H U M A N R E S O U R C E S

M A N AG E M E N T
Chapter 4
RECRUITMENT
AND
SELECTION
 Recruiting in labor markets
 Recruiting: The process of generating a pool of qualified
applicants for organizational jobs.
“If the number of available candidates only equals the number of people to be hired,
there is no real selection—the choice has already been made.”

 Labor markets
The external sources from which organizations attract employees.
 Recruiting in labor markets
 Labor force population: All individuals who are available for
selection if all possible recruitment strategies are used.

 Applicant population: A subset of the labor force population

that is available for selection using a particular recruiting approach.
 Recruiting in labor markets
 At least four recruiting decisions affect the nature of the applicant
population:
o l Recruiting method: advertising medium chosen and considering use of
employment agencies
o l Recruiting message: what is said about the job and how it is said
o l Applicant qualifications required: education level and amount of
experience necessary
o l Administrative procedures: time of year recruiting is done, the follow-ups
with applicants, and use of previous applicant files
 Applicant pool: All persons who are actually evaluated for selection.
 Recruiting in labor markets
 Recruiting Decisions
HR Planning Decisions
• How Many Employees Needed
• When Needed
• KSAs Needed
• Special Qualifications

Strategic Recruiting Decisions

• Where to Recruit: Internal/External
• Who to Recruit: Flexible Staffing Options
• Nature of Job Requirements: Review the Job Requirements

Decisions on Recruiting Sources/Methods

• Advertising Choices
• Recruiting Activities
 Recruiting in labor markets
Advantages and Disadvantages of Internal and External Sources

Recruiting Advantages Disadvantages

Source
Internal • Morale of promote • Inbreeding
• Better assessment of abilities • Possible morale problems of those not
• Lower cost for some jobs promoted
• Motivator for good performance • “Political” infighting for promotions
• Causes a succession of promotions • Need for management-development
• Have to hire only at entry level program
External • New “blood” brings new perspectives • May not select someone who will “fit”
• Cheaper and faster than training the job or organization
professionals • May cause morale problems for
• No group of political supporters in internal candidates not selected
organization already • Longer “adjustment” or orientation
• May bring new industry insights time
 Recruiting in labor markets
Typical Recruiting Responsibilities
HR Unit Managers
• Forecasts recruiting needs • Anticipate needs for employees to
• Prepares copy for recruiting ads fill vacancies
and campaigns • Determine KSAs needed from
• Plans and conducts recruiting applicants
efforts • Assist in recruiting effort with
• Audits and evaluates all recruiting information about job
activities requirements
• Review recruiting efforts activities
 Recruiting in labor markets
Recruiting Sources/Methods
Internal Recruiting
 Job posting and bidding: A system in which the employer provides notices
of job openings within the organization and employees respond by
applying for specific openings.
 Promotion and Transfer
 Recruiting Former Employees and Applicants
 Internal Recruiting Database
 Recruiting in labor markets
Recruiting Sources/Methods
External Recruiting
 School recruiting: High schools or vocational/technical schools
 College Recruiting
 Labor Unions
 Media Sources
 Trade and Competitive Sources
 Employment Agencies
 Executive Search Firms
 Internet Recruiting
 Recruiting in labor markets
What to Include in an Effective Recruiting Advertisement

INFORMATION ON THE CANDIDATE

• Years of experience
• Three to five key characteristics of the successful candidate
INFORMATION ON THE JOB AND PROCESS OF APPLICATION
• Job title and responsibilities
• Location of job
• Starting pay range
• Closing date for application
• Whether to submit a resume and cover letter
• Whether calls are invited or not
• Where to mail application or resume
INFORMATION ON THE ORGANIZATION
• That it is an EEO employer
• Its primary business
 Recruiting in labor markets
Recruiting Evaluation
 Quantity of applicants
 EEO goals met (*)
 Quality of applicants
 Cost per applicant hired
 Time required to fill openings
 Selection rates: the percentage hired from a given group of
applicants
= Number of hired
Number of applicants
 Recruiting in labor markets
Recruiting Evaluation

 Base rate = Good employees

People were hired at random

 Yield ratios: A comparison of the number of applicants at one stage

of the recruiting process to the number at the next stage.
 Recruiting in labor markets
Using Yield Ratios to Determine Needed Applicants
 Recruiting in labor markets
Evaluating Recruiting Costs and Benefits
 Cost: costs may include both
o direct costs: advertising, recruiters’ salaries, travel, agency fees,
telephone
o indirect costs: involvement of operating managers, public relations,
image
 Benefits to consider include the following:
o Length of time from contact to hire
o Total size of applicant pool
o Proportion of acceptances to offers
o Percentage of qualified applicants in the pool
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
 Selection: The process of choosing individuals who have relevant
qualifications to fill jobs in an organization.
 Placement: Fitting a person to the right job.

