Chapter 4

EMPLOYEE SELECTION: RECRUITING AND

INTERVIEWING

How can you be at your best when you are applying for your chosen job? How to answer
interview questions with a heart? What to wear during job interviews? How to make an
impressive but honest application letter and resume? These are the common scenarios that you’ll
be in two years from now. Finding the answers to those aforementioned questions.

Learning Objectives:
1. Know how to recruit applicants
2. Understand the difference of structured and unstructured interview
3. Know how to perform well during job interviews
4. Learn how to write a resume and a cover letter

This chapter will explore ways to recruit employees and explain job hunting methods, and
then discuss interviewing techniques as well as offer some tips that you can use to help find and
obtain your desired job. One of the most difficult task of an HR personnel is to find the best
person among number of employees to be part of the work organization. The knowledge from
the process of recruiting and interviewing may prepare you to be a responsible and wise person
in-charge of hunting the most deserving applicants to be hired.

Employee Recruitment
An important step in selecting employees is recruitment: attracting people with the right
qualifications (as determined in the job analysis) to apply for the job. Recruitment methods have
changed tremendously over the past 20 years. Some twenty years ago, most employees were
recruited through advertisements seen from the newspapers and other trade publications. In the
21st century, the internet serves as a primary source both for employers advertising jobs as well
as for applicants searching for jobs.

Recruitment could either be internal or external.

• Internal Recruitment is the process of recruiting employees already employed within
the organization.
• External Recruitment means recruiting employees from outside the organization.
The Recruitment and Selection Process

Source: Telenor, Recruitment and Selection Process Retrieved from slideshare.net

Media Advertisements
Newspaper Ads
Running ads in periodicals such as local newspapers or professional journals. This is the least
effective recruitment methods nowadays.

Typically the applicant respond in one of four ways:

• Calling
Recruitment ads in which applicants are instructed to call rather than to apply in person
or send resumes.

• Apply-in person ads

Recruitment ads that instruct applicants to apply in person rather than to call or send
resumes.
 • Send-resume ads
Recruitment ads in which applicants are instructed to send their resume to the company
rather than call or apply in person.

• Blind box
Recruitment ads that instruct applicants to send their resume to a box at the newspaper,
neither the name nor the address of the company is provided.

Electronic Media
The use of both television and radio as a mode of recruitment.

Point-of-Purchase Methods
The point-of-purchase method of recruitment is based on the concepts of “POP” (point-of-
purchase) advertising principles used to market products to consumer.
In employee recruitment, job vacancy notices are posted in places where customers or current
employees are likely to see them, either on the store windows, bulletin boards, restaurant
placemats, and the sides of the trucks or buses. The advantages of this method are that it is
inexpensive and it is targeted toward people who frequently visit or use the facilities. The
disadvantage is that only a limited number of people are exposed to the sign.

Recruiters
Campus Recruiters
Many organizations send recruiters to college campuses and universities to answer questions
about themselves and interview students for available positions.

• Virtual job fair

A job fair held on campus which students can “tour” a company online, ask questions of
recruiters, and electronically send resumes.

Outside Recruiters
Employment agency are organization that specializes in finding jobs for applicants and finding
applicants for organizations looking for employees.

Executive search firms are often called headhunters, that specialize in placing applicants in
high-paying jobs. These firms primarily look for higher-paying positions like intended for
executives, engineers, and computer programmers. Where these reputable executive search firms
always charge their fees to organizations rather than to applicants.
Public Employment Agencies, these are employment service operated by a state or local
government, designed to match applicants with job openings for example the Public
Employment Service Office (PESO)in the country.

Employee Referrals is a method of recruitment in which a current employee refers a friend or

family member for a job. Research indicates that employee referrals are an excellent recruitment
source. Employee referrals are more likely to be hired and have longer tenure with an
organization than those employees recruited through other means (Breaugh, 2008; Brown, Setren
& Topa, 2013; Zotolli and Wanous, 2000).

Direct Mail
A method of recruitment in which an organization sends out mass mailings of information about
job openings to potential applicants.

Internet
The Internet continues to be a fast-growing source of recruitment.

Employer-Based Websites
When employer-based websites, an organization lists available job openings and provides
information about itself and the minimum requirements needed to apply to a particular
job.

Job Boards
A job board is a private company whose website lists job openings for hundreds or
thousands of organizations and resumes for millions of applicants. There are job boards
that are specific to a particular industry or skill set.

Social Media, these includes LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.

Job Fair is a recruitment method in which several employers are available at one location so that
many applicants can obtain information at one time. Job fairs are typically conducted in one of
three ways. In the first, many types of organizations have booths at the same location. The
second type of job fair has many organizations in the same field in one location. And the third
approach of job fair is for an organization to hold its own. The latter mentioned approach is
definitely more expensive than multiemployer job fairs, it has the advantage of focusing the
attention of the applicants on only one company.

Effective Employee Selection Technique

If the recruitment process was successful, an organization will have several applicants from
which to choose. Many techniques can be used to select the best person from the pool of
applicants. Effective employee selection systems are valid (where a selection test is based on a
job analysis, predict work-related behavior, and the test measure what it intends to measure). A
selection test must reduce the chance of a legal challenge if it appears to be job related and the
questions do not invade one’s privacy. The test must also be cost effective to purchase or create,
to administer and to score.

