HR Recruitment and Selection

Human Resources
Recruitment and Selection
COURTESY OF SCHOOX.COM
Human Resources Recruitment and Selection
Table of Contents
Introduction .................................................................................................................................... 3
Learning Outcomes ......................................................................................................................... 3
Overview ......................................................................................................................................... 3
Effective Recruitment and Selection .............................................................................................. 3
Person–Job Fit or Person–Organisation Fit?................................................................................... 5
A Two-way Process ..................................................................................................................... 5
Person–Job Fit ............................................................................................................................. 6
Person–Organisation Fit ............................................................................................................. 6
Specifying Job and Person Requirements ....................................................................................... 6
Initial Assessment ....................................................................................................................... 6
Job Analysis ................................................................................................................................. 7
Organisational Analysis ............................................................................................................... 9
Job Description............................................................................................................................ 9
Person Specification .................................................................................................................. 11
Recruiting and Selecting Internal Candidates ........................................................................... 14
Attracting Applicants ................................................................................................................ 14
Advertising ................................................................................................................................ 15
Further Particulars, Application Forms and Paperwork ........................................................... 16
Shortlisting ................................................................................................................................ 16
References ................................................................................................................................ 19
Candidates Make Decisions Too ............................................................................................... 19
Methods of selection .................................................................................................................... 20
The Interview as a Selection Method: Pros and Cons .............................................................. 20
Tests as a Selection Tool ........................................................................................................... 20
The Selection Interview ............................................................................................................ 21
Structuring the Interview .......................................................................................................... 23
Closing and Deciding ................................................................................................................. 26
Summary ....................................................................................................................................... 27
References .................................................................................................................................... 28
Acknowledgements....................................................................................................................... 29
2 Source: assembled from free course on SchooX.com.

Introduction
In this session we look at the first stage of managing people – attracting and selecting staff.
Recruitment and selection are usually considered as one process. However, we will make the
distinction here between the initial actions and considerations when planning staff recruitment
and the process of selecting an individual from a pool of applicants. Recruitment needs to be
carefully planned in order to attract the right type of applicant. Ultimately, this increases the
chances of making a suitable selection and appointment. Your involvement may be limited to a
discussion of the need for a particular job within your team or work area, or you may be
required to interview job applicants. Whatever your involvement, this session makes it clear
that it is important for you to understand the whole process to make an effective contribution
to the staffing of your organisation.
Learning Outcomes
After studying this unit you should be able to:
 list the skills and knowledge needed to conduct full and fair recruitment and selection,
and be able to undertake it systematically.
Overview
The unit begins by looking at how it can be difficult for a manager in the process of recruitment
and selection to maintain objectivity. Drawing up clear criteria to use throughout recruitment
and selection can help the process. It then addresses the difference between the person–job
and person–organisation approaches to recruitment. Subsequent sections review the different
tasks to be completed and the different methods which can be used by the manager in this
important process.
Effective Recruitment and Selection

The key to successful recruitment is to ensure that the criteria of suitability are overt and
relevant to the job itself. Once these criteria are agreed and shared it is possible to make more
rational decisions about someone's suitability for a job, based on evidence rather than ‘gut
feeling’ or instinct. Effective recruitment and selection should not be about the luck of the
draw. Systematic planning and preparation will increase the likelihood of taking on the right
person. The key to effective recruitment is preparation: knowing the job and what is required of
someone to perform it well. The costs of recruiting the wrong person can be significant. The
cost of employing someone may be at least twice their salary when factors such as training,
expenses and employer's contributions to their pension are added.
Incorrect assumptions about class, gender, ethnic group or physical ability, or any other type of
discrimination, can cloud your objectivity in recruitment and selection. At worst this may

contravene legislation that exists to protect individuals from discrimination. Other prejudices
may be generated by particular organisational traditions regarding the ‘type of person’
considered suitable. However, it is important to ensure that the qualities of the successful
applicant match what the organisation requires, perhaps in terms of being forward looking,
customer focused or market orientated. It is easy to discriminate in the recruitment and
selection process through personal responses and reactions to certain types of people. The
recruiter's perception is often influenced by striking characteristics or similarities to themselves.
This is called the ‘halo’ effect and can work in either a positive or negative direction (the latter
is sometimes called the ‘horns’ effect). The halo effect acts as a filter to any information that
contradicts first impressions. For example, someone who attended the same college or
university as the recruiter would be at an advantage, while a person not wearing a suit would
not be management material. It is often the case that people judge more favourably those
individuals with whom they have something in common. Ultimately, you are seeking the best
person for the job and any discrimination, intentional or not, may prevent you from achieving
that.
Before we look more closely at the recruitment process, spend about ten minutes on the
following activity.
Activity 1 - 10 minutes
Basing your ideas on your own initial reactions to the characters outlined below, complete the
table to describe what would typically be the characteristics associated with them. Do not take
too much time to think – just jot down ideas as they come to you. To demonstrate, we have
suggested how some people might see the first example; you may not agree with the
stereotyping evident in the suggested characteristics!
Job Age range Gender Politics Hobbies Car

Social worker 27–43 Either Liberal or Camping Old Volvo or
Green, left- cycling Saab
wing rambling
Supermarket
checkout operative
Building labourer
Accountant
Senior civil
servant/government
official
Personal secretary
to managing
director

Police inspector
Salesperson
Fundraiser for a
charity
We all harbour stereotypes of what types of people are suitable or unsuitable for particular
jobs, and everyone will complete the table differently. However, let us look at a couple of
examples. Did you think that the supermarket checkout person would be male or female? The
majority of people completing this exercise would have an expectation that a checkout person
would be either a very young single female or an older woman who works part-time. They
would be unlikely to associate working on a supermarket checkout with a middle-aged man.
What cars did you suggest the building labourer and accountant might drive? Which one was
more likely to own an executive car? What would you expect the senior civil servant's hobbies
to be – gardening or sky diving? The point of this simple exercise is to make you aware of the
stereotypes and expectations that may exist about people associated with particular jobs.
When recruiting for any job, take care that you are not simply looking for a certain type of
person because they are normally associated with the work of the vacant post.
When recruiting people, be alert to any personal prejudices or preferences you have which are
not linked to the ability to do the job. Try to set these aside in favour of objective criteria of
suitability related to the skills, experience and ability needed to perform the job. But should
these criteria relate solely to the job or task requirements? We consider the issue of fit with the
wider organisation in the next section.
Person–Job Fit or Person–Organisation Fit?

