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MODULE 04
SELECTION :
CONCEPT &
PROCESS
SELECTION

• The selection process involves putting applicants through activities

such as skills tests and employment interviews to evaluate their
capabilities and qualifications so that the organization can choose
whom to hire. The methods an organization uses to assess and select
job candidates will determine how well the firm’s new hires, and thus
the company as a whole, will perform
Why Careful Selection is Important

The Importance of Selecting

the Right Employees

Organizational Costs of recruiting Legal obligations

performance and hiring and liability
SELECTION PROCESS

• The first step is the initial screening of potential candidates based on

qualifications as described in the job description and job specification such
as appropriate experience, skills, and education. Many organizations
simplify the screening process by utilizing software to sort through the
submitted applications. Unqualified applicants are notified and may be kept
in a database for future openings. Qualified applicants are forwarded to HR
for screening interviews. Screening software is often included in a package
of services that will design the company ’ s career website, forward
openings to job boards and social media, and track applicant and hiring data
for HR metrics such as “time to hire”.
SELECTION PROCESS

• Screening interviews are often done by phone and are an excellent

opportunity for HRM to describe the job in enough detail so that the
candidates can consider if they are actually serious about applying.
They are typically short discussions of the candidate’s relevant
experience as submitted on the application form. It’s also a way to
assess communication skills. Screeners need to remember that the
candidate is forming an impression of the company at the same time,
so it’s important to be friendly, professional, honest, and to project the
company culture or employment brand. Explain when the next step
will occur and what to expect.
APPLICATION FORMS
• The applicant may be required to complete the application for
before or after the phone screening interview. It may be online
or hard copy format and includes contact information,
education, experience, skills, accomplishments, and references.
Applications may also obtain other job‐related information the
company wants and needs in order to make a proper selection.
Completing the application also serves as another hurdle. If the
application is incomplete or contains errors, then it is a job‐
related reason for rejection. Finally, applications require a
signature attesting to the truthfulness of the information given
and giving permission to check references. If, at a later point,
the company finds out the information is false, it can justify
immediate dismissal.
WEIGHTED APPLICATION FORMS

• Weighted application forms help HRM screen applicants based on

traits that indicate success on the job. In order to do that,
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characteristics of successful employees are identified and given more

consideration than others that are not as likely to contribute to success.
For example, if HRM is interested in developing a weighted
application form that would predict which applicants for the job of
accountant would stay with the company,they would first examine the
application forms of previously hired accountants.
ONLINE APPLICATIONS

• Many companies provide the opportunity to complete applications

online, which feeds the candidate ’ s information directly into an HRIS
applicant tracking system or screening software. Employers who have
switched to online applications have found that in addition to helping
eliminate the use of paper, online applications provide significant cost
savings and help HRM with compliance issues through the use of
electronic forms such as an online I ‐9 form. This also assists HR in
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tracking the characteristics of successful candidates.

PREEMPLOYMENT TESTING

• A large majority of employers do some type of preemployment testing.

A wide variety of tests and testing providers can determine if
applicants have the skills they claim to have, if their personality is a
good fit with the job or company culture, cognitive ability, math skills,
integrity, and use of legal and illegal drugs. Many preemployment tests
can be administered online. For example, Lowes, Home Depot, and
Target give web‐based selection tests to applicants right in the stores.7

Employers recognize that the investment in time and cost of these

tests, combined with other selection tools and well ‐thought ‐out hiring
process, results in better quality hires
INTERVIEWING CANDIDATES

• Applicants who pass the initial screening, application form, and

required tests typically receive a comprehensive interview. The
applicant may be interviewed by HRM interviewers, senior managers
within the organization, a potential supervisor, colleagues, or a
combination. The comprehensive interview is designed to probe areas
not easily addressed by the application form or tests, such as assessing
a candidate’s motivation, values, ability to work under pressure,
attitude, and ability to “fit in” with the organizational culture. Many
organizations are adopting the philosophy of Southwest Airlines and
Four Seasons resorts, “Hire for Attitude, Train for Skill.”
INTERVIEW FORMATS

• One‐on‐One Interview The most common interview is the one‐on‐one format.

