REVIEWING THE RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION METHODS USED IN AN ORGANISATION.

Person specification models

  Here are two sample models for developing a person specification.

“Seven point plan. (Professor A Rogers 1952) –

• Physical make up.
• Attainments.
• General intelligence.
• Special aptitudes.
• Interests.
• Disposition.
• Circumstances.

The five-point plan. (Munro Fraser 1972) –

• Impact.
• Qualifications.
• Brains and abilities.
• Motivation.
• Adjustment.”(REF 4)

The job specification

  A job specification describes in broad terms the skills, qualifications, abilities and personal qualities needed to perform a particular job as described in a job description. The specification forms the bases for the selection of the most suitable job applicant.

A job specification is likely to include many of the following elements:

Previous experience and qualifications

• Is experience required or will training be given?
• Evidence of previous experience and qualifications if required, e.g. GCSE’s, A levels, NVQ’s, University Degrees, Postgraduate studies, ect.

Special aptitudes

• E.g. is the person able to work under pressure? Flexible and adaptable? Good memory?
• Personal qualities and motivation.
• E.g. – is the person willing to take on responsibility? Ambitious? Able to work independently?
• A self-starter?
• Reliable and personable?

Special circumstances

• Will the person need to travel?
• Work unsociable hours.

“SAMPLE JOB SPECIFICATION

1. Physical attributes.

• Good health record.
• Few absences from work.
• Tidy appearance.

Desirable

• Smart appearance; creates good impression on others.

2. Mental attributes.

• Above average intelligence.
• Good communication skills.

3. Qualifications.

Minimum.

• Higher education in business discipline, e.g. Business administration.

Desirable

• Further Education in Public Relations and Marketing.

4. Experience, training and skill.

Minimum

• Experience of positions involving similar duties.
• Experience in using PCs as part of daily work, e.g.
• Word-processing, spreadsheets, and presentations.

Desirable

• Conversational ability in German and French.” (REF 1)

3.  ANALYSE THE ASSESSMENT AND SELECTION METHODS AVAILABLE TO YOU AND SELECT THE MOST APPROPRIATE FOR THE GIVEN ROLE.

Overview

  "I've just met Frank who is a business assistant and he has handed in his notice. He's found a new job with a better salary. This really leaves us in a mess with the new Saudi contract.

  Contact Personnel immediately! Revise the job description and draft the copy for an advertisement to go in the paper. The deadline for copy is only three days away.

 We are in trouble; we won't find a replacement with Frank's level of experience in a hurry. We will require specialist ability for a newcomer to understand them."

 

  So, someone is leaving and the response is 'reactive' - no preparations have been made in advance - there is an element of panic. The horse has bolted - the stable door remains wide open. Typically a 'theorist' would point to a lack of organisational preparedness.  Strategy and planning. But this type of situation is common and human. What issues and approaches point the way to better understanding of staff resource and planning?

We need to understand

• The "staff resource" environment
• Various ways in which my employers organisation can respond.
• Choices that may be available e.g. recruit experienced staff or grow-your-own.

Interviews 

A selection procedure designed to predict future job performance on the basis of applicants' oral responses to oral inquiries.

Personality Tests

  A selection procedure measures the personality characteristics of applicants that are related to future job performance. Personality tests typically measure one or more of five personality dimensions: extroversion, emotional stability, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience.

• Select traits carefully An employer that selects applicants with high degree of 'assertiveness', 'independence', and 'self-confidence' may end up excluding females significantly more than males, which would result in adverse impact.
• Select tests carefully Any tests should have been analysed for (high) reliability and (low) adverse impact.
• Not used exclusively Personality tests should not be the sole instrument used for selecting applicants. Rather, they should be used in conjunction with other procedures as one element of the selection process. Applicants should not be selected on the basis of personality tests alone.

Work Sample Tests

  Designed to have high content validity through a close relationship with the job.

Work Sample tests are based on the premise that the best predictor of future behaviour is observed behaviour under similar situations. These tests require the examinee to perform tasks that are similar to those that are performed on the job.

Job Analysis

   Critical for identifying the content of the job from which samples will be developed. The Critical Incident Technique would be useful for identifying job duties/tasks that, if sampled on the test, would result in high predictive validity (criterion related validity).

High Content Validity 

The test should be constructed with the intent of developing a highly content valid test. The content validity is build into the test.

