RAndS 031-036

Context for R & S
Context of
R&S
Context for R & S
Context of R&S
The context in
which we must do
selection and
recruitment is
changing and
changing fast, the
assessment
techniques……
Context for R & S
……methods
and approaches we
use remain, for
most organizations
unchanged.
Context for R & S
Context of R&S
At the same time,
enormous and
rapid change in
the way
employer’s
organize
themselves is
occurring.
Context for R & S
Context of R&S
We need to be
aware of these
changes if our
recruitment and
selection methods
are to work to their
full potential.
Context for R & S
Context of R&S
In the light of this,
we have identified
seven themes which
seem to us likely to
affect the way we
go about
recruitment and
selection.
Context for R & S
Seven themes
impacting on
R&S
1- Organizational
Changes
2- Job changes
3- Personal
Changes
Context for R & S
4- Societal
Changes
5- Legislative
Changes
6- Technological
Changes
7- Marketing
Changes
Context for R & S
Organizational
Changes
Organization Changes
Organizational
Changes
Let’s start with
something dramatic
and interesting:-
Peter Drucker has

predicted that to be
competitive in the
future organization
will need to
achieve three times
the
productivity……
……with
only one-third the
number of people.
That means fewer
people, paid more
and doing more.
To go to the
particular, there is
pressure from
organization able to
operate globally in
order to exploit
advantages of
economies of scale
and access to cheap
labour.
The upshot of all

this is that the
organization are
under pressure to
1- Identify their
core business
outsourcing
whatever is left
2- Organize
themselves around
key processes rather
than departments
3- Delayer, flatten
and downsize
The constant
pressure to cut cost,
be more creative
and to do more with
fewer resources
certainly has
improved efficiency
Seven Themes impacting R&S
But there is feeling

that some
organizations have
lost valuable
experience and
expertise and that
the people
remaining (“the
layoff survivors”)
are overstretched.
Job Changes and Personal Changes
Job Changes &

Personal
Changes
Job Changes
As organizations
have restructured
the structure of
work. The nature of
the job has also
changed.
In his book “job

shift”, William
Bridges has detailed
the demise of the
traditional, well-
defined jobs with its
clear task and clear
accountabilities.
In line with the

move to customer-
focused process
working are a
move towards
cross-functional
teams, role aligned
to the
process……….
….rather than to
the function and
the emphasis on
supplying your
own value-added
contribution.
Personal
Changes
The changes in the
nature of the work
have been reflected
in a change in the
nature of the
contract of the work.
This is booth
material change.
Personal
Changes
for example, the
rise on fixed term
contract and a
psychological
change.
Year You offered (or offer) Organization offered (or
offer)
1975 • Loyalty - Not leaving • Security for employment (Job for
life)
• Conformity - doing what you were • Promotion prospects

asked
• Commitment – going the extra mile • Training
• Trust – they’ll keep their promise • Care when in trouble

1995 • Long hours • High pay
• Added responsibility • Rewards for performance
• Broder Skills • A job
• Tolerance of change and ambiguity
Employers will be
looking more for
people who can hit
the ground running
and produce more
or less instant
return.
Employees will be
looking for
employers who
will develop and
reward their
skills.
Societal Changes
Societal
Changes
Societal Changes
Societal Changes
refer to the changing
structure of the
society, that include
the increasing
proportion of
woman worker and
dual income
families……
Societal Changes
Societal
Changes
......also the
growing proportion
of ethnic minority
workers, including
the citizens of other
countries that has
changed for ever.
Societal Changes
Organizations are
more and more
coming to realize
the potential
benefits that a
diverse workforce
bring.
Societal Changes
If organization want
the best they are going
to have to accept that
this will inevitably
lead to the recruitment
of people with
different backgrounds
values attitudes and
belief to those which
are currently
prevailing..
Societal Changes
…...backgrounds
values attitudes
and belief to those
which are currently
prevailing.
Societal Changes
They will also have to

examine their
selection method to
ensure that they are
not excluding
candidates because of
extraneous factors
rather than talent
ability or as we might
say competence.
Legislative Changes
Legislative
Changes
Legislative Changes
Legislative
changes
When we have
Disability
Discrimination Act
which may prove to
have the biggest
impact of all. The act
absolutely places an
obligation on
recruiters and
selectors…….
Legislative Changes
…..to respond to
whatever disabilities
applicants present.
“How do you
manage the dyslexic
applicant who is
faced with a case
study or in-tray
exercise with a high
written content?
Legislative Changes
Or the partially
sighted person who
says they can tackle
the test with a
magnifying aid but
has no idea “How
much extra time they
might need”.
Legislative Changes
The next big issue

could be age, some
publications are
already refusing to
take recruitment
adverts which
specify age limits.
Legislative Changes
How can employers

justify statements
like the successful
candidates will
probably be under
the age of 35 years?
Technological and Marketing Changes
Technological
& Marketing
Changes
Technological
changes
Conventional
methods of
assessing
competence are out
of joint with the use
of technology in the
workplace.
The fact is that for

many people now,
especially the
young, it is second
nature to
communicate
electronically.
Yet how often on

assessment centres
do we expect
candidates to
illustrate their
personalities with
low tech aids like
flip chart and hand
written acetates….
.....when packages
such as power point
are freely available?
and how many
organizations use
hand out paper and
pencil tests?
When the
organization could
be asking
applicants to
complete tailored
test over the
internet?
It’s obvious that

electronic
realization of
assessment device
can deliver results
which are outside
the scope of paper
and pencil
instruments.
There are other

advantages too which
have computer over
paper and pencil
methods. There is
adaptive testing the
possibility of varying
the items you
administer to an
individual according
to……
……what the
provisional
estimates of that
individual’s ability
are at any one time.
The higher the
estimates the
tougher the next
item.
The acceptability of
computerized test is
important, how
people respond to it,
the general
conclusion seems to
be that people will
respond favourably
to computer-based
test.
The computer-
based test will
provide more as
much personal
information as in
paper and pencil
test.
Marketing Changes
There is a recruitment
industry, and we
would accept that we
are part of it. It
includes the
consultants, the test
publisher, the IT
systems developer the
recruitment agencies
and the head hunters.
The marketing hype

which surrounds the
various HR-related
products on the
market today is a
problem, and HR
professionals will
need to pick through
carefully.

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Context for R & S

Peter Drucker has

The upshot of all

But there is feeling

Job Changes &

In his book “job

In line with the

• Conformity - doing what you were • Promotion prospects

• Commitment – going the extra mile • Training

• Trust – they’ll keep their promise • Care when in trouble

They will also have to

The next big issue

How can employers

The fact is that for

Yet how often on

It’s obvious that

There are other

The marketing hype

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