Managers
in today's competitive business environment are keen to improve employee
performance which will be a competitive advantage for a firm, and managers will
develop a variety of techniques and methods to attain that competitive
advantage. Capable employees are critical for an organization and obviously, the
selection is the foundation for employee performance (Gatewood, Field and Barrick, 2015). Selection is the
process of selecting the best candidate from a pool of candidates for the
current or prospective job post. In general, any selection decision can lead to
one of four outcomes (Randhawa,
2007) as in figure 01.
Figure
01: Selection decision outcomes
Source:
(Randhawa, 2007, p.81)
According
to figure 01, there are two types of errors in selection decisions. The
consequences of poor decisions are significant. Earlier, reject errors just
indicate that the selection cost has grown. However, today's selection
processes that result in reject errors may expose the company to discrimination
allegations (Randhawa, 2007).
In each organization, selection is a critical step. As a result, each step in the
selection process is critical and should be carefully designed to obtain
complete information on the candidates, ensuring that no unsuitable candidates
advance to the next stage (Malik, 2018). Randhawa (2007) had identified a
selection process consisting of 13 steps, which start with the initial contact
with the applicants and end with the employment contract (Figure 02).
Figure
02: Selection process
Source:
(Randhawa, 2007, p.82)
Initial contact/Reception of applicants
The information provided in standard
application forms and CVs are often used in the initial stage of selection (Newell,
2005). Every organization maintains proper records of these received
applications (Randhawa,
2007).
Preliminary interview/Screening
A preliminary interview or screening allows
human resource personnel to acquire the first impression of candidates and
exclude those who are unqualified (Malik, 2018). This is a brief, introductory
interview with the main purpose of weeding out the unqualified select qualified
applications for further stages of selection (Randhawa, 2007).
Application Blank
The application blank is a formal application
that is used to record candidates' information (Malik, 2018). This is a widely
used method of acquiring information from applicants for a proper selection
process which includes biographical data, education, experience, extra-curricular
activities, salary and other benefits, and references (Randhawa, 2007).
Psychological/ Psychometric tests
Psychological tests or psychometric tests are used
to measure IQ and personality, to obtain systematic and standardized methods
for finding characteristics of applicants, and enabling interviewers to a
proper knowledge of candidates and anticipate their performance in a job role (Armstrong
and Taylor, 2014). The aptitude, mental
ability, intellectual capability, and personality of the candidates are
assessed by these examinations. Tests are important selection tools that are
used to eliminate unqualified individuals and choose the best candidates. The
selection of proper psychological exams is a challenge for an organization's
human resource department. (Malik, 2018).
Interviewing
Although interviewing is the oldest method of
selection, most organizations are still incorporating various types of interviews
into the selection process (Randhawa, 2007). Interviewing is a method of conducting an
overall interactive session with a candidate that includes questions and
responses to gather information. Structured, semi-structured, unstructured, and
stress interviews are the most common interview methods (Malik, 2018).
Checking references
A reference's main function is to collect
factual information about a potential employee in a confidential manner. This
information is simple and important. The former job's nature, length of work, the
reason for leaving, salary or rate of pay, and optionally, attendance record
must all be verified (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Checking references is less
expensive, takes less time, and involves minimum work. Telephone references or
letters of recommendation can be used to conduct reference checks
(Randhawa, 2007).
Approval by the supervisors
Selected candidates from the interviews are
invited to a third interview with the supervisors, who will decide whether the
candidates will be accepted or rejected. This approval is necessary for
maintaining authority and responsibility and receiving an evaluation from both
human resource personnel and supervisors (Randhawa, 2007).
Selection decision
The pool of candidates who pass the test,
interviews, and reference checks must be used to make the ultimate decision (Randhawa, 2007). Human resource personnel
uses a checklist of selection criteria, and the final decision is based on the
candidates' ranking on those evaluation indices (Malik, 2018).
