Human Resource Knowledge

Selection of an employee

Seven Steps in the Selection Process

Step 1 Initial Screening

If our recruiting effort has been successful, we will be confronted with a number of potential applicants. Based on the job description and job specification, some of the respondents can be eliminated hey sharing of job description information with the individual can frequently encourage the unqualified or marginally qualified to voluntarily withdraw from candidacy. Another important point during the initial screening phase is to identify a salary range, as a job opening which sounds exciting but has a low salary may not seem attractive to the applicants.

Step 2: Completion of Applications Form

Once the initial screening has been completed, applicants are asked to complete the organization’s application form. Some organizations may require only the applicant’s name, address and telephone number, while others may request the completion of a six to ten page comprehensive personal history profile. In general terms, the application form gives a synopsis of what applicants have been doing, their skills and their accomplishments.

Step 3 : Employment Tests

An employment test is a means of assessing a job applicant’s characteristics through paper-and-pencil responses or exercise. Three major types of tests used in the selection process are ability, personality and performance tests. Ability tests measure mainly mental, mechanical and clerical abilities or sensory capacities( like vision and hearing), personality tests are means of measuring characteristics , such as patterns of thoughts, feelings and behaviors. These characteristics are distinctly combined in an individual and influence that individual’s interactions in various situations. Paper-and-pencil personality tests measure such characteristics sociability, independence and need for achievement. Performance tests are means of measuring practical ability on a specific job. The applicant completes some job activity under structured conditions. For example, a sales representatives may be asked to handle a situation involving a very difficult customer. Although such tests can be costly if special facilities and equipment are needed , performance tests tend to be valid predictors of future performance.

Step 4 Comprehensive interview

Those individuals who are still viable applicants after the initial screening application form, and required tests have been completed, are then given a comprehensive interview. The applicant may be interviewed by the personnel department interviewers, executives within the organization, potential supervisors, or colleagues. The comprehensive interview is designed to probe into areas that cannot be addressed by the application form or tests. These areas consists of assessing one’s motivation, ability to work under pressure and ability to ‘fit in ‘ with the organization This information must be job related.

Step 5 Background Investigation

This step includes contacting former employers to confirm the candidates work record and to obtain their appraisal of the performance in the previous job. It also includes verifying the educational accomplishments shown on the application, and contacting personal references. This type of investigation has major implications and every personnel administrator has the responsibility to investigate each potential applicant. Though there is often reluctance on the part of references to give information, there are ways in which the personnel administrators can obtain it. A seasoned personnel administrator expects this and delves deep into the candidate’s background and gets his information.

Step 6 Physical Examination

The applicant may consist of having taking a physical examination which is intended to screen out those individuals who are unable to comply physically with the requirements of the job and the organization. The physical examinations are required to minimize the standards for the organization’s group life and medical insurance programs and base data in case of future compensation claims.

Step 7 Final Employment Selection

Those who perform in all the above step are considered or eligible for employment The actual hiring decision is made by the Manager in the department that had the position open. The applicants has to work for the managers so, the boss and the employee should have good relationship.

Labels: HRM

posted by Paresh @ 5:11 PM