Chapter 3

Recruitment and Selection Process

Objectives:
1. Define the steps in the screening and selection process
2. Explain the purpose of screening.
3. List and describe the various methods for screening, including their strengths and
weaknesses
4. Describe how to use selection tools such as interviews and bio data more
effectively

Introduction
Recruitment means search of the prospective employee to suit the job
requirements as represented by job specification–a technique of job analysis. It is the
first stage in selection, which makes the vacancies known to a large number of people
and the opportunities that the organization offers. In response to this knowledge,
potential applicants would write to the organization. The process of attracting people to
apply in called recruitment.

Several experts have defined Recruitment as the development and

maintenance of adequate manpower resources. It involves the creation of a pool of
available labor upon whom the organization can depend when it needs additional
employees.‖ Also, Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective employees
and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization.‖

Sources of Recruitment

The various sources of recruitment are generally classified as internal source and
external source.
1. Internal Sources refers to the recruitment from within the company. The various
internal sources are promotion; transfer, past employees and internal
advertisements.

2. External Sources refers to the practice of getting suitable persons from outside.
The various external sources are advertisement, employment exchange, past
employees, private placement agencies and consultants, walks-ins, campus
recruitment, trade unions, etc. The following external sources of recruitment are
commonly used by the big enterprises:

 Direct Recruitment is an important source of recruitment is direct

recruitment by placing a notice on the notice board of the enterprise
specifying the details of the jobs available. It is also known as
recruitment at factory gate. The practice of· direct recruitment is
generally followed for filling casual vacancies requiring unskilled
workers. Such workers are known as casual workers and they are
paid remuneration on daily-wage basis. This method of recruitment
is very cheap, as it does not involve any cost of advertising
vacancies.

 Casual Callers or Unsolicited Applications can be claimed

when the organizations, which are regarded as good employers,
draw a steady stream of unsolicited applications in their offices.
This serves as a valuable source of manpower. If adequate
attention is paid to maintain pending application folders for various
jobs, the personnel department may find the unsolicited
applications useful in filling the vacancies whenever they arise. The
merit of this source of recruitment is that it avoids the costs of
recruiting workforce from other sources.
 Media Advertisement refers when advertisement in newspapers
or trade and professional journals is generally used when qualified
and experienced personnel are not available from other sources.
Most of the senior positions in industry as well as commerce are
filled by this method. The advantage of advertising is that more
information about the organization job descriptions and job
specifications can be given in advertisement to allow self-screening
by the prospective candidates. Advertisement gives the
management a wider range of candidates from which to choose. Its
disadvantage is that is may bring in a flood of response, and many
times, from quite unsuitable candidates.

 Employment Agencies are employment exchanges run by the

Government are regarded as a good source of recruitment for
unskilled, semi-skilled and skilled operative jobs. In some cases,
law requires compulsory notification of vacancies to the
employment exchange. Thus, the employment exchanges bring the
jobs givers in contact with the job seekers. However, in the
technical and professional area, private agencies and professional
bodies appear to be doing most of the work. Employment
exchanges and selected private agencies provide a nation-wide
service in attempting to match personnel demand and supply.

 Management Consultants are management consultancy firms

help the organisations to recruit technical, professional and
managerial personnel. They specialise middle level and top-level
executive placements. They maintain data bank of persons with
different qualifications and skills and even advertise the jobs on
behalf their clients to recruit right type of personnel.
 Educational Institutions or Campus Recruitment are jobs in
commerce and industry have become increasing technical and
complex to the point where school and college degrees are widely
required. Consequently big organisations maintain a close liaison
with the universities, vocational institutes and management
institutes for recruitment to various jobs. Recruitment from
educational institutional is a well - established practice of thousand
of business and other organizations. It is also known as campus
recruitment. Reputed industrial houses, which require management
trainees, send their officials to campuses of various management
institutes for picking up talented candidates doing MBA.

 Recommendation is applicants introduced by friends and relatives

may prove to be a good source of recruitment. In fact, many
employers prefer to take such persons because something about
their background is known. When a present-employee or a
business friend recommends some one for a job, a type of
preliminary screening is done and the person is placed on a job.

 Labor Contractors are an important source of recruitment in some

industries in India. Workers are recruited through labor contractors
who are they employees of the organization. The disadvantage of
this system is that if the contractor leaves the organization, all the
workers, employed through him will also leave That is why this
source of labor is not preferred by many businesses, organizations.
Recruitment through labor contractors has been banned for the
public sector units.