A Two-way Process
It is important for both the job applicant and the organisation to ensure that the right job goes
to the right person. Taking the wrong job may be just as disastrous for the employee as for the
organisation. Recruitment and selection, therefore, involves the organisation (represented by
the manager) and the applicant trying to discover the extent to which their separate interests
are likely to be served by the appointment. In other words, it is a two-way process. Applicants
should have a realistic picture of the job so that they can decide if they really want it and
whether they could do it well. They should also be given the opportunity to consider what type
of organisation they may be joining and whether it would suit them. There are two different
approaches to assessing suitability for a particular job: person-job fit and person-organisation
fit. They are based on different assumptions about people and what determines their behaviour
at work.

Person–Job Fit
The traditional approach to recruitment and selection is based on the view that organisations
should specify the requirements of the job as closely as possible and then look for individuals
whose personal attributes fit those requirements. It is based on the assumption that human
behaviour is determined by factors particular to the individual, and the clear implication is that
selection techniques should be concerned with accessing and measuring these personal factors,
which can then be compared with those required for the job.
The person-job fit approach has been criticised for a variety of reasons. In particular, the
amount and pace of change in organisations mean that the jobs for which people are recruited
often change. Consequently, organisations may be interested in potential beyond the
immediate job, and people have the capacity to influence the organisation's performance
beyond the boundaries of their own jobs. Increasingly, it is seen as important to ensure that
there is also a fit between the applicant and the organisation.
Person–Organisation Fit
This approach stresses that people's behaviour and performance are strongly influenced by the
environment in which they find themselves. So being successful in a job in one organisation
does not necessarily imply success in a similar job in another. In assessing the suitability of a job
applicant a manager should explore the reasons why a person has performed well in their
existing job and consider whether similar conditions apply in the new job. Advocates of the
person-organisation fit approach stress that an important consideration in recruitment is how
suited the applicant is to the organisation – its style, approach, pace of change and informal
ways of working. In other words, you need to think beyond whether someone simply has the
technical skills to perform in the job and assess their fit with the culture of the organisation.
However, this carries the danger of excluding suitably qualified candidates because their ‘face
does not fit’. This approach suggests a greater need to describe the context of the job to
applicants, including the difficulties and pressures associated with it. In general, ‘overselling’ a
job can result in individuals leaving after a short time and hence the costs of a repeat
recruitment and selection process and further managerial time.
Specifying Job and Person Requirements

Initial Assessment
To find the right person for the job, you need to have an accurate idea of the job itself and of
the particular skills and attributes it demands. This can be carried out in a series of stages, as
shown in Figure 1.
This is a mapping diagram showing the relationship between a job and the skills and attributes
it demands. There is a row of three boxes. The left hand box represents ‘Job analysis’. It

instructs: “Look in detail at what the job involves”. An arrow feeds from this box into the middle
box, which represents ‘Job description’. It instructs: “Structure this analysis into written
statement of responsibilities and tasks”. An arrow feeds from this box to a box below it
representing ‘Person specification’. It instructs: “List specifics that applicant will need to
perform job”. The box on the right of the ‘Job description’ box represents ‘Organisational
analysis’. It instructs: “Look at what organisation requires”. An arrow feeds from the
‘Organisational analysis’ box into the ‘Job description’ box.
Figure 1: Stages of job and person analysis
However, before – or indeed after – the job analysis you might consider whether the vacant job
needs to be filled at all. Reallocation of work, internal promotion or temporary transfer could
be used to cover the tasks associated with the vacancy. Ask yourself whether the job needs to
be changed, updated or filled at all before going any further. An apparent vacancy provides a
real opportunity to consider the way work is organised and the skills the organisation needs to
secure its future success; you might wish to consider aspects of person-organisation fit to help
develop the job.
Assuming you decide to go ahead and recruit to the existing or changed post, you now need to
analyse exactly what the job entails.
Job Analysis
Job analysis involves examining a job systematically and in detail. There is no single way of
doing this. Direct observation may be helpful if you are analysing repetitive manual jobs, for
example. Discussion with the current job holder and supervisor or line manager is also a useful
source of information. Another method of job analysis is to use the checklist approach
illustrated in Box 1, ticking off the various aspects of the job as you consider them.

Box 1: Checklist – undertaking a job analysis
Check 1 – The key words approach

 What is done?
 When is it done?
 Where is it done?
 How is it done?
Check 2 – What is the job holder responsible for?

 Responsibility for the work of others
 Responsibility for physical resources
 Responsibility for budgets/money
Check 3 – What sorts of working relationships are involved?

 Relationships with superiors (if any)
 Relationships with colleagues
 Relationships with other departments or agencies
 Relationships with customers/clients/users
 Relationships with individuals supervised
Check 4 – What are the job requirements?

 Required standard of performance and results
 Required skills and experience
 Required analytical skills
 Required education and training
 Required physique and health (if appropriate)
 Required motivation and social skills
 Required attitude or general approach to the work involved
Check 5 – What are the working conditions?

 The physical environment
 The social conditions and work group context
 The economic conditions including funding and pay
Check 6 – Who should be consulted about the analysis?

