CHAPTER 12

Recruitment and Selection in an

Internet Context
Sumon Kumar Mozumdar
Assistant Professor
Dept. of Management Studies, JnU.
Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 RECRUITMENT

 The Goal Of The Recruitment Function Is To Identify, Attract,

And Hire The Most Qualified People.

(Cascio, 2006)
– Recruitment: Recruitment is the process of searching for
prospective employees and stimulating and encouraging them
to apply for jobs in an organization.
– Recruitment is the process of finding and attracting qualified
people for job.
Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 RECRUITMENT AND TECHNOLOGY

• The Goal Of The Recruitment Function Is To

Identify, Attract, And Hire The Most Qualified
People (Cascio, 2006).
• In The U.S., Over 90% Of Large Companies Use The
Internet To Recruit Applicants
• Over 95% Of Fortune 500 Have An Online Job Page
• Over 46 Million People Look For Job Openings
Online

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 ONLINE RECRUITMENT AND
RECRUITMENT OBJECTIVES
• Cost of Filling Job Vacancies.

• Speed Of Filling Job Vacancies

• Psychological Contract Fulfillment, Employee

Satisfaction and Retention Rates.
 Realistic Recruitment Message

• Quality And Quantity and Diversity of Applicants.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 ATTRIBUTES OF THE
RECRUITING WEB SITE -1
• Navigability can be defined as the overall ease with which a user can browse
through multiple Web pages to locate topics of interest. Hosting a Web site
that displays current information and includes active hyperlinks to retrieve
information is essential in maintaining user interest within the site. To achieve
this goal, organizations should follow the “three-click” rule for users to locate
information of interest
• Content information refers to the degree to which the Web site hosts relevant
information that the user deems valuable and informative in nature. Providing
information that the user desires is another mechanism by which
organizations can sustain user interest and satisfaction with the Web site.
• The media richness theory has been frequently applied to explain why hosting
relevant content information is beneficial to applicants. Specifically, this
theory contends that communication effectiveness is a function of the degree
to which media sources reduce user uncertainty and equivocality.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 ATTRIBUTES OF THE
RECRUITING WEB SITE - 2
• The more customizable information an organization provides on its Webpage, the more likely an
applicant will engage in appropriate self-selection behavior (to apply or not apply for a job within
the organization). In other words, if the Web site provides direct feedback to applicants regarding
their P-O or P-J fit, the online recruiting effort will likely attract a more qualified applicant pool.
• Companies should consider how the aesthetic features of their Web sites engage user interest
and attention. These features encompass the overall stylistic or innovative aspects of a Web site,
such as contrasting colors, pictures, animation, and playfulness, which keep the user engaged
while he or she navigates through multiple Web pages
• Integrating these attributes together, a Web site’s usability has been found to affect applicant
perceptions and attitudes toward the organization. A recent meta-analytic study found a
corrected correlation coefficient of .41 between Web site usability and organizational attraction –
in other words, the more usable the Web site was perceived, the more likely the applicant was
attracted to the organization.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 RECRUITMENT STRATEGIES AND
SOCIAL NETWORKING
• Social Networking Sites And Online Search Engines Are
Being Used More Frequently Now As An HR Tool Than They
Were Two Years Ago.
• They Are Primarily Used To Search For Passive Applicants,
Particularly At The Middle Management Levels, Who Might
Not Otherwise Apply Or Be Contacted By An Organization.
• They Are Not Used To Screen Applicants.
• Negative Information Provided In The Social Networking
Sites, Has A Greater Influence On Hiring Decisions, Than
Positive Information.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 Guidelines for Online Recruitment -1
• More Suitable For Well Known Firms With Excellent Employer Brand.
• To Be Used As One Of The Many Sources Of Recruitment.
• More Suitable When Large Number Of Candidates Are Required For
High-level Jobs Requiring High Levels Of Education.
• Be Aware Of The Limitations, Such As The Limited Ability To Attract
Highly Qualified Candidates And Minority Candidates. It May In Fact
Attract Job Hoppers.
• The Websites Should Be Easy To Use And Navigate And Designed To
Attract Not Screen Candidates.
• Online Screening Systems Should Be Based On Job Analyses.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 Guidelines for Online Recruitment - 2
• E-recruiting systems should provide realistic preview of the job
and the firm.
• The effectiveness should be regularly reviewed and
continuously improved based on feedback from job applicants.
• Should be culturally sensitive and suit people from diverse
backgrounds including those with low education levels and low
computer self-efficacy.
• Should incorporate privacy protection policies including
collection of only employment specific data and restricting
access to and distribution of such data.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 SELECTION

• The process of choosing individuals who have relevant

qualifications to fill existing or projected job openings and
“match” the needs of the company as well as those of the
individual. This means a match on both KSAs and company
culture.
• Selection is the process of finding out those candidates from the
large pool of candidates who posses the necessary qualification
to perform the effectively and efficiently. Selection is the process
of gathering information for the purposes of evaluating and
deciding who should be employed in particular job. Right person
for the right job is the main goal of selection.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 SELECTION AND TECHNOLOGY

Tests And Assessments Are Used For:

• Selection Of Employees
• Placing Employees In Positions In The Organization
• Training And Development Of Employees
• Promotion Of Employees
• Evaluation Of Employees

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 SPECIFIC EXAMPLES OF TESTS AND
ASSESSMENTS (Figure 12.2)
Knowledge test: A multiple-choice training posttest of knowledge of the tools, machines, and equipment used in a factory and
designed to measure how well the new hire has learned essential job information taught in classroom training.