Equipment 

  If incumbents on the job use specific equipment, try to incorporate all or some of that equipment on the test. Of course, the safety of the applicant should take precedence over use of dangerous or unfamiliar tools or machines.

4.  EXPLAIN THE LEGAL IMPACT ON THE PROCESSES OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION.

 

UK Employment Law Summary

  Employers must keep up to date with new statutes and the effects of cases in the UK and in European courts. With so many recent changes and revisions - this is a problem. Managers - junior and senior - are often unaware of the ramifications of their decisions and behaviours in so far as these affect employee contracts. Some employees are better informed than managers as to their rights. They only have to talk to their friendly neighbour, solicitor, and trade union enthusiast or advisory centre - to find out their rights.

  Even personnel specialists may be rusty as to legal requirements, pitfalls and interpretation of how facets of the law relate to particular cases - yet they need to advise their managers (who often will be resentful at being "told" or embarrassed that they behaved badly and made a mess of things in dealing with one of their staff).

If the manager has shot himself/herself - and the company - in the foot, the personnel specialist needs to be able to analyse the situation and help with damage limitation - before advising on action the company might take in dealing with the managerial ineptitude, which brought about the problem in the first place. The plot thickens.

"What if" analysis is called for i.e?

• "What if the employee was to bring a complaint before an industrial tribunal?
• "What if the company/manager was right but handled the situation badly?
• "What if race or sex discrimination is involved?

The personnel specialist - even before bringing in the company solicitor (labour lawyer) needs to be able to:

• Advise and make recommendations on policy implications and changes
• Influence the awareness, willingness and behaviour of managers and employees (manifestations of organisation culture?) - where these may result in:

• Individual rights being denied
• The organisation being in breach of the law
• Individual managers needing to be rescued - damage limitation

  In an increasingly litigious environment, people are resorting to legal complaint because they have been poorly treated or see an opportunity to "get back" (or maybe even just to see the employer squirm), steer the company away from damaging appearances in front of an employment tribunal.

Legal regulation of the Employment Relationship

  “Up to 1963 (the first Contracts of Employment Act), legislation regulating the employer-employee relationship was thin. Matters were left to employer and employee agreement within a broad framework of legal principle.

• Government concern to reform employment relations and collective bargaining in the 1963-2000 period lead to substantial intervention and legislation regulating individual rights in employment and the privileges of trade unions.
• European Union membership and EU concern to regulate to protect workers has further added to employee rights and associated regulations.
• Conservative governments in the 80s and 90s in seeking to reduce trade union influence and collective power legislated to give more rights to individuals under the law.

UK Sources of Employment Law

1. Statute

Acts of Parliament, associated regulations and their interpretation e.g.

• Employment Rights Act 1996 or
• A statutory instrument. Introduced by a minister under an enabling Act e.g. Working Time Regulations 1998, the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations 1981.”(REF6)

1. Case Law

- precedents offered by previous employment tribunal decisions and even the European Court of Justice. The application of the legal principles can be seen. Decision makers can see how the law has been interpreted. The arguments presented in the case indicate principles, which may support or undermine a particular case.

  “Case law helps junior courts to be consistent and even interpret 'what parliament meant' - it the statute is unclear. The 1976 Race Relations Act for instance refers to 'ethnic origin'. The case of Mandla v. Dowell Lee 1983 clarified whether a group seeking protection under the Race Relations Act is indeed of 'ethnic origin'."(REF6)

2. European Law 

European directives instruct member states to adapt national law to be in line with E.U. requirements. Article “141 for instance regulates equal pay for equal work. Questions on points of EU law can be referred to the European Court of Justice and ECJ decisions can be referenced in a UK court when someone brings an action:”(REF6)

• Against the state or
• Against another individual.

Tribunals and Courts

Employment Tribunals receive

1. Individual claims under statutory employment law
2. Claims under common law contract relating to termination of employment (to a £25000 maximum)

The Tribunal comprises a chairperson (barrister or solicitor) and two lay members (business or trade union experience). The intention is that a Tribunal, rather than a normal court, despatches quick, cost effective, accessible decisions even though several months will be involved in processing a claim.

Making a claim (procedure)

1. Applicant fills in a form and posts it to the Tribunal office.
2. A copy is sent to the employer (14 days to respond).
3. A and B are copied and sent to ACAS (Advisory Conciliation and Arbitration Service), who try get the parties to agree a voluntary settlement.
4. If not settled, there is a preliminary examination and pre-hearing review by the Tribunal to filter out insubstantial cases.