 Check back with the job holder
 Check back with his or her line manager
(Source: based on Cowling and Mailer, 1981, p. 9)

Organisational Analysis
The broader organisational requirements can be as important as the specific ones for the job
itself. The organisation needs creativity, flexibility, the ability to work in a small team, and so
on, from the job holder. In line with the person-organisation fit described earlier, it is important
to think beyond the technical aspects of the job to the cultural aspects of the organisation.
Job Description
From your analysis of the job you can write a job description which will state what the job
holder is responsible for and what they are required to do (see Example 1).
Example 1: Job description for a Buying Manager
Job title: Buying Department Manager

Job grade: 10
Responsible to: Contracts Manager
A: Summary of main responsibilities and activities

 Has overall responsibility for procurement of contracts for both direct orders and
subcontracts, including negotiating terms and conditions with suppliers, initiating
enquiries, analysing quotations, with detailed involvement in very large or complex
orders.
 Liaises with Estimating and Engineering departments for technical and cost information;
makes recommendations on selection of suppliers.
 Responsible for preparation of contracts.
 Arranges storage of material for delayed contracts.
 Responsible for inspection and expedition of orders to ensure that material, plant and
equipment meet the specifications for the job and are available when required. Issues
inspection and test reports to the client.
 Authorises payment to suppliers and subcontractors.
 Negotiates increased costs with suppliers in association with Contracts Manager.
B: Specific responsibilities
1. Staff
 Direct: Responsible for Senior Buyer, Buyer, Assistant Buyer, Senior Expediter.
 Indirect: Responsible for selection, training, development and appraisal of all buying and
inspection staff in liaison with Contracts Manager.
2. Assets
 Recommends selection of suppliers and equipment.

3. Planning
 Plans allocation and organisation of work in Contract Buying and Expedition
Department.
 Provides advice to Contracts Manager during contract planning.
4. Technical decisions
 Recommends selection of suppliers and subcontractors on the basis of commercial
considerations.
5. Financial
 Responsible for negotiating terms and conditions with suppliers and subcontractors,
up to £150,000.
 Ensures that all orders are executed within Estimators’ budget.
 Recommends authorisation of final payments to suppliers and subcontractors.
6. Confidential information
 Prices, discounts, profit margins and similar commercial information.
7. Degree of supervision
 Works within the broad directives of Contracts Manager. Reports monthly on
deviations in terms of cost, time, quality, etc.
8. Contacts
 Liaises with Head Office staff, for example Contracts Manager, Project Engineer,
Design Engineers.
 Suppliers and subcontractors.
 Clients (occasional).
 Site staff.
9. Working conditions
 Head Office based, in city centre; fortnightly visits to suppliers.
 Pace of work is often demanding, working with strict time pressures; involves overall
responsibility for a large number of contracts simultaneously.
10. Organisational requirements

 Must be flexible and able to work on own initiative. Must be able to work as part of a
team and to interact effectively with external contacts.
(Source: Cowling and Mailer, 1981, pp. 12–13)
Example 1 is a comprehensive description, setting out a full range of responsibilities. There is no

one right way of setting out job descriptions and you may find that the ones used in your
organisation look different and may be less detailed in comparison. An accurate job description

has various uses outside the recruitment process: for example, it can be used to review staff
performance in appraisals or to assess training needs when someone new starts with the
organisation. Within the recruitment process, the job description leads on to the next stage of
specifying the type of person you are looking for to fill your vacancy.
Person Specification
Once the job and organisational analyses and the job description have been completed (see
Figure 1), the next stage is to write a specification of the kind of person needed to fill the job
you have just described. It is important to be as precise as possible about the skills, knowledge,
qualifications and attributes that are required for the job and about the experience and
personal characteristics that are needed. It is good practice to specify what is essential or the
minimum required to perform the job, as well as what is desirable. To decide on the qualities
required for the person specification you need to pick out key features from the job
description. Think also about the context of the job and the wider organisational requirements
to specify any elements of person-organisation fit that are important.
Table 1 is an example of a completed person specification; we have added some imaginary

aspects of person-organisation fit under ‘Personality’.
When constructing a person specification you need not follow the format described in the
table; your organisation may have a standard approach. The exact format of the person
specification is less important than making sure you capture what the suitable applicant
requires in order to perform the job and fit with the organisation's way of working and culture.
You will have noted the ‘How ascertained?’ column in the table. This signals the need to think
through how you will measure or assess the specification you are looking for.
Table 1: Person specification for the position of Buying Department Manager

Characteristics Essential/minimum Desirable How ascertained?
Physical attributes Good health record Excellent health Medical report
record
Few absences from Previous employers'
work sickness records
Tidy appearance Smart appearance
Creates good Interview
impression on others
Capable of working Give examples at
for long hours under interview
pressure
Mental attributes Top 50 per cent for Top 30 per cent for Possible use of selection
general intelligence, general intelligence, tests

verbal ability and verbal ability and

numerical ability numerical ability
Education and Good general school Two A-levels (post-16 Qualification certificates
qualifications results with particular higher examination)
aptitude for English or equivalent
Certificate or Diploma
in Management
Membership of Membership of Documentation
professional body professional institute
Experience, training Five years’ experience Ten years’ experience Curriculum vitae (CV)
and skills in purchasing in purchasing
Two years’ experience Successful record of CV/interview: examples
of supervising small supervising qualified
office or section staff
Successful Attendance/qualification
completion of certificates
reputable
management training
course
Good social skills
Fluent in two
European languages,
including English
Ability to write good Ability to plan, CV/interview: examples
reports and organise, coordinate
understand basic and control work
financial information under pressure
Personality Career record shows Mature and socially Interview
ability to adjust to well adjusted
normal social
circumstances
Thrives on challenge Able to communicate Interview
and change and has an at all levels
ability to develop new
approaches to the
work
Evidence of CV
experience of dealing