 Telecasting is the practice of telecasting of vacant posts over T.V.

is gaining importance these days. Special programs like Job Watch,
 Youth Pulse, and Employment News etc, over the T.V have
become quite popular in recruitment for various types of jobs. The
detailed requirements of the job and the qualities required to do it
are publicized along with the profile of the organization where
vacancy exists. The use of T.V. as a source of recruitment is less
as compared to other sources.

 Raiding is a technical term used when employees working

elsewhere are attracted to join organizations. The organizations are
always on the lookout for qualified professionals, and are willing to
offer them a better deal if they make the switch. There are always
some employees who are professionally very competent, but
dissatisfied with something or the other in the organization. They
form the easy group to attract. The other group is formed of those
who are equally competent but are quite satisfied with their present
position. To attract them, the organization has to offer a very
lucrative package of perquisites. Whatever may be the means used
to attract, often it is seen as an unethical practice and not openly
talked about.

MERITS OF EXTERNAL SOURCES

The merits of external sources of recruitment are as under:

1. Qualified Personnel: By using external sources of recruitment the

management can make qualified and trained people to apply for vacant Jobs
in the organisation.

2. Wider choice: When vacancies are advertised widely a large number of

applicants from outside the organisation apply. The management has a wider
choice while selecting the people for employment.
 3. Fresh Talent: The insiders may have limited talents. External sources
facilitate infusion of fresh blood with new ideas into the enterprise. This will
improve the overall working of the enterprise.

4. Competitive Spirit: If a company can tap external sources, the existing staff
will have to compete with the outsiders. They will work harder to show better
performance.

Demerits of External Sources

The demerits of filling vacancies from external sources are as follows:

1. Dissatisfaction among Existing Staff: External recruitment may lead to

dissatisfaction and frustration among existing employees. They may feel that
their chances of promotion are reduced.

2. Lengthy Process: Recruitment from outside takes a long time. The business
has to notify the vacancies and wait for applications to initiate the selection
process.

3. Costly Process: It is very costly to recruit staff from external sources. A lot of
money has to be spent on advertisement and processing of applications.

4. Uncertain Response: The candidates from outside may not be suitable for the
enterprise. There is no guarantee that the enterprise will be able to attract right
kinds of people from external sources.
EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVE SOURCES

A company cannot fill all its vacancies from one single source. It must carefully
combine some of these sources, weighing their cost and flexibility, the quality of men
they supply, and their effect on the present work force. Following are some of the
measures, which can be used to assess how good, or how poor various sources have
proved to be:

 Time lag between Requisition and Placement: The basic statistics needed to
estimate the time lag are the time-lapse data. To take an example, a company‘s
past experience may show that the average number of days from application to
interview is 15 from interview to offer is 5, from offer to acceptance is 7 and from
acceptance to report for work is 21. Therefore, if the company begins its
recruitment and selection process today, the best estimate is that it will be 48
days before the new employee is added to the payroll. With this information, the
length of the pipeline for alternative sources of recruitment can be described and
suitable recruiting sources chosen.

 Yield Ratios: These ratios tell us about the number of leads/contacts needed to
generate a -given number of hires in a given time. To take an example, suppose
a company is contemplating expansion and needs 10 additional engineers in the
next 6 months. On the basis of its past experience the company predicts as
under: We must extend offers to 2 candidates to gain one acceptance. If we need
10 engineers we will have to extend 20 offers. Further, if the interview -to-offer
ratio has been 3: 2 then 30 interviews must be conducted and since the invitees
to interview ratio is 4: 3 then as many as 40 candidates must be invited. Finally, if
contacts or leads required to find suitable candidates to invite are in 6: 1
proportions then 240 contacts be made.

 Employee Attitude Studies: These studies try to discover the reactions of

present employees to both external and internal sources of recruitment.
 Correlation Studies: These studies tell us about the extent of correlation which,
exists between different sources of recruitment and factors of success on the job.

 Selection: To select means to choose. Selection is a part of the recruitment

function. It is the process of choosing people by obtaining and assessing
information about the applicants (age, qualification, experience and qualities)
with a view of matching these with the job requirements and picking up the most
suitable candidates. The choices are made by elimination of the unsuitable at
successive stages of the selection process.