What Is a Job Interview?

A job interview is a selection process used by organizations to help determine whether a job
candidate has the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the job. It may also be used
to see if there is a good fit between the applicant and organization from a standpoint of culture
and values. In this lesson, we're going to review some of the interview types that are used by
organizations in selecting the proper candidate for the position.

Types of Interviews

Structured Interview
Structured interviews are standardized interviews with the questions usually based upon an
analysis of the job. This ensures that all applicants receive the same questions that are based
upon the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the position. This standardization allows
for objective and easy comparison between applicants. You can think of a structured interview
as a type of job test because each applicant can be scored using a scoring key.

Unstructured Interviews
These are interviews that are not standardized. The interview process and questions will differ
from applicant to applicant. This is not really a good type of interview because it doesn't
provide a reasonable basis to compare job applicants, since each applicant is subject to varying
questions, in varying order, conducted in varying ways. Questions may discuss topics such as:
✓ Education
✓ Skills
✓ Experience
✓ work history
✓ strengths and weaknesses
✓ why you want the job
✓ why you want to work for the organization
✓ short- and long-term goals

Source: Shawn Grimskey, Study.com Video Team, (February 1, 2016), Job Interview: Meaning and Types-
Your Article Library Retrieved from www.yourarticlelibrary.com>job-interview....
Style
▪ One-on-one interviews
▪ Serial interviews
▪ Return interviews
▪ Panel interviews
▪ Group interviews

Medium
▪ Face-to-face interviews
▪ Telephone interviews
▪ Videoconference interviews
▪ Written interviews

Sample interview Questions

1. Can you tell me a little about yourself?
2. How did you hear about the position?
3. What do you know about the company?
4. Why do you want this job?
5. Why should we hire you?
6. What are your greatest professional strengths?
7. What do you consider to be your weaknesses?
8. What is your greatest professional achievement?
9. Where do you see yourself five years from now?
10. How do you deal with pressure or stressful situations?
11. What would your 30, 60 or 90 days look like in this role?
12. What are your salary requirements?
13. What do you think we could do better or differently?
14. Do you have any question for us?

Tips for answering interview questions

How to answer questions and make a good impression at interviews.
(careers.govt.nz)
• Remember that, first impressions count
Interviewers will start assessing you as soon as they meet you, so your presentation and
attitude are important. To make a good first impression:
• Arrive on time
• Dress smartly
• Smile when you meet people
 • Be professional as soon as you enter the building. The receptionist and anyone else you
meet might tell the interviewer what they think of you.

How to answer interview questions?

• Speak clearly and vary your tone to show you’re interested and enthusiastic.
• Take time to think about each question before answering so you can give a good
response.
• Listen to questions carefully and let the interviewer lead the conversation. If you don't
understand a question, ask for it to be explained or repeated.
• If you’ve had a job before don’t criticize previous employers or co-workers.
• Give examples from your experience that demonstrate your knowledge and skills.
• Show confidence in your skills and be positive about what you have done.
• Tips when you are asked about your experience
When you answer interview questions about something you’ve done it is best to use the STAR
method (situation, task, action, result).

Situation – describe what the situation was.

Task – describe the task you had to do.
Action – describe what you did to achieve the task.
Result – describe the final result.

How to Write a Cover Letter in 2020 | Beginner's Guide

March 6, 2020
novoresume.com>career-blog>how-to-write-a-cover- 13 min read

What’s a Cover Letter & Why It’s Important for Your Job Search
How to Write a Convincing Cover Letter That Gets You the Job step-by-step?

What is a Cover Letter and Why It’s Important?

A cover letter is a one-page document that you submit as part of your job application
(alongside your CV or Resume).

Its purpose is to introduce yourself and briefly summarize your professional background. On
average, your cover letter should be from 250 to 400 words long.

A good cover letter can spark the HR manager’s interest and get them to read your resume.

A bad cover letter, on the other hand, might mean that your application is going directly to the
paper shredder. So, to make sure this doesn’t happen, it’s essential to know how to write a
convincing cover letter.
Keep in mind, though, that a cover letter is a supplement to your resume, not a replacement.
Meaning, you don’t just repeat whatever is mentioned in your resume.

If you’re writing a cover letter for the first time, writing all this might seem pretty tough. After
all, you’re probably not a professional writer.

The thing is, though, you don’t need to be creative, or even any good at writing. All you have
to do is follow a tried-and-tested format:

Header - Input contact information

Greeting the hiring manager
Opening paragraph - Grab the reader’s attention with 2-3 of your top achievements
Second paragraph - Explain why you’re the perfect candidate for the job
Third paragraph - Explain why you’re a good match for the company
Formal closing

Writing a cover letter step by step

Step #1 - Pick the Right Cover Letter Template
A good cover letter is all about leaving the right first impression.

Step #2 - Start the Cover Letter with a Header

As with a resume, it’s important to start your cover letter with a Contact Information section.

