Employee Selection

Chapter 15 of Human Resource Management in a Business Context (2nd Edition) by Alan Price - published by Thomson Learning

Contents

Objectives

The purpose of this chapter is to:
- Evaluate the screening or preselection stage of employee resourcing.
- Introduce the concepts of validity and reliability in relation to different selection methods.
- Provide a critical overview of selection methods.
- Investigate the frequency of use of different selection methods.

Resourcing decisions

Psychometric tests

Criticism of psychological testing

Interviewing

Informal interviews

Formal interviews

Evaluating methods

Interviews re-visited

Preparation for interviews

Interviewing techniques

Work samples

Assessment centres

Problems with assessment centres

Graphology

Resourcing decisions

Summary

In free market countries, the personnel profession has adopted a 'best practice' model which fits the prevailing business ideology. This model prescribes a quest for the 'right (best) person for the job'. To achieve this goal, criteria are used to rate prospective applicants by means of selection techniques, including biographical data, interviews, psychometric tests, group exercises, simulated work samples and even handwriting analysis. The most definitive form of selection is likely to take place within the context of assessment centres, which involve several assessors and a variety of selection techniques. The 'best-person' or psychometric model has achieved the status of orthodoxy in free market countries. Elsewhere different models of resourcing apply. For example, in Japan there is a greater concern with personality and background than presumed ability. Recruits are sought who will 'fit in' with the culture of the corporation; who will be content to build a career within the organization; who will absorb the goals of the organization.

Further reading

Competency-based Recruitment and Selection by Robert Wood, Tim Payne (1998), published by John Wiley & Sons takes a 'best practice' approach to the selection process. Human Resource Selection by Robert Gatewood and Hubert Field, 5th edition, 2000, published by Thomson Learning has a more technical approach. Books on interviewing include: The Selection Interview by Penny Hackett, CIPD (1998) and Effective Interviewing by Robert Edenborough, Kogan Page (2002).

Review questions

Problem for discussion and analysis - Everylang

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Human Resource Management
in a Business Context

2nd Edition 2004

by Alan Price
Published by
Thomson Learning
ISBN 186152966X

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