 Purpose of Selection The purpose of selection is to pick up the most suitable

persons who would match the requirements of the job and the organization. The
emphasis in selection is, therefore, on the optimal match between the person and
the job. Now the question arises as to which is the dependent variable? Person
or job. Some organizations emphasize on selecting the Right Person for the
Right Job. Here the Job is usually considered constant (through Jobs and Job
context do undergo changes over time) and the person is sought to be fitted into
the job. Creative and innovative organizations, instead, seek to find the Right Job
for Right Person. A secondary objective in selection could be to choose the best
person available. However, there could be a real problem with such an objective
if the Job is not appropriate for the person concerned. It may become difficult for
organizations to retain their best people in jobs that do not offer opportunities for
them to harness their potential; instead they may lead to problems of monotony,
boredom and frustration among Individuals and increased and increased
turnover of staff for the organization.

 Criteria of Selection decisions are usually based on how an applicant is rated

(rather, predicted) in terms of the likelihood of success on the job. The
information used found in the application blanks, performance in one or more
 tests and the interview(s). The criteria of selection need to be critical to the job.
The key job dimensions identified in job analysis and job description provide the
basis for determining relevant criteria. Frequently educational qualifications,
technical skills and achievements are used as the basis for selection. But is there
a statistical relationship between such requirements and job performance? It
appears that certain job requirements can be measured more easily and
accurately than certain others. The core job skills like sensory motor‘skills and
manipulative skills and achievement can be measured relatively more accurately
than one‘s aptitude, interest and personality traits. Integrity loyalty,
initiative/drive/resourcefulness and intelligence/mental alertness are the key
attributes influencing the selection of managerial employees. All these attributes
being subjective are hard to assess accurately yet are widely attempted. Perhaps
it is so because managements and employers in India have relatively less
pressure to defend the criteria.

SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process begins with the job specification. The more dearly and
precisely it is done the less would be the number of qualified applicants. Suppose the
purpose is to select management trainees. If the qualification prescribed is MBA, the
number of applicants may be in hundred. If the qualification is graduation in any
discipline, the number of applicants may be in thousand. Of course, the reputation of the
firm, the job content, compensation package, location, etc. also influences the response
to any, recruitment drive. But Job specification does plays an important role m deciding
the quantity and, quality of response from prospective applicants. The selection process
covers the period from the job specification and initial contact with the applicant to his
final acceptance or rejection. The successive stages in the selection process are
referred to as hurdles that the applicants should cross. Not all selection processes,
however, include all these stages. The complexity of the selection process usually
increases with the increase in the skill level and job level (responsibility and
accountability) of the position for which selection is being made. The sequencing of the
hurdles also may vary from job to job and organization to organization.

When a market research firm is recruiting research investigators on temporary

basis for a specific assignment it may ask the candidates to appear for interview along
with written application form in the next two days following the date of advertisement
and make job offers immediately after the interview without any other tests or
references.

1. Initial Screening: The initial screening and/or preliminary interview is done to

limit the costs of selection by letting only suitable candidates go through the
further stages in selection. At this stage, usually a junior executive either
screens all enquiries for positions against specified norms (in terms of age,
qualifications and experience) through preliminary interview where
information is exchanged about the job, the applicant and the, mutual
expectations of the individual and the organization. If the organization finds
the candidate suitable, an application form, prescribed for the purpose, is
given to these candidates to fill in and submit.

2. Application Form: The application form is usually designed to obtain

information on various aspects, of the applicant‘s social, demographic,
academic and work-related background and references. The forms may vary
for different positions some organizations may not have any form specially
designed instead, ask the candidates to write applications on a plain sheet.

3. Tests: A test is a sample of an aspect of an individual‘s behavior,

performance or attitude. It also provides a systematic basis for comparing the
behavior, performance or attitude of two or more persons. Tests serve as a
screening device and provide supplementary inputs in selection decisions.
Their value lies in the. fact that they serve additional predictors intended to
make selection decision more apt and accurate.
4. Intelligence Tests: These are tests to measure one‘s intellect or qualities of
understanding. They are also referred to as tests of mental ability. The traits
of intelligence measured include: reasoning, verbal and non-verbal fluency,
comprehension, numerical, memory and spatial relations ability. Binet-Simon;
Standford-Binet and Weshier-Bellevue Scale are some examples of standard
intelligence tests.

