Selection... choosing competent and qualified applicants

the fear of wrongful termination lawsuits has caused many companies to become far more concerned about whom they hire

...after recruiting a large number of job candidates, organizations must weed out the unqualified ones

...look at the selection process as a series of obstacles that applicants must clear in order to obtain the job

Recruitment involves searching for and attracting candidates to fill job vacancies. Selection is a later stage of the recruitment process which involves choosing competent and qualified applicants suited for the job.

This selection of competent employees is one of the most important activities a firm can do. Spending a few extra dollars, to select a competent employee who might potentially save the firm thousands of dollars, is money well-spent.

There are also legal considerations involved in the selection of new employees. The fear of wrongful termination lawsuits has caused many companies to become far more concerned about whom they hire. If a company is careful, thorough, and selective in its hiring practices, it can reduce the instances when it will be necessary to terminate employees.

During recruitment, it is important to have a large pool of qualified recruits. However, after having recruited this large number of job applicants, organizations must weed out the unqualified ones and then select the very best remaining candidate(s) for the job.

A well designed selection process will yield information about a candidate’s skills and weaknesses. The Human Resource specialist must determine which selection tools are most appropriate for purposes of selecting the best candidate. Put simply, the main tools will be the kinds of questions that are asked of the applicants.

For example, applicant skills can be evaluated through application forms, interviews, tests, reference checks, letters of recommendation or reference, and physical examinations. Clearly, some selection tools are more effective than others, but a combination of tools is usually best.

One way to look at the selection process is to view it as a series of obstacles that applicants must clear in order to obtain the job. Each successive obstacle eliminates some applicants from contention. Generally, the more expensive and time-consuming of the selection tools (obstacles) should be used later in the selection process.

On this page, we examine some of the recommended steps in the selection process.

Our examination of the selection process will entail eight steps. These steps are:

• preliminary selection
• employment tests
• selection interviews
• verification of references
• medical evaluation
• supervisory interviews
• realistic job previews
• hiring decision

Preliminary selection of applicants is often done by setting minimum standards for the job, and communicating these standards to your employees, and agencies who help you recruit. The fact that some potential applicants may not apply because of their inability to meet the minimum requirements serves as an initial screening device.

Then, when reviewing resumes and application forms, firms are further able to screen out unacceptable job candidates. At this point, firms can also assign priorities to the resumes so that the most promising candidates may be seen first.

One way to ensure that selection decisions are based on objective data, is to use employment tests

Throughout the practice of Human Resource Management, firms should endeavor to act on objective data. This is true for compensation management and for performance appraisal, and it is certainly true for the selection process where firms wish to assess the match between job applicants and job requirements.

One way to ensure that selection decisions are based on objective data, is to use employment tests. Employment tests provide firms with objective data for purposes of comparing applicants. Examples of such tests include; paper and pencil test, manual dexterity and strength tests, and simulation exercises.

To be useful, employment test must be valid...

...validation studies assure validity --  test results are compared to on-the-job  performance

Employment Tests: Validation

To be useful, employment test must be valid. Validity requires that the test scores relate to actual job performance. Hence, the use of tests is not necessarily a simple process. Whereas a firm may be inclined to use an "off-the-shelf" product, such a test may bear little resemblance to the job-related tasks a successful applicant might be required to do. Before using a test, firms should ensure that they are, in fact, valid.

Tests must be validated on those jobs to which tests are being applied and, tests must be validated for all groups to which tests are being applied (this may in fact require different validation studies for minorities -- differential validity). For example, if an invalid test rejects people of a particular race, sex, religion, or national origin, it violates the Canadian Human Rights Act.

Reliability: employment tests should yield consistent results

Employment Tests: Reliability

Not only must employment test be valid, they must also be reliable. That is, employment tests should yield consistent results. An employment test should give a similar score each time the person takes the test (tests that rely on luck are not reliable ).

...knowledge tests have good reliability...

...but their validity must be tested before they are used

...with performance tests there is an assumption of validity...

...if the test includes a representative sample of the work the applicant may be required to do

...psychological tests are the least reliable, and their validity is also weak

Very often, paper and pencil tests are used to test knowledge. A firm could use a paper and pencil knowledge test to ascertain an applicant's knowledge of computer programming skills or to test whether or not an applicant understands government regulations governing an industry. Generally, knowledge tests have good reliability, but their validity must be tested before they are used.

A keyboarding test, testing an applicant's keyboarding speed and accuracy, is an example of a manual dexterity or performance test. Performance tests measure the applicant's ability to perform some part of the job for which applicants are to be hired. Often, there is an assumption of validity insofar as the test includes a representative sample of the work the applicant may be required to do. Firms must be cautious not to use tests that might discriminate against any minority group.

An in-basket exercise, in which administrative activities are simulated and an applicant's abilities to deal with these activities is evaluated, is one example of a simulation exercise.

