In orde orderr to attr attrac actt peop people le for for the the jobs jobs,, the the organ organiz izat atio ion n must must communicate the position in such a way that job seekers respond. To be cost effective, the recruitment process should attract qualified applicants and provide enough information for unqualified persons to self-select themselves out. Thus, the recruitment process begins when new recruits are sought and ends when their applications are submitted. The result is a pool of applicants from which new employees are selected.
PURPOSES AND IMPORTANCE The general purpose of recruitment recruitment is to provide provide a pool of potentially potentially qualified job candidates. Specifically, the purposes are to: •
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Determine the present and future requirements of the organization in conju conjunc ncti tion on with with its its pers person onne nel-p l-pla lann nnin ing g and and jobjob-an anal alys ysis is activities. Increase the pool of job candidates at minimum cost. Help increase the success rate of the selection selection process by reducing reducing the the numb number er of visi visibl bly, y, unde underr qual qualif ifie ied d or over overqu qual alif ifie ied d job job applicants. Help reduce the probability probability that job applicants, applicants, once recruited and selected, will leave the organization only after a short period of time. Begin identifying and preparing potential job applicants who will be appropriate candidates. Induct outsiders with a new perspective to lead the company. Infuse fresh blood at all levels of the organization. Develop an organizational culture that attracts competent people to the company. Sear Search ch or head head hunt hunt/h /hea ead d pouc pouch h peop people le whos whosee skil skills ls fit fit the the company’s values. Devise methodologies for assessing psychological traits. Search for talent globally and not just within the company. Design entry pay that competes on quality but not on quantum. Anticipate and find people for positions that do not exist yet. Increase organizational and individual effectiveness in the short term and long term. Evaluat Evaluatee the effect effective ivenes nesss of variou variouss recruit recruiting ing techni technique quess and sources for all types of job applicants.
Recruitment represents the first contact that a company makes with potential employees. It is through recruitment that many individuals will come to know a company, and eventually decide whether they wish to work for it. A well-planned and well-managed recruiting effort will result in high-quality applicants, whereas, a haphazard and piecemeal effort will result in mediocre ones. High-quality employees cannot be selected when better candidates do not know of job openings, are not interested in working for the company and do not apply. The recruitment process should should inform inform qualif qualified ied indivi individua duals ls about about employ employmen mentt opport opportuni unitie ties, s, create a positive image of the company, provide enough information about about the the jobs jobs so that that appl applic ican ants ts can can make make comp compar aris ison onss with with thei their r qualifi qualificat cation ionss and intere interests sts,, and generat generatee enthus enthusias iasm m among among the best best candidates so that they will apply for the vacant positions. The The nega negati tive ve cons conseq eque uenc nces es of a poor poor recrui recruitm tmen entt proc proces esss spea speak k volumes about its role in an organization. The failure to generate an adequate number of reasonably qualified applicants can prove costly in several ways. It can greatly complicate the selection process and may result in lowering of selection standards. The poor quality of selection mean meanss extr extraa cost cost on trai traini ning ng and and supe superv rvis isio ion. n. Furt Furthe herm rmor ore, e, when when recruitment fails to meet the organizational needs for talent, a typical response is to raise entry-level pay scales. This can distort traditional wage and salary relationships in the organization, resulting in avoidable consequences. Thus, the effectiveness of a recruitment process can play a major role in determining the resources that must be expended on other HR activities and their ultimate success.
SUB-SYSTEMS OF RECRUITMENT The recruitment process consists of the following four sub-functions:•
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Finding out and developing the sources where the required number and kind of employees will be available. Developing suitable techniques to attract the desirable candidates. Employing the techniques to attract candidates. Stimulating as many candidates as possible and asking them to apply for jobs irrespective of the number of candidates required.
Management has to attract more candidates in order to increase the selection ratio so that the most suitable candidate can be selected out of the the tota totall cand candid idat ates es avai availa labl ble. e. Recru Recruit itme ment nt is posi positi tive ve as it aims aims at increasing the number of applicants and selection is somewhat negative as it select selectss the suitab suitable le candida candidates tes in which which proces process; s; the unsuit unsuitabl ablee cand candid idat ates es are are auto automa mati tica call lly y elim elimin inat ated ed.. Thou Though gh,, the the func functi tion on of recruitment seems to be easy, a number of factors make performance of recruitment a complex one.
FACTORS AFFECTING RECRUITMENT The following are the 2 important factors affecting Recruitment:1) INTE INTERN RNAL AL FAC FACTO TORS RS • • • • • • •
Recruiting policy Temporary and part-time employees Recruitment of local citizens Engagement of the company in HRP Company’s size Cost of recruitment Company’s growth and expansion
2) EXTERNAL FACTORS • • •
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Supply and Demand factors Unemployment Rate Labour-market conditions Political and legal considerations Social factors Economic factors Technological factors
INDUCEMENTS
Organisational inducements are all the positive features and benefits offered by an organization that serves to attract job applicants to the organisation. Three inducements need specific mention here, they are:•
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Compensation: Start Startin ing g sala salarie ries, s, freq freque uenc ncy y of pay pay incre increas ases es,, ince incent ntiv ives es and and frin fringe ge bene benefi fits ts can can all all serve serve as induc inducem emen ents ts to potential employees. Career Opportunities: These help the present employees to grow personally and professionally and also attract good people to the organization. The feeling that the company takes care of employee career aspirations serves as a powerful inducements to potential employees. Imag Imagee or Repu Reputat tatio ion: n: Fact Factor orss that that affe affect ct an orga organi nisa sati tion on’s ’s reputation include its general treatment of employees, the nature and quality of its products and services and its participation in worthwhile social endeavors.
CONSTRAINTS If a firm has a poor image in the market, many of the prospective candidates may not even apply for vacancies advertised by the firm. If the job is not attractive, qualified people may not even apply. Any job that is viewed as boring, hazardous, anxiety producing, low-paying, or lacking in promotion promotion potential seldom will attract a qualified qualified pool of applicants. applicants. Recr Recrui uiti ting ng effo effort rtss requ requir iree mone money. y. Some Someti time mess beca becaus usee of limi limite ted d resources, organizations may not like to carry on the recruiting efforts for long periods of time, this can, ultimately, constrain a recruiter’s effort to attract the best person for the job. Government policies often come in the way of recruiting people as per the rules of the company or on the basis of merit/seniority, etc. For example, reservations to specific groups (such as sche schedu dule led d cast castes es,, sche schedu dule led d trib tribes es,, back backwa ward rd cast castes es,, phys physic ical ally ly handi handica capp pped ed and and disa disabl bled ed perso persons ns,, ex-s ex-serv ervic icem emen en,, etc. etc.)) have have to be observed as per constitutional provisions while filling up vacancies in government corporations, departmental undertakings, local bodies, quasigovernment organizations, etc.
RECRUITMENT- Relationship with other activities
CORPORATE MISSION, OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS (MOST) Corpo Corpora rati tions ons have have start started ed link linkin ing g thei theirr Miss Missio ion, n, Obje Object ctiv ives es,, Strat Strateg egie iess and and Tact Tactic icss (MOS (MOST) T) to the the func functi tion onss of recru recruit itme ment nt and and select selection ion.. The econom economic ic liberal liberaliza izatio tions ns and conseq consequen uentt compet competiti ition on through quality and services necessitated the companies to search for and attr attrac actt comp compet eten entt human human reso resourc urces es.. Corpo Corpora rati tion onss focu focusi sing ng on new new busi busine ness ss deve develo lopm pmen entt will will have have to seek seek entr entrep epren reneu euri rial al abil abilit itie ies, s, compan companies ies planni planning ng to withd withdraw raw from from divers diversifi ificat cation ionss must must look look for pragma pragmatis tists ts and compan companies ies chasin chasing g growth growth allian alliances ces should should employ employ peo peopl plee comf comfor orta tabl blee in diff differ eren entt cult cultur ural al back backgr grou ound nds. s. Abov Abovee all, all, companies must hire for the future, anticipating jobs that may not be in exist existen ence ce yet. yet. Recru Recruit itme ment nt mana manage gers rs must must focu focuss for for atti attitu tude dess and and approaches that fit the corporate goals and culture.