with external clients

Special Able to work overtime Willing to work long Person's experience
circumstances and at weekends hours when required,
and to transfer to
other locations in
Europe
Able to travel to Fully mobile with Interview
suppliers valid driving licence
(Source: based on Cowling and Mailer, 1981, p. 19)
If you have a job description for your current post, construct a person specification for the job
based on a format similar to that in Table 1. Decide what you think should be in the person
specification, even if this differs from any actual person specification there may be for your job.
Alternatively, or in addition, you could do this for a person who works with or for you. If you do
not have a description for your current job, try to work from the main duties and
responsibilities you have. (This may convince you that it is easier to work from a fairly thorough
job description.) Also, in constructing this person specification, try to indicate some person-
organisation fit requirements which may be relevant to your own situation.
 Physical attributes
 Mental attributes
 Education and qualifications
 Experience, training and skills
 Personality
 Special circumstances
When you have completed this task, check what you have written, bearing the following points
in mind.
 Have you thought about the qualities needed to cope with the difficult parts of the
job?
 Have you considered any particular qualities that would be required to fit the culture
of the organisation?
 How carefully have you thought through the education/training needed for the work?
Remember that qualifications are only one way of knowing what people have to offer.
Skills and experience gained in a whole variety of contexts – for example parenting,
voluntary work, leisure interests – can sometimes be just as relevant.
 Have you included any rigid requirements based on age, physical ability or length of
paid work experience which may be questionable on equal opportunities grounds and

constitute ‘indirect discrimination’ (specifying a criterion that would effectively debar

someone because of their ethnic group, gender, age, disability, etc.)?
 Have you said which qualities and attributes would be essential and which desirable?
Remember, if something is ‘essential’ you should be able to justify it.
 Is the specification credible? Do such people exist? Are they likely to apply for the
salary offered? What are the options if the answers to these questions are probably
‘no'?
Recruiting and Selecting Internal Candidates

Where an existing member of staff is applying for a post, you will already have knowledge of
their personality, skills, fit with the organisation and so on. However, whether the job they are
applying for is very similar to or different from the one they are doing currently, you need to
ensure that they receive the same treatment as other candidates. Being an internal candidate is
not easy. It can be both an advantage and a disadvantage to be known! Maintaining our theme
of objectivity, the recruitment and selection process needs to be seen by all to be fair and
equitable.
Attracting Applicants
You have now established the criteria for recruiting the kind of person you are looking for; the
next step is to find someone who meets these criteria. Obviously, you must make it known to
people that a vacancy exists. Before placing an expensive advertisement in a newspaper or
professional journal you should consider alternatives. There are a variety of methods of
publicising recruitment in addition to the traditional media advertisement (see Box 2).
Box 2: Sources of recruits

 Internal advertisements
 Advertising in a range of newspapers and professional and specialist publications
 Employment agencies and job centres
 Selection consultants who advertise on your behalf and may screen applicants
 Executive search consultants (headhunters) who will try to track down suitable
candidates for your post
 Introductions by existing staff, word of mouth. To prevent discrimination this should
be accompanied by more formal mechanisms
 Previous applicants
 Unsolicited applications
 The Internet
 School or university contacts
 Planned promotions from formal assessment schemes

Advertising
If you are managing the recruitment process by a traditional route you will now need to
consider advertising the vacancy. Your organisation may have a specific policy or rules
governing advertising. The cost of advertising can constitute a significant proportion of any
recruitment expenditure and you need to ensure you get an effective response at the least
possible cost. The important factors are:
 the content of the advertisement (key elements of the job, location, salary, etc.)
 the medium used to carry the advertisement (national paper, professional journal, local
magazine, etc.)
 the timing of the advertisement.
Where you advertise the job is important. If you are looking for specialist skills, then targeting
professional journals may be more effective than using a national newspaper. If you are
attempting to encourage applicants from specific groups such as people with disabilities, then
the websites or magazines of particular societies may be an option.
Just as the content of the advertisement should encourage suitable people to apply for the job,
it should also discourage unsuitable candidates from applying. Much individual and
organisational time can be wasted in sifting through unsuitable applications, and it is unfair to
applicants to raise false expectations. The information contained in the advertisement should
be taken largely from the job analysis and the job description (see Box 3).
Box 3: Contents of a job advertisement
The advertisement should be factual, truthful and relevant. Ludlow and Panton (1991) suggest
that it should contain the following:
 the job title, in terms likely to be familiar to the reader; avoid jargon
 the name of the organisation, the nature of its activity and the location of the job
 the aims and responsibilities of the job
 the qualifications required and the experience needed – this will be a summary of the
person specification
 the salary and fringe benefits; where possible, state the salary range
 genuine promotion prospects
 the manner in which applications should be made; for example asking the applicant to
send a CV, or to write or telephone for an application form and further information
 the closing date, if there is one, for applications.
Remember that the advertisement is a public relations opportunity for the organisation. It
needs to present the best face of the organisation in order to attract the best applicants.
Antidiscrimination employment legislation in many countries applies to most stages of the
recruitment process, including advertising. Legislation may make it illegal to discriminate, either
directly or indirectly, on the grounds of ethnicity, disability, colour, gender or marital status.

Further Particulars, Application Forms and Paperwork

One way of offering more information than can be put into an advertisement is to send further
particulars to people who respond. These could explain, for example, current and future
developments within the organisation. If your organisation already has a standard application
form, you will almost certainly use that. Otherwise, you could ask applicants to write a letter of
application, possibly accompanied by a CV. It is also useful to ask for details of referees at this
stage, but bear in mind that candidates might have objections to them being contacted before
the job is offered.
Handling the administration of the recruitment process is largely a clerical activity – but that
does not mean you can ignore it. Here are a few points you should bear in mind:
 Candidates will be particularly anxious to know what is happening, so you will probably
need to brief the switchboard and your colleagues or secretary to handle expected calls.
 Application forms and further particulars should be ready to go out immediately after a
candidate contacts the organisation. Keep records of the people to whom they are sent.
 Keep a record of returned application forms, and acknowledge these by return of post,
preferably with some indication of what the next step will be. If costs prevent this, invite
applicants to include a stamped addressed envelope if they require acknowledgement
of receipt.
 Give as much notice as possible to those whom you intend to interview, giving them
some choice of date and time if that is feasible, and ask them if they have any special
needs. They should also be given a name and telephone number to contact if they have
any queries. Make sure they know where and when to attend for the interview.
 Send a courteous letter to those who are not shortlisted as soon as you are certain they
will not be required.
 If you intend to take up references, you should send out letters as soon as possible,
allowing plenty of time for the references to arrive before the date of the interviews.
But make sure candidates are happy for you to ask for references from their current
employer before you send out the letters.
 Keep detailed records of all correspondence at every stage.
Shortlisting
It is common to shortlist up to six applicants per position, but the exact number may reflect the
time you have available for interviewing and the strength of the applicants. The important point
is to ensure that as far as possible you finish up with the best possible candidates on the
shortlist. This can best be achieved by approaching the task systematically. In other words, the
systematic use of criteria as detailed in the job specification should be preferred to reliance on
intuition. It is sensible to reject those applications that do not match these key criteria closely. If
feasible, keeping a set of notes as you shortlist is a good idea. This helps you to remember or
explain the grounds on which you decided to interview or reject each candidate.

