Human Resources Planning

and Recruiting
By:
Prof. Bhumika GUPTA
Institut Mines-Telecom Business School
France
The Recruitment and Selection Process
1. Decide what positions to fill through personnel planning and forecasting.
2. Build a candidate pool by recruiting internal or external candidates.
3. Have candidates complete application forms and undergo initial screening
interviews.
4. Use selection tools to identify viable candidates.
5. Decide who to make an offer to, by having the supervisor and others interview
the candidates.

5–2
 FIGURE 5–1 Steps in Recruitment and Selection Process

The recruitment and selection process is a series of hurdles aimed at selecting the best candidate for the job.

5–3
Planning and Forecasting
• Employment or Personnel Planning
• The process of deciding what positions the firm will have to fill, and how to
fill them.
• Succession Planning
• The process of deciding how to fill the company’s most important executive
jobs.
• What to Forecast?
• Overall personnel needs
• The supply of inside candidates
• The supply of outside candidates

5–4
 Drawbacks to Traditional Forecasting
Techniques
• They focus on projections and historical relationships.
• They do not consider the impact of strategic initiatives on
future staffing levels.
• They support compensation plans that reward managers for
managing ever-larger staffs.
• They “bake in” the idea that staff increases are inevitable.
• They validate and institutionalize present planning processes
and the usual ways of doing things.

5–5
Effective Recruiting
• External Factors Affecting Recruiting
• Supply of workers
• Outsourcing of white-collar jobs
• Fewer “qualified” candidates
• Other Factors Affecting Recruiting
• Consistency of recruitment with strategic goals
• Types of jobs recruited and recruiting methods
• Nonrecruitment HR issues and policies
• Successful prescreening of applicants
• Public image of the firm

5–6
Effective Recruiting (continued)
• Advantages of Centralizing Recruitment
• Strengthens employment brand
• Facilitates applying strategic priorities
• Reduces duplication of HR activities
• Reduces cost of new HR technologies
• Builds teams of HR experts
• Provides better measurement of HR performance
• Allows for sharing of applicant pools

5–7
Internal Candidates: Hiring from Within
Advantages
• Foreknowledge of candidates’
strengths and weaknesses
• More accurate view of
candidate’s skills
• Candidates have a stronger
commitment to the company
• Increases employee morale
• Less training and orientation
required
5–8
Disadvantages
• Failed applicants become
discontented
• Time wasted interviewing
inside candidates who will
not be considered
• Inbreeding strengthens
tendency to maintain the
status quo.
 Finding Internal Candidates

Rehiring Former
Job Posting
Employees

Hiring from Within

Succession Planning
(HRIS)

5–9
Outside Sources of Candidates
Locating Outside Candidates

1 Recruiting via the Internet 6 Executive Recruiters

On Demand Recruiting Services

2 Advertising 7
(ODRS)

3 Employment Agencies 8 College Recruiting

Temp Agencies and Alternative

4 9 Referrals and Walk-ins
Staffing

5 Offshoring/Outsourcing

5–10
Outside Sources of Candidates (continued)
• Recruiting via the Internet
• Advantages
• Cost-effective way to publicize job openings
• More applicants attracted over a longer period
• Immediate applicant responses
• Online prescreening of applicants
• Links to other job search sites
• Automation of applicant tracking and evaluation
• Disadvantages
• Exclusion of older and minority workers
• Excessive number of unqualified applicants
• Personal information privacy concerns of applicants

5–11
Advertising for Outside Candidates
• The Media Choice
• Selection of the best medium depends on the positions for which the firm is
recruiting.
• Newspapers: local and specific labor markets
• Trade and professional journals: specialized employees
• Internet job sites: global labor markets
• Effective Ads
• Create attention, interest, desire, and action (AIDA).
• Create a positive impression of the firm.

5–12
 Employment Agencies
Types of Employment
Agencies

Government
Nonprofit Private
Employment
Agencies Agencies
Exchanges

5–13
Outside Sources of Candidates (continued)
• Why Use a Private Employment Agency
• No HR department: firm lacks recruiting and screening capabilities.
• To attract a pool of qualified applicants.
• To fill a particular opening quickly.
• To attract more minority or female applicants.
• To reach currently employed individuals who are more comfortable dealing
with agencies.
• To reduce internal time devoted to recruiting.