RECRUITMENT POLICY Recr Recrui uitm tmen entt poli policy cy of any any orga organi niza zati tion on is deri derive ved d from from the the personnel policy of the same organization. In other words the former is a part of the latter. However, recruitment policy by itself should take into consideration the government’s reservation policy, policy regarding sons of soil, etc., personnel policies of other organizations regarding merit, intern internal al sources sources,, social social respons responsibi ibilit lity y in absorb absorbing ing minori minority ty sectio sections, ns, women, etc. Recruitment policy shoul ould commit itself to the organisation organisation’s ’s personnel personnel policy policy like enriching the organisatio organisation’s n’s human resources or servicing ser vicing the community by absorbing the retrenched or laidoff off empl employ oyee eess or casu casual al/t /tem empo pora rary ry empl employ oyee eess or depe depend nden ents ts of present/former employees, etc. The The follo ollow wing ing facto actors rs shou should ld be take taken n into into cons consiidera derati tion on in formulating recruitment policy. They are:• • •
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Government policies Personnel policies of other competing organizations Organisation’s personnel policies Recruitment sources
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Recruitment needs Recruitment cost Selection criteria and preference
RECRUITMENT- Matching the of the organization & applicants
IMPACT OF PERSONNEL POLICIES ON RECRUITMENT POLICIES Recruitment policies are mostly drawn from personnel policies of the the orga organi niza zati tion on.. Acco Accordi rding ng to Dale Dale Yodar Yodar and and Paul Paul D. Stan Stando doha har, r, general personnel policies provide a wide variety of guidelines to be spelt out in recruitment policy. After formulation of the recruitment policies, the management has to decide whether to centralize or decentralize the recruitment function.
CENTRALISED V/s DECENTRALISED RECRUITMENT Recruitment practices vary from one organization to another. Some organiz organizati ations ons like like commer commercia ciall banks banks resort resort to central centralize ized d recruit recruitmen mentt while some organizatio organizations ns like the Indian Railway Railway resort to decentraliz decentralized ed recruitment practices. Personnel department at the central office performs all the functi functions ons of recrui recruitme tment nt in case case of central centralise ised d recruit recruitmen mentt and personnel personnel departments departments at unit level/zonal level/zonal level perform all the functions of recruitment concerning to the jobs of the respective unit or zone.
MERITS OF CENTRALISED RECRUITMENT •
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Average cost of recruitment per candidate/unit should be relatively less due to economies of scale. It would have more expertise available to it.
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It can ensure broad uniformity uniformity among human resources resources of various units/zones in respect of education, skill, knowledge, talent, etc. It woul would d gene genera rall lly y be abov abovee malp malpra ract ctic ices es,, abus abusee of powe powers rs,, favouritism, bias, etc. It woul would d faci facili lita tate te inte interc rchan hange geab abil ilit ity y of staf stafff among among vari variou ouss units/zones. It enab enable less the line ine mana manage gers rs of vari variou ouss unit unitss and and zone zoness to concentrate on their operational activities by relieving them from the recruiting functions. It enables the organization to have centralised selection procedure, promotional and transfer procedure, etc. It ensures the most effective and suitable placement to candidates. It enable enabless central centralise ised d traini training ng program programmes mes which which furthe furtherr brings brings uniformity and minimizes average cost of staff.
MERITS OF DECENTRALISED RECRUITMENT •
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The unit unit conc concern erned ed conc concen entr trat ates es only only on thos thosee sourc sources es/p /pla laces ces wherein normally gets the suitable candidates. As such the cost of recruitment would be relatively less. The unit gets most suitable candidates as it is well aware of the requi require reme ment ntss of the the job job rega regard rdin ing g cult cultur ure, e, trad tradit itio iona nal, l, fami family ly background aspects, local factors, social factors, etc. Units can recruit candidates as and when they are required without any delay. The units units would would enjoy enjoy freedo freedom m in findi finding ng out, out, develo developin ping g the sources, in selecting and employing the techniques to stimulate the candidates. The unit would relatively enjoy advantage about the availability of information, control and feedback and various functions/processes of recruitment. The unit unit woul would d enjo enjoy y bett better er fami famili liar arit ity y and and cont contro roll over over the the employees it recruits rather than on employees selected by the central recruitment agency.
Both the systems of recruitment would suffer from their own demerits. Hence, the management has to weigh both the merits and demerits of each each syst system em befo before re maki making ng a fina finall deci decisi sion on abou aboutt cent centra rali lizi zing ng or dece decent ntra rali lizi zing ng the the recr recrui uitm tmen ent. t. Alte Altern rnat ativ ivel ely y mana manage geme ment nt may may decentralize the recruitment of certain categories of employees preferably middle and top level managerial personnel and centralize the recruitment of other categories of employee’s preferably lower level positions in view of the the natu nature re of the the jobs jobs and and suit suitab abil ilit ity y of thos thosee syst system emss for for thos thosee
categories of positions. The management has to find out and develop the sources of recruitment recruitment after deciding deciding upon centralizin centralizing g or decentraliz decentralizing ing the recruitment function.
CASE STUDY:WHICH IS MORE IMPORTANT – RECRUITING OR RETAINING Uptron Electronics Electronics Ltd is an internation internationally ally reputed electronics electronics firm. It attracted employees from internationally reputed institutes and industries by offering high salaries, perks, etc. It had advertised for the pos posit itio ion n of an Elec Electr tron onic icss engi engine neer er some some year yearss back back.. Near Nearly ly 150 150 candidates working in various electronics firm applied for the job. Mr. Sashidh Sashidhar, ar, an Electro Electronic nicss Engine Engineer er Gradua Graduate te from from Indian Indian Institu Institute te of Technology with 5 years of working experience in a small electronics firm firm was was sele select cted ed amon among g thos thosee inte interv rvie iewe wed. d. The The inte interv rvie iew w boar board d recommended an enhancement in his salary by Rs.500 more than his present salary at his request. He was very happy and was congratulated by his previo previous us employ employer er for his brilli brilliant ant intervi interview ew perform performanc ancee and good luck. Mr. Sashidhar joined the company company with great enthusiasm enthusiasm and also found his job to be quite comfortable and challenging one. He found that his colleagues and superiors were friendly and co-operative. But this didn’t last long. After one year of his service, he slowly learnt about a numbe numberr of unpl unplea easa sant nt stor storie iess abou aboutt the the comp compan any, y, manag managem emen ent, t, the the superior-subordinate relations, rate of employee turnover, etc. But still he decided to continue with the promise that he made in the interview. He wanted to please and change the attitude of management through his per perfo form rman ance ce,, comm commit itme ment nt and and dedi dedica cati tion on.. Look Lookin ing g at his his grea greatt contributions and efforts, the management got the impression that he is well settled will remain in the company for a long time. After sometime they all started taking undue advantage of him and overloaded him with multifarious jobs and thereby ridded over him. As a result, his freedom in decid decidin ing g and and exec execut utin ing g was was cut cut down down to size size;; his his coll collea eagu gues es star starte ted d
assi assign gnin ing g thei theirr resp respon onsi sibi bili liti ties es to him. him. Cons Conseq eque uent ntly ly,, ther theree were were imbalances in his family, social and organization life. It was quite surprising to the general g eneral manager to see the resignation letter of Mr. Sashidhar one fine morning. The general manager failed to convince him to withdraw his resignation. The general manager wanted to appoint a committee to go into the matter immediately, but dropped the idea later so that the company’s image doesn’t get spoiled.