They allow a manager or HR professional to put the applicant at ease in a
nonthreatening atmosphere. When a large number of applicants must be
interviewed, this also is the most efficient use of management or HR personnel.
• Panel Interviews include a team of several interviewers who meet with the
candidate at the same time. Sets of questions are frequently created in advance and
assigned to panel members who may ask follow‐up questions. Following the
interview, panelists compare observations. The goal is a more reliable evaluation of
the applicant’s abilities when the panelists compare their impressions. Many
organizations are team oriented and empower their employees to take
responsibility for the day‐to‐day functions in their areas. When it’s important that
the new hire be welcomed into a cohesive work unit, many organizations involve
the work unit in the hiring decision
INTERVIEWS

• Online Interviews Use of online interviewing is expanding rapidly. Companies

such as HireVue and Spark Hire provide web‐based platforms that allow real‐time
one‐on‐one interviewing or “on‐demand” interviews that allow candidates to log
on at any time and answer a predetermined set of interview questions. Hilton
Worldwide uses online Interviews to make interview scheduling easier and
increase consistency and make more accurate comparisons between candidates.
• Structured Interviews Interviewers may choose to lead the interview in a
structured interview plan that includes a specific set of questions asked of all
candidates. This is also called a directive interview . The questions are usually
designed to determine how well the candidate is qualified for the essential
functions and job specifications on the job description. If all candidates have been
asked the same questions by the same interviewer or panel, they can be evaluated
in an “apples‐to‐apples” comparison.
INTERVIEWS

• Unstructured Interviews Also called nondirective interviews, unstructured

interviews are more like a free‐flowing conversation between the applicant and
interviewer. Questions are open‐ended and intended to let the applicant set the course
of the interview. Examples include “Tell me about yourself ” or “What type of
working environment do you prefer?” Unstructured interviews may give a greater
insight into the candidate’ s personality, but the topics covered can vary widely.
• Behavioral Interviews attempt to predict a candidate ’ s abilities by asking how they
handled situations in the past. Questions are designed to determine if the applicant has
job competencies necessary for success as determined in the job analysis. The
questions are open‐ended and may include complex problems or situations such as
describing a situation that required a job‐related skill such as disciplining an
employee, handling a difficult customer, or initiating a team‐building activity
INTERVIEWS

• Stress Interviews Stress interviews are staged events in which

interviewer deliberately creates an uncomfortable atmosphere to see
how the candidate will react under pressure. It may involve asking
rapid‐fire questions, challenging the applicant ’ s answer, or even
insulting the applicant. These may be helpful for positions that
encounter stressful situations on a regular basis such as law
enforcement or customer service.
WHAT INTERVIEWERS NEED TO
KNOW?
• Training supervisors and managers in how to interview effectively can
increase the odds of a successful hiring decision.
• Review the job description and job specification. Reviewing
pertinet information about the job provides valuable information on
how you will assess the candidate. Furthermore, knowledge of
relevant job requirements helps eliminate interview bias.
Prepare a set of questions to ask all applicants. A set of prepare
questions will increase the odds of finding out relevant information and
making better comparisons between candidates
INTERVIEWS

• Review the application form and resume before meeting a candidate. Don’t leave
the candidate waiting while you read their resume. Familiarize yourself with their
qualifications and potential job fit before the interview. It also shows a respect for
the candidate if you are prepared. You expect the candidate to be prepared; you
should be prepared too.
Open the interview by putting the applicant at ease and providing a brief review of
the topics to be discussed. Keep in mind that interviews are stressful for job
candidates. By opening with small talk (e.g., the weather), you give the candidate
time to adjust to the interview setting. Explaining the format of the interview and
topics to be discussed up front gives the candidate an agenda with which to begin
framing his or her responses to your questions. First interviews for entry‐level
positions usually last between 30 and 40 minutes. For higher‐level positions, they
should be longer, around 60–90 minutes.
 Definition

• An interview is a goal-oriented, interpersonal communication

between an interviewer and a respondent.

• It is primarily undertaken to accomplish a specific purpose,

perhaps to obtain information, to solve a problem or to persuade
someone to undertake some action.
Six
Strategies
for STATE THE PURPOSE :
FORMULATING INTERVIEW
GET THE INFORMATION ABOUT
THE OTHER PARTY: INTEREST
DECIDE THE STRUCTURE:
PLANNING OUGHT TO BE PUT IN

Planning GOALS LEVEL AND CAREFULNESS AND EXPECTED RESULTS

the
interview

CONSIDER POSSIBLE QUESTIONS: PLAN THE PHYSICAL SETTING: ANTICIPATE THE PROBLEMS:
DIRECT AND INDIRECT SEATING AND OTHER LOOKING FOR LOOPHOLES,
ARRANGEMENTS COMMUNICATION ISSUES, ETC.
Stages of Interview- The opening, body and closing
 Stages of interview - The Opening