Physical /Medical examination
Some unique jobs prefer strength, stamina, or
hardworking and need to go for a physical examination (Randhawa, 2007). A medical examination
is required for pension and life insurance purposes, or because the job
requires a specific level of physical condition (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). Selling
is a job that includes extensive traveling, visiting customers, and being highly
stressed and require a physical examination before the offering of the job (Malik,
2018).
Offering job and contract of employment
After sufficient references have been received
and the applicant has completed the medical examination, the final stage of the
selection procedure is to confirm the offer of employment. This is also the
time to prepare the employment contract (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014).
Evaluation of the selection process
Finally, an evaluation of an organization's selection
procedure is required. The availability of competent, qualified, and committed
individuals in the organization are the indicators of the success of a strong
selection process (Randhawa, 2007). It is critical to follow up with freshly hired staff to
ensure that they've settled in and to assess their performance. If there are
any issues, it is far preferable to detect them early rather than allowing them
to grow (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014).
Conclusion
In human resource management, the selection is
a crucial process that has a direct impact on job performance and, ultimately,
the accomplishment of an organization's goals and objectives. To be successful,
companies must think critically and logically about each phase of the selection
process and design the process.
Reference
01.
Armstrong, M. and Taylor, S., (2014). Armstrong's handbook of human
resource management practice,13th edn. London: Kogan Page
02. Gatewood, R., Feild, H.S. and Barrick, M., (2015). Human resource selection. Cengage Learning.
03.
Malik, P. K, (2018). Sales Management. 7th edn. New Delhi: Oxford
University Press.
04. Newell, S., 2005. Recruitment and
selection. Managing human resources: Personnel management in transition, pp.115-147.
05. Randhawa, G., (2007). Human resource management. New Delhi, Atlantic Publishers & Dist.
06. Randhawa, G., (2007). Human resource management. New Delhi, Atlantic Publishers & Dist, p.81-82,
fig.
Well. adding more, Selection and recruitment are essential components of human resource management strategies used by organizations to develop and enhance individual capabilities to achieve both individual and organizational goals (Abbas, Shah and Othman, 2021)
ReplyDeleteAgreed. Recruitment and selection are vital processes for any successful organization since having the proper employees, increases and sustains organizational performance (Leopold, 2002)
DeleteThe purpose of selection is to match people to work. The aim of selection is to find people who are a good fit for the job. The primary goal of the selection process has been to match people to specific occupations (Roberts, 1997).
ReplyDeleteYes Theekshana, "Selection is a process to find the staff most likely to do a particular job" (Castrogiovanni et al., 2011).
DeleteRecruitment is the process of discovering or selecting and hiring or best qualified candidate from inside or the process by which organizations locate and attract individuals to fill job vacancies (Anwar & Surarchith, 2015). Recruitment is defined as a set of activities for an organization to catch the attention of job applicants that have the abilities needed to help the organization achieve its objectives and goals (Othman et al. 2019).
ReplyDeleteRecruitment is defined as an organization's initial implementation or action with the goal of identifying and recruiting potential employees (Pajouh & Blenkinsopp, 2012). The process of attracting employees and encouraging people to apply for jobs with certain companies is known as recruitment (Stewart & Brown, 2010). Recruitment and selection is a method of identifying employees who are most likely to perform well. One of the most well-known methods of changing human resource management is through recruitment (Castrogiovanni et al., 2011).
DeleteUseful info, here is a list of some of the definitions from different about selection process (Vulpen, 2022):
ReplyDeleteEmployee selection is a process of putting a right applicant on a right job.
Selection of an employee is a process of choosing the applicants, who have the qualifications to fill the vacant job in an organization.
Selection is a process of identifying and hiring the applicants for filling the vacancies in an organization.
Employee selection is a process of matching organization’s requirements with the skills and the qualifications of individuals.
Thank you very much, Usama, these are really valid. Pajouh & Blenkinsopp (2012) define selection as a procedure for obtaining the most qualified employees to perform well. Employee selection is an attempt to discover people in the organization who are compatible (Pilbeam & Corbridge, 2006). Because it provides employees with the skills, specific knowledge, and abilities of public services, the selection process is one of the most important human resource responsibilities (Selden et al., 2001).
ReplyDelete