ANALYSIS Thus, from this case study it is clear that retaining is much more impo import rtan antt than than recr recrui uiti ting ng.. What What’s ’s the the use use and and bene benefi fits ts of recru recruit itin ing g quality employees if they cannot be retained by the organization in a pro prope perr mann manner er.. The The purp purpos osee of recr recrui uitm tmen entt is fulf fulfil ille led d when when the the employees selected from a pool of qualified applicants are retained in the company by keeping them satisfied in all aspects. They must be provided with better working conditions, better pay scales, incentives, recognition, promot promotion ion,, bonus, bonus, flexib flexible le workin working g hours, hours, etc. etc. They They should should treat treat the employees as co-owners and partners of the company.
SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT The sour source cess of recr recrui uitm tmen entt may may be broad broadly ly divi divide ded d into into two two categories: categories: internal internal sources sources and external external sources. sources. Both have their their own merits and demerits. Let’s examine these. Internal Sources:Persons who are already working working in an organization organization constitute constitute the ‘internal sources’. Retrenched employees, employees, retired employees, dependents of dece deceas ased ed empl employ oyee eess may may also also cons consti titu tute te the the inte intern rnal al sour source ces. s. Whenever any vacancy arises, someone from within the organization is upgraded, transferred, promoted or even demoted. External Sources External sources lie lie outside an organization. Here the organization can have the services of : (a) Employees Employees working in other organization organizations; s; (b) Jobs aspirants registered with employment exchanges; (c) Students from reputed educational educational institutions; institutions; (d) Candidates Candidates referred by unions, unions, friends, relatives and existing employees; (e) Candidates forwarded by
sear search ch firms rms and and cont contra ract ctor ors; s; (f) (f) Candi andida date tess resp respon ondi ding ng to the adve advert rtis isem emen ents ts,, issu issued ed by the the orga organi niza zati tion on;; and and (g) (g) Unso Unsoli lici cite ted d applications/ walk-ins.
Merits and Demerits of ‘Recruiting people from ‘Within’ Merits
1) Economical: The cost of recruiting internal candidates is minimal. No expenses are incurred on advertising. 2) Suitable: The organization can pick the right candidates having the requisite skills. The candidate can choose a right vacancy where their talents can be fully utilized. 3) Reliable: The organization has the knowledge about suitability of a candidate for a position. ‘Known devils are better than unknown angels!’ 4) Satisfying: A policy of preferring people from within offers regular promotional avenues for employees. It motivates them to work hard and earn promotions. They will work with loyalty commitment and enthusiasm.
Demerits
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Limited Choice: The organization is forced to select candidates from a limited pool. It may have to sacrifice quality and settle down for less qualified candidates.
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Inbreeding: It discourages entry for talented people, available outside an organization. Existing employees may fail to behave in innovative ways and inject necessary dynamism to enterprise activities.
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Inefficiency: Promotions based on length of service rather than merit, may prove to be a blessing for inefficient candidate. They do not work hard and prove their worth.
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Bone of contention: Recruitment from within may lead to infighting among employees aspiring for limited, higher level positions in an organization. As years roll by, the race for premium positions may end up in a bitter race.
The merits and demerits of recruiting candidates from outside an organization may be stated thus: Merits and Demerits of External sources of Recruitment Merits
Demerits
Wide Choice: The organization has the freedom to select candidates from a large pool. Persons with requisite qualifications could be picked up.
Expenses: Hiring costs could go up substantially. Tapping multifarious sources of recruitment is not an easy task either.
Time consuming: It takes time to Infection of fresh blood: People advertise, screen, to test and test with special skills and knowledge and to select suitable employees. could be hired to stir up the existing Where suitable ones are not employees and pave the way for available, the process has to be innovative ways of working. repeated. Motivational force: It helps in motivating internal employees to work hard and compete with external candidates while seeking career growth. Such a competitive atmosphere would help an employee to work to the best of his abilities. Long term benefits: Talented people could join the ranks, new ideas could find meaningful expression, a competitive atmosphere would compel people to give out their best and earn rewards, etc.
De-motivating: Existing employees who have put in considerable service may resist the process of filling up vacancies from outside. The feeling that their services have not been recognized by the organization, forces then to work with less enthusiasm and motivation. Uncertainty: There is no guarantee that the organization, ultimately will be able to hire the services of suitable candidates. It may end up hiring someone who does not fit and who may not be able to adjust in the new setup.
METHODS OF RECRUITMENT
The following are the most commonly used methods of recruiting people. INTERNAL METHODS: 1. Promoti Promotions ons and Transf Transfers ers This is a method of filling vacancies from within through transfers and promotions.
A transfer is a lateral movement within the same grade, from one job to another. It may lead to changes in duties and responsibilities, working conditions, etc., but not necessarily salary. Promotion, on the other hand, involves movement of employee from a lower level position to a higher level position accompanied by (usually) changes in duties, responsibili responsibilities, ties, status status and value. Organisation Organisationss generally prepare prepare badli lists or a central pool of persons from which vacancies can be filled for manual jobs. Such persons are usually passed on to various departments, depending on internal internal requirements. If a person remains on such rolls for 240 days or more, he gets the status of a permanent employee as per the Industrial Disputes Act and is therefore entitled to all relevant benefits, including provident fund, gratuity, retrenchment compensation.
2. Job Job Pos Postting ing Job Job posti posting ng is anot anothe herr way way of hirin hiring g peop people le from with within in.. In this method method,, the organi organisat sation ion public publicise isess job openin opening g on bullet bulletin in boards, boards, electronic electronic method method and similar outlets. outlets. One of the important important advantages advantages of this method is that it offers a chance to highly qualified applicants working within the company to look for growth opportunities within the company to look for growth opportunities within the company without looking for greener pastures outside.
3. Empl Employ oyee ee Refe Referr rral alss Empl Employ oyee ee refe referr rral al mean meanss usin using g pers person onal al cont contac acts ts to loca locate te job job opportunities. It is a recommendation from a current employee regarding a job applicant. applicant. The logic logic behind employee employee referral referral is that “it “it takes one to know one”. Employees Employees working working in the organization, organization, in this this case, are encouraged to recommend the names of their friends, working in other organization organizationss for a possible vacancy vacancy in the near future. future. In fact, this this has become a popular way of recruiting people in the highly competitive Inform Informati ation on Technolo Technology gy industry industry nowaday nowadays. s. Compan Companies ies offer offer rich rich rewards also to employees whose recommendations are accepted – after the routine screening and examining process is over – and job offers extended to the suggested candidates. As a goodwill gestures, companies also consider the names recommended by unions from time to time.
