Selection Strategies

 Matching people and jobs

...it is rarely possible to match perfectly the requirements of an individual job with the skills and abilities of the people available. Square pegs in round holes are not only bad for the organization; wrongly placed workers are also often unhappy and bored, or anxious about being out of their depth. (...) There are three strategies for dealing with this problem:

* select the best qualified person for the job ('right person' approach)

* change job characteristics to fit the abilities of the people employed ('culture-fit' model)

* train people to perform more effectively (flexible person approach)

An organization can choose any one or a combination of these methods. (...)

 The right person?

(...) An approach associated with western personnel management and conventionally described as 'best practice' in many textbooks. People are sought with appropriate skills and experience to perform the job with minimal training. (...) It is a discrimination rather than a selection process: a matching technique aimed at pinning down the 'right' or 'best' applicant. (...)

This section in Human Resource Management in a Business Context compares the 'right person' approach with the other two strategies and develops an argument for using the 'flexible person' strategy.

 Selectors and strategies

(...) Frequently, selectors believe they are using 'best practice' to find the person who meets specified criteria. In fact, the person chosen is the one whose face fits. All too often resourcing emphasizes the selection of people who fit existing culture and practice at the expense of future needs. (...) It is imperative that resourcing activities should increase the breadth of experience within an organization.

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