CHAPTER 6 Employee recruitment & selection

CHAPTER 6 Employee recruitment & selection

Chapter outcomes • Identify different ways that labour markets can be identified and approached • Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of internal versus external recruiting • Identify internal and external methods of recruiting • List and discuss a number of hiring alternatives • Explain the HR department's role in the selection process

Chapter outcomes (continued) • Diagram and discuss the sequence of a typical selection process • Discuss several types of selection interviews and some key considerations when conducting these interviews • Discuss the merits of references • Describe the various decision strategies for selection • Explain how legal concerns impact on both recruitment and selection

Definitions • Recruitment – the process of acquiring applicants who are available and qualified to fill positions in organisations • Selection – the process of choosing from a group of applicants the individual best suited for a particular position

Linking the role of recruitment and selection External labour market Recruitment activities Organisation’s need for additional labour Selection activities

The recruitment process Internal sources Internal methods HRP JA info Satisfactory pool of recruits Environment AA & EE Job requirements Job openings identified External sources External methods Manager’s comments Specific requests

Recruitment strategies in a diverse workforce • Non-traditional recruitment strategies: • Disadvantaged training programmes • Learnerships/apprenticeships and mentoring programmes • Career exhibitions • Telerecruiting • Diversity data banks

Labour markets information • Labour market sources • Part-time employees • Underemployed individuals • Pirating • Operation of the labour market

Recruitment sources • Internal sources (Also discuss employee relocation, glass ceiling) • External sources (also discuss Peter Principle)

Advantages • Internal recruitment •  Morale • Knowledge of records • Chain effect of promotion • Need to hire at entry level • Usually faster, less expensive • External recruitment • Applicant pool is bigger • New ideas, contact •  Internal infighting • Minimises Peter Principle

Disadvantages • Internal recruitment • Unhealthy competition • Inbreeding • Morale problem for those not promoted • Strong management development programme needed • External recruitment • Destroy incentive of employees to strive for promotion • Individual’s ability to fit in is unknown • Increased adjustment problem

Methods of recruitment • External methods • Direct applications • Employee referrals • University campus recruiting • Private employment agencies • Advertising • Direct mail • Radio, TV & the Internet

Hiring alternatives • Assigning overtime • Temporary help • Leasing employees

Recruitment and the law • LRA 66 of 1995 • BCEA 75 of 1997 • EEA 55 of 1998 (amended)

Selection • An HR responsibility • Selection and the law • Selection process

Framework for selection Selection instruments Job specification Job success criterion Job design Organisational goals

Steps in the selection process Comply? Initial screening Yes/No Application blank Yes/No Pre-employment testing Yes/No Reject Interviews Yes/No Job offer Reference checks Yes/No Medical examination Yes/No

Initial screening (step 1) • Removing obviously unqualified/undesired applicants • Critical job specifications or requirements of EEA • CV red flags • CV tracking system

Application blank (step 2) • Information obtained is compared to JS to determine if there is a potential match • Weighted application blank • CV method • Uses of application blank

Pre-employment testing (step 3) • Reliability of a test refers to consistency of measurement, usually across time but also across different raters • Validity is the extent to which scores on a test or interview correspond to actual job performance

Pre-employment testing (continued) • Employment Equity Act Section 8 of Chapter II • Managerial selection devices • Assessment centres

Interviews (step 4) • Purpose of the interview: • Does the applicant have the ability to perform the job? • Will the applicant be motivated to be successful? • Will the applicant match the needs of the organisation?

Interviews (continued) • Reliability & validity of interviews • Problems with interview • Structured & objective process • Effective interviewing: • Setting • Documentation • Standardisation • Scoring • Reviewing specifications • Reviewing the application blank • Training the interviewer • Job-related questions

Interviews (continued) • Types of interviews • One-on-One • Panel • Structured interview (directive/patterned) • Unstructured (not advisable) • Realistic job preview

Reference checks (step 5) • Methods (personal visits, telephonic, mail) • Telephone – advantages: • Immediate clarification • More information • Relatively little expense • Additional areas • A structured form

Reference checks (continued) • Personal references • Verify data received on application blank • Evaluate the quality of the personal recommendation • Determine how well the person knows the applicant • Previous employers

Medical examination (step 6) • After job offer has been made • Contingent to passing the medical examination • EEA Section 7(1) and (2) & Section 50(4) • Can test if it can be justified

The selection decision • Compensatory selection – all applicants who pass the initial screening will be tested, interviewed etc • Multiple hurdles selection – applicant needs to pass each hurdle (step)

Record keeping • EEA • LRA • Keep complete set of records of the recruitment and selection process • Proof of non-discrimination • Keep documents such as advertisements, contract with employment agencies etc

Summary • Recruitment requires the HR specialist to acquire a pool of available and qualified applicants. The recruiters can tap a variety of sources, including current employees, part-time workers, the unemployed and employees of other organisations who feel they are underemployed. • Job-posting programmes are widely used to recruit applicants for positions. New voice-mail and electronic-mail systems offer several advantages over traditional bulletin boards. • Effective recruitment advertising has increased because of the use of common marketing research tools. The need for advertising has increased because of dual-career couples and a general unwillingness to relocate on the part of professional and technical employees. • Current employees are the most common source of applicants for higher-level positions. They offer the organisation several advantages over external applicants and give all employees the incentive of knowing that they may be promoted as a reward for hard work.

Summary • Overtime, temporary help and leasing are alternative sources of additional labour. Depending on the number of hours and skills needed, these recruitment sources may be more desirable than hiring permanent employees. • University/school campus recruitment has become more competitive and employers more sophisticated in their methods. A poor economy should signal to students the need to sue innovative job leads. • Pre-employment tests can be effective tools in the selection process. If carefully selected, validated and monitored, they can help select applicants who will match the position's requirements. • Reference checking has increased in use but has been subjected to legal challenges. Employers can legally provide factual and accurate information, but they should be able to verify any job-related information they release.

CHAPTER 6 Employee recruitment & selection