• Initial greeting

• Brief informal conversation

• Helping the respondent to relax

• Building a rapport with him

• Brief overview of what is to follow

 Stages of interview - Body

• The interviewer’s role

Should not drift away from the agenda

Ensure that enough time is allotted to each item in the agenda
Listen actively to pick verbal and non-verbal hints
Taking notes sometimes advisable
Use investigative questions to stimulate a satisfactory response
 Stages of interview - Body

• Respondent’s role

Answer each question clearly and accurately

Ensure that answers are all tailored to achieve the purpose
Answers should be honest and focus on positive aspects
 Stages of interview- Closing

The interviewer’s role:

• Provide an opportunity to ask relevant questions.
• Respondent should be given some idea of future action expected
• Concluding with pleasantries.

Respondent’s role:
When interview is over following things need to be followed.
• Please get up and Thank the interviewer
• Say “Good day” and not “Good night”
 Types of Questions

• Open ended questions: Explore the breadth and depth of potential

information and provide opportunity to reveal feelings and information.
Ex
Which college you have graduated from?
Tell me something about yourself
If you had to explain our policy to a newcomer, what would you say?
If you were made the manager of this department, what changes would
you make?
 Guidelines for the Respondent

Don’t
• Be Dishonest

• Waste the interviewer’s time

• Misrepresent facts

• Go without thorough homework before the interview

• Go without a clear purpose

INTERVIEWS

• Ask your questions and listen carefully to the applicant’s answers.

Select follow up questions that naturally flow from the answers given.
Focus on the responses as they relate to information you need to
ensure that the candidate meets your job requirements. Any
uncertainty you may still have requires a follow ‐ up question to probe
further for the information.
• Take a few notes. After you interview several candidates, and you’ll
be surprised how hard it is to remember conversations and candidates.
In one study of an interview simulation, a 20 ‐minute videotape of a
selection interview was played for a group of 40 interviewers.
Following this, the interviewers were given a 20 ‐question test.
INTERVIEWS

• Close the interview by telling the applicant what is going to happen next.
Applicants are anxious about the status of your hiring decision. Be honest
about how many candidates will be interviewed and the remaining steps
in the hiring process. Give the candidate a time frame for your hiring
decision. In addition, tell the applicant how you will let him or her know
about your decision.
• Write your evaluation of the applicant while the interview is still fresh
in your mind. Don’t wait until the end of your day, after interviewing
several candidates, to write your analysis of a candidate. Memory can fail
you. The sooner you complete your write ‐up after an interview, the better
chance you have for accurately recording what occurred in the interview.
 Limitations

a. Lack of clearly defined technique to evaluate a candidate.

b. Biases of the interviewer.
c. Interview can help to judge the personality but not the
ability .
d. Variation in scoring a candidate.
e. Time consuming and expensive affair.
f. Negative effect of – Halo Effect.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

• Former employers should be called to confirm the candidate’s work

record and to obtain their performance appraisal. Frequently, you will
encounter employers who will be hesitant to provide detailed
information and will only provide the dates of employment. This is
usually due to a company policy in place to prevent defamation lawsuits
from former employees or the mistaken belief that providing more
information is illegal. Many states have passed laws protecting
employers from civil liability when providing employment verification.
• Educational accomplishments can be verified by asking for transcripts.
•.
Making Background Checks More Useful
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

Types Of Tests
 Ability Tests

Aptitude Test is conducted to find out:

Whether the candidate has the talent to do a specific job, or
Whether he has the ability to learn the job after giving him training.
• In short, aptitude test is done to find out whether the candidate will
be able to do a specific job or not. Some candidates have a good talent
or aptitude for accounting jobs while others show smart skills in
marketing jobs. Companies give more importance to the candidate's
mental suitability for job. Specific aptitude tests have been designed
like-Mechanical, Musical, Management , Clerical Aptitude Test etc.
 Achievement Test

• An achievement test is a test of developed skill or knowledge. The

most common type of achievement test is a standardized test
developed to measure skills and knowledge learned in a given grade
level, usually through planned instruction, such as training or
classroom instruction. It measures a person’s potential for a
given job.
 Personality Tests

• A personality test is a questionnaire or other standardized

instrument designed to reveal aspects of an individual's
character or psychological makeup. These are called as
personality inventories. These tests measure
predispositions, motivations and lasting interests of the
people. These are summarized under the following tests:
 Personality Test