Skill test: A practical exercise or simulation that tests the candidate’s effectiveness in using Microsoft Word software.

Ability test: The Watson-Gleser Critical Thinking Appraisal, a multiple-choice reasoning test, in which the examinee reads a
short or medium-length passage and draws logical conclusions about the statements, choosing the answer that makes the
best logical sense. Many other ability tests are similar in appearance and format to educational tests that are familiar to
students (e.g,. the Scholastic Aptitude Test [SAT], the Miller Analogies Test [MAT], and the Graduate Record
Examination [GRE]).

Personal attributes test: A multiple-choice personality assessment, in which the examinee reads statements, such as “I enjoy
making presentations in front of large groups of people,” and indicates the extent to which she or he agrees or disagrees
with the statement. Results are scored on several scales or dimensions.

Work simulation: An in-basket exercise in which the examinee must examine the variety of types of information
(correspondence, reports, and other information) and also interact with simulated coworkers, employees, or other
business associates (whether computer simulated or role played by actors over the telephone or in person). The examinee
is evaluated on a variety of dimensions, from accuracy and the quality of decisions to work-related competencies,
interpersonal skills, and other personal attributes.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 SELECTION TESTS AND ASSESSMENTS

• Selection Procedures Refer To Any Procedure

Used Singly Or In Combination To Make A
Personnel Decision.
• Selection Tests And Assessments Are Job Related
Decision-making Tools That Provide Information
About Candidates That Organizations Can Use In
Selection.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 WHY IS ASSESSMENT IMPORTANT
FOR HRIS?
• All Organizations Use Assessments
• Organization Leaders Know That Employees’ Abilities,
Skills, and Personal Attributes Are Critical for Success
• Some Selection Systems Work Better Than Others
• Employee Selection Is Regulated by Antidiscrimination
Laws
• The Value of Selection Is Quantifiable

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 TECHNOLOGY ISSUES IN SELECTION

• Equivalence Between Conventional And

Computerized Assessments
• Bandwidth Versus Fidelity: How Closely Should We
Simulate The Job?
• Validity And Security Issues Created By
Unproctored Online Testing

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 CORRELATIONS BETWEEN ASSESSMENT
SCORES AND JOB PERFORMANCE Figure 12.3 Figure 2
Correlations between Assessment Scores and Job Performance (Validity) for Various Types of Asessments

Graphology (Handwriting Analysis)

Years of Education

Training & Experience Ratings

Types of Assessment

Reference Checks

Personality/Integrity Tests

Ability Tests

Structured Employment Interview

Work Simulations

0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6

Valdiity Correlation
Smaller
Larger

Schmidt
Source: Schmidt and Hunter (1998), The validity and utility of selection methods in personnel psychology: Practical and andimplications
theoretical Hunter (1998)
of 85
years
Kavanagh, of research
Human findings. Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
Resource Information
 APPLYING HRIS TO SELECTION AND
ASSESSMENT
• Careful Design & Integration Of Systems To
Store & Link Information
• Development Of Scoring & Decision Rules –
Simplicity
• Accessing & Distributing Data: Privacy &
Security
• Cost Benefit Analysis Of Online Tools

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 APPLYING HRIS TO SELECTION AND
ASSESSMENT

• Test Access and Security

• Test Inventory and Administrative Privileges

• Options for Scoring

• Accessing Results

• Applying Test Policies

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 HR’S VALUE WITH HRIS
SELECTION APPLICATIONS

HRIS manager plays a key role in proving the

value of a selection system, through knowledge
of how to obtain and use the right data on
individual and organizational outcomes that will
demonstrate a return on investment in the
system.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 HR’S VALUE WITH HRIS SELECTION
APPLICATIONS
The Quality Of The Candidates May Be Defined In
Terms Of One Of More Of The Following (Cascio,
1991):
• The Proportion Who Are Successful On The Job
• The Average Numeric Value Of An Outcome Of Interest
(Performance Criterion)
• The Dollar Amount Of Benefit Resulting To The
Organization (Such As The Annual Increase In
Revenue).

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.
 HR’S VALUE WITH HRIS SELECTION
APPLICATIONS
• Simplest Approach To Estimating Utility Is To Conduct
Pre/Post Comparisons Of Measurable Performance To
See If The Selection System Has Coincided With A
Change In Performance.
• A Complex Approach (More Precise) Is To Use A Utility
Formula That Takes Several Factors Into Account:
– The Selection Ratio
– The Validity Coefficient, Expressed As The Correlation
Between Assessment Scores And Criteria (Outcomes)
– Information About The Dollar Value Of Performance.

Kavanagh, Human Resource Information Systems, Third Edition© 2015 SAGE Publications, Inc.