External (direct) Methods Campus Recruitment It is a method of recruiting recruiting by visiting visiting and participat participating ing in college college campuses campuses and their placement placement centres. centres. Here the recruiters recruiters visit visit reputed educational institutions such as IITs, IIMs, colleges and universities with a view to pick up job aspirants aspirants having requisite requisite technical technical or professional professional skil skills ls.. Job Job seek seekers ers are provi provide ded d info inform rmat atio ion n abou aboutt the the jobs jobs and and the the recr recrui uite ters rs,, in turn turn,, get get a snap snapsh shot ot of job job seek seeker erss thro throug ugh h cons consta tant nt interchange of information with respective institutions. A preliminary screening is done within the campus and the short list listed ed stud studen ents ts are are then then subj subjec ecte ted d to the the rema remain inde derr of the the sele select ctio ion n proces process. s. In view of the growing growing demand demand for young young managers managers,, most reputed organizations (such as Hindustan Lever Ltd., Proctor & Cable, Citibank, State Bank of India, Tata and Birla group companies) visit IIMs and IITs regula regularly rly and even even sponso sponsorr certain certain popula popularr campus campus activi activitie tiess with with a view view to earn earn goodwi goodwill ll in the the job job marke market. t. Adva Advant ntag ages es of this this meth method od incl includ ude: e: the the plac placem emen entt cent centre re help helpss loca locate te appl applic ican ants ts and and prov provid ides es resum resumes es to organ organiz izat atio ions ns;; appl applic ican ants ts can can be pres prescr cree eene ned; d; applicants will not have to be lured away from a current job and lower salary salary expectat expectation ions. s. On the negati negative ve front, front, campus campus recruiti recruiting ng means hiring people with little or no work experience. The organizations will have to offer some kind of training to the applicants, almost immediately after hiring. hiring. It demands careful advance
planning, looking into the placement weeks of various institutions in different different parts of the country. country. Further, Further, campus recruiting recruiting can can be costly for organizations situated in another city (airfare, boarding and lodging expenses of recruiters, site visit of applicants if allowed, etc.). If camp campus us recru recruit itme ment nt is used used,, step stepss shou should ld be take taken n by huma human n reso resour urce ce depa depart rtme ment nt to ensu ensure re that that recr recrui uite ters rs are are know knowle ledg dgea eabl blee conce concern rnin ing g the the jobs jobs that that are to be fill filled ed and and the the orga organi niza zati tion onss and and understand and employ effective interviewing skills. Guidelines for campus recruiting: companies using college campuses as recruitment source should consider the following guidelines: •
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Identify the potential candidates early: The earlier that candidate with top potential can be identified, the more likely the organization will be in a position to attract them. Employ various various means to attract attract candidates: candidates: These may include provid providing ing research research grants; grants; consult consulting ing opport opportuni unitie tiess to facult faculty y memb member ers, s, fund fundin ing g univ univer ersi sity ty infr infras astr truc uctu tura rall requ requir irem emen ents ts,, internships to students, etc. in the long run these will enhance the prestige of the company in the eyes of potential job seekers. Use effective effective recruitment recruitment material: Attractive Attractive brochures, brochures, films, films, comp comput uter er disk disket ette tes, s, foll follow owed ed by enth enthus usia iast stic ic and and effe effect ctiv ivee pre prese sent ntat atio ions ns by com company pany offi fficial cials, s, corr corres espo pond nden ence ce with with placement offices in respective campus in a friendly way – will help in booting the company image in the eyes of the applicants. The The comp compan any y must must prov provid idee deta detail iled ed info inform rmat atio ion n abou aboutt the the characteristics of entry – level positions, especially those that have had a major positive impact on prior applicants’ decisions to join the company. Offer training to campus interviews: Its better to devote more time and resources to train on campus interviewers to answer specific job –related questions of applicants. Come out with a competitive offer: Keep the key job attributes that influence the decisions of applicants such as promotional avenues, challenging assignments, long term income potential, etc., while talking to candidates.
Indirect methods:-
Advertisements:These include advertisements in newspapers; trade, professional and technical journals; radio and television; etc. in recent times, this medium
has beco become me just just as colo colour urfu ful, l, live lively ly and and imag imagin inat ativ ivee as cons consum umer er adve dvertising. The ads general rally give a brief outline of the job responsibilities, compensation package, prospects in organizations, etc. this method is appropriate when (a) the organization intends to reach a large target group and (b) the organizations wants a fairly good number of tale talent nted ed peopl peoplee – who who are geog geograp raphi hica call lly y sprea spread d out. out. To apply apply for for advertised vacancies let’s briefly examine the wide variety of alternatives available to a company - as far as ads are concerned: • Newspaper Ads : Here it is easy to place job ads without much of a lead time. It has flexibility in terms of information and can conven convenien iently tly target target a specif specific ic geographi geographicc locati location. on. On the negative side, newspaper ads tend to attract only those who are actively seeking employment at that point of time, while some of the best candidates who are well paid and challenged by their their current current jobs jobs may not be aware aware of such such openings openings.. As a result, the company may be bombarded with applications from a large number of candidates candidates who are marginally marginally qualified for the job – adding to its adminis administra trativ tivee burden. burden. To maintai maintain n secrecy for various reasons (avoiding the rush, sending signals to competitors, cutting down expenses involved in responding to any individual who applies, etc.), large companies with a nati nation onal al repu reputa tati tion on may may also also go in for blin blindd-bo box x ads ads in newspapers, newspapers, especially especially for for filling filling lower level position positions. s. In a bli blind nd-b -box ox ad ther theree is no iden identi tifi fica cati tion on of the the adve advert rtis isin ing g organiz organizati ation. on. Job aspiran aspirants ts are asked asked to respond respond to a post post office box number or to an employment firm that is acting as an agent between the job seekers and the organization. • Television Television and radio ads: These ads are more likely to each individual who are not actively seeking employment; they are more likely to stand out distinctly, they help the organization to targ target et the the audi audien ence ce more more sel selecti ective velly and and they they offe offer r consid considerab erable le scope for designin designing g ads creative creatively. ly. Howeve However, r, these ads are expensive expensive.. Also, because because the televis television ion or radio is simply seen or heard, potential candidates may have a tough time remembering the details, making application difficult. Third Party Methods •
Private Employment Search Firms:As searc search h firm firm is a priva private te empl employ oyme ment nt agenc agency y that that main mainta tain inss comp comput uter eriz ized ed list listss of qual qualif ifie ied d appl applic ican ants ts and and supp suppli lies es thes thesee to employ employers ers willin willing g to hire people people from the list for for a fee. fee. Firms Firms like Arthur Arthur Anderson, Anderson, Boble and Hewitt, Hewitt, ABC consultants, consultants, SB Billimoria, Billimoria,
KPMG; KPMG; Ferguso Ferguson n Associ Associate atess offers offers specia specializ lized ed employ employmen ment-r t-rela elated ted services to corporate houses for a fee, especially for top and middle level exec execut utiv ivee vacan vacanci cies es.. AT the lower lower end, end, a numb number er of searc search h firms firms operat operatee – providi providing ng multi multifari farious ous service servicess to both both recruit recruiters ers and the recruitees.
