approaches. The format for the interview
ensures that a given interviewer has similar information on each candidate,
so there is higher intrarater reliability. Also, the fact that several
interviewers ask the same questions of applicants has led to better interrater
reliability.

SITUATIONAL INTERVIEW: The situational interview is a structured

interview that is composed of questions about how applicants might handle
specific job situations. With experienced applicants, the format is essentially
one of a job knowledge or work sample test.
Interview questions are based on job analysis and checked by experts in the
job so they will be content valid. There are three types of questions:
 Hypothetical: Asking applicant what he or she might do in a certain
job situation
 Related to knowledge: Might entail explaining a method or
demonstrating a procedure

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  Related to requirements: Explores areas such as willingness to work
the hours required and meet travel demands
For some situational interviews job experts also write ―good,‖ ―average,‖ and
―poor‖ responses to the questions to facilitate rating the answers of the
applicant. The interviewer can code the suitability of the answer, assign
point values, and add up the total number of points an interviewee received.

BEHAVIORAL DESCRIPTION INTERVIEW: When responding to a

behavioural description interview, applicants are required to give specific
examples of how they have performed a certain procedure or handled a
problem in the past.
For example, applicants might be asked the following:
 How did you handle a situation in which there were no rules or
guidelines on employee discipline?
 Why did you choose that approach?
 How did your supervisor react?
 How the issue was finally resolved?
Like other structured methods, behavioural description interviews generally
provide better validity than unstructured interviews.

NONDIRECTIVE INTERVIEW: The nondirective interview uses general

questions, from which other questions are developed. It should be used
mainly in psychological counselling, but it is also used in selection. The
interviewer asks general questions designed to prompt the applicant to
discuss herself or himself. The interviewer then picks up on an idea in the
applicant‘s response to shape the next question. For example, if the
applicant says, ―One aspect that I enjoyed in my last job was my
supervisor,‖ the interviewer might ask, ―What type of supervisor do you most
enjoy working with?‖.
Difficulties with a nondirective interview include keeping it job related and
obtaining comparable data on various applicants. Many nondirective
interviews are only semi organized; the result is that a combination of
general and specific questions is asked in no set order, and different
questions are asked of different applicants for the same job.

STRESS INTERVIEW: The stress interview is a special type of interview

designed to create anxiety and put pressure on the applicant to see how the
person responds.
In a stress interview, the interviewer assumes an extremely aggressive and
insulting posture. Those who use this approach often justify its use with
individual who will encounter high degrees of stress on the job, such as a
consumer complaint clerk in a department store or an air traffic controller.
The stress interview is a high-risk approach for an employer. The typical
applicant is already somewhat anxious in any interview, and the stress
interview can easily generate a very poor image of the interviewer and the
employer. Consequently, an applicant that the organization wishes to hire
might turn down the job offer. Even so, many interviewers deliberately put
applicants under stress.

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PANEL INTERVIEWS: Usually, applicants are interviewed by one
interviewer at a time. But when an interviewee must see several people,
many of the interviews are redundant and therefore unnecessarily time
consuming. In a panel interview, several interviewers interview the
candidate at the same time. All the interviewers hear the same respones. On
the negative side, applicants are frequently uncomfortable with the group
interview format.

