1/7/2024

H U M A N R E S O U R C E S
M A N AG E M E N T
Chapter 4
RECRUITMENT
AND
SELECTION

CONTENT
1. Recruiting in labor market
2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

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1. Recruiting in labor markets

 Recruiting: The process of generating a pool of
qualified applicants for organizational jobs.
“If the number of available candidates only equals the number
of people to be hired, there is no real selection—the choice
has already been made.”

 Labor markets
The external sources from which organizations attract
employees.

1. Recruiting in labor markets

 Labor force population: All individuals who are available for
selection if all possible recruitment strategies are used.

 Applicant population: A subset of the labor force population

that is available for selection using a particular recruiting approach.

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1. Recruiting in labor markets

 At least four recruiting decisions affect the nature of the applicant
population:
o Recruiting method: advertising medium chosen and considering use of
employment agencies
o Recruiting message: what is said about the job and how it is said
o Applicant qualifications required: education level and amount of experience
necessary
o Administrative procedures: time of year recruiting is done, the follow-ups
with applicants, and use of previous applicant files
 Applicant pool: All persons who are actually evaluated for selection.

1. Recruiting in labor markets

 Recruiting Decisions
HR Planning Decisions
• How Many Employees Needed
• When Needed
• KSAs Needed
• Special Qualifications

Strategic Recruiting Decisions

• Where to Recruit: Internal/External
• Who to Recruit: Flexible Staffing Options
• Nature of Job Requirements: Review the Job Requirements

Decisions on Recruiting Sources/Methods

• Advertising Choices
• Recruiting Activities

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1. Recruiting in labor markets
Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal and External Sources
Recruiting Advantages
Source
Internal • Morale of promote
• Better assessment of abilities
• Lower cost for some jobs
• Motivator for good performance
• Causes a succession of promotions
• Have to hire only at entry level
External • New “blood” brings new perspectives
• Cheaper and faster than training
professionals
• No group of political supporters in
organization already
• May bring new industry insights
1. Recruiting in labor markets
Typical Recruiting Responsibilities
HR Unit
• Forecasts recruiting needs
• Prepares copy for recruiting ads
and campaigns
• Plans and conducts recruiting
efforts
• Audits and evaluates all recruiting
activities
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Disadvantages
• Inbreeding
• Possible morale problems of those not
promoted
• “Political” infighting for promotions
• Need for management-development
program
• May not select someone who will “fit”
the job or organization
• May cause morale problems for
internal candidates not selected
• Longer “adjustment” or orientation
time
Managers
• Anticipate needs for employees to
fill vacancies
• Determine KSAs needed from
applicants
• Assist in recruiting effort with
information about job
requirements
• Review recruiting efforts activities
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1. Recruiting in labor markets

Recruiting Sources/Methods
Internal Recruiting
 Job posting and bidding: A system in which the employer provides notices
of job openings within the organization and employees respond by
applying for specific openings.
 Promotion and Transfer
 Recruiting Former Employees and Applicants
 Internal Recruiting Database

1. Recruiting in labor markets

Recruiting Sources/Methods
External Recruiting
 School recruiting: High schools or vocational/technical schools
 College Recruiting
 Labor Unions
 Media Sources
 Trade and Competitive Sources
 Employment Agencies
 Executive Search Firms
 Internet Recruiting

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1. Recruiting in labor markets

What to Include in an Effective Recruiting Advertisement

INFORMATION ON THE CANDIDATE

• Years of experience
• Three to five key characteristics of the successful candidate
INFORMATION ON THE JOB AND PROCESS OF APPLICATION
• Job title and responsibilities
• Location of job
• Starting pay range
• Closing date for application
• Whether to submit a resume and cover letter
• Whether calls are invited or not
• Where to mail application or resume
INFORMATION ON THE ORGANIZATION
• That it is an EEO employer
• Its primary business

1. Recruiting in labor markets

Recruiting Evaluation
 Quantity of applicants
 EEO goals met (*)
 Quality of applicants
 Cost per applicant hired
 Time required to fill openings
 Selection rates: the percentage hired from a given group of
applicants
= Number of hired
Number of applicants

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1. Recruiting in labor markets

Recruiting Evaluation

 Base rate = Good employees

People were hired at random

 Yield ratios: A comparison of the number of applicants at one stage

of the recruiting process to the number at the next stage.

1. Recruiting in labor markets

Using Yield Ratios to Determine Needed Applicants

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1. Recruiting in labor markets

Evaluating Recruiting Costs and Benefits
 Cost: costs may include both
o direct costs: advertising, recruiters’ salaries, travel, agency fees,
telephone
o indirect costs: involvement of operating managers, public relations,
image
 Benefits to consider include the following:
o Length of time from contact to hire
o Total size of applicant pool
o Proportion of acceptances to offers
o Percentage of qualified applicants in the pool

2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

 Selection: The process of choosing individuals who have relevant
qualifications to fill jobs in an organization.
 Placement: Fitting a person to the right job.

