04. Best Practices on Selection Techniques through SHRM

 

Selection (ResearchLeap, 2017)

    Different positions require different methods of selection. You may hire the best candidate for the job by using the appropriate strategies. The specific abilities, qualities, and expertise needed for the role will determine the selection methods you use. Make sure the techniques you have chosen can accurately analyze the selection criteria.  The three most often employed selection methods include evaluating written applications, conducting panel interviews, and examining referee reports. The outcomes of one selection procedure alone should not be used to make recruitment decisions. It's very common to need to combine two or more methodologies to evaluate candidates for a variety of abilities, knowledge, and traits. Work samples, for instance, are a great way to determine a candidate's potential (i.e., maximum performance), but they do not reveal the candidate's regular activities (ie their typical performance). It is also necessary to get this information through reference checks (ANU, 2022).

    Finding the ideal new hire for the position in concern is referred to as employee selection, also known as candidate selection. The steps in the hiring process are determined by the position that is fulfilling, the budget for recruiting, the level of seniority required for the position, the resources available, and the organization's needs. The organization should combine the selection criteria to make the correct decision possible, rather than using a single technique as the sole criterion for accepting or rejecting individuals (Heather, 2020)

    An article published by Mahek (2022) indicates that selection is a long and tedious process that every candidate has to hurdle through to get into a selected position in an organization. And introduced commonly used steps involved in the selection process mentioned below;

• Preliminary Interviews 

    This stage involves initial screening, during which any unwanted candidates are eliminated. Lower-level executives typically conduct this interview. It is a crucial stage since it eliminates all the unsuitable candidates, freeing the HR manager to focus on the other candidates without wasting time. Typically, the job description and the qualifications needed for it are disclosed to the candidates. The most blatant misfits are eliminated through this method.

• Screening of Applicants

    Nowadays, you may get the application forms (which include basic information like age, education level, work history, and other details)  for basically all organizations from their websites or ask for them. When the screening committee receives the completed application, it checks the information and invites the candidate for the selection test. This screening test's goal is also to identify the most qualified applicants as wasting time on the rest would've been expensive.

• Employment Tests

    Employment exams are a method to assess candidates' actual knowledge and understanding of the positions they are applying for. These examinations are quite specific and vary in different organizations since they allow management to select the best candidates for the available positions.

a) Intelligence Tests - These exams assess applicants' capacity for understanding questions and the ability for making decisions concerning crucial matters. People who can respond to these questions rapidly are considered skilled and may be given the training to advance their job-related skills. 

b) Aptitude Tests - These tests gauge a person's aptitude for picking up new skills. Aptitude tests primarily are available in two forms. cognitive assessments that gauge intellectual and mental abilities. The second one is referred to as motor tests, which assess employees' hand-eye coordination.

c) Proficiency Tests - They may also be referred to as performance or occupational tests. They assess an individual's knowledge and abilities gained via training and experience on the job. Commonly assess via job knowledge, work samples, personality tests, and simulation tests.

• Selection Interviews

    A candidate is evaluated during an interview in which he is seated directly across from the selection committee and responds to questions regarding his qualifications and the job's criteria. Interviews give an opportunity for the recruiter to assess subjective aspects, enthusiasm, intelligence, and economic, cultural, and social background of the candidate.

• Checking of References

    The HR department checks the references the candidate mentioned once the interview is over. Their former employers may be contacted over the phone for brief questions regarding the candidate's interactions with coworkers, and management, and further inquiry can be made to ask for additional references about the person's character and consistency at work.

• Medical Examination

    A candidate's physical fitness is evaluated by company medical experts once they have authorized him for the position. Finally, a candidate is chosen if the report deems them medically fit for the position. Candidates are given explanations for being rejected if there is a fitness concern.

•  Final Selection/ Hiring

    After the candidate passes all technical and medical examinations, the line managers are then requested to make the final selection. A good selection is facilitated by a genuine understanding between the line manager and the HR manager. As a result, the two decide together and inform the candidate of their choice. The HR department may send the chosen candidate an appointment letter right away or after some time, depending on the timeframe.

Selection Process (Greggu, 2017)

    Even with many methods and steps for the selection process, every reputed corporate entity is using its own strategic process for employee recruiting and selection. Below is an example of the hiring process of Booking.com briefly explained their hiring procedure which contains vast hurdles of steps to select the perfect candidate. 

The hiring process of Booking.com (Heather, 2020)

The key difference between Recruitment and Selection

    It's critical to comprehend the distinction between selection and recruitment. The term "recruitment" describes the process of looking for possible candidates and then urging them to submit an application for a current or upcoming opening. The hiring of personnel from among the candidates who made the shortlist and giving them a position in the organization is called "selection" (SpriggHR, 2020). 

   The goal of recruiting is to create strategies that will draw more applicants to an open position, whereas the goal of selection is to find the applicant who best fits the post. The selection process begins with recruitment, and it is only finished when a job offer is made and communicated to the chosen candidate via an appointment letter (SpriggHR, 2020).

    Any organization's employees are key to its success. The entire business can profit from a worker's unrivaled performance when they are well-suited for their position. Organizations can choose the best applicants for the right roles with the aid of recruitment and selection. Therefore, it is crucial to comprehend the distinction between recruiting and selection in order to minimize losses for an organization. 

References

ANU (2022) Selection Techniques (online) Australian National University. Available from https://services.anu.edu.au/human-resources/recruit/selection-techniques. [Accessed on 20th November 2022]

Greggu (2017) HR Basics: Selection (online video) Available from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1RTeEPyktKY. [Accessed on 20th November 2022]

Heather (2020) 11 Effective Employee Selection Methods to Start Using Today (blog entry) Harver. Available from https://harver.com/blog/employee-selection-methods/. [Accessed on 20th November 2022]

Mahek (2022) Selection Process in HRM (blog entry) Economics Discussion. Available from https://www.economicsdiscussion.net/human-resource-management/selection-process-in-hrm/31871. [Accessed on 20th November 2022]

ResearchLeap (2017) Impact of Recruitment and Selection Strategy of Employees' Performance (online) Available from https://researchleap.com/impact-recruitment-selection-strategy-employees-performance-study-three-selected-manufacturing-companies-nigeria/. [Accessed on 20th November 2022]

SpriggHR (2020) What is the Difference Between Recruitment and Selection? (online) Available from https://sprigghr.com/blog/hr-professionals/what-is-the-difference-between-recruitment-and-selection/#:~:text=Recruitment%20refers%20to%20the%20process,a%20job%20in%20the%20organization. [Accessed on 20th November 2022]