5. Aptitude Tests: Aptitude refers to one‘s natural propensity or talent or ability

to acquire a particular skill. While intelligence is a general trait, aptitude refers
to a more specific capacity or potential. It could relate to mechanical dexterity,
clerical, linguistic, musical academic etc.

6. Achievement Tests: These are proficiency tests to measure one‘s skill or

acquired knowledge. The paper and pencil tests may seek to test a person‘s
knowledge about a particular subject. But there is no guarantee that a person
who knows most also performs best. Work sample tests or performance test
using actual task and working conditions (then simulated one‘s) provide
standardized measures of behavior to assess the ability to perform than
merely the ability to know. Work sample tests are most appropriate for testing
abilities in such skills as typing, stenography and technical trades. Work
sample tests bear demonstrable relationship between test content and job
performance.

7. PIP Tests: PIP tests are those which seek to measure one‘s personality,
interest and preferences. These tests are designed to understand the
relationship between any one of these and certain types of jobs. Interest tests
are inventories of likes and dislikes of people towards occupations, hobbies,
etc. These tests help indicate which occupation (e.g. artistic, literary,
technical, scientific, etc.) are more in tune with a person‘s interests. Strong
Vocational Interest Blank and Kuder Preference Records are examples of
 interest tests. These tests do not; however, help. in predicting on the job
performance. Besides, they leave room for faking and the underlying
assumptions in the tests could be belied.

8. Projective Tests: These tests expect the candidates to interpret problems or

situations. Responses to stimuli will be based on the individual‘s values,
beliefs and motives. Thematic Apperception Test and Rorschach Ink Blot Test
are examples of projective tests. In Thematic Apperception Test a photograph
is shown to, the candidate who is then asked to interpret it. The test
administrator will draw inferences about the candidate‘s values, beliefs and
motives from an analyis of such interpretation.

9. Other Tests: A wide variety of other tests also are used though less
frequently and in rare instances. These include polygraph (literally mean
many pens), graphology (handwriting analysis), non-verbal communication
tests (gestures, body movement, eye-contact, etc a lie-detector tests.

The following could be considered as thumb rules of selection tests:

1. Tests are to be used as a screening device;

2. Tests scores are not precise measures. Use tests as supplements than
standalone basis. Each test can be assigned a weights;

3. Norms have to be developed for each test; and their validity and reliability for
a given purpose is to be established before they are used;

4. Tests are better at predicting failure than success; (e) Tests should be
designed, administered assessed and interpreted only by trained and
competent persons.
INTERVIEW

Interview is an oral examination of candidates for employment. No selection

process is complete without one or more interviews. Interview is the most common and
core method of both obtaining information from job-seekers, and decision-making on
their suitability or otherwise.

Organizations may seek to make their selection process as objective as possible.

But interview which is an essential element of the process, by and large still remains
subjective. Interviews usually take place at two crucial stages in the selection process,
i.e., at the beginning and in the end. Interviews can differ in terms of their focus and
format. Usually several individuals interview one applicant. This is called panel
interview. Such panels usually consist of representatives from-personnel and concerned
operating units/line functions. In this method, usually, applicants get screened from one
stage to another, at least in the initial stages. The interviews can be structured or
unstructured general or in-depth.

Some times where the job requires the job holder to remain claim and composed
under pressure, the candidates are intentionally objected to stress and strains in the
interview by asking some annoying or embarrassing questions. This type of interview
called the stress interview. Interviewing is both an art and a science. The effectiveness
of the interview as a screening device can be improved by taking care of certain aspects
like the following:

 The interview should be based on a checklist of what to look for in a

candidate. Such a checklist could be based on proper job analysis. Each
critical attribute which the interview seeks to evaluate may be assigned
specific weights.

 It is desirable to prepare a specific set of guidelines for the interview.

  The interviewers need to train to evaluate performance in the interview
objectively. Also, all interviewers need to develop common understanding
about the criteria measures, their purposes and weights
 The interviewers may use past behaviour to predict future behaviours and
obtain additional information to attempt such linkages more meaningfully.
 There should be proper coordination between the initial and succeeding
interviews.
 The interview (even stress interview) should be conducted in a related
physical setting.

BACKGROUND INVESTIGATION

The background investigation in selection process may include verification of

reference from past teachers, employers or public men; public men; police verification;
and, medical examination. Background verification is sought to guard oneself against
possible falsification by applicant. But given the acute skill shortages and competitive
pirating strategies of employers it is possible for some of them to give clean chit to those
whom they wish to get rid of and be unfair to those whom they are not prepared to lose.