“Good training will not make up for bad selection.”

“If you don’t hire the right one, your competitor will.”

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2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Reasons Applicants Are Selected or Rejected

2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Selection Strategy Choices
Closely Match Job/Person KSAs for Use General Predictors
Selection When: for Selection When:
• New employee will be closely monitored so • Employees work independently, having a
that performance problems will be obvious. high degree of autonomy and low structure,
• KSAs brought to job are more important which requires conscientiousness to
than what employees learn on the job. succeed.
• Few changes will occur in the jobs and the • KSAs learned on the job are more
changes will be gradual when they occur. important than those brought to the job.
• One job candidate clearly has greatly • Many changes and much problem solving
superior KSAs. are necessary, and employees must learn
very quickly, using creative approaches.
• Several job candidates are virtually equal in
key KSAs.

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2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Elements of Selection Criteria for Operational Predictors
Job Performance Employees Who Will of Selection Criteria
Meet Performance
Goals
• Quantity of work • Ability • Experience
• Quality of work • Motivation • Past performance
• Compatibility • Intelligence • Physical skills
with others • Conscientiousness • Education
• Presence at work • Appropriate risk for • Interests
• Length of service employer • Salary requirements
• Flexibility • Appropriate • Certificates held degrees
permanence • Test scores
• Personality measures
• Work references
• Tenure on previous jobs
• Previous jobs held
• Drug test
• Police Record

2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Typical Selection Responsibilities

HR Unit
•Provides initial employment
reception
•Conducts initial screening interview
•Administers appropriate
employment tests
•Obtains background and reference
information
•Refers top candidates to managers
for final selection
•Arranges for the employment
physical examination, if used
•Evaluates success of selection
process
Managers
• Requisition employees with
specific qualifications to fill jobs
• Participate in selection process as
appropriate
• Interview final candidates
• Make final selection decision,
subject to advice of HR specialists
• Provide follow-up information on
the suitability of selected
individuals

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2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

The Selection Process
Applicant arrives at organization
Reception - Jobs Open? –Yes
Job Preview/Interest Screen
Application Form
Test Interview
Background Investigation
Additional Interview (optional)
Conditional Job Offer

Medical Exam/Drug Test

Job Placement

2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

 In addition to matching qualified people to jobs, the selection
process has an important public-relations dimension.
o Discriminatory hiring practices
o Impolite interviewers
o Unnecessarily long waits
o Inappropriate testing procedures
o Lack of follow-up letters
 Realistic Job Previews: The process through which an
interviewer provides a job applicant with an accurate picture of a
job.

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2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Selection Testing
 Ability tests: Tests that assess learned skills.
 Aptitude tests: Tests that measure general ability to learn or
acquire a skill.
 Work sample tests: Tests that require an applicant to perform a
simulated job task.
 Mental ability tests: Tests that measure reasoning capabilities.
 Psychological/Personality Tests: Personality is a unique blend
of individual characteristics that affect interaction with the
environment and help define a person.

2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

 Polygraph and Honesty Testing: These include polygraph tests
and paper-and-pencil honesty tests
 Questionable tests:
o Graphology
o Psychics
o Blood type

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2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

 Selection Interviewing: Interview designed to identify information on
a candidate and clarify information from other sources.
 Types of Interviews:
o Structured interview: Interview that uses a set of standardized
questions asked of all job applicants.
o Situational interview: A structured interview composed of
questions about how applicants might handle specific job situations.
o Behavioral description interview: Interview in which applicants
give specific examples of how they have performed or handled
problems in the past.
o Nondirective interview: Interview that uses general questions, from
which other questions are developed.
o Stress interview: Interview designed to create anxiety and put
pressure on an applicant to see how the person responds.
o Panel interview: Interview in which several interviewers interview
the candidate at the same time.

2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

POOR QUESTIONS
 Questions that rarely produce a true answer
 Leading questions
 Illegal questions
 Obvious questions
 Questions that are not job related

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2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Problems in the Interview:
• Snap judgments
• Negative emphasis
• Halo effect
• Biases
• Cultural noise

2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Types of References
 Academic references
 Prior work references
 Financial references
 Law enforcement records
 Personal references

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2. Selecting and Placing Human Resources

Factors Interviewers Consider in the Interview
• Confidence
• Maturity
• Appearance
• Work experience
• Fluency
• Body language
• GPA
• Outside activities
• Career goals
• Initiative
• Emotional stability (EQ)
• Appropriate responses
• Enthusiasm

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