The following details have been taken from application forms submitted by candidates for the
post of Buying Department Manager. The job description can be found in Example 1 and the
person specification in Table 1. Imagine that you have already shortlisted three good
candidates and need to add only one more to complete your shortlist.
Terry Churchill Anne Olsen Colin Compton Renate Schmidt

Address Suburbs Village 50 miles City centre 200 miles away-
away willing to
relocate
Age 58 34 45 43
Driving licence Yes Yes No Yes
Nationality British British British German
Current ABC Computers Cheapshops Compact Deutsch
employer pic Manufacturing Chemicals
Ltd
Size of £400m turnover £35m turnover £60m turnover £600m turnover
organisation p.a. p.a. p.a. p.a.
Position held Purchasing Senior Buyer Buyer Senior Buyer
Manager
Number of None Five Four None
previous
employers
Professional Member of Member of Member of None
qualifications professional professional professional
institute institute institute
Education 3 A-levels, 8 5 GCSEs/O-levels 2 A-levels, 8 Arbitur
GCSEs/O-levels GCSEs/O-levels
Further Degree in Certificate in Degree in Degree in
education Chemistry; MBA Management Operations Economics from
Management; Wuppertal
Certificate in University;
Management Diploma in
Management
Court None None Yes: driving None
convictions offence
Other Member of the Studying for Studying for Fluent English,

information local Chamber of Professional Professional German and

Commerce Diploma in Diploma in French; studying
Management; Management for MBA
fluent English and
Danish
Who would you shortlist? Why did you make this choice?
The following table might help you to make a decision. It records whether each candidate
reaches the ‘minimum’ or the ‘desirable’ level.
Terry Churchill Anne Olsen Colin Compton Renate Schmidt

Education Desirable Minimum Desirable Desirable
Further Desirable Desirable Desirable Desirable
education
Professional Desirable Minimum Desirable None
qualifications
Experience of Desirable (too Possibly Desirable Desirable
purchasing much?)
Management of Desirable Minimum Minimum Desirable
people
Languages None Some None Desirable
Travel Desirable Desirable Possibly Desirable
Several of the characteristics on the job specification are impossible to determine from a
candidate's application form. And several of the observable characteristics require some
guesswork. You must, therefore, be careful not to put too much weight on subjective
judgements. However, the following factors may affect your decision.
Anne Olsen seems the least qualified candidate, mainly because the buying skills required for a
retail shop are likely to be very different from the buying skills that you are looking for.
Colin Compton seems excellent, apart from his lack of a driving licence and his conviction. But
he lives locally and could easily get to work. How essential is a driving licence for the fortnightly
visits to suppliers? As for the conviction, he has paid the penalty – should he be further
disadvantaged?
Terry Churchill seems an excellent candidate, but two factors might have influenced you against
him: his age and his experience. He is 58 years old and he seems very senior. Is he too senior?
But is that a fair question to ask? His motivation for applying is important, not his age. It is
important to ask questions in order to reveal whether the candidate is able to do the job, and
not for other reasons.
Two factors appear to weaken Renate Schmidt's application: she is not a member of a
professional body and she needs to relocate. However, in Germany it is not common for people
to join professional bodies and she has applied for the job in the knowledge that she must
relocate.
References
References can be useful, but they do have some limitations: no one would supply the name of
a referee who was likely to give a bad reference. However, it is always a good idea to request
them of the candidates who have been shortlisted (but, as we have already said, bear in mind
that some candidates may not want their employers approached until they have actually been
offered a job). It is helpful for referees if you enclose all the information sent out to the
prospective candidate and point out clearly any essential requirements of the job. You may
want to ask specific questions relating to the candidate's suitability in certain areas.
Candidates Make Decisions Too

In the past people have tended to see selection primarily as organisations choosing between
individuals. However, we must not forget that candidates are also making choices: about
whether to write in for an application form, whether to apply, whether to attend an interview,
whether to accept an offered job. This makes it important for organisations to treat candidates
in a sensitive and responsive manner. They will need to pay attention to their recruitment
materials, to provide realistic job descriptions and to be aware of how candidates are treated.
Recruitment processes vary between sectors and between organisations. They are also
constantly changing (Box 4).
Box 4: Internet recruitment
There has been a significant increase in the use of the Internet for recruitment purposes. One
way of using the Internet is to post vacancy advertisements on some of the specially created
‘job boards’ – electronic versions of a newspaper's situations pages. Another method is to
incorporate a recruitment section in a company website. Although there are capital costs to
this, they may represent a modest investment considering the price of national newspaper
advertisements and the potential long-term use of a website. Organisations need to encourage
potential recruits to visit the site by placing small advertisements on job boards and in the press
indicating the organisation's web address.
The audience for recruitment websites has been concentrated in younger age groups and
professional occupations, although this is likely to broaden out. Recruitment costs may be
reduced – some US firms claim a 45 per cent saving by using the Internet.