Employment Exchanges:-
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AS a statutory requirement, companies are also expected to notify (whe (where reve verr the the Empl Employ oyme ment nt Exch Exchan ange gess Act, Act, 1959 1959,, appl applie ies) s) thei their r vacancies through the respective Employment Exchanges, created all over India for helping unemployed youth, displaced persons, ex-military personnel, personnel, physicall physically y handicapped, handicapped, etc. etc. AS per the Act all employers employers are supposed to notify the vacancies arising in their establishments form time to time – with certain exemptions – to the prescribed employment exchanges exchanges before they are are filled. filled. The Act covers all establis establishment hmentss in public public sector sector and nonagricultural nonagricultural establishments establishments employing employing 25 or more worke workers rs in the the priva private te secto sector. r. Howe Howeve ver, r, in view view of the the prac practi tica call difficulties involved in implementing the provisions of the Act (such as filing a quarterly return in respect of their staff strength, vacancies and shortages, returns showing occupational distribution of their employees, etc.) many organizations have successfully fought court battles when they were asked to pick up candidates from among those sponsored by the employment exchanges. •
Gate Hiring and Contractors:-
Gate hiring (where job seekers, generally blue collar employees, present themselves at the factory gate and offer their services on a daily basis basis), ), hiring hiring throug through h contra contracto ctors, rs, recrui recruitin ting g throug through h word-o word-of-m f-mout outh h publicity are still in use – despite the many possibilities for their misuse – in the small scale sector in India. •
Unsolicited Applicants / Walk-ins:Compan Companies ies general generally ly receiv receivee unsoli unsolicit cited ed applic applicati ations ons from from job seek seekers ers at vari variou ouss poin points ts of time time;; the the numb number er of such such appli applica cati tion onss depends on economic conditions, the image of the company and the job seeker’s perception of the types types of jobs that might be available etc. Such applications are generally kept in a data bank and whenever a suitable vacancy arises, the company would intimate the candidates to apply through through a formal channel. channel. One important important problem problem with this method method is
that job seekers generally apply to number of organizations and when they are actually required by the organizations, either they are already employed in other organizations or are not simply interested in the position. •
Alternatives to Recruitment:-
Since Since recrui recruitme tment nt and select selection ion costs costs are high high (search (search proces process, s, interviewing agency fee, etc.) firms these days are trying to look at alternatives to recruitment especially when market demand for firm’s products and services is sluggish. Moreover, once employees employees are placed on the payroll, it may be extremely difficult to remove them if their perfo performa rmance nce is marginal marginal.. Some Some of the options options in this regard regard may be listed thus: •
Evaluation of Alternative Sources Companies have to evaluate the sources of recruiting carefully – looking at cost, time, flexibility, quality and other criteria – before earmarking funds for for the recruitment process. They cannot afford to fill all their vacancies through a particular source. To facilitate the decision making process process in this regard, companies rely on the following: Time lapse data: They show the time lag between the dates of requisition for manpower supply from a department to the actual date of filling filling the vacancie vacanciess in that department. department. For example, example, a company’s past experience may indicate that the average number of days from application to interview is 10, from interview to offer is 7, from offer to acceptance is 10 and from acceptance to repor reportt for for work work is 15. 15. There Therefo fore re,, if the compa company ny start startss the the recruitment and selection process now it would require 42 days bef befor oree the the new new empl employ oyee ee joins joins its ranks. ranks. Arme Armed d with with this this informatio information, n, the length length of the time needed for alternativ alternativee sources of recruitment can be ascertained – before pinning hopes on a parti particul cular ar source source that that meets meets the recruit recruitmen mentt object objective ivess of the company. Yield ratios: These ratios indicate indicate the number of leads / contacts needed to generate a given number of hires at a point at time. For example, example, if a company needs 10 management management trainees trainees in the next six months, it has to monitor past yield ratios in order to find out the number of candidates to be contacted for this purpose. On the
bas basis is of past past exper experie ienc nce, e, to cont contin inue ue the the same same exam exampl ple, e, the the company finds that to hire 10 trainees, it has to extend 20 offers. If the the inte intervi rview ew-t -too-of offe ferr is 3:2, 3:2, then then 30 inte intervi rview ewss must must be conduc conducted ted.. If the invitee inviteess to intervi interview ew ratios ratios are 4:3 then, as many many as 40 candida candidates tes must must be invite invited. d. Lastly Lastly,, if contacts contacts or leads needed to identify suitable trainees to invite are in 5:1 ratio, then 200 contacts are made. Surveys and studies: Surveys may also be conducted to find out the suitabi suitabilit lity y of a particu particular lar source source for certain certain positi positions. ons. For exam exampl ple, e, as poin pointe ted d out out prev previo ious usly ly,, empl employ oyee ee refe referr rral al has has emerg emerged ed as popul popular ar way way of hiri hiring ng peopl peoplee in the the Info Inform rmat atio ion n Technology industry in recent times in India. Correlation studies could also be carried out to find out the relationship between different different organization organizational al positions. positions. Before finally finally identifyin identifying g the sources of recruitment, the human resource managers must also look into into the cost or hiring a candidate candidate.. The cost per hire can be found out by dividing the recruitment cost by the number of candidates hired.
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SELECTION Introduction The size of the labour market, the image of the company, the place of posting, the nature of job, the compensation package and a host of other factors influence the manner of aspirants are likely to respond to the recruiting efforts of the company. Through the process of recruitment the company tries to locate prospective employees and encourages them to apply for vacancies at various levels. Recruiting, thus, provides a pool of applicants for selection. Definition To sele select ct mean mean to choos choose. e. Sele Select ctio ion n is the the proc proces esss of pick pickin ing g indi indivi vidu dual alss who who have have rel relevan evantt qual qualif ifiicati cation onss to fill fill jobs jobs in an organisation. The basic purpose is to choose the individual who can most successfully perform the job from the pool of qualified candidates. Purpose The purpose of selection is to pick up the most suitable candidate who would meet the requirements of the job in an organisation best, to find out which job applicant will be successful, if hired. To meet this goal, the company company obtains obtains and assesses informatio information n about the applicants applicants in terms of age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. the needs of the job are matched with the profile of candidates. The most suitable person is then then pick picked ed up afte afterr elim elimin inat atin ing g the the unsu unsuit itab able le appl applic ican ants ts thro through ugh successive stages of selection process. How well an employee is matched to a job is very important because it is directly affects the amount and quality of employee’s work. Any mismatched in this regard can cost an organisation a great deal of money, time and trouble, especially, in terms of training and operating costs. In course of time, the employee may find the job distasteful and leave in frustration. He may even circulate ‘hot news’ and juicy bits of negative information about the company, causing incalculable harm to the company in the long run. Effective election, therefore, demands constant monitoring of the ‘fit’ between people the job.
The Process Selection is usually a series of hurdles or steps. Each one must be successfully cleared before the applicant proceeds to the next one. The
time and emphasis place on each step will definitely vary from one organisation to another and indeed, from job to job within the same organisation. The sequence of steps may also vary from job to job and organisation to organisation. For example some organisations may give more importance to testing while others give more emphasis to interviews and reference checks. Similarly a single brief selection interview might be enough for applicants for lower level positions, while applicants for managerial jobs might be interviewed by a number of people.
Steps in Selecting Process
Reception A company is known by the people people it employs. employs. In order to attract people with talents, skills and experience a company has to create a favourable impression on the applicants’ right from the stage of reception. Whoever meets the applicant initially should be tactful and able to extend help in a friendly and courteous way. Employment possibilities must be presented
honestly and clearly. If no jobs are available at that point of time, the applicant applicant may be asked to call back the personnel department department after some time. Screening Interview A preliminary interview is generally planned by large organisations to cut the cost of selection by allowing only eligible candidates to go throu through gh the the furt furthe herr stag stages es in sele select ctio ion. n. A juni junior or exec execut utiv ivee from from the the Perso Personn nnel el Depa Depart rtme ment nt may may elic elicit it respo respons nses es from from the the appl applic ican ants ts on important items determining the suitability of an applicant for a job such as age, education, experience, pay expectations, aptitude, location, choice etc. this ‘courtesy interview’ as it is often called helps the department screen out obvious misfits. If the department finds the candidate suitable, a prescribed application form is given to the applicants to fill and submit. Application Blank
Application blank or form is one of the most common methods used used to collec collectt inform informati ation on on the variou variouss aspect aspectss of the applic applicant ants’ s’ academic, social, demographic, work related background and references. It is a brief history sheet of employee’s background, usually containing the following things: Personal data (address, sex, telephone number) • Marital data • Educational data • Employment Experience • Extra-curricular activities • References and Recommendations •
Usefulness of Application Blank or Form Application blank is highly useful selection tool, in that way it serves three important purposes: 1. It introduces introduces the the candidate candidate to the the company company in a formal formal way. way. 2. It helps the the company company to have have a cross-comparis cross-comparison on of the applica applicants; nts; the company can screen and reject candidates if they fail to meet the eligibility criteria at this stage itself. 3. It can serve serve as a basis basis to initiate initiate a dialog dialogue ue in the interv interview. iew.