5–14
Outside Sources of Candidates (continued)
• Avoiding Problems with Employment Agencies
• Provide the agency with accurate and complete job descriptions.
• Make sure tests, application blanks, and interviews are part of the agency’s
selection process.
• Review candidates accepted or rejected by your firm or the agency for
effectiveness and fairness of agency’s screening process.
• Screen agency for effectiveness in filling positions.
• Supplement the agency’s reference checking by checking the final candidate’s
references yourself.

5–15
Temp Agencies and Alternative Staffing
• Benefits of Temps
• Increased productivity—paid only when working
• Allows “trial run” for prospective employees
• No recruitment, screening, and payroll administration
costs
• Costs of Temps
• Increased labor costs due to fees paid to temp agencies
• Temp employees’ lack of commitment to the firm

5–16
Concerns of Temp Employees
• Dehumanizing, impersonal, and discouraging treatment by employers.
• Insecurity about employment and pessimism about the future.
• Worry about the lack of insurance and pension benefits.
• Being misled about job assignments and whether temporary assignments are
likely to become full-time positions.
• Being “underemployed” while trying return to the full-time labor market.
• Anger toward the corporate world and its values; expressed as alienation and
disenchantment.

5–17
Working with a Temp Agency
• Invoicing. Make sure the agency’s invoice fits your company’s needs.
• Time sheets. The time sheet is a verification of hours worked and an agreement to pay the
agency’s fees.
• Temp-to-perm policy. What is the policy if you want to hire a temp as a permanent employee?
• Recruitment of and benefits for temp employees. How does the agency plan to recruit and what
sorts of benefits it will it pay?
• Dress code. Specify the attire at each of your offices or plants.
• Equal employment opportunity statement. Get a statement from the agency that it does not
discriminate when filling temp orders.
• Job description information. Ensure that the agency understands the job to be filled and the sort
of person you want to fill it.

5–18
Outside Sources of Candidates (continued)
• Executive Recruiters (Headhunters)
• Contingent-based recruiters
• Retained executive searchers
• Internet technology and specialization trends
• Guidelines for Choosing a Recruiter
1. Make sure the firm is capable of conducting a thorough search.
2. Meet individual who will handle your assignment.
3. Ask how much the search firm charges.
4. Never rely solely on the recruiter to do reference checking.

5–19
Outside Sources of Candidates (continued)
• On-site visits
• College Recruiting • Invitation letters
• On-campus recruiting goals • Assigned hosts
• To determine if the candidate is • Information packages
worthy of further consideration
• Planned interviews
• To attract good candidates
• Timely employment offer
• Follow-up
• Internships

5–20
Outside Sources of Candidates (continued)
• Employee Referrals
• Referring employees become stakeholders.
• Referral is a cost-effective recruitment program.
• Referral can speed up diversifying the workforce.
• Relying on referrals may be discriminatory.
• Walk-ins
• Seek employment through a personal direct approach to the employer.
• Courteous treatment of any applicant is a good business practice.

5–21
 Improved Productivity Through HRIS:
An Integrated Technology Approach to Recruiting

Requisition Management System

Integrated Recruiting Solution

Integrated Employee
Recruitment System
Screening Services

Hiring Management

5–22
 Recruiting A More Diverse Workforce
Single Parents

The Disabled Older Workers

Minorities and
Welfare-to-Work
Women

5–23
 Developing and Using Application Forms
Uses of Application
Information

Applicant’s Applicant’s Applicant’s Applicant’s

education and progress and employment likelihood of
experience growth stability success

5–24
 FIGURE 5–13
Employment
Application

5–25
Employee Testing and
Selection
 Why Careful Selection is Important
The Importance of
Selecting the Right
Employees

Legal
Organizational Costs of Recruiting
Obligations and
Performance and Hiring
Liability

6–27
Basic Testing Concepts
• Reliability
• Consistency of scores obtained by the same person when retested with
identical or equivalent tests.
• Are test results stable over time?
• Validity
• Indicates whether a test is measuring what it is supposed to be measuring.
• Does the test actually measure what it is intended to measure?

6–28
How to Validate a Test
Steps in Test Validation

1 Analyze the Job: predictors and criteria

2 Choose the Tests: test battery or single test

3 Administer the Tests: concurrent or predictive validation

Relate Your Test Scores and Criteria: scores versus actual

4
performance

5
Cross-Validate and Revalidate: repeat Steps 3 and 4 with a
different sample

6–29
 FIGURE 6–4 Sample Test

Source: Courtesy of NYT Permissions.