Interviewing Basics
Many people think that the ability to interview is an innate talent, but this
contention is difficult to support. Just because someone is personable and
likes to talk is no guarantee that the person will be a good interviewer.
Interviewing skills are developed through training. Some suggestions for
good interviewing follow.
Planning the interview Effective interviews do not just happen; they are
planned. Pre-interview planning is essential to a well-conducted in-depth
selection interview. This planning begins with selecting the time and place
for the interview. Sufficient time should be allotted so that neither the
interviewer nor the interviewee feels rushed. Also, a private location is
important, so that both parties can concentrate on the interview content.
The interviewer should review the application form for completeness and
accuracy before beginning the interview and also should make notes to
identify specific areas about which to question the applicant during the
interview.
Problems in the Interview Operating managers and supervisors most often
use poor interviewing techniques because they do not interview often or
have not been trained to interview.
Some common problems encountered in the interview are highlighted next.
SNAP JUDGMENTS Ideally, the interviewer should collect all the
information possible on an applicant before making a judgment. Reserving
judgment is much easier to recommend than to do, because it is difficult not
to form an early impression. Too often, interviewers form an early
impression and spend the balance of the interview looking for evidence to
support it. This impression may be based on a review of an individual‘s
application blank or on more subjective factors such as dress or
appearance. Consequently, many interviewers make a decision on the job
suitability of applicants within the first four or five minutes of the interview.
NEGATIVE EMPHASIS As might be expected, unfavorable information
about an applicant is the biggest factor considered in interviewers‘ decisions
about overall suitability. Unfavorable information is given roughly twice the
weight of favourable information. Often, a single negative characteristic may
bar an individual from being accepted, whereas no amount of positive
characteristics will guarantee a candidate‘s acceptance.
HALO EFFECT Interviewers should try to avoid the halo effect, which occurs
when an interviewer allows a prominent characteristic to overshadow other
evidence. The halo effect is present if an interviewer lets a candidate‘s
accomplishments in athletics overshadow other characteristics, which leads
the interviewer to hire the applicant because ―athletes make good

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salespeople.‖ Devil’s horns (a reverse halo effect), such as inappropriate
dress or a low grade point average, may affect an interviewer as well.
BIASES Interviewers must be able to recognize their personal biases.
Interviewers tend to favour or select people whom they perceive to be similar
to themselves. This similarity can be in age, race, sex, previous work
experiences, personal background, or other factors. As workforce
demographics shift, interviewers will have to be even more aware of this
―similarity bias.‖ The selection of an applicant who falls below standards,
and the rejection of an applicant who meets standards, indicate that
personal bias may have influenced a selection decision. An interviewer
should be honest and consider the reasons for selecting a particular
applicant. The solution to the problem of bias lies not in claiming that a
person has no biases, but in demonstrating that they can be controlled.
CULTURAL NOISE The interviewer must learn to recognize and handle
cultural noise—responses the applicant believes are socially acceptable
rather than factual respones. Applicants want jobs; to be hired, they know
they must impress the interviewer. They may feel that if they divulge any
unacceptable facts about themselves, they will not get the job.
Consequently, they may try to give the interviewer responses that are
socially acceptable but not very revealing. An interviewer can handle
cultural noise by not encouraging it. If the interviewer supports cultural
noise, the applicant will take the cue and continue those kinds of answers.
Instead, the applicant can be made aware that the interviewer is not being
taken in.

RESUME AND BACKGROUND CHECKING

Background investigation may take place either before or after the in-depth
interview. It costs the organization some time and money, but it is generally
well worth the effort. Unfortunately, applicants frequently misrepresent their
qualifications and backgrounds. According to one survey of employers, the
most common false information given is length of prior employment, past
salary, criminal record, and former job title. Many universities report that
inquiries on graduates and former students often reveal that the individuals
never graduated. Some did not even attend the university.

Another type of credential fraud uses the mail-order ―degree mill.‖ To

enhance their chances of employment, individuals purchase unaccredited
degrees from organizations that grant them for a fee. It is estimated that
many resumes contain at least one lie or ―factual misstatement‖. The only
way for employers to protect themselves from resume fraud and false
credentials is to request verification on proof from applicants either before or
after hire. If hired, the employee can be terminated for falsifying employment
information. It is unwise for employers to assume that ―someone else has
already checked.‖ Too often, no one took the trouble.

SUPERVISORY INTERVIEW

The immediate supervisor is responsible for the newly hired worker

ultimately. Since that responsibility is ever-present, supervisors should have

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input into the final hiring decision. The supervisor is often able to better
evaluate the applicant‘s technical abilities. Likewise, the supervisor can
often answer the interviewee‘s specific job-related question with greater
precision. As a result, one study reported that in over three fourths of the
organisations surveyed in U.S., the supervisor has the authority to make the
final hiring decision. When supervisors make the final decision, the role of
the HR department is to provide the supervisor with the best pre-screened
applicants available. From these two or three applicants, the supervisor
decides whom to select.

Supervisory interview is generally used in selecting people for the

lower and technical levels of the organisation.