Selection Testing In this section let’ examine the selection test or the employment test test that that atte attemp mpts ts to asse assess inte intell llig igen ence ce,, abil abilit itie ies, s, perso persona nali lity ty trai trait, t, perfor performan mance ce simula simulatio tion n tests tests includ including ing work work sampli sampling ng and the tests tests administered at assessment centres- followed by a discussion about the polygraph test, graphology and integrity test. A test test is a standar standardiz dized, ed, object objective ive measure measure of a person person’s ’s behavi behaviour, our, performance or attitude. It is standardised because the way the tests is carried out, the environment in which the test is administered and the way the individual scores are calculated- are uniformly applied. It is objective in that it tries to measure individual differences in a scientific way giving very little room for individual bias and interpretation. Over the years employment tests have not only gained importance but also a certain amou amount nt of inev inevit itab abil ilit ity y in empl employ oyme ment nt deci decisi sion ons. s. Sinc Sincee they they try try to objectively determine how well an applicant meets the job requirement, most most comp compan anie iess do not not hesi hesita tate te to inve invest st thei theirr time time and and mone money y in selection selection testing in a big way. Some of the commonly commonly used employment employment tests are: Intelligence tests • Aptitude tests • Personality tests • Achievement tests • Miscellaneous tests such as graphology, polygraphy and honesty • tests. 1. Intelligence Tests: These are mental ability tests. They measure the
incumbent’s learning ability and the ability to understand instructions and make judgements. The basic objective of such test is to pick up employees who are alert and quick at learning things so that they can be offered adequate training to improve their skills for the benefit of the the orga organi niza zati tion on.. Thes Thesee test testss meas measur uree seve severa rall abil abilit itie iess such such as memory, vocabulary, verbal fluency, numerical ability, perception etc. Eg. Standford-B Standford-Binet inet Test, Binet-Simon Binet-Simon Test, The Wechsler Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale are example of standard intelligence test Aptitude Test: Aptitu Aptitude de test test measure measure an indivi individua dual’s l’s potent potential ial to 2. Aptitude learn certain skillsskills- clerical, clerical, mechanical, mechanical, mathematical, mathematical, etc. These tests indicate whether or not an individual has the capabilities to learn a given job quickly and efficiently. In order to recruit efficient office staf staff, f, apti aptitu tude de test testss are are nece necess ssar ary. y. An apti aptitu tude de test testss is alwa always ys admini administe stered red in combin combinati ation on with with other other tests tests like like intel intellig ligenc encee and personality tests as it does not measure on-the-job-motivation 3. Personality Test: Of all test required for selection the personality tests have generated a lot of heat and controversy. The definition of
per perso sona nali lity ty,, meth method odss of meas measur urin ing g pers person onal alit ity y fact factor orss and and the the relationship between personality factors and actual job criteria has been the subject of much discussion. Researchers have also questioned whether whether applicants applicants answer all the items truthfully truthfully or whether they try to resp respon ond d in a soci social ally ly desi desira rabl blee mann manner er.. Rega Regard rdle less ss of thes thesee object objection ions, s, many many people people still still consid consider er person personali ality ty as an import important ant component of job success. Achieveme ement nt Tests: Tests: These hese are are desi design gned ed to meas measur uree what hat the the 4. Achiev applicant applicant can do on the job currently, currently, i.e., whether whether the testee actually knows what he or she claims to know. A typing test tests shows the typing proficiency, a short hand tests measures the testee ability to take take dictat dictation ion and transc transcribe ribe,, etc. etc. Such Such profic proficien iency cy tests tests are also also know known n as work work samp sampli ling ng test test.. Work Work samp sampli ling ng is a sele select ctio ion n test testss wherein the job applicant’s ability to do a small portion of the job is test tested ed.. Thes Thesee test testss are of two two type types; s; Moto Motor, r, invo involv lvin ing g physi physica call manipulations of things(e.g., trade tests for carpenters, electricians, plumbers) or Verbal, involving problem situation that are primarily langu languag agee-ori orien ente ted d or peopl peoplee-ori orien ente ted(e d(e.g .g., ., situ situat atio iona nall test testss for for supervisory jobs). Sinc Sincee work work samp sample less are mini miniat atur uree repl repliicas cas of the act actual ual job requirements requirements,, they are difficult difficult to fake. They offer concrete concrete evidence evidence of the proficiency of an applicant as against his ability to the job. However, work sample tests are not cost effective and every candidate has to be tested individually. It is not easy to develop work samples for for each each job. job. More Moreov over er,, it is not not appl applic icab able le to all all leve levels ls of the the organisation 5. Simulation Tests: Simulation exercise is a tests which duplicate many of the activities and problems an employee faces while at work. Such exercises are commonly used while hiring managers at various levels in an organisation. To asses the potential of a candidate for managerial positions assessment centres are commonly used. 6. Assessment Assessment Centre: Centre: An asse assessm ssmen entt cent centre re is an exte extend nded ed work work samp sample le.. It uses uses proc proced edure uress that that inco incorp rpora orate te group group and and indi indivi vidu dual al exercises. These exercises are designed to stimulate the type of work which the candidate will be expected to do. Initially a small batch of applicants comes to the assessment centre (a separate room). Their performance in the situational exercise is observed and evaluated by a team of 6-8 assessors. The assessors’ judgement on each exercise are complied complied and combined combined to have a summary summary rating for each candidate being assessed. Difference between Work Sample method and Assessment Centre WORK SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CENTRE
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Suitable for routine, repet repetit itiv ivee jobs jobs with with visi visibl blee outcomes Takes a few minutes to test the applicant Evaluated by one supervisor Can be don done on location where the applicant performs a small segment of the job Usua Usuall lly y comp comple lete ted d on one one applicant at a time
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Suitable for managerial jobs, the outcomes are not behaviourally observable Takes days to conduct various exercise Evaluated by a team of trained observers Requires Requires a separate separate facility. facility. The centres are conducted for a variety of task segm segmen ents ts(( that that may may not not be the real job) that may be included in the real job Usually performed on groups of applicants at the same time
Evaluation of Assessment Centre Technique: The asse assessm ssmen entt cent centre re tech techni niqu quee has has a numb number er of adva advant ntag ages es.. The The flex flexib ibil ilit ity y of form form and and cont conten ent, t, the the use use of vari variet ety y of tech techni niqu ques es,, standa standardi rdised sed way of interp interpret reting ing behavi behaviour our and pooled pooled assess assessor or judgements accounts for its acceptance as a valuable selection tool for managerial jobs. It is praised for content validity and wide acceptance in corporate circles. By providing a realistic job preview, the techniques helps an candidate make an appropriate career choice. The performance ratings are more objective in nature and could be used for promotions and career development decisions readily. However, the method is expensive to design and administer. administer. Blind acceptance acceptance of assessment assessment data without without cons consiideri dering ng othe otherr info inform rmat atiion on cand candid idat ates es (pas (pastt and and curr curren entt performance) is always not advisable.
Graphology involves using a trained trained evaluator evaluator to 7. Graphology Test: Graphology examine the lines, loops, hooks, stokes, curves and flourishes in a person’s handwriting to assess the person’s personality and emotional make make-u -up. p. The The recr recrui uiti ting ng comp compan any, y, may, may, for for exam exampl ple, e, ask ask the the applicants to complete the application forms and write about why they want a job. These samples may be finally sent to graphologist for analysis and the result may be put use while selecting a person. The use of graphology, however, is dependent on the training and expertise of the person doing the analysis. analysis. In the actual practice, practice, questions questions of validity and just plain skepticism have limited in use.
8. Polygr Polygraph aph (Lie-D (Lie-Detec etector) tor) tests: tests: the the poly polygra graph ph reco records rds phys physic ical al
changes changes in the body as the tests subject answers a series of questions. questions. It records fluctuations in respiration, blood pressure and perspiration on a moving roll of graph paper. The polygraph operator forms a judge judgemen mentt as to whethe whetherr the subject subject’s ’s respon response se was truthf truthful ul or deceptive by examining the biological movements recorded on the pap paper er.. Criti ritic, c, how however ever,, ques questtions ions the the appr approp opri riat aten enes esss of the the polygraphs in establishing the truth about an applicant’s behaviour. The fact fact is that that the polygrap polygraph h records records the biologica biologicall reactio reaction n in respo respons nsee to stres stresss and does does not not recor record d lyin lying g or even even cond condit itio ions ns nece necess ssari arily ly acco accomp mpan anyi ying ng lyin lying. g. Is it poss possib ible le to prov provee that that the the responses recorded by the polygraph occur only because a lie has been told? What about those situations in which a person lies without guilt (pathological liar) or lies believing the responses to be true? The fact of the matter is that polygraphs are neither reliable nor valid. Since they invade the privacy of those tested, many applicants vehemently oppose the use of polygraph as a selection tool.
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9. Integrity Test: These are designed to measure employee’s honestly to
pred predic ictt thos thosee who who are are more more likel likely y to stea steall from from an empl employ oyer er or othe otherw rwis isee act act in a manne mannerr unac unacce cept ptab able le to the the orga organi niza zati tion on.. The The applicants who take these tests are expected to answer several ‘yes’ or ‘no’ type questions such as: Typical Integrity Questions Typical Integrity Questions Yes No • •
Have you ever told a lie? Do you report to your boss if you know of another employee stealing from the store?