Criteria for success are that visitors to a company website should find it convenient to use, up
to date and offering online application facilities. The advantage to the organisation is the
technical simplicity of adding applicant details to its database and in conducting online dialogue
with applicants about job and career requirements so that they can be advised when a suitable
vacancy arises.
Thus the Internet offers several attractions to both recruiters and job hunters.
Methods of selection
The Interview as a Selection Method: Pros and Cons
Traditionally, the interview has been the main means of assessing the suitability of candidates
for a job. Almost all organisations use the interview at some stage in their selection process.
Similarly, most applicants expect to be interviewed. Interviews are useful for assessing such
personal characteristics as practical intelligence and interpersonal and communication skills.
The interview can be used for answering applicants’ questions, selling the organisation and
negotiating terms and conditions. It is a matter of debate whether an interview accurately
assesses ability at work, relevant experience and work skills. A further problem with interviews
is that factors that are not related to the job influence the decision: clothing, colour, ethnic
origin, gender, accent, physical features or a disability might be such factors. There is also
evidence that interviewers make decisions very rapidly on little information. You need to be
aware of the potential pitfalls in using selection interviews and may choose to supplement
them with a variety of tests. Some of these are considered below.
Tests as a Selection Tool

There are various types of tests and ways in which they might be used as part of the selection
process (see Box 5). Before using any kind of test you should ensure that you know why you are
using it and how it relates to the job specification.
Box 5: Selection tests
Aptitude tests
 Tests of physical ability: used for the selection of manual workers. For example, a test of
the ability to perform lifting operations might be used.
 Mental ability tests: tests of literacy, numeracy and intelligence.
 Analogous tests: tests which simulate some of the actual tasks in the job, for example a
typing or word-processing test for secretaries. Group problem-solving exercises and
presentations may be suitable for managerial jobs.

Personality tests
The use of these in selection comes from the assumption that certain jobs require certain
personalities and that tests can identify them. The most common form of personality test is
questionnaires designed to rate respondents on various personality dimensions. The individual
is rated for being persuasive, socially confident, competitive, decisive, introspective, artistic,
conceptual, traditional, independent, extravert, stable, optimistic, and so on. Most reputable
personality tests need to be administered and scored by trained and licensed users.
Organisations selling personality tests usually recommend that they are not the only method
used for selection.
Assessment centre
This is a process, rather than a place, that uses a number of selection techniques in
combination. A typical assessment centre would assemble 12 applicants after screening and
subject them to tests such as intelligence tests, presentations, group work and interviews.
Tests can be very useful in the selection process as they actually replicate certain parts of the
job, whereas a selection interview can only indicate whether the person has that ability.
However, most tests are time-consuming to administer and can be used indiscriminately. It
would be very unusual to use a test as the sole means of selecting and, particularly with
personality tests, it should not be the major evidence on which the decision to appoint or not is
made. Very often the results of personality tests are used in interviews as the basis for further
investigation and questioning about an applicant's abilities.
The Selection Interview

The aim of the selection interview is to determine whether the candidate is interested in the
job and competent to do it. A selection interview also has the following functions:
 to explain the work of the organisation, the job and any features such as induction and
probation
 to set expectations on both sides, including a realistic discussion of any potential
difficulties (if appropriate)
 to enable the candidate to assess whether they want the job being offered.
Selection interviews are not easy to conduct and it is preferable – some organisations insist on
it – that everyone involved has participated in some kind of training. Most managers believe
they can interview competently but probably few have subjected their interviewing practice to
close scrutiny and thought about how they can improve their performance. Important decisions
have to be made, such as how many people should be on the interview panel, who would be
the most appropriate people, and what role they should play. One-to-one selection interviews
are difficult to conduct, not least because there is more likelihood of subjectivity creeping in.

Preparation is an extremely important stage in the process. Box 6 indicates four factors to
consider in preparing for an interview and gives some examples.
Box 6: Considerations in interview preparation
What does the interviewer(s) need for the interview?

 Job description, person specification
 Individual application forms, CVs, etc.
 Details of terms and conditions of employment: hours of work, fringe benefits, perks,
etc.
 Information on general prospects, training, induction etc. within the organisation
What does the candidate need?

 Details of venue; to be met on arrival
 Access to facilities: toilets, any special needs for candidates with disabilities
 Comfortable waiting area
Location requirements
 Suitable room and layout: consider whether formal or informal and what type of setting
to create
 Freedom from interruptions and other discomforts and distractions such as extraneous
noise, uncomfortable furniture, extremes of temperature, etc.
 Appropriate access for people with special needs
Requirements of a good interview

 A structured interview plan enabling the interviewer(s) to assess what they are looking
for in the candidate and whether the person:
o could do the job (assessment against the person specification)
o would do the job (judgements of motivation and commitment)
o would fit (elements of person-organisation fit) (Note: a well-developed person
specification should include criteria relating to all three areas.)
 A clear idea of the areas of questioning for each candidate to check that they fulfil the
criteria
 Agreement on the roles of those involved in the interview if there is a panel: who will
chair and how questions will be divided among the panel members in an organised way
 A disciplined approach to timing: enough time for each candidate and not too many
candidates per day
Interviews have distinct and recognisable stages, and individuals have certain expectations
about what should happen when, but try not to become routinised or mechanistic in your
approach.

Structuring the Interview

Introduction and starting
In a panel interview one member will need to take the chair; this person will then be
responsible for initiating, controlling and closing the interview. It is also the role of the chair to
link and control the contributions of the panel members.
If you are the chair, you should always introduce the panel members to the candidate and
explain how the interview will be conducted. A relaxed and skilful lead interviewer will then
continue to establish and maintain rapport throughout the exchange with the candidate.
The main body of the interview
Your main objective is to gather information. A practical target is to expect the candidate to talk
for 70 per cent of the time. Example 2 describes the kind of conduct to avoid when
interviewing.
Example 2: Interview weaknesses
David was really pleased to have been asked to an interview for the job of Project Manager. He
spent a lot of time preparing for the interview, finding out more about the organisation in his
local library and collating the documentation required, such as qualification certificates,
additional references and so on.
On the day of the interview, David arrived early but was not asked into the interview room until
30 minutes after his allotted time. The first thing he was asked to do by a member of the panel
was ‘describe your major weaknesses and what you have done to overcome them’. This
completely floored David and he struggled to respond. It was not a good start. A second
member of the panel quizzed him closely about his fluency in other languages but was sharply
reminded by his colleague that it was not that job they were interviewing for. The third
member of the panel asked some relevant questions, but all the time David was talking he was
looking through a pile of papers on the desk in front of him.
David received a letter a week later offering him the job; he decided not to accept.
Some essential interviewing skills are outlined below.
Effective questioning. The level of detail you require from a question should determine the way
you ask it. Some questions have a very broad focus and will stimulate the candidate to talk at
length while you look out for specific things you want to check on. When you find something,
you can zoom in on it and ask a probing question so that you receive a precise answer (a
‘closed’ question). The skill in questioning is, therefore, to frame your questions to suit your