REALISTIC JOB PREVIEWS

Most job seekers appear to have little information initially about the
organizations to which they apply for jobs. Consequently, the information
applicants receive from prospective employers in the recruiting/selection
process often is given considerable weight in their decisions whether to
accept jobs. Information on pay, nature of the work, geographic location,
and opportunity for promotion is important to almost everyone. In addition,
information on job security is particularly important to blue-collar
applicants.

Some employers oversell their jobs in recruiting advertisements, making

them appear better than they really are. The purpose of a realistic job
preview (RJP) is to inform job candidates of the ―organizational realities‖ of
a job, so that they can more accurately evaluate their own job expectations.
By presenting applicants with a clear picture of the job, the organization
hopes to reduce unrealistic expectations and thereby reduce employee
disenchantment and ultimately employee dissatisfaction and turnover. A
review on research on RJPs found that they do tend to result in applicants
having lower job expectations.

HIRING DECISION
After obtaining information through the preceding steps, selection decision-
the most critical of all the steps – must be made. The other stages in the
selection process have been used to narrow the number of candidatates. The
final decision has to be made from pool of individuals who pass the tests,
interviews and reference checks.

The views of the line manager will be generally considered in the final
selection because it is he/she who is responsible for the performance of the
new employee. The HR manager plays a crucial role in the final selection.

MEDICAL EVALUATION

After the selection decision and before the job after offer is made the
candidate is required to undergo a physical fitness test. A job offer is, often,

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contingent upon the candidate being declared fit after the physical
examination. The results of the medical fitness test are recorded in a
statement and are preserved in the personal records. There are several
objectives behind the fitness test. Obviously one reason is to detect the
individual does not carry infectious diseases. Secondly, it determines
whether an applicant is fit for the job. Thirdly, the physical examination
information may be used to determine if there are certain physical
capabilities which differentiate successful and less successful employees.
Fourthly, medical checkups protect applicants with health defects from
understanding work that could be detrimental to them or might otherwise
endanger the employer‘s property. Finally, such an examination will project
the employer from workers‘ compensation claims that are not valid because
the injuries or illness were present when the employees were hired.

It must be understood that applicants might be perfectly capable of handling

certain types of work. Their motivation to work may even be unusually high
because of a handicap. In many of the technical jobs, medical tests become
compulsory. Such tests are very popular with the government‘s selection
process.

MAKING JOB OFFER

Soon after you make a hiring decision, you‘ll want to make an employment
offer. Don‘t waste a moment‘s time—the best candidates are often being
pursued by more than one potential employer. Pick up the phone and offer
your number one candidate the job. If your first choice doesn‘t accept the
offer in a reasonable amount of time, or if you‘re at an unbreakable impasse
on the details of the offer, then go on to your second choice. Work through
your pool of winners until you either make a hire or exhaust the list of
candidates. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you rank your candidates
and make your final hiring decision.

Be Objective: For a variety of reasons, we all prefer certain people more

than others. Unfortunately, this preference can obscure your job candidates‘
shortcomings, while a better qualified but less likable, candidate may come
out a loser. Avoid being unduly influenced by your candidates‘ looks,
personalities, hairstyles, or personal dress code. While these characteristics
might be nice to look at, they can‘t tell you how well your candidates can
perform.

Trust Your Gut: What do you do when you‘re faced with a decision between
two equally qualified candidates? If you have no clear winner, listen to
yourself—what is your gut telling you to do? Do you have a feeling that one
candidate will do a better job than the other? If so, go with it. While your
hiring decisions should be as objective as possible, sometimes you‘ve got to
rely on subjective judgments. In the real world, rarely are two candidates
equally qualified. This is where the time you spent reviewing your
candidates‘ paperwork and qualifications before the interview comes in

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handy. Anything that gives one person an edge over another should be used
to help you make your final decision.

Other options include:

 Asking candidates to prepare a strategy paper on how they‘d approach

the job.
 Giving them each a nonpaid assignment and see how they do.
 Trying them on a paid project.

Until you finally make your hire—and perhaps even for a few weeks
beyond—keep in touch with other top candidates. You may be making a call
to them when your first choice turns out to be a dud.