  Tribunal proceedings are informal but a full hearing is nonetheless open to the public and adversarial - each party putting its case. Witnesses may be called and examined and other evidence presented. Tribunal members question the parties and even advise applicants on the procedure of the hearing.

Remedies

If a claim is successful one of three remedies are possible:

• Reinstatement
• Re-engagement
• Compensation (the commonest)

Appeals

  “Appeals against ET decision - on points of law only - can be made to the Employment Appeal Tribunal (EAT - like a High Court). An appeal from the EAT goes to the Court of Appeal and may even be passed to the House of Lords.”(REF6)

These have to be adhered to in the recruitment process by law.

1. The Employment Relations Bill, 1999 (stating that employees who have been in employment with the same business for a period of one year have the right not to be unfairly dismissed).

2. The Employment Rights Act, 1996 (covering unfair dismissal, redundancy and maternity).

3. The Public Interest Disclosure Act, 1998 (covering employees who disclose confidential information).

4. The Health & Safety at Work Act, 1974 (covering working conditions and the provision of safety equipment and hygiene).

5. The National Minimum Wage Act, 1999 (making it illegal for employers to pay less than £3.60 per hour to its full-time staff who are aged over 21).

6. The Equal Pay Act, 1970 (stating that pay and working conditions must be equal for employees of the opposite sex who are performing the same work).

7. The Sex Discrimination Act, 1975 (stating that it is illegal to discriminate against an employee or an applicant for a job, on the grounds of their sex or their marital status).

8. The Race Relations Act, 1976 (stating that it is illegal for an employer to discriminate against an employee, or an applicant for a job, on the grounds of their ethnic background).

9. The Disability Discrimination Act, 1995 (stating that it is illegal for a business with 20 or more employees to discriminate against an employee, or an applicant for a job, on the grounds of their disability).

It is important that my employer does disregard the following when he recruits. -

• “Disability.
• Gender.
• Marital or parental status.
• Age.
• Race.
• Colour
• Nationality.
• Ethnic or national origin.
• Religious belief.
• Sexual orientation.
• Membership of TU.
• Spent offences.”(REF4)

5. WHILST REVIEWING THE PROCESSES OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION, MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGES AND / OR IMPROVEMENTS TO THE METHODS CURRENTLY USED IN YOUR ORGANISATION.

Possible Improvements

  Skill shortages exist in our area and the firm finds it more difficult to recruit professional and technical staff, skilled manual workers, managers and staff.

• The position would find more suitable candidates if the position was marketed more e.g. advertised on the Internet, job centre, more papers ect.
• Speedier response, if forms could be emailed for sending and receiving.
• The application forms should be looked at more with more attention to qualifications and references should be taken up. They should also be designed to suit a particular job design rather than a standard one.
• Interview stages were it starts with an informal one then structured interview, with psychometric tests, aptitude tests and ability tests.
• Proper training for the interviewer so they can administer interviewing techniques. Links with educational establishments, trade unions, professional associations, government agencies and employment and recruitment agencies would give a wider choice of candidate.
• A proper job description and person specification, which states the purpose, responsibilities and conditions of the job. The person specification should outline the qualities of the candidate. It should include the skills, knowledge and attributes of the individual.
• Links with educational establishments, trade unions, professional associations, government agencies and employment and recruitment agencies would give a wider choice of candidate.

Application form

  Rather than a standard form we could tailor make the application form to the position required. This would enable paper shifting more efficient and allow us to get more pacific information required on the candidate.  

  If the application form was required to be handwritten the handwriting may then be analysed. The science of graphology – the assessment of a person’s character from their handwriting is popular in the USA and some European countries and is now being used by a number of recruitment agencies in the UK.

Interviews

  How the interview should be conducted

A well conducted interview should full fill four main aims:

1. To discover information about the candidates motives and behaviour in order to assess personality.
2. To check information already supplied by the candidate.
3. To inform the candidate about the job applied for and the company.
4. To be fair so that each candidate feels they have an equal chance and leaves with a favourable impression of the organisation.”(REF7)

Whether or not an interview fulfils these aims will depend much on the skill and judgement of the interviewers and the questions asks.

  If a suitable candidate is found they will be asked to attend a informal interview and asked to do some trial work to see if they are capable of doing the required tasks.