purpose. When you open up a new area of enquiry, you need to use ‘open’ questions that will
start the candidate talking. Take care not to make them too broad, especially in the early
stages, or you will leave the candidate floundering and wondering what to say. As you identify
specific items that you want to concentrate on, you can start to focus your questions using
different types as appropriate.
Another common approach is the use of questions about specific incidents from the past that
demonstrate the candidate's suitability for the current job. This is sometimes known as
behavioural interviewing. Consider approaches to assessing whether someone is a good project
manager. You could say to them, ‘Tell me what you know about project management.’ Equally,
you could ask, ‘How would you ensure that a project runs to plan?’ The skilful interviewee will
take this opportunity to present their wide range of knowledge about project management
approaches and techniques, almost textbook fashion. However, does this mean that they are a
good project manager in practice? An alternative approach would be to ask them about actual
instances when they have managed projects and what they did to ensure the success of the
project. For example, a question such as ‘Tell me about the most complex project you have had
to manage in the past’ will open up the discussion. You could then listen for cues to probe
specifically what they contributed to that project in order to assess their project management
skills. The interviewee might say, ‘There was one particular project that was really difficult as
we were working to such tight deadlines, but we met them.’ The interviewer's probing question
would be something like, ‘What did you do personally to ensure that the deadlines were met?’
The probing is used to elicit actual examples of what someone has done in the past to show
they are skilled in a particular area. This can be much more effective than asking hypothetical
questions that only test a person's knowledge.
Some examples of questions you might ask in relation to other aspects of managerial jobs are
set out in Table 2.
Table 2: Examples of behavioural questions for managerial jobs

Aspect of job Possible questions
Developing staff What has been your most satisfying
experience in the past of developing a staff
member? What did you do specifically to
achieve it?
Managing conflict Tell me about a time when you have had to
mediate in a conflict between two people.
What did you do?
Representing your group or organisation What has been the most difficult
representational role you have had to perform
in the past? How did you ensure that the best
interests of the group/organisation were
safeguarded?

There are some general points about interview questions:

 The questions should be capable of eliciting information that is relevant to success or
failure at work.
 They should not be random or overlapping; rather, they should be comprehensive,
grouped in an organised way and clearly distinguishable.
 Similar areas of questioning should be used for all candidates.
 The questions should allow you to compare each candidate with the job/person
specification.
We have been looking at examples of questions about the job itself, but how can you assess the
degree of fit between the person and the organisation, as discussed previously? Box 7 provides
some examples of questions related to fit with the organisation which you might find useful.
Box 7: Examples of organisation fit questions

 Could you compare the cultures of the organisations where you have worked before
and say how the differences affected your behaviour at work?
 Where were you happiest at work? (followed by) What was it about the place that made
you feel like this?
 Why did you decide to join each of the organisations you have worked for?
 What factors will cause you to decide whether or not to leave your current employer?
 How is your effectiveness measured in your present job?
 How do you cope with working in teams?
 What are the things you have regretted leaving behind at places where you have
worked in the past?
(Source: based on Billsberry, 2000, pp. 156–7)
Controlling the flow of the interview. This is the second key interview skill: the ability to keep a
candidate talking about the things you need to know about. Different kinds of interview require
different levels of control. A good interviewer can adjust their style to the particular
circumstances of the interview while it is in progress. To be able to control the direction and
flow of the interview so that it corresponds closely with the plan, an interviewer needs to be
aware of the control mechanisms available. These can be the types of questions asked and
encouraging sounds and body language, such as maintaining eye contact, sitting forward,
nodding and smiling as appropriate.
Using listening skills. Your third essential skill is active listening. This means you need to
concentrate, give all your attention to someone and, where appropriate, summarise and reflect
on what they say. Be aware of factors – personal and environmental – that can interfere with
your ability to receive and interpret signals, such as noise outside the room, room temperature
and clarity of speech.

Evaluating the information. Your fourth skill is concerned with assessing what you hear from
the candidate. As the interview proceeds you will need to be assessing whether the answers to
your questions are producing useful evidence of job suitability, or are superficial and raise
doubts about suitability.
Closing and Deciding

Drawing the interview to a close
Up to now we have been considering how to control and conduct the main body of an
interview. There remains, however, the need to draw it to a satisfactory close. You should
remember that, while you are trying to select the best candidate, the candidates are also
‘selecting’ you. You need to remember that you as an interviewer are being assessed and
selected, and you need to ensure your presentational and interpersonal skills are up to the job.
When you are satisfied that you have all the information you require, it is important that you
give the candidate two invitations:
 first, to tell you about anything that has not been covered, or to expand on anything
that has not been adequately covered (for example, a relevant accomplishment that the
candidate wants you to know about)
 second, to ask you questions in order to clarify any features of the job or the terms and
conditions associated with it.
Only when the candidate has had this opportunity should you begin concluding the interview. It
is good practice to summarise any agreements or understandings that may have been reached
and to give a clear indication of what is likely to happen next, and when.
Reaching a final decision
Having seen all the candidates, you can now start to pull together your notes and impressions
and make a final decision. It is probably worth allowing a little time to gather your thoughts
and/or discuss initial observations with colleagues or the interview panel after every interview
so that your memory is not confused. The person specification should again play a major role in
your final decision. Your questions should have been geared to elicit the necessary information
from each applicant to enable you to ascertain their suitability against the agreed criteria.
Example 3 shows the importance of meeting the person specification.
Example 3: Meeting the criteria
In the city hospital, the Personnel Manager was called upon by the Outpatients supervisor to
help in a case of poor performance – the individual concerned was generally offhand with staff
and patients and was only meeting minimum standards in her written work. She had been in
post for about six months.