CONTRACTS OF EMPLOYMENT

After the job offer has been made and the candidates accept the offer,
certain documents need to be executed by the employer and the candidate.
One such document is the attestation form. This form contains certain vital
details about the candidate which are authenticated and attested by him.
Attestation form will be a valid record for future reference.

There is also a need to prepare the contract of employment.

Alternatively called employment agreements or simply bonds, they serve
many useful purposes. Such contracts help the employer curb the
employee‘s tendency to jump from one job to another. Besides, they protect
the knowledge and information that helps the organisation maintain
competitive edge. Generally, the companies prepare the contract with the
help of lawyers.

A typical contract of employment contains the following headings.

a. Job title
b. Duties
c. Date when continuous employment starts and the basis for
calculating service.
d. Rate of pay, allowances, overtime and shift rates, method of
payments.
e. Hours of work including lunch break and overtime and shift
arrangements.
f. Holiday arrangements
g. Sickness
h. Length of notice due to and from employee
i. Grievance procedure
j. Disciplinary procedure
k. Work rules
l. Arrangements for terminating employees

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 m. Arrangements for union membership (if applicable)
n. Special terms
o. Employer‘s right to vary terms of the contract

CONCLUDING THE PROCESS

Contrary to popular perception, the selection process will not end with
executing the employment contract. There is another step-a more sensitive
one – reassuring those candidates who have been not selected. Such
candidates must be told that they were not selected, not because of any
serious deficiencies in their personalities, but because their profiles did not
match the requirements of the organization. They must be told that those
who were selected were done purely on relative merit.

EVALUATION OF THE PROCESS

The selection process can be evaluated to be effective or not on the quality of

the personnel hired. Looking back at the past selection process, the
company can gain certain insights as to how to design the process in the
future. Evaluation of the selection programme is done by the selection
programme audit. The audit contains a set of questions.

ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF SELECTION

In recent years, many new selection methods have been invented. These
methods are said to be the alternative approaches to the traditional methods
of selection. Participative selection and employee leasing are two of the most
appealing alternatives. In participative selection, the subordinates
participate in the selection of their co-workers and supervisors. The logic is
to obtain support for the newly hired employees and to improve the
confidence of the existing employees in the organisation. In employee
leasing, the client company leases employees from a third party, not on ad
hoc basis, but rather on a full-time and long-term basis. Here the personnel
activities like hiring, compensation administration and record-keeping are
done by the lease provider. They are not directly employed by the client.
Employee leasing allows companies to shed their administrative burdens
and concentrate on their main businesses. The employee whose service is
terminated by a company gets job with another client company.

SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION

Selection is the process by which an organisation selects the people best
suited for its jobs from a pool of applicants. Selection is necessary because
individuals vary and it brings great benefits. However, poor selection
penalises the company. So, the selection tools must be chosen with care
based on their reliability and validity.

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After the initial reception and screening is over, the applicants go through
steps like tests, interview, verification, physical evaluation, etc. and then are
offered job. After the offer, contract of employment is prepared. Then come
the conclusion and evaluation of the process.

TERMS FOR REVIEW

ability tests mental ability tests

aptitude tests halo effect

behavioural description interview nondirective interview

realistic job preview (RJP) panel interview

situational interview structured interview

stress interview work sample tests

REVIEW QUESTIONS
1. Explain selection and its necessity.
2. Describe the two factors important for the picking of selection
methods.
3. Elucidate the steps in the selection process.
4. What are the types of selection interview?
5. Briefly explain the kind of selection tests.
6. Mention some common problems in the interview.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
1. Discuss the differences in the selection processes of a private
organisation and a government entity.
2. Do you think it is better to hire an outside consultant for conducting
the selection process?
3. Interviewing unqualified applicants can be a frustrating experience to
the interviewer. How can the HR department minimize this problem?
4. You are the HR head of a mid-sized company. The company chairman
asks you to make the selection process easy for his favourite nephew.
Would you agree to his demand?

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CASE STUDY
Selecting Manufacturing Employees

In the United States, Toyota uses a selection assessment test designed to

hire individuals to be employed as Toyota auto workers. Called the ―Day of
Work,‖ this test is the most gruelling part of a hiring process that can take
months. At Toyota plants in Kentucky and West Virginia, the Day of Work is
used regularly. Starting at 6:30 a.m., applicants work on a simulated
assembly line for 4 hours and then spend several hours inspecting parts for
defects. They also participate in a group problem-solving session and take
written tests. This is all necessary just to be considered for a job at Toyota.