6–30
Using Tests at Work
• Major Types of Tests
• Basic skills tests
• Job skills tests
• Psychological tests
• Why Use Testing?
• Increased work demands = more testing
• Screen out bad or dishonest employees
• Reduce turnover by personality profiling

6–31
Computerized and Online Testing
• Online tests
• Telephone prescreening
• Offline computer tests
• Virtual “inbox” tests
• Online problem-solving tests
• Types of Tests
• Specialized work sample tests
• Numerical ability tests
• Reading comprehension tests
• Clerical comparing and checking tests

6–32
 Types of Tests

What Tests
Measure

Cognitive Motor and

Personality and
(Mental) Physical Achievement
Interests
Abilities Abilities

6–33
 Work Samples and Simulations

Measuring Work
Performance Directly

Management Video-Based Miniature Job

Work Samples Assessment Situational Training and
Centers Testing Evaluation

6–34
 Background Investigations and
Reference Checks
Investigations and Checks
• Reference checks
• Background employment checks
• Criminal records
• Educational qualifications
• Credit checks
Why?
• To verify factual information provided by applicants.
• To uncover damaging information.

6–35
 FIGURE 6–7
Reference
Checking Form

6–36
 Background Investigations and
Reference Checks (continued)
Former Employers

Current Supervisors

Sources of Commercial Credit

Information Rating Companies

Written References

Social Networking Sites

6–37
 Limitations on Background
Investigations and Reference Checks
Legal Issues:
Defamation

Background
Employer Investigations Legal Issues:
Guidelines and Privacy
Reference Checks

Supervisor
Reluctance

6–38
Making Background Checks More Useful
1. Include on the application form a statement for applicants to sign
explicitly authorizing a background check.
2. Use telephone references if possible.
3. Be persistent in obtaining information.
4. Use references provided by the candidate as a source for other
references.
5. Ask open-ended questions to elicit more information from
references.

6–39
 Using Preemployment Information Services
Acquisition and Use of Background Information

1 Disclosure to and authorization by applicant/employee

2 Employer certification to reporting agency

3 Providing copies of reports to applicant/employee

4 Notice of adverse action to applicant/employee

6–40
Physical Examination
• Reasons for preemployment medical examinations:
• To verify that the applicant meets the physical requirements of the position.
• To discover any medical limitations to be taken into account in placing the
applicant.
• To establish a record and baseline of the applicant’s health for future
insurance or compensation claims.
• To reduce absenteeism and accidents.
• To detect communicable diseases that may be unknown to the applicant.

6–41
Interviewing Candidates
 Basic Features of Interviews

Selection Interviews

Interview Interview Interview

Structure Content Administration

7–43
 Types of Interviews

Selection Interview

Types of
Appraisal Interview
Interviews

Exit Interview

7–44
 Interview Formats

Interview
Formats

Structured
Unstructured or
or
Nondirective
Directive
Interview
Interview

7–45
 FIGURE 7–1
Officer
Programs
Applicant
Interview Form

Source: Adapted from

http://www.uscg.mil/jobs/dc/DCPro
grams/OProgramForms/PDFS/DCA/I
nterview%20CG-5527.pdf. Accessed
May 9, 2007.

7–46
 FIGURE 7–1
Officer
Programs
Applicant
Interview Form
(continued)

Source: Adapted from

http://www.uscg.mil/jobs/dc/DCPro
grams/OProgramForms/PDFS/DCA/I
nterview%20CG-5527.pdf. Accessed
May 9, 2007.

7–47
 Interview Content

Types of
Questions

Situational Behavioral Job-Related Stress

Interview Interview Interview Interview

7–48
 Administering the Interview
Unstructured
Sequential Interview

Web-Assisted Structured Sequential

Interviews Interview

Ways in Which
Interviews Can Be
Computerized Conducted Panel
Interviews Interview

Phone and Video Mass

Interviews Interview

7–49
 What Can Undermine An Interview’s Usefulness?