Therefore, employers in-private sector generally find that they get more accurate
information when they track the actual past performance than when they merely ask for
references reflecting opinion about the candidate. Medical and physical examinations
are usually resorted to by employers as part of the selection process mainly to:

 Determine whether the applicant has the physical ability to carry on the
duties arid responsibilities effectively; ascertain whether the applicant has
a record of health problems, which can potentially affect his behaviour and
performance on the job adversely.

 Know whether the applicant is more sensitive to certain aspects of work-

place environment such as chemicals.
Screening Strategies for HR

Screening is the process of choosing a qualified person for specific role who can
successfully deliver valuable contributions to the organization.

1. Multistage Selection Strategy- this combines a number of assessment tools as part of

the process. The human resources department is responsible for validating each
assessment tool and ensuring that it is legitimately related to the requirements of the
open position.

Examples of different stages in a multistage selection strategy:

a. Personality tests
b. Skills tests
c. Interview and sample work performance

This strategy is paired with either a conjunctive or compensatory strategy.

2. Compensatory Selection Strategy- this method administers all assessment tools to

applicants at the same time, or at least all of them are administered before a candidate
is eliminated or selected.

Screening toward choosing the Right Candidate

The thoroughness and professionalism you use to interview candidates can make a
strong positive impression on candidates. It also conveys to them that you expect the same
from them if they are hired by your organizations.

How to interview Job Candidates

A. Preparation

1. Schedule interviews with all candidates that meet the minimum qualification
2. When inviting them for an interview, also send them the job description
B. Use Multiple Interviewers per Interview

1. Consider having multiple people at the interview.

Questions to Pose during Interviews

When posing the following types of questions, always be courteous and respectful to the
candidates. Do not share reaction between interviewers.

1. Do not rely on your memory

2. While interviewing candidates, always apply the same questions to all candidates
3. All questions should be primarily in regard to performing the duties of the job
4. Ask open-ended questions and try to avoid questions answered with “yes” or “no”
5. Consider asking some rather thought-provoking and challenging questions
6. Talk for at most 25% of the time – listen for the rest
7. If it is clear that the candidate is not suitable for the job, then “sell” the organization

Administrative / Human Resources Questions

1. Ask the candidate about what he/she expects for compensation and benefits
2. Find out when the candidate can start work, if offered the job
3. Explain to the candidate when you will be getting back to the person
4. Ask if you can get, and check any references from the candidates pervious job
5. Be sure to tell candidates of any relevant conditions from your personnel policies.

Determining an employee’s understanding of her social role would involve observing her
behavior as it relates to her staff position. For instance, note if an employee treats her co-
workers with respect and works with them to achieve business related goals.

Types of Screening Methods

There are a number of screening methods and techniques you can use. The following is a list of
the more common types available.

1. Short Screening Interview

This is a short interview designed to screen applicants for a final interview. The purpose
of short screening interviews is to clarify information on the resume and better assess an
applicant’s qualifications to “short list” a large stack of resumes.

A short screening interview seeks out specifics. Questions about the applicant’s
experience, accomplishments, responsibilities, education, and knowledge of the field are
appropriate. The short screening interview may be conducted by phone and typically
lasts from ten to twenty minutes.

2. Work Sample

This selection technique is designed to measure the applicant’s skills that are necessary
upon entry into the job. Applicants are required to demonstrate a particular skill, for
example, composing a business letter. The requested work sample should reproduce
the important tasks or work behaviors needed to perform the job

3. Tests

This selection technique consists of a written and/or proficiency assessment of the

applicant’s knowledge, skills and abilities. This method is not traditionally used in the
screening of faculty and non-faculty exempt employees.

Evaluate all tests on the following factors:

1. Is it really job-related? To be valid, a test must evaluate skills that the applicant will need
and use on the job, not general knowledge or skills that are outside the scope of the position.

2. Does it really work? Is there any correlation between the employee’s job performance and
his or her test results? In other words, do the employees who scored higher perform better?

3. Does it treat everyone fairly? If women or minorities pass the test less frequently than non-
minority applicants do, the test may be flawed, and may leave you open to damaging
discrimination claims.