Another process is used by Carrier Corporation, which makes compressors

for air conditioners with its workforce of 150 at its Arkadelphia, Arkansas,
plant. If someone wants a job there, he or she must complete a six-week
course before even being considered for employment. The selection process
weeds out 15 of every 16 applicants and provides Carrier Corporation with a
top-quality workforce. High school graduates take a state test for job
applicants first. Only one-third advance to the next step. References are
closely checked, and then the applicants are interviewed both by managers
and by the assembly line workers with whom they will work. Those
applicants who have satisfactory interviews take a six-week course that
meets five nights a week for three hours, with some extra Saturdays.
Attendees learn to read blueprints, do math (including metric calculations
and statistical process control), use a computer, and engage in problem
solving with others. At the end of the course, the applicants have not been
hired (or paid) and have no assurance that they will be. But this approach
does not work everywhere or all the time. During a year, Lincoln Electric
considered more than 20,000 job applicants and rejected most of them—yet
it has empty positions that it needs to fill. Very few of those who applied at
Lincoln Electric could do trigonometry (even at the high school level) or read
technical drawings. Those skills were needed for even entry-level work.

Questions

1. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages associated with Toyota‘s ―Day

of Work‖ approach.

2. When using teams to interview applicants, as Carrier Corporation does,

what potential problems might exist with the use of invalid predictors and
inter-rater reliability?

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PETER DRUCKER ON STAFFING
The area in which the executive first encounters the challenge of strength is in staffing. The
effective executive fills positions and promotes on the basis of what a man can do. He does not
make staffing decisions to minimize weaknesses but to maximize strength.
-The Effective Executive

Executives spend more time on managing people and making people decisions than on anything
else, and they should. No other decisions are so long-lasting in their consequences or so difficult
to unmake. And yet, by and large, executives make poor promotion and staffing decisions. By all
accounts, their batting average is no better than .333: at most one-third of such decisions turn
out right; one-third are minimally effective; and one-third are outright failures. In no other area
of management would we put up with such miserable performance. Indeed, we need not and
should not.
Managers making people decisions will never be perfect, of course.
-The Essential Drucker

JACK WELCH ON HIRING

Your goal in hiring is to get the right players on the field. Luckily, great people are everywhere.
You just have to know how to pick them. It’s so easy to just hire people you like. After all, you’ll be
spending the majority of your waking hours with them. It’s also easy to hire people with relevant
experience. They’ll get the job done. But friendship and experience are never enough. Every person
you hire has to have integrity, intelligence, and maturity. Once you’ve got those, look hard for
people with the four Es (Positive Energy, Ability to Energise others, Edge-the ability to make Yes-
or-No decisions and Execute) and passion. Beyond that, at the senior level, look for authenticity,
foresight, the willingness to draw on others for advice, and resilience. Put it all together, and those
are the people who win.
-Winning

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REFERENCES

Aswathappa, K.: Human Resource and Personnel Management- Text and

Cases, TATA McGRAW-HILL, Third Edition.

Davis, Keith and William B. Werther, JR.: Personnel Management and

Human Resources, McGRAW-HILL, Second Edition.

Gomez-Mejia, Luis R., David B. Balkin and Robert L. Cardy: Managing

Human Resources, Prentice-Hall of India, Third Edition, 2002.

Cascio, Wayne F.: Managing Human Resources, TATA McGRAW-HILL, Sixth

Edition.

Pigors and Myers: Personnel Administration, McGRAW-HILL, Ninth Edition.

Stanton, Erwin S.: Successful Personnel Recruiting & Selection, Amacom.

Ramaswami, N.: The Management of Human Resource, T.R. Publications,

1996.

The Association of Business Executives: Human Resource Management-

Study Manual, William House.

Welch, Jack: Winning, Perfectbound.

Drucker, Peter F.: The Effective Executive, Harperbusiness Essentials.

Drucker, Peter F.: The Essential Drucker, DF Books NERDs.

DILBERT

The End
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