2.

Explain the various techniques and methods used in selecting employees

A. There is no shortcut to fair and accurate evaluation of a candidate. As mentioned earlier, the
hiring procedures are therefore, generally long and multiple. Organizations are constantly evaluating
the selections tools they use to hire and keep innovating to ensure they hire quality candidates.
The following are popular methods commonly used:
1 Initial or preliminary interview
2 Application blank or blanks.
3 Check of references.
4 Skill / Psychological tests.
5 Employment interview
6 Approval by the manager.
7 Medical examinations.
8 Induction or orientation.
1. Preliminary Interview: The more non-selective the recruitmentprogramme, the more likely it is that
a preliminary interview will be required. This initial interview is usually quite short and has as its
object the elimination of the obviously unqualified. In many instances it is a over-telephone / short
face-to-face interview conducted at a desk. The facts and impressions collected are of the type
generally obtained in an initial interview. Many firms do not bother to initiate any paperwork at this
early stage. If the applicant appears to have some chance of qualifying for existing job openings, he
or she is given the application blank to complete.

2 Application Blank: An application blank is a traditional, widely accepted template for getting
information from a prospective applicant. This enables the recruiter to qualify the candidate to the
next level in the selection process and is used extensively subsequently during the selection
process. The blank aids in the interview by indicating areas of interest and discussion. It is a good
means of quickly collecting verifiable basic historical data from the candidate. It also is a excellent
document to share with the manager and with the interviewers and is a useful device for storing
information for, later reference. These templates generally carry information on biographical data,
educational attainment, work experience, salary, personal items, and other items such as names
and addresses of previous employers, references etc.

3 Check of References: The use of references is common in most selection procedures. It involves
minimum of effort and time/money. The objective is to obtain evaluation of prior employers and
professional colleagues, who have known the candidate in a professional capacity. Checks on
references are made by mail or telephone, and occasionally in person, and by using a reference
form.

4 Skill & Psychological Tests: The next step in the procedures outlined above is that of testing. The
use of tests is common and most popular in the lower levels in an organization. It serves as a
excellent qualifying criteria and in jobs that are dependent on a skill or a specific competency it is
very useful. The objectivity of the test results make it especially popular and a fair assessment of the
individual.
Most organizations do not use psychological tests. However, there is a direct relationship between
the size and firm and the use of such tests in hiring. Most of the larger companies that can afford to
have a more detailed and accurate selection procedure do utilize some form of employmenttesting. It
is the smaller company that frequently does not bother with tests, but places greater reliance upon
the interview.

5 Interviewing: Interviewing is probably the most widely used single method of selection. A
substantial amount of subjectivity, and therefore, unreliability, is to be expected from interviewing
when used as a tool of evaluation.
The interview consists of interaction between interviewer and applicant. If handled properly, it can be
a powerful technique in achieving accurate information and getting access to material otherwise
unavailable. Organizations aware of the challenges of using interviews have come up with a variety
of ways to overcome the subjectivity. The use of multiple rounds of interview (even upto 8-10
rounds) and use of panel interviews are some common work-around.
Four kinds of interviews for selection have been identified. These are:
1. Preliminary interview: These interviews are preliminary screening of applicants to decide whether
a more detailed interview will be worthwhile. The applicant is given job details during the interview to
afford him freedom to decide whether the job will suit him. This method saves the company’s time
and money.

2. Stress interview: Stress interviews are deliberate attempts to create pressure to observe how an
applicant performs under stress. Methods used to induce stress range from frequent interruptions
and criticism of an applicant’s opinion, to keeping silent for an extended period of time. The most
important advantage of the stress interview is that helps to demonstrate important personality
characteristics which would be difficult to observe in tension-free situations. However, stress-
inducing must be done carefully by trained and skilled interviewers.

3. Depth interview: Depth interviews cover the complete life history of the applicant and include such
areas as the candidate’s work experience, academic qualifications, health interest, and hobbies. It is
an excellent method for executive selection, performed by qualified human resources.

4. Patterned interview: Patterned interviews are a combination of direct and indirect questioning of
the applicant. The interviewer has certain clues and guidelines to areas which should be probed
deeply and the interview also encourages the candidate to express the relevant information freely.
After the patterned interview is complete, the interviewer should evaluate the candidate on the basis
of practical experience. According to R.N. McCurry and others, certain factors lead to
accurate predictions of the candidate’s suitability for a particular position. The factors are: (1) basic
character traits, (2) motivation, and (3) emotional maturity. One advantage of a patterned interview is
that systematic and chronological information is obtained, and hence this yields to statistical
analysis.
6. Approval by the Manager: Following the outlined procedure, we should now be of the opinion that
a candidate who has successfully completed all steps so far should be hired. In executing
the recruitment unit screening functions, the emphasis tends to be more on formal qualifications and
general suitability. When the manager takes over, the emphasis tends to switch toward more
specifically job oriented worker characteristics such as training and relevant past experience.

7. Medical Examination: The medical examination is an employment step found in most businesses.
It can vary from a very comprehensive examination and matching of an applicant’s physical
capabilities to job requirements to a simple check of general physical appearance and well-being. In
the selection procedure the physical examination has at least three basic objectives. First, it serves
to ascertain the applicant’s physical capabilities.
The second objective of the examination is to protect the company against unwarranted claims
under workers’ compensation laws, or against lawsuits for damages. And the final objective is to
prevent communicable diseases from entering the organization.

8 Induction: Induction is concerned with introducing or orienting a new employee to the organization.
Organizations could have induction programs of duration of
1-3 days and even up to 1/3/6 months. Common objectives of an Induction program can be listed as
covering:
1. Overview of the organization, its history, its hero’s and important stories in the life of the firm so far
like mergers, acquisitions, JV’s, expansion in new countries etc…
2. Organization Vision / Mission and Objectives statement, its structure, hierarchy of the top and the
senior management, structure of the teams/divisions, focus on the division the employee/s is/are
joining
3. Overview of the HR policies and processes and introduction to the Facilities team, IT team and
other relevant teams per the location of joining.
4. Handover to the manager and induction at a team level on specificities related to the job and its
responsibilities.
Organizations also build processes by which the new employee provides feedback on the on
boarding experience and use this information to improve the Induction process. In as much as
various firms report that over half of their voluntary resignations occur within the first 6 months,
proper orientation can do much to reduce this problem and its accompanying costs
Selecting the right employee can be a stressful, time-consuming and costly effort if not carefully handled.
Through in-depth interviews, employee referrals, internal hiring or even a combination of the
aforementioned methods, an employer can sift through the potentially qualified and find the right
candidate for the job.