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Do you carry office stationary back to your home for occasional use? Do you mark attendance for your colleagues also?
Often these tests contain questions that repeat themselves in some way and the evaluator then examines the consistency in responses. Companies that have used integrity tests have reported success in tracking employees who indulge in ‘theft’. However, these tests ultimately suffer from the same weakness as polygraph and graphology test. Tests as Selection Tool: Test are useful selection devices in that they unover qualifications and talents that can’t be detected otherwise. They can be used to predict how well one would perform if one is hired, why one behaves the way one does, what situational factors influence employee productivity, etc. Tests also provide unbiased information that can be put to scientific and statistical analysis. Howe Howeve ver, r, test testss suff suffer er from from size sizeab able le error errorss of esti estima mate te.. Most Most psychological tests also have one common weakness, that is, we can’t use scales which have a know zero point and equal intervals. An intelligence test, for example starts at an arbitrary point, where a person may not be able to answer question properly. This does not mean that the person is totally lacking in intelligence. Likewise, a person who is able to answer all the 10 questions correctly cannot be called twice as intelligent as the one who was able to answer only 5. If the test has commenced at some other point, where there easier questions, their score might have been differ different ent.. Test Test also also fails fails to elicit elicit truthf truthful ul respon responses ses from from testee testees. s. To compound the problem further, test results are interpreted in a subjective was by testers and unless these testers do their homework well, the results may not be reliable. Standards for Selection Tests To be useful as predictive and diagnostic selection tools, test must satisfy certain basic requirements: Reliab Reliabili ility: ty: Test Test scores scores should should not vary widely widely under under repeate repeated d • cond condit itio ions ns.. If a test test is admi admini nist ster ered ed to the the same same indi indivi vidu dual al repeatedly, he should get approximately identical score. Reliability is the confidence that an indicator will measure the same thing every time. Validity: Validity is the extent to which an instrument measures • what it intends to measure. In a typing test validity measures a
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typi typist st’s ’s spee speed d and and accu accura racy cy.. To dete determ rmin inee whet whethe herr it real really ly measures the speed and accuracy of a typist is to demonstrate its validity. The question if determining the validity of a selection test, thus, has a lot to do with later performance on the job. Qualified People: Test require a high level of professional skills in their administration and interpretation. Professional technicians are needed for skilled judgmental interpretations of test scores. Preparation: A test should be well prepared. It should be easy to understand and simple to administer. Suitability: a test must fit the nature of the group on which it is appl applie ied. d. A writ writte ten n test test comp compris risin ing g diff diffic icul ultt word wordss woul would d be fruitless when it is administered on less educated workers. Usef Useful ulne ness ss:: Excl Exclus usiv ivee reli relian ance ce on any any sing single le test test shou should ld be avoided, since the results in such a case are likely to be criticized. To be useful, it is always better to use a battery of test. Stan Standa dardi rdizat zatio ion: n: Norm Normss for for fina finali lisi sing ng test test score scoress shou should ld be established established.. There must be prescribed prescribed methods and procedures procedures for administering the test and for scoring or interpreting it.
Selection Practices: The following throws light on how the global giants use selection test testin ing g as a basi basiss for for pick pickin ing g up the the righ rightt cand candid idat ates es to fill fill up the the vacancies arising internally:
It uses extensive psychometric instruments to evalua evaluate te short-l short-list isted ed candid candidate ates. s. The compan company y uses uses occupat occupation ional al person personali ality ty questi questionn onnaire aire to unders understan tand d the candid candidate ate’s ’s person personal al attributes and occupational testing to measure competencies. 2. LG Electronics India: LG Electronics uses 3 psychometric tests to measure a person’s ability as a team player, to check personality types and to find a person’s responsiveness and assertiveness. 3. Arthur Arthur Anders Anderson: on: whil whilee eval evalua uati ting ng cand candid idat ates es,, the the comp compan any y cond conduc ucts ts crit critic ical al beha behavi viou ourr inte interv rvie iewi wing ng whic which h eval evalua uate tess the the suitability of the candidate for the position, largely based on his past experience and credentials 4. PepsiCo PepsiCo India: India: The Company uses India as a global recruitment resou resourc rce. e. To sele select ct profe profess ssio ional nalss for for glob global al caree careers rs with with it, it, the the company uses a competency- based interviewing technique that looks at the candidate’s abilities in terms of strategizing, lateral thinking, problem solving, managing the environment. This apart, Pepsi insists 1. Siemens India:
that to succeed in a global posting, these individuals possess strong functional knowledge and come from a cosmopolitan background.
Source: Business Today, April 7-21 2004, pg 129. Selection Interview:
Interview is the oral examination of candidates for employment. This is the the most ost esse essent ntia iall step step in the the sele select ctio ion n proce rocess ss.. In this his step tep the inte interv rvie iewe werr matc matches hes the the info informa rmati tion on obta obtain ined ed abou aboutt the the cand candid idat ates es through various means to the job requirements and to the information obtained through his own observations during the interview. Interview gives the recruiter an opportunity – → To size up the candidate personally; → To ask question that are not covered in the tests; → To make judgments on candidates enthusiasm and intelligence; → To assess subjective aspects of the candidate – facial expressions, appearance, nervousness and so forth; → To give facts to the candidates regarding the company, its policies, etc. and promote goodwill towards the company.
Types of interviews:
Several types of interviews are commonly used depending on the nature and importance of the position to be filled within an organization. In a NON-DIRECTIVE INTERVIEW the recruiter asks questions as they come to mind. There is no specific format to be followed. PATTERNED INTERVIEW INTERVIEW, the In a PATTERNED the empl employ oyer er follo ollows ws a preredetermined sequence of questions. Here the interviewee is given a special form form cont contai aini ning ng ques questi tion onss rega regard rdin ing g his his tech techni nica call com compete petenc nce, e, personality traits, attitudes, motivation, etc. STRUCTURED ED OR SITUATION SITUATIONAL AL INTERVIEW INTERVIEW, there are In a STRUCTUR fixed job related questions that are presented to each applicant. PANEL INTERVIEW INTERVIEW several In a PANEL several interv interview iewers ers questi question on and seek seek answers from one applicant. The panel members can ask new and incisive questions based on their expertise and experience and elicit deeper and more meaningful expertise from candidates. Interviews can also be designed to create a difficult environment where the applicant’s applicant’s confidence confidence level and the ability to stand erect in difficult difficult situ situat atio ions ns are put put to test test.. Thes Thesee are refe referr rred ed to as the the STRESS
INTERVIEW. This is basically an interview in which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of, often, rude, annoying or embarrassing questions. In the final category, there is the APPRAISAL INTERVIEW, where a superior and subordinate sit together after the performance appraisal to discuss the subordinate’s rating and possible remedial actions. Steps in interview process:
Interview is an art. It demands a positive frame of mind on part of the interviewers interviewers.. Interviewers Interviewers must be treated properly so as to leave a good impression about the company in their minds. HR experts have identified certain steps to be followed while conducting interviews: PREPARATION: Establishing the objective of the interview Receiving the candidates application and resume Keeping tests score ready, along with interview assessment forms Selecting the interview method to be followed Choosing the panel of experts who would interview the candidates Identifying proper room for environment RECEPTION: The The cand candid idat atee shou should ld be prop proper erly ly rece receiv ived ed and and led led into into the the interview room. Start the interview on time. INFORMATION EXCHANGE: State the purpose of the interview, how the qualifications are going to be matched with skills needed to handle the job. Begi Begin n with with open open ende ended d ques questi tion onss where where the the cand candid idat atee gets gets enou enough gh freedom to express himself. Focus on the applicant’s education, training, work experience, etc. Find unexplained gaps in applicants past work or college record and elicit facts that are not mentioned in the resume. EVALUATION: Evaluation is done on basis of answers and justification given by the applicant in the interview. PHYSICAL EXAMINATION: After the selection decision and before the job offer is made, the candidate is required to undergo a physical fitness test. A job offer is often contingent upon the candidate being declared fit after the physical examination.