The Personnel Manager asked about the appointment. The supervisor admitted that the
individual's references had not been all that impressive. She also admitted later: ‘No one on the
panel wanted to appoint her but she met all the criteria so we felt we had to – we can never
recruit to these posts anyway.’
The Personnel Manager was worried by this and made a mental note to talk to her colleagues
about it. She was aware that it was extremely difficult to fill advertised posts in certain
departments in the hospital. However, she felt strongly that this should not result in the
appointment of staff who did not meet the person specification. More thought was required in
terms of where the posts were advertised and the shortlisting and interviewing skills of staff in
the hospital.
The planning of the selection process will help you to reach an objective decision, but intuition
cannot be completely ignored. What is important is that you can explain objectively –
preferably to colleagues and not just to yourself – the basis of your intuition. If you feel that
one candidate would fit perfectly into your team, what is it – precisely – that gives you that
impression?
Think back to the most recent interview you have participated in, either as an interviewer or as
an interviewee. With the models and suggestions of this session in mind:
 Identify and explain at least one positive aspect of the way the interview was
conducted.
 Identify and explain at least one weak aspect of it.
 Make a note of three things from this session that you will try to apply when next
conducting an interview.
There is no universal formula for conducting interviews successfully. Your own style and your
panel's self-confidence in pursuing what they want to ascertain are important ingredients of an
effective interview. However, the discussion of common pitfalls and proven techniques may
help you to increase your confidence and effectiveness in this important selection medium.
Summary
This unit has looked at specifying the requirements of a job by drawing up a job description and
a person specification. We considered how you might indicate the qualities required of
individuals in relation to person-organisation fit as well as the more traditional approach of
person-job fit. We then considered various methods of attracting candidates and the process of
arriving at a shortlist. We have stressed the importance of preparing for the selection process,
be it an interview alone or with accompanying tests. The importance of effective interviewing
skills was also emphasised.

 Objective recruitment requires preparation and an awareness of the tendency of

recruiters to look positively on similarities with themselves and negatively on
differences (halo and horns effects).
 The person–job fit approach concentrates on measuring the candidate's attributes in
relation to the specific job vacancy.
 The person–organisation fit approach considers how well suited the candidate is to the
organisation.
 The key stages of good selection are: the job analysis; the job description; the person
specification.
 Applicants can be attracted by a wide range of media, but all advertising requires
effective back-up recruitment administration, including the shortlisting and reference
processes.
 Job advertisements need to be carefully constructed to attract high-quality applicants.
 Aptitude and personality tests can supplement interviews, sometimes using assessment
centres.
Key features of effective selection interviews include:

 training of interviewers
 composition of panel
 preparation, including details of who will ask which questions
 timing
 role of panel chair
 the candidate doing most of the talking
 open and behavioural questions
 organisation fit questions
 controlling the flow
 listening skills
 closure
 using the person specification to reach final decisions
References
 Billsberry, J. (2000) Finding and keeping the Right People, 2nd edn, London, Prentice-
Hall
 Cowling, A.G. and Mailer, C.J.B (1981) Managing Human Resources, London, Edward
Arnold.
 Ludlow, R. and Panton, F. (1991) The Essence of Successful Staff Selection, London,
Prentice-Hall.

Acknowledgements
The content acknowledged below is Proprietary (see terms and conditions) and is used under
licence.
Grateful acknowledgement is made to the following sources for permission to reproduce

material in this product:
 Box 1 Reprinted from "Managing Human Resources", Cowling, A.G. and Mailer, C.J.R.,
p.9, © 1981, with permission from Elsevier;
 Example 1 Reprinted from "Managing Human Resources", Cowling, A.G. and Mailer,
C.J.R., pp 12-13, © 1981, with permission from Elsevier;
 Table 1 Reprinted from "Managing Human Resources", Cowling, A.G. and Mailer, C.J.R.,
p.19, © 1981, with permission from Elsevier

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HR Recruitment and Selection

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Human Resources

Recruitment and Selection

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Effective Recruitment and Selection

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Job Age range Gender Politics Hobbies Car

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Person–Job Fit or Person–Organisation Fit?

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Specifying Job and Person Requirements

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Figure 1: Stages of job and person analysis

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Box 1: Checklist – undertaking a job analysis

Check 1 – The key words approach

Check 2 – What is the job holder responsible for?

Check 3 – What sorts of working relationships are involved?

Check 4 – What are the job requirements?

Check 5 – What are the working conditions?

Check 6 – Who should be consulted about the analysis?

(Source: based on Cowling and Mailer, 1981, p. 9)

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Example 1: Job description for a Buying Manager

Job title: Buying Department Manager

A: Summary of main responsibilities and activities

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10. Organisational requirements

(Source: Cowling and Mailer, 1981, pp. 12–13)

Example 1 is a comprehensive description, setting out a full range of responsibilities. There is no

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Table 1 is an example of a completed person specification; we have added some imaginary

Table 1: Person specification for the position of Buying Department Manager

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verbal ability and verbal ability and

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with external clients

(Source: based on Cowling and Mailer, 1981, p. 19)

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constitute ‘indirect discrimination’ (specifying a criterion that would effectively debar

Recruiting and Selecting Internal Candidates

Box 2: Sources of recruits

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Further Particulars, Application Forms and Paperwork

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Terry Churchill Anne Olsen Colin Compton Renate Schmidt

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information local Chamber of Professional Professional German and

Terry Churchill Anne Olsen Colin Compton Renate Schmidt

Candidates Make Decisions Too

Box 4: Internet recruitment

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Tests as a Selection Tool

Box 5: Selection tests

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The Selection Interview

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Box 6: Considerations in interview preparation

What does the interviewer(s) need for the interview?

What does the candidate need?

Requirements of a good interview

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Structuring the Interview