• These tests are used to measure the dimensions of

personality i.e. Personality traits such as dominance,
submission, extroversion,introversion,self-confidence, ability
to lead, ambition etc.e.g. The Rorschach inkblot test, The
Thematic Apperception Test,
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
• These tests are used to measure the dimensions of personality
i.e. Personality traits such as dominance, submission,
extroversion,introversion,self-confidence, ability to lead,
ambition etc.e.g. The Rorschach inkblot test, The
Thematic Apperception Test,
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
TAT- Developed by Murray and Morgan in 1935 and studied the
personality of individuals through this test.TAT is based on the
fact that an individual is confronted with an ambiguous
situation and required to make up an imaginative sto
 Interest Test

• These tests are designed to discover a person’s area of

interest, and the type of work which will satisfy him. Interest
is a prerequisite to successfully perform a task. Most widely
used interest test is Kuder Reference record.
 Projective Tests

• These tests are based on pictures or incomplete items. The

candidate is asked to narrate or project his own
interpretation on these. The response reflects values,
motives, attitude, apprehensions, personality etc.The most
widely used are: Rorschach Blot Test, Thematic
Apperception Test,
 Attitude Test

• These tests are designed to know a candidate’s tendency

towards other people’s , actions, situations etc.Test of social
desirability, authoritarianism ,study of values,
Machiavellianism etc.
 Advantages of Testing

Predicts future performance

Diagnoses the situation and behavior
Discover the unknown facts
Serves as unbiased tool.
MEDICAL / PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

• The next‐to‐last step in the selection process may consist of having the
applicant take a medical/physical examination . Physical exams can
only be used as a selection device to screen out individuals who are
unable to physically comply with the requirements of a job. For
example, firefighters must perform activities that require a certain
physical condition. Whether it is climbing a ladder, lugging water‐
filled four‐inch hose, or carrying an injured victim, these individuals
must demonstrate that they are fit for the job. Jobs that require certain
physical characteristics may entail a job‐related physical examination.
A Slide from the Rorschach Test
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

• Background investigations, or reference checks, are intended to verify

that information on the application form is correct and accurate.
Sometimes just notifying applicants that the firm will check all
references and former employers is enough to keep them from
falsifying any information. If background checks will be completed
that require the applicant to sign a consent form to satisfy Fair Credit
Reporting Act (FRCA) requirements, the form must be completed
before any investigation starts. The form must comply with the FCRA
and not be combined with other forms. Disney, Whole Foods
Domino’s Pizza, and CVS recently faced class action lawsuits related
to violations of the FCRA during the applicant screening process.
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BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

• Common sources of background information include the following:

References are provided by the applicant and are usually very positive.
Even applicants with very poor work records can find someone to agree
to be a reference; often it may be a friend or relative. When speaking
with references, be sure to ask what their relationship to the applicant is.
HRM should also ask for specific instances where the reference has had
the opportunity to observe the applicant in a work environment or
demonstrating work skills.
BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

• Credit references, if job related, subject to legal requirements.

Criminal records can be checked by third‐party investigators. Most states
also have easy‐to‐use websites where you can search public records of
criminal records.
Background checks are conducted by third‐party investigator also subject
to legal requirements.
• Online searches as simple as a “Google” search of a candidate can turn
up information on press releases or news items about a candidate that was
left off the application or resume. Social networking sites such as
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn also provide professional as
well as personal information.
Background Investigations and
Reference Checks

Former Employers

Current Supervisors

Sources of Commercial Credit

Information Rating Companies

Written References

Social Networking Sites

Limitations on Background Investigations
and Reference Checks

Legal Issues:
Defamation

Background
Employer Legal Issues:
Guidelines
Investigations and Privacy
Reference Checks

Supervisor
Reluctance
EMPLOYMENT OFFER

• Individuals who perform successfully in the preceding steps are now

considered eligible to receive the employment offer. The offer often
comes from HR because of the number of administrative issues that
need to be processed such as salary forms, maintaining EEO statistics,
ensuring a statement exists that asserts that employment is not
guaranteed, and so on. The actual hiring decision should be made by
the manager in the department where the vacancy exists. This is
recommended for two reasons. First, the applicant will be working for
this manager, which necessitates a good fit between boss and
employee. Second, if the decision is faulty, the hiring manager has no
one else to blame.