4. Is it necessary? Determine whether the test is really helping you make the right hiring
decisions. If not, you may want to stop testing altogether, or use another test that is clearly job-
related and leads to better results.

You should read carefully in the area of employment testing. Good testing can yield valuable
information. But when done improperly, it can yield serious legal problems.
Assessment Center

An assessment center is used to determine a candidate's qualifications for a particular position.

Individual and group exercises are administered under standardized conditions, which simulate
the skills and abilities most essential for successful performance. The candidate's behavior is
observed by a team of qualified individuals who are familiar with the requirements of the job and
the format of the assessment center.

Assessment center exercises include but are not limited to:

a. Oral Presentation Exercise: Candidates give an oral presentation in which they must
defend their positions and recommendations on a specific issue.

b. In-basket Exercise: This consists of a variety of memos, letters, and documents of varying
importance that the candidates respond to and prioritize.

c. Leaderless Group Discussion: Candidates are given a specific problem in which they are
instructed to try and reach a group consensus within a specified amount of time. This exercise
measures qualities such as decision-making, cooperation, and interpersonal skills.

d. Role-Play Exercise: Candidates deal with an employee, irate citizen, or member of the
community. This exercise measures such skills as communication, problem solving, and
interpersonal skills.

e. Written Report/Analysis Exercise: Candidates are presented with a job-related topic and
are instructed to write a report, position statement, or outline of a new policy

Legal Implications

At every stage of the hiring process, employers must be careful not to illegally
discriminate against applicants for the position. Since Discrimination is prohibited on the basis of
race, gender, national origin, age, religion and disability, and by now, most applicants know that,
any indication of bias in the hiring process might lead to serious legal repercussions.

A. Race or color discrimination. The term race refers to the categorization of people into
populations on the basis of various sets of heritable characteristics. The physical features
commonly seen as indicating race are salient visual traits such as skin color. It is unlawful the
company to discriminate against person looking for job on grounds of race and color. For
example a company in a white skin society will avoid to select a person with different skin color
because may cause disputes and damage communications with other employers.

B. Ethnicity or national origin discrimination. National origin discrimination is a type of

discrimination that includes discrimination because a person comes from a particular country or
former country, for example, Albania. Sometimes ethnic discrimination includes a group of
people with common language, culture and with similar social characteristics. For example
Ethnic discrimination can take place when a person from Corfu applies for a job in Crete and
managers during the recruitment process preferred the person from Crete even he/she is a
lowered skill person. For example race discrimination occurs when a person was not hired for a
front office position in a Greek hotel based on her Albanian nationality.

C. Sex or gender discrimination. It is unlawful to discriminate against workers because of their

gender. Sexual discrimination can arise during the recruitment process when for example an
employer did not hire somebody instead somebody else based on his or her gender. Moreover
the amount of money offered from the employer also based on the gender. For example sex
discrimination will occur when during the recruitment process the employers select a man with
lower skills instead a woman with higher skills.

D. Pregnancy discrimination. It is unlawful to discriminate against pregnant women. An

employer cannot refuse to hire a pregnant woman because of her pregnancy. An employer
cannot refuse to hire someone because she is pregnant or has a pregnancy-related condition.
For example if an employer of a hotel has to choose an unskilled woman instead a pregnant
woman with skills because of her pregnancy.

E. Religion or creed discrimination. Creed or religion refers to a shared belief system or faith.
If a person during the interview discusses his or her religion with the employer may be a victim
of religion discrimination. If for example a person wears turban or a necklace with a cross
because of the religion may be a victim of discrimination. If a Muslim person has an interview in
a Greek hotel, the employer may doesn’t hire this person because of the turban.

F. Political affiliation discrimination. Another kind of discrimination during the recruitment

process is the political affiliation discrimination. During the interview the employer may say
something expecting response finding out the political affiliation of the interviewer that will be out
of job in case of political differences.

G. Disability or medical condition discrimination. Disability discrimination occurs when an

employer treats a qualified individual with a disability who is an applicant unfavorably because
she has a disability. The law requires that the employers must provide reasonable
accommodation to a job applicant with a disability. Moreover, this kind of disability occurs when
the employee treats an applicant because he/ she has a history of a disability. For example a
person with controlled cancer.
H. Age discrimination refers to the age discrimination. The age discrimination is usually
against the youth and against those that are above 40 years old and older. There are a lot of
companies that refuse to hire people above a certain age. But all aspects of employment are
protected from age discrimination including the recruitment process.