Assessment centres

  This involves the assessment of applicants in groups and the assessment is carried out by several assessors. An essential component is exercises, which are designed to assess the various attributes, qualities, or skills, which are considered necessary for the job. These exercises may bear a close resemblance to certain tasks in the job. While exercises form a central part of the assessment- centre proceedings, tests of aptitude and personality, interviews and biographical data may also be used.

  When all the information has been acquired, the assessors rate the applicants on the attributes. They then usually after much discussion arrive at a single overall assessment rating. The overall ratings are among the best predictors of subsequent performance on the job.

Biographical Data in Selection

  Techniques for scoring application forms or biographical questionnaires can be used for selection of applicants.

Types of Biographical Data Selection Procedures

1. Background Information/Application Blanks Paper-and-pencil questionnaires, interviews, and communications with past employers in order to assess an individual's behavioural reliability, integrity, and personal adjustment. In order to implement this technique a validation study would have to be conducted.
2. Empirically keyed Bio data Applicants are presented with a list of questions pertaining to such things as one's economic stability, work ethic orientation, and educational achievement. Applicants' scores are determined by weighting each item according to the item's empirically derived relationship to the criterion of interest. This technique requires a validation study to be carried out in order to obtain the empirically derived weights for the bio data.
3. Rationally keyed Bio data Applicants are presented with a list of questions pertaining to such things as one's economic stability, work ethic orientation and educational achievement. Applicants' scores are determined by weighting each item according to the item's rationally derived relationship to the criterion of interest. Research indicates the predictive validity of this technique may be lower than other available techniques with no evidence for reduced adverse impact against minorities.

Physical Abilities Tests

 

 Tests typically test applicants on some physical requirement such as lifting strength, rope climbing, or obstacle course completion.

Fitness for the job 

 

 Rejection of an applicant for failing a physical abilities test must be based on a determination of the individual's fitness for the job not on a general determination on the disabilities of the applicant.

Liability 

  Although a physician may administer the physical abilities test, it is the employer who decides to hire or not, therefore the liability for violations of Title VII or ADA will rest with the employer.

Induction

 Arrangements made by or on behalf of the management to familiarise the new employee with the working organisation, welfare and safety maters, general conditions of employment and the work of the department in which they are to be employed. It is a continues process starting from the first contact with the employer. Pigors and Myers provide a checklist of steps in an induction programme, which is abbreviated below.

• “The organisation – history, development, management and activity.
• Personnel policies.
• Terms of employment – including disciplinary rules and union arrangements
• Employee benefits and services
• Physical facilities.
• General nature of their work to be done.
• The supervisor.
• Departmental rules and safety measures.
• Relation of new job to others.
• Detailed description of job.
• Introduction to fellow workers.
• Follow-up after several weeks.”(REF5)

Shadowing

  Involves one person showing another all the aspects of a particular job and can cover a lot of ground. It is suitable for training new employees as part of the induction process. An existing employee could be assigned to a new employee were advice and on the job training can be given to instil confidence and health and safety measures.

References and Bibliography

 

• Ref 1. .

• Ref 2. Floyd David (2001) AS Business Studies.

• Ref 3. Floyd David (2001) A2 Business Studies.

• Ref 4. College hand out.

• Ref 5. Derek Torrington and Laura Hall. (1987) Personnel Management.

• Ref6.

• Ref7. Glynis M. Breakwell (1990) Problems in Practice Interviewing.

•   Hodder & Stoughton (1996) A – Z Business studies handbook.

•  Peter Herriot (1989) Recruitment in the 90s.

• Dominic Cooper and Ivan T. Robertson (1995) The Psychology of Personnel Selection.

• John Forsaith and Nick Townsend (1997) The Personnel Administration Handbook.

Appendix 1

Identify the job vacancy.

⇓

What does the job entail?

⇓

Update the job description.

⇓

What type of person is required? Then prepare a person specification.

⇓

Prepare job advert and place in the appropriate media.

⇓

Send out job details and application forms on request.

⇓

Match applications to person specification and select shortlist for interview.

⇓                                                                                                                                 ⇓

Short-listed.                                                                                            Not short-listed.

⇓                                                                                                                                  ⇓

Send out invitation to a interview.                                           Send out letters of regret.

⇓                                                                                                                                  ⇓

Prepare an interview.

⇓

Conduct interviews.

⇓

Select successful candidate.

⇓

Take up references.

⇓

Make formal job offer in writing.