Here’s the essential information, including:

Full Name
Phone Number
Email
Date
Name of the hiring manager / their professional title
Name of the company you’re applying to

In certain cases, you might also consider adding:

Social Media Profiles - Any type of profile that’s relevant to your field. Social Profiles on
websites like LinkedIn, GitHub (for developers), Dribble (for designers), etc.
Personal Website - If you have a personal website that somehow adds value to your
application, you can mention it. Let’s say you’re a professional writer. In that case, you’d want
to link to your blog.

And here’s what you shouldn’t mention in your header:

Your Address / City of Residence - This is something you include in your resume, not the cover
letter.
Unprofessional Email - Make sure your email is presentable. It’s pretty hard for a hiring
manager to take you seriously if your email address is “brooklyplaya@gmail.com.” Whenever
applying for jobs, stick to the “[first name] + [last name] @ email provider.com” format.

Step #3 - Greet the Hiring Manager

Once you’ve properly listed your contact information, you need to start writing the cover letter
contents.

The first thing to do here is to address the cover letter to the hiring manager. That’s right, the
hiring manager! Not the overly popular “Dear Sir or Madam.” You want to show your future
boss that you did your research and are really passionate about working with their team. So,
you do a quick look up on LinkedIn.
If this doesn’t work, you can also check out the “Team” page on the company website; there’s
a good chance you’ll at least find the right person there.

Still can’t seem to find the right person? Here are several other greetings you could use:

Dear [Department] Hiring Manager

Dear Hiring Manager
To whom it may concern
Dear [Department] Team
Step #4 - Write an Attention-Grabbing Introduction
First impressions matter, especially when it comes to your job search.

Recruiters get hundreds, sometimes even thousands, of applications. Chances are, they’re not
going to be reading every single cover letter end-to-end.

So, it’s essential to catch their attention from the very first paragraph.

The number 1 problem we see with most cover letter opening paragraphs is that they’re
usually extremely generic. Start off with 2-3 of your top achievements to really grab the
reader’s attention. Preferably, the achievements should be as relevant as possible to the
position.

Step #5 - Explain why you’re the perfect person for the job
This is where you show off your professional skills and convince the HR manager that you’re
a better fit for the job than all the other applicants. But first things first - before you even write
anything, you need to learn what the most important requirements for the role are. So, open up
the job ad and identify which of the responsibilities are the most critical.

Step #6 - Explain why you’re a good fit for the company

You need to convince the HR manager that you’re really passionate about working with them.
Make sure to do a lot of research and come up with good reasons why you're applying.

Step #7 - Wrap up with a call to action

Finally, it’s time to finish up your cover letter and write the conclusion.

Step #8 - Use the right formal closing

Once you’re done with the final paragraph, all you have to do is write down a formal
“goodbye” and you’re good to go.
Feel free to use one of the most popular conclusions to a cover letter:
Best Regards,
Kind Regards,
Sincerely,
Thank you,
Before sending off the cover letter, make sure to proofread it, or maybe even get a friend to
review it for you.

Cover Letter Writing Checklist

1) Does your cover letter heading include all essential information?
Full Name
Professional email
Phone Number
Date
Relevant Social Media Profiles
2) Do you address the right person? I.e. hiring manager in the company / your future direct
supervisor
3) Does your introductory paragraph grab the reader's attention?
Did you mention 2-3 of your top achievements?
Did you use numbers and facts to back up your experience?
4) Do you successfully convey that you’re the right pro for the job?
Did you identify the core requirements?
Did you successfully convey how your experiences help you fit the requirements perfectly?
5) Do you convince the hiring manager that you’re passionate about the company you’re
applying to?
Did you identify the top 3 things that you like about the company?
Did you avoid generic reasons for explaining your interest in the company?
6) Did you finalize the conclusion with a call to action?
7) Did you use the right formal closure for the cover letter?

Writing a Resume
Resumes are summaries of an applicant’s professional and educational background. Resumes
can be viewed in one to two ways: as a history of your life or as an advertisement of your skills.
Resumes written as a history of one’s life tend to be long and to list every job ever worked, as
well personal information such as hobbies, marital status, and personal health. Resumes written
as advertisement of skills tend to be shorter and contain only information that is both positive
and relevant to a job seeker’s desired career.

Characteristics of Effective Resumes

1. The resume must be attractive and easy to read.
2. The resume cannot contain typing, spelling, grammatical, or factual mistakes.
3. The resume should make the applicant look as qualified as possible-without lying.

If a resume follows the above three rules-it looks nice, it doesn’t contain mistakes and it
makes the applicant look as good as possible, it is an effective resume.

Types of Resumes
1. Chronological Resume list previous jobs in order from the most to the least recent. This
type of resume is useful for applicants whose previous jobs were related to their future
plans and whose work histories do not contain gaps.

2. Functional Resume organizes jobs based on the skills required to perform them rather
than the order in which they worked. These are useful for applicants who are either
changing careers or have gaps in their work histories.

3. Psychological Resume contains the strengths of both the chronological and functional
styles and is based on sound psychological theory and research.