Legal Implications of Contracts

A written contract or legal documents is an agreement between two parties under

which both must perform. To form a contract, one party must make an offer to another party. If
the second party accepts the offer, both will need to exchange consideration to make the
contract legally binding. The legal implications stemming from entering a contract depends on
the terms of the contract.

In breach of contract, each party has a duty to perform. If one party performs, and the
other party doesn’t, the nonperforming party could face legal consequences. Failure to perform
under the contract amounts to a breach of contract. The non-breaching party can file a lawsuit
against the other party to recover damages. “Expectation damages” usually put the non-
breaching party in the position he/she would have been in had the other party performed.

Condition of Legal Implications

Some legal contracts provide conditions for performance. They may provide that a party
doesn’t have a duty to perform unless a certain condition occurs. Therefore, non-performance
doesn’t always equal a breach of contract. For example, you might have a property –
development business and contract to sell a building to another company on the condition that
the other company finds financing. If the other company tries but fails to obtain financing, this
cancels its duty under the contract.

Screening Interviews

Effective screening of new job applicants is vital to the continued success of any business.
Regardless of whether your business has a formal human resources department, you are
investing in the welfare of your business by implementing a formal applicant-screening process.

Interviewing is a two-way street. You want to recruit the best match for your business, as well
as ensure that the position is best suited for the applicant. If you recruit an overqualified
applicant, the odds are high that the person will move on to another position at the first chance
possible. Likewise, if you recruit an under qualified applicant with the anticipation that he or she
will “grow into” the role; you may stifle the efficiency of other employees who must interact with
the new hire.

Certain industries have used a specific interview format for decades. When developing a
protocol for your human resources department, try to ascertain which screening format your
competitors in the industry employ.

Proper interviewing and screening has many advantages. An interview format that allows the
applicant to ask his or her own questions may help to reveal additional information useful for
making a selection decision. A thorough screening process also helps to determine if the
applicant has the needed communication or social skills.

In most industries, the set interview process can be modified as necessary to gather important
information about an applicant.

Following are effective interviewing formats to consider:

In the Behavior Description Screening Format an applicant is asked what actions he

or she has taken in prior employment situations that are similar to situations that could be
encountered in the new position. Interviews are then scored using a scoring guide constructed
by human resources personnel. This format, also known as the STAR Method (for “Situation,
Task, Action, Results), has been employed for decades by the U.S. military, as well as the
telecommunications and pharmaceutical sales industries.

In the Comprehensive Structured Screening Format an applicant is asked questions

pertaining to current job knowledge, requirements for the position, and how he or she would
handle potential challenging situations or perform different job duties. Interviews tapping job
knowledge offer a way to assess an applicant’s current level of expertise.

The Oral Screening Boards Format is a technique that entails the applicant giving oral
responses to job-related questions asked by a panel of interviewers. Each member of the panel
then rates the interviewee on factors such as work history, motivation, creative thinking, and
presentation. The scoring procedure for oral interview boards has typically been subjective as it
is subject to the personal biases of those individuals sitting on the board. This technique may
also not be feasible for jobs in which there are a large number of applicants.

The Situational Screening Format involves applicants being interviewed about what
actions they would take in various job-related situations. This is a method that is supposed to
gauge the less quantifiable qualities of the applicant: personality, collegiality, professionalism,
and problem-solving ability. These situations are usually identified using the critical incidents
technique (or CIT, a method that presents the applicant with difficult or “critical” incidents). The
applicant describes the reactions or responses they would give in these critical circumstances
and their responses are scored using a pre-set guide.

The Structured Behavioral Screening Format involves asking all applicants’

standardized questions about how they handled past situations that were similar to situations
they may encounter on the job. The interviewer may also ask discretionary probing questions for
details of the situations, the interviewee’s behavior in the situation, and the eventual outcome.
The interviewee’s responses are then scored with behaviorally anchored rating scales.

The Unstructured Screening Format involves a procedure where a variety of different

questions may be asked of different applicants.

Regardless of which screening format you decide to use, look for strengths in each candidate.
In addition, determine whether the applicant is aware of his or her own talents and strengths.
Stronger applicants will have previously been tested for their respective talents and strengths.
Inquire how the applicant assessed his or her talents, strengths, and skills. How has the
applicant managed around any weaknesses in the past? Would the position provide an
opportunity for this applicant to employ his or her strengths and, within reason, manage around
any weaknesses?