“Good training will not make up for bad selection.”

“If you don’t hire the right one, your competitor will.”
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Reasons Applicants Are Selected or Rejected
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Selection Strategy Choices
Closely Match Job/Person KSAs for Use General Predictors
Selection When: for Selection When:
• New employee will be closely monitored so • Employees work independently, having a
that performance problems will be obvious. high degree of autonomy and low structure,
• KSAs brought to job are more important which requires conscientiousness to
than what employees learn on the job. succeed.
• Few changes will occur in the jobs and the • KSAs learned on the job are more
changes will be gradual when they occur. important than those brought to the job.
• One job candidate clearly has greatly • Many changes and much problem solving
superior KSAs. are necessary, and employees must learn
very quickly, using creative approaches.
• Several job candidates are virtually equal in
key KSAs.
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Elements of Selection Criteria for Operational Predictors
Job Performance Employees Who Will of Selection Criteria
Meet Performance
Goals
• Quantity of work • Ability • Experience
• Quality of work • Motivation • Past performance
• Compatibility • Intelligence • Physical skills
with others • Conscientiousness • Education
• Presence at work • Appropriate risk for • Interests
• Length of service employer • Salary requirements
• Flexibility • Appropriate • Certificates held degrees
permanence • Test scores
• Personality measures
• Work references
• Tenure on previous jobs
• Previous jobs held
• Drug test
• Police Record
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Typical Selection Responsibilities

HR Unit
•Provides initial employment Managers
reception • Requisition employees with
•Conducts initial screening interview specific qualifications to fill jobs
•Administers appropriate • Participate in selection process as
employment tests appropriate
•Obtains background and reference • Interview final candidates
information • Make final selection decision,
•Refers top candidates to managers subject to advice of HR specialists
for final selection • Provide follow-up information on
•Arranges for the employment the suitability of selected
physical examination, if used individuals
•Evaluates success of selection
process
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
The Selection Process
Applicant arrives at organization
Reception - Jobs Open? –Yes
Job Preview/Interest Screen
Application Form
Test Interview
Background Investigation
Additional Interview (optional)

Conditional Job Offer

Medical Exam/Drug Test

Job Placement
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
 In addition to matching qualified people to jobs, the selection
process has an important public-relations dimension.
o Discriminatory hiring practices
o Impolite interviewers
o Unnecessarily long waits
o Inappropriate testing procedures
o Lack of follow-up letters
 Realistic Job Previews: The process through which an
interviewer provides a job applicant with an accurate picture of a
job.
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Selection Testing
 Ability tests: Tests that assess learned skills.
 Aptitude tests: Tests that measure general ability to learn or
acquire a skill.
 Work sample tests: Tests that require an applicant to perform a
simulated job task.
 Mental ability tests: Tests that measure reasoning capabilities.
 Psychological/Personality Tests: Personality is a unique blend
of individual characteristics that affect interaction with the
environment and help define a person.
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
 Polygraph and Honesty Testing: These include polygraph tests
and paper-and-pencil honesty tests
 Questionable tests:
o Graphology
o Psychics
o Blood type
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
 Selection Interviewing: Interview designed to identify information on a
candidate and clarify information from other sources.
 Types of Interviews:
o Structured interview: Interview that uses a set of standardized questions
asked of all job applicants.
o Situational interview: A structured interview composed of questions
about how applicants might handle specific job situations.
o Behavioral description interview: Interview in which applicants give
specific examples of how they have performed or handled problems in the
past.
o Nondirective interview: Interview that uses general questions, from which
other questions are developed.
o Stress interview: Interview designed to create anxiety and put pressure on
an applicant to see how the person responds.
o Panel interview: Interview in which several interviewers interview the
candidate at the same time.
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
POOR QUESTIONS
 Questions that rarely produce a true answer
 Leading questions
 Illegal questions
 Obvious questions
 Questions that are not job related
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Problems in the Interview:
• Snap judgments
• Negative emphasis
• Halo effect
• Biases
• Cultural noise
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Types of References
 Academic references
 Prior work references
 Financial references
 Law enforcement records
 Personal references
 Selecting and Placing Human Resources
Factors Interviewers Consider in the Interview
• Confidence
• Maturity
• Appearance
• Work experience
• Fluency
• Body language
• GPA
• Outside activities
• Career goals
• Initiative
• Emotional stability
• Appropriate responses
• Enthusiasm