Medical examination: Certain jobs require physical qualities like clear vision, perfect hearing, unusual stamina, tolerance of hard working conditions, clear tone, etc. Medical examination reveals whether or not a candidate possesses these qualities.
Reference Checks
Once the interview and medical examination of the candidate is over, the personnel department will engage in checking references. Candidates are required to give the names of 2 or 3 references in their application forms. These references may be from the individuals who are familiar with the candida candidate’ te’ss academ academic ic achiev achieveme ements nts or from from the applic applicant ant’s ’s previo previous us employer, who is well versed with the applicant’s job performance and sometimes from the co-workers. In case the reference check is from the previous employer, information in the following areas may be obtained. They are job title, job description, description, period of employment, employment, pay and allo allowa wanc nces es,, gross gross emol emolum umen ents ts,, bene benefi fits ts prov provid ided ed,, rate rate of abse absenc nce, e, willingness of previous employer to employ the candidate again, etc. Further, Further, informatio information n regarding regarding candidate’s candidate’s regularity at work, character, progress, etc. can be obtained. Often a telephone call is much quicker. The meth method od of mail mail query query prov provid ides es deta detail iled ed info inform rmat atio ion n abou aboutt the the candidate’s performance, character and behavior. However, a personal visit is superior to the mail or telephone methods and is used where it is highly essential to get a detailed, first hand information which can also be secured by observation. Reference checks are taken as a matter of routine and treated casually or omitted entirely in many organizations. But a good reference check, when used sincerely, will fetch useful and reliable information to the organization. Hiring decision:
The line manager has to make the final decision now – whether to select or reject a candidate after soliciting the required information through diff differ eren entt tech techni nique quess disc discus usse sed d earl earlie ier. r. The The line line mana manage gerr has to take take adeq adequa uate te care care in taki taking ng the the fina finall deci decisi sion on beca becaus usee of econ econom omic ic,, behavioral and social implications of the selection decisions. A careless decision of rejecting a candidate would impair the morale of the people and they suspect the selection procedure and the very basis of selection in a particular organization. A true true unde unders rsta tand ndin ing g betw betwee een n line line mana manage gers rs and and pers person onne nell mana manage gers rs shou should ld be esta establ blis ishe hed d so as to faci facili lita tate te good good sele select ctio ion n decisions. After taking the final decision, the organization has to intimate this decision to the successful as well as unsuccessful candidates. The organization sends the appointment order to the successful candidates either immediately or after sometime depending upon its time schedule.
Interviewing Mistakes: Favors applicants who share his own attitudes; → Not be asking right questions and hence not getting relevant responses; → Resort to snap judgments, making a decision as to the applicant’s suitability in the first few minutes of the interview. Too often interviewers form on early impression and spend the balance of interview looking for evidence to support it; → May have been influenced by ‘cultural noise.’ To get the job, the applicants try to get by the interviewer. If they reveal wrong things about themselves, they may not get the job, so they try to give the interviewer responses that are socially acceptable, but not very revealing. These types of responses are known as cultural noise – responses the applicant believes are socially acceptable rather than facts; → May have allowed him to be unduly influenced by associating a particular personality trait with a person’s origin or cultural background and that kind of stereotyping/generalizing ultimately determining the score of a candidate. For example, he may feel that candidate from Bihar may find it difficult to read, write and speak English language and hence not select them at all; → May conclude that a poorly dressed candidate is not intelligent, attractive females are good for public dealings, etc. This is known as ‘Halo Effect’ where a single important trait of a candidate affects the judgment of the rather. The halo effect is present if an interviewer →
allows a candidate’s accomplishments in athletics overshadow other aspects and leads the interviewer to like the applicant because ‘athletes make good sales people’; → Have been influenced more by unfavorable than favorable information about or from the candidate. Unfavorable information is given roughly twice the weight of favorable information. According to Dobmeyer and Dunette, a single negative characteristic may bar an individual from being accepted, while no amount of positive features will guarantee a candidate’s acceptance; → Have been under pressure to hire candidates at short notice; → Have been influenced by the behavior of the candidates (how he has answered, his body language), his or her dress (especially in case of female candidates) and other physical factors that are not job related.
Barriers to effective selection: The The mai main obj objecti ective ve of sel selecti ection on is to hire hire peop people le havi having ng competence and commitment. This objective is often defeated because of certain barriers. The impediments which check effectiveness of selection are perception, fairness, validity, v alidity, reliability, and pressure. PERCEPTION: Our inability to understand others accurately is probably the most most fundam fundament ental al barrie barrierr to select selecting ing right right candid candidate ate.. Select Selection ion demands an individual or a group to assess and compare the respective competencies of others, with the aim of choosing the right persons for the jobs. But our views are highly personalized. We all perceive the world differently. Our limited perceptual ability is obviously a stumbling block to the objective and rational selection of people. FAIRNESS: Fairness in selection requires that no individual should be discriminated against on the basis of religion, region, race or gender. But the low number of women and other less privileged sections of society in the middle and senior management positions and open discrimination on the basis of age in job advertisements and in the selection process would suggest that all the efforts to minimize inequity have not been very effective. VALIDITY: Validity, as explained earlier, is a test that helps predict job per perfo form rman ance ce of an incu incumb mben ent. t. A test test that that has has been been vali valida date ted d can can differentiate between the employees who can perform well and those who will will not. not. Howe Howeve ver, r, a vali valida date ted d test test does does not not pred predic ictt job job succ succes esss accurately. It can only increase possibility of success.
RELIABILITY: A reliable method is one which will produce consistent results when repeated in similar situations. Like a validated test, a reliable test may fall to predict job performance with precision. PRES PRESSU SURE RE:: Pres Pressu sure re is brou brough ghtt on the the sele select ctor orss by poli politi tici cian ans, s, bureaucrats, relatives, friends, and peers to select particular candidate. Candidates selected because of compulsions are obviously not the right ones. Appointments to public sector undertakings generally take place under such pressure.
Case Study
Ramoji Rao is in charge of a bindery in Vijaywada, which employs 15 people and 5 of whom work in a factory. 3 of these workers run machines, 1 supervises and the 5th moves the blank paper and the finished paper by handcar. This 5th position, which demands no skill other than driving a handcar, needs to be filled and 3 applicants have responded. The 1st is Mr. Matti Anjaiah who is 35, unmarried and a Navy veteran. `Anjaiah has a poor work record. During his 5yrs in Vijaywada he has worked only seasonal labour and occasional occasional odd jobs. He drove a forklift in the Navy, while working at Vishakapatnam. He has a strong build, which could help, although the work is generally light. Mr. Nehal Singh, age 22, came to Vijaywada 2 years back from Punjab. He has done farm labour for many years and assembly-line work for one year. His command of English is poor (but can speak the regional language, Telugu, fluently). He resides with his mother and seems to remain in the area for some time. After having run farm equipment, he should have no trouble steering a handcar. Mr.V r.V.Raj .Rajaa is a loca locall boy boy who who high high scho school ol two years ears ago. ago. Subsequently he got a diploma from a local III and is currently employed as an assistant in Savani Transport Company Vijaywada. His character references are excellent. Mr.Raja is small, but he seems quick and was track star in high school.
Question: •
Who should be hired and why?
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CONCLUSION We have tried to give our best to the project. We have incorporated all the relevant HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT principles which could be associated with our topic on “Recruitment and Selection” process. We express our gratitude to our Respected Prof. Mr. Mukul Joshi Joshi.. We have have dealt dealt with with this this proj projec ectt very very consc conscie ienti ntiou ousl sly y and and sincerely. We hope to keep doing such interesting projects in the future. Thank you.
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