Nonverbal Behavior and

First Impressions (Snap
Impression
Judgments)
Management

Interviewer’s Factors
Applicant’s Personal
Misunderstanding of Affecting Characteristics
the Job
Interviews

Candidate-Order
Interviewer
(Contrast) Error and
Behavior
Pressure to Hire

7–50
 Designing and Conducting An Effective
Interview
• The Structured Situational Interview
• Use either situational questions or behavioral questions
that yield high criteria-related validities.
Step 1: Job Analysis
Step 2: Rate the Job’s Main Duties
Step 3: Create Interview Questions
Step 4: Create Benchmark Answers
Step 5: Appoint the Interview Panel and Conduct
Interviews

7–51
How to Conduct a More Effective Interview
Suggestions:

1 Structure Your Interview

2 Prepare for the Interview

3 Establish Rapport
4 Ask Questions
5 Close the Interview
6 Review the Interview

7–52
Effective Interviews
• Structure the Interview:
1. Use job knowledge, situational or behavioral questions, and objective criteria to evaluate
interviewee’s responses.
2. Base questions on actual job duties.
3. Train interviewers.
4. Use the same questions with all candidates.
5. Use descriptive rating scales (excellent, fair, poor) to rate answers.
6. Use multiple interviewers or panel interviews.
7. If possible, use a standardized interview form.
8. Take control of the interview.
9. Take brief, unobtrusive notes during the interview.
10. Close the interview positively and review it soon.

7–53
 FIGURE 7–2 Examples of Questions That Provide Structure

Situational Questions
1. Suppose a co-worker was not following standard work procedures. The co-worker was more
experienced than you and claimed the new procedure was better. Would you use the new
procedure?
2. Suppose you were giving a sales presentation and a difficult technical question arose that
you could not answer. What would you do?
Past Behavior Questions
3. Based on your past work experience, what is the most significant action you have ever taken
to help out a co-worker?
4. Can you provide an example of a specific instance where you developed a sales
presentation that was highly effective?
Background Questions
5. What work experiences, training, or other qualifications do you have for working in a
teamwork environment?
6. What experience have you had with direct point-of-purchase sales?
Job Knowledge Questions
7. What steps would you follow to conduct a brainstorming session with a group of employees
on safety?
8. What factors should you consider when developing a television advertising campaign?
Source: Michael Campion, David
Palmer, and James Campion, “A
Review of Structure in the Selection
7–54 Interview,” Personnel Psychology
(1997), p. 668.
 FIGURE 7–3 Suggested Supplementary Questions for Interviewing Applicants
1. How and why did you choose this line of work?
2. What did you enjoy most about your last job?
3. What did you like least about your last job?
4. What has been your greatest frustration or disappointment on your present job? Why?
5. What are some of the pluses and minuses of your last job?
6. What were the circumstances surrounding your leaving your last job?
7. Did you give notice?
8. Why should we be hiring you?
9. What do you expect from this employer?
10. What are three things you will not do in your next job?
11. What would your last supervisor say your three weaknesses are?
12. What are your major strengths?
13. How can your supervisor best help you obtain your goals?
14. How did your supervisor rate your job performance?
15. In what ways would you change your last supervisor?
16. What are your career goals during the next 1–3 years? 5–10 years?
17. How will working for this company help you reach those goals?
18. What did you do the last time you received instructions with which you disagreed?
19. What are some things about which you and your supervisor disagreed? What did you do?
20. Which do you prefer, working alone or working with groups?
21. What motivated you to do better at your last job?
22. Do you consider your progress in that job representative of your ability? Why?
23. Do you have any questions about the duties of the job for which you have applied?
24. Can you perform the essential functions of the job for which you have applied?

Source: Reprinted from www.HR.BLR.com with permission of the publisher Business and Legal
Reports, Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road East, Old Saybrook, CT © 2004.
7–55
 FIGURE 7–4
Interview
Evaluation Form

Source: Reprinted from www.HR.BLR.com with

permission of the publisher Business and Legal
Reports Inc. 141 Mill Rock Road East, Old
Saybrook, CT © 2004.

7–56
 FIGURE 7–5 Interview Questions to Ask

7–57
 FIGURE 7–A1
Structured Interview
Guide

Source: Copyright
1992.
The Dartnell
Corporation,
Chicago, IL.
Adapted with
permission.

7–58
 FIGURE 7–A1
Structured Interview
Guide
(continued)

7–59
 FIGURE 7–A1
Structured Interview
Guide
(continued)

7–60
THANK YOU