Selection Process at Walmart

•Selection Criteria.
Walmart’s selection criteria depend on the job
position. Basic criteria include education and training
background and results of criminal background checks.
For hourly sales positions, Walmart uses knowledge
retention (e.g. on product details) and interpersonal
skills. Interpersonal skills are essential for these
positions because sales personnel directly
communicate with customers. Walmart’s human
resource management also uses analytical and
problem-solving abilities and conflict management
skills for supervisory and managerial positions.
Supervisors and managers are expected to analyze and
solve problems, and resolve conflicts in the workplace.
• Methods & Techniques.
Walmart’s human resource management uses structured
interviews and job knowledge evaluation for most job
positions in the organization. Structured interviews are
used to determine details like the applicant’s perspective
and expectations about Walmart. This information
determines the person-job and person-organization fit.
Walmart also uses personality tests and situational
judgment tests for many positions, although these tests are
typically used for managerial positions, especially for
positions in human resource management, finance and
others. Personality tests help in deciding whether the
applicant could function well in the context of the
company’s culture and nature of business. Situational
judgment tests determine analytical and problem-solving
abilities. These different tests ensure a comprehensive
human resource management approach for the selection of
workers throughout the global structure of Walmart.
 SELECTION PRACTICES IN OTHER
COMPANIES
• Siemens India– It uses extensive psychometric
instruments to evaluate listed candidates. It
also prepares a personality questionnaire to
understand the candidate’s personality.
• PepsiCo India-- Company uses competency
based interviewing technique that look at
candidate’s abilities in terms of strategizing,
lateral thinking, problem solving in the real
environment.
• BIG BAZAAR
i. Interview: For entry level jobs, the candidates are
interviewed by a HR person. They are asked a few basis
questions about their education, previous work experience if
any, languages known etc. This is done to evaluate the
candidate’s ability to communicate freely and also other skills.
ii. Psychometric Tests
For higher and top level jobs, candidates are asked to answer
a few questions which basically test their sharpness, analytical
ability, ability to handle stress, presence of mind etc. This is
done as Managers are required to work under stress all the
time and still maintain a cool head to make some vital
decisions. iii. Group Discussion:
In campus recruitment students are involved in a Group
Discussion, where they will be given a topic on which the group
has to deliberate, discuss and arrive at a solution or a decision
which is accepted by the whole group. Along with the G D they
are also given a written aptitude test. Finally a formal interview
will be conducted to assess the overall skills of the student
• Unilever Kenya
Unilever has a very intensive candidate screening and examining
process. n this process, the first stage is the application form which
provides the selectors with crucial background information. This
mostly concentrates on the personal details, education activities
and interests. The application form makes it easy to quickly judge
the substantive requirements such as whether the candidate has
the required qualification or not and it shows a candidates previous
progress and growth an information which is particularly important
in selecting candidates for managerial positions .
The candidates whose application forms are approved proceed to
take aptitude and psychometric tests as a means of obtaining
objective, reliable and relevant information on the candidate. These
are meant to measure the individuals potential to develop and to
establish the individual’s intelligence. The advantage of the aptitude
and psychometric tests is that it gives a clear picture of applicants’
mental, psychological and physical capabilities. The team of
selectors can know with certainty whether a candidate is likely to
succeed or to fail. Those who succeed are taken through Interviews
by selectors.