Recruitment and Selection:

Hiring the Right Person

Staffing Management •
Myrna L. Gusdorf, MBA, SPHR • 2008
 Hiring the Right Person: Recruitment

• RECRUITMENT
> The process of attracting individuals in sufficient
numbers with the right skills and at appropriate times
to apply for open positions within the organization.

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 Recruitment Issues

• Alternatives to recruitment:
> Outsourcing.
> Contingent labor.
> Part-time employees.
> Overtime.

• Costs of recruitment and selection:

> Replacing supervisory, technical and management
personnel can cost from 50 percent of salary to
several hundred percent of salary.

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 Internal Environment

• Promotion from within:

> Advantages:
• Promotion as a reward for good work.
• Motivational tool for other employees.
• Promoted employee gets up to speed must
faster in his or her new job.
> Disadvantages:
• Must fill the position vacated by the promoted
employee.
• Lack of new ideas and creativity that may come
from a new person.
• Jealousy from those not promoted.

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 Internal Environment

• Nepotism: Hiring relatives.

> Does your organization have a policy on
nepotism?
> May be discriminatory.
> Must ensure individuals are not in
supervisory positions managing their own
relatives.
> May create issues of favoritism.

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 External Environment

• Labor market conditions:

> Strong economy = difficulty hiring.
> Weak economy = too many applicants.

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 Internal Recruitment

• Job Posting: The process of announcing job

openings to employees.
> Job information must be made available to all
employees.
> Ensure minority workers and disadvantaged
individuals are aware of job opportunities.
> Employee cynicism occurs when there is not
“equal” opportunity for open positions.
• Employee Referrals:
> Some believe this is the route to the best
employees.
> Can perpetuate discriminatory hiring practices.

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 External Recruitment

• Employment agencies.
• Executive search firms.
• In-house recruiters.
• Local advertising:
> Newspaper.
> Multimedia.
• Internships.
• Job fairs.
• College recruiting.
• Walk-in candidates.

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 Internet Recruiting
• Advantages:
> Inexpensive.
> Quick and easy to post announcement.
> Responses arrive faster and in greater quantity.
> Will generate a wider range of applicants.
> Applicants can be screened by computer.
> Some selection tests can be administered by
computer.
> Automated applicant tracking.
• Disadvantages:
> Ease of submission will result in a lot of applicants,
many whom are not qualified.
> May take more HR time to sort through the greater
quantity of applicants.
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 Recruitment for Diversity

• An ethnically diverse workforce enhances

creativity and may facilitate expansion into
global markets.
• Recruiting must generate applicants from a
wide variety of individuals.
• Train recruiters to use objective standards.
• Include pictures of minority and disabled
employees on recruitment flyers.
• Make sure ads and interviews are bi-lingual.

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 HR Dilemma: Employee Referrals

An organization starts an employee referral

program to find employees for its assembly
plant. The program is very effective, but no
candidates from protected groups are referred
or hired.

1. Could the organization be guilty of

discrimination?
2. Should the organization abandon its referral
program?

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 The Employment Application

• Applications must include:

> Applicant information.
> Applicant signature certifying validity of information.
> Statement of employment at will, if permitted.
> Permission from the applicant for reference check.

• Avoid the following:

> Discriminatory information.
> Disability information.
> Past salary levels.
> Birth date or education dates.
> Driver’s license information, unless driving is a job
requirement.

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 Screening Interview

• Usually conducted by telephone.

• Not done in all organizations.
• A few straight-forward questions.
• Can eliminate those less qualified early in the
selection process.

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 Selection Tests

• SELECTION TEST: Any instrument that is used to

make a decision about a potential employee.(1)

• STANDARDIZATION: Uniformity of procedures and

conditions related to administering tests.(2)

• RELIABILITY: The extent to which a selection test

provides consistent results.(2)

• VALIDITY: The extent to which a test measures

what it claims to measure.(2) Do higher test scores
relate to higher success on the job?
(1) Myrna L. Gusdorf
(2) R. Wayne Mondy
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 Kinds of Selection Tests

• Cognitive aptitude tests measure reasoning,

vocabulary, verbal and numeric skills.
• Job knowledge tests measure knowledge regarding
a particular job.
• Work sample tests allow candidates to demonstrate
how they would work on the job.
• Psychomotor abilities tests assess the skill level of
tasks required on the job.
• Personality tests assess traits and personal
characteristics. They are used to determine if the
applicant is the right fit for the organization.
• Vocational interests tests identify occupations in
which the candidate is most interested.
• Honesty and integrity tests try to measure a
candidate’s truthfulness .
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 Interviewing Candidates

• Team or individual interviewer?

• Structured or patterned interview:
> Pre-set questions asked of all candidates.
• Nondirective interview:
> Minimum of questions, not planned in advance.
> Open-ended questions; interviewer follows the
candidate’s lead.
• Situational and problem-solving interview:
> Candidate describes how he or she would solve a
problem.
• Behavioral interview:
> Candidate describes how he or she responded to a
specific situation.
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 Background Verification and Reference
Checks

• The importance of checking:

> 40 percent of applicants lie about work
histories and educational backgrounds.
> 20 percent of applicants falsify credentials
and licenses.
> 30 percent of applicants make
misrepresentations on their resumes.

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 The Job Offer

• Making the job offer:

> May be done by phone, letter or in person.
> Make arrangements for further conditions:
• Physical exam and drug screen.
> Discuss salary and benefits:
• Avoid quoting an annual salary.
> Realistic job preview,
> Verify employment eligibility:
• I-9 form.

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 Evaluating the Recruitment and
Selection Process

• Cost:
> Did you stay within your recruitment budget?
• Time:
> How long did it take you to fill the position?
• Quality:
> Were your applicants well qualified for the job?
• Longevity:
> What about turnover? Do your new hires stay for the
long term?

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CONGRATULATIONS!
You have a new employee!

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 Thank You!

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Resource made available by SHRM US