Some firms also utilize psychological tests to measure an applicant's  personality or temperament. Of all the tests mentioned thus far, psychological tests are the least reliable, and their validity is also weak, because the relationship between personality and actual job performance may be unknown. This is not to question either the reliability or validity of psychological tests when used in the realm of psychology. Rather, it is to question their utility as employment tests.

• Can the applicant do the job?
• How does this applicant compare with others who are applying?

...during the interview, the interviewer should have an outline of questions, on which to take notes

...improve interview reliability by asking all interviewees the same questions

informally conducted interviews are usually not predictive of applicants' future job performance -- they lack validity

...the interview questions should be "job-related"

...interviewers should write down a series of questions before meeting with the applicants

Step 3: Selection Interview

Selecting the best candidate for the job is the #1 priority of the selection process. The employment interview is conducted to learn more about the suitability of people under consideration for a particular job and is one further obstacle for the applicant to overcome. The interview is one further means of reducing the number of people who might be eligible for the job.

Put simply, the interview is a formal, in-depth conversation conducted to evaluate an applicant's acceptability  for the job opening. The interviewer is interested in answers to the following questions:

• Can the applicant do the job?
• How does this applicant compare with others who are applying?

Prior to the interview, other selection procedures (obstacles) should have narrowed the selection to a manageable number of applicants that look promising for an interview. The more applicants picked, the more time the process will take. For most jobs, less than six candidates should be ample.

The selection interview proceeds in a series of stages. Initially, the interviewer needs to be prepared. Part of this preparation includes deciding where to hold the interviews and which type of interview to conduct. Preparation also includes carefully reading through and making notes on the applicants' application forms and resumes. At this stage, interviewers should make frequent reference to the job (job description) to compare the applicant's background with the job's requirements. The preparatory stage also includes developing a series of job-related questions. During the interview, the interviewer should have an outline of questions, on which to take notes.

During the interview process itself, initially, the interviewer(s) should ensure the creation of rapport between interviewer(s) and the interviewee. Next, the two parties can engage in the exchange of information. Once the interview has been terminated, the interviewer(s) must set aside some time to evaluate the notes they have taken during the process.

Problems With Interviews

Some of the problems with interviews are due to interviewer errors. The halo effect involves the use of limited information (long hair, jeans etc.) to bias the evaluation of the applicant. There is a inherent assumption that the limited information is representative of the applicant's other characteristics.

Another interviewer error is the use of leading questions. This involves telegraphing the desired answer to a particular the question. For example: "Do you think you'll like working for our company?"

Personal biases also constitute a interviewer errors. For example, an attitude which says, "Some jobs are definitely intended for men, while others are intended for women!" would be an example of a personal bias.

Further, interviewer domination, which includes overselling the applicant, bragging about own successes, and carrying on a social conversation instead of an interview, is another example of interviewer error.

Interviewers should endeavor to eliminate such errors, because the intent of the interview is to find the best applicant for the job. Any one of these errors could cause the elimination of an excellent candidate, or the hiring of a less than acceptable candidate.

Research on interviews also shows that they lack reliability; they do not provide consistent results. We can improve on this by asking all interviewees the same questions. Further, interviews generally lack validity.

There are clear limitations to the utility of interviews due to the very human nature of the process. So, whereas it may be difficult to change or modify individual interviewers (although extensive training of interviewers will help), the process itself may be improved. To this end, we may consider focussing on structuring the interview; making the process more systematic.

Improving the interview process through structure, panels, job descriptions, and rating forms

How much structure is needed depends upon numerous situational variables. First, however, interviewers should write down a series of questions before meeting with the applicants. Doing so helps keep their attention on job-related topics and away from inappropriate personal questions.

Further interview improvements may be attained by using panel interviews, writing job descriptions, conducting job analyses, and developing behaviorally anchored ratings forms.

The validity of interviews is improved through the use of panel interviews, in which three to five persons meet together with each applicant. The process of creating a group consensus reduces the likelihood of individual biases influencing the final decision, and is therefore likely to produce better decisions.

Job descriptions help interviewers focus their attention on relevant, job-related information. Job descriptions should be perused before the interview begins. By using job descriptions, the interviewers can assess the relative weight or importance of each component of job. The job descriptions also provide a useful frame of reference for developing structured interview questions.

Rating Forms

Behaviorally Anchored Questions

Eight Steps for Implementing a Valid Interviewing Process:

• Conduct formal job analyses
• Write accurate job descriptions
•  Interviewers review job-relatedness of potential question by consulting appropriate job descriptions
•  Interviewers write out all questions before the interviews
•  Use panel interviews
•  Create rating forms for the interviews
•  Anchor interview questions to job behaviors (use Critical Incident Technique)
• Standardize interviews

If potentially discriminatory questions are asked during a job interview, a rejected applicant may have sufficient grounds for a discrimination lawsuit.

Problem-solving

• Questions are about Hypothetical Situations
  
  • evaluation is on the solution and the approach of the applicant
  • suitable for an understanding of the applicant's reasoning and analytical abilities under modest stress

Stress-producing

• a series of harsh, rapid-fire questions intended to upset the applicant
  
  • useful for stressful jobs

SAMPLE EMPLOYMENT INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

• describe your ideal job
• what kind of work are you interested in
• why do you want to work for our company
• what do you think would be a fair salary
• what are your career goals
• if you could do the last 5 years over, what would you do differently
• why should we hire you
• what do you think your salary should be in 5 years (10 years)
• why did you select the post-secondary courses you did
• do you have any geographical preferences
• what do you know about our company's products and services
• describe your ideal (worst) boss
• describe your last job
• why did you leave your last job
• what job skills do you have
• what is your favorite sport (hobby, activity)
• how often do you expect to be promoted
• what is your major strength (weakness)
• do you plan to take any extra training
• what jobs have you liked the most (least)
• what would you do if you encountered irreconcilable differences with your immediate superior

Step 4: VERIFICATION OF REFERENCES

• Q: What kind of person is the applicant?
• Is the applicant a good and/or reliable worker?
• Use references the find answers to these questions

Personal References

• usually provided by friends or family
• objectivity and candor are questionable
• not commonly used

Employment References

• differ from personal references
• discuss the applicant's work history
• questionable usefulness
  
  • former employers are unlikely to be candid
• useful primarily as confirmation of prior employment
• frequently omitted entirely from the selection process

Employment References: the Telephone Inquiry

• fast
• cheap
• voice inflections or hesitations to blunt questions may be very informative
• less than 22% seek negative information
• approx. 48% used to verify application information
• approx. 30% used to gather additional information

Step 5: MEDICAL EVALUATION

• generally a health checklist
  
  • health information
  • accident information
• occasionally the checklist is supplemented by a physical examination
• RATIONALE:
  
  • employer may be entitled to lower health or life insurance rates for company-paid insurance
  • may be required by provincial or local health officials
  • may be used to determine whether the applicant can handle physical or mental stress
• CAUTION:
  
  • a congenital health condition may be considered a disability
  • failure to hire an applicant due to a disability may be seen as discrimination against a qualified applicant
    

Step 6: SUPERVISORY INTERVIEW

Since the immediate supervisor is ultimately responsible for new workers, he or she should have input into the hiring decision. The supervisor is better able to evaluate the applicant's technical capabilities and is in a better position to answer the interviewee's job-related questions. Further, the supervisor's personal commitment to the success of the new employee is higher if the supervisor has played a role in the hiring decision.

In fact, in a majority of firms, the supervisor has the authority to make the final hiring decision. In these cases, it is the role of the HR department to do the initial screening and to ensure that hiring does not violate laws such as Human Rights legislation or Labor legislation.

Step 7: REALISTIC JOB PREVIEW

The realistic job preview involves showing the applicant(s) the job site in order to acquaint them with the work setting, commonly used equipment, and prospective co-workers . The realistic job preview is intended to prevents initial job dissatisfaction with a job by presenting a realistic view of the job. Research shows that job turnover is lower when realistic job previews are used.

Step 8: HIRING DECISION

The actual hiring of an applicant constitutes the end of the selection process. At this stage, successful (as well as unsuccessful) applicants must be notified of the firm's decision. Since money and effort has been spent on all applicants, the HR department may wish to consider even the unsuccessful applicants for other openings in the organization.

The applications of unsuccessful applicants are often kept on file and the applications of successful applicants will be retained in the employees' personnel files.

No matter what the form of the job offer, the principle is generally the same: do not make promises, or statements that you cannot or do not intend to keep. Such statements can lead to expensive litigation if it is later decided to terminate the employee.

• the position offered
• location of the job
• salary (although sometimes salary must be negotiated before the applicant will accept)
• benefits
• starting date
• any papers or information that should be brought on the first day of work
• a date (or time) by which the applicant must respond to your job offer, so you can move on to the next candidate if your first choice doesn't accept

Reviewing The Hiring Process

After completing the hiring, the process ought to be evaluated. Here are some considerations in the evaluation:

• What about the number of initial applicants? Were there too many applicants? Too few? Does the firm need to think about changing its advertisement and recruiting to get the result desired?
• What was the nature of the applicants' qualifications? Were the applicants too qualified? Not qualified enough? Perhaps the advertisement needs to be re-worded to attract more appropriate candidates. In this case, using a job description can help.
• How cost-effective was the advertising? A simple way to measure is to divide the cost (not only in dollars but in your time) by either the number of total applicants or the number of applicants that you considered seriously.
• Were there questions that needed to be asked but weren't?
• How well did the interviewers do? One way to determine this is to ask the new employee to critique the interviewing process.
• Did employment tests support or help the hiring decision? If not, maybe the firm will have to reconsider the kinds of tests it is administering. Further, the evaluation process should help the firm decide if the cost and time involved in the testing is worth it. Would you have come to the same hiring decision without testing?