Interview to recruit the best matches from the start. By investing the necessary time and
resources to fill an open position with the best candidate the first time, your business will save
money and avoid high employee turnover.

Tips on how to prepare for the pre-screening interview questions

So, if you have applied for a job, you better be prepared for a phone-screening interview before
facing the real hurdle face-to-face interview. Perhaps, a few tips given below can surely help
you in clearing the screening process:

1. Prepare in advance - You need to be well prepared before going through the telephone-
screening interview. You should go through the company website, understand its
products/services, know about its past and achievements, the stake holders, clients and a whole
lot of other things that will help you in projecting yourself as a well aware candidate.

2. Relax – Do not panic - You are bound to panic if it happens to be your first interview but you
need to maintain calm. No interviewer would want a stressed out candidate for a job. He would
look for one who is well composed and mature to tackle questions. Take a deep breath and
answer the questions with ease.

3. Maintain the tonality - You need to maintain the tonality. However, you must not answer the
queries in a monotonous tone.

An initial screening for HR is the preliminary step to the interview process. It's not a guarantee
that the applicant will move to the next step. However, if she has the basic skills and
qualifications for the job, and does a good job expressing her interest in the job and capabilities,
there's a strong possibility that you'll put her on the list of applicants to invite for a standard
interview.

Steps in Initial Screening of the Applicants

Step 1: Review the applicant's cover letter and resume. If your company has an online
application process, review or print it and compare it to the applicant's resume.

Step 2: Read the job posting and create questions relating to the basic requirements of the job.
For example, if the job requires a bachelor's degree in any subject, but an MBA is desired,
construct a question that asks the candidate about her academic record. Likewise, if the job
calls for a certain experience level, note that as one of your initial screening interview questions.
Once you're done with the initial screening, you will use these questions and the applicant's
answers to determine whether he meets the basic requirements, and if so, how many of the
desired qualifications he has above what's required.

Step 3: Welcome the applicant to your office. Offer her water or coffee, and make small talk to
put her at ease. The initial HR screening can have a major impact on whether the candidate
moves forward in the selection process, so ensure your applicant feels comfortable enough to
make a good showing during the screening process. If you conduct the screening via phone, still
use a moment or two of small talk to set the tone for a productive conversation.

Step 4: Explain the history of the company, its mission and philosophy, as well as any imminent
business changes that you can share about the company. For example, if it's known that you
are moving into foreign markets, you can briefly describe the company's future business plans.

Step 5: Describe the job, starting with its department and purpose. Tell the applicant how this
job fits into the organization and the importance of the role to the organization's success.
Explain that you are conducting a preliminary screening interview based on the information he
provided in his application materials. Describe the screening and interview process and how
long you anticipate the selection process will take.
Step 6: Tell him that you will be taking notes throughout the meeting so he won't be confused by
any silence or delay in the questioning process. This is particularly important if you're
conducting a phone screen. Use a separate sheet of paper for interview notes; never write
notes on the application or resume. Record notes about job-related factors only, such as related
experience, communication skills, product knowledge and the like.

Step 7: Ask basic questions about the applicant's education, certification and licenses, if
required for the job, and work experience. Tell the applicant to describe her work experience in
reverse chronological order, starting with the company name, her position and duties, dates of
employment and reasons for leaving.

Step 8: Invite the applicant to ask questions about the job or the company. Tell the applicant
when you anticipate scheduling face-to-face interviews and provide him with your email address
to keep in touch with you. Express your appreciation for the applicant's time and interest in the
company.

Six common screening questions ask to get a lot of impact in minimal time increments. (By:
Julie Salerno)

1) What are you looking for in a job?

This question might seem like a simple opener, but in reality it gives you a chance to
hear what they actually want. Pay attention to things they say they want that you cannot or will
not provide as an organization or in this specific role. For example, when someone speaks
wistfully about their creative process, chances are the systems admin job is not going to work
for longer than it takes them to find a new gig. Conversely, if they say something you CAN
provide, you can tip off the hiring manager to mention it during the live interview, a crucial arrow
in the talent acquisition quiver.

2) What attracted you to this organization?

This allows the job seeker to show off their knowledge regarding the company and the
position while giving you a chance to see whether or not they’ve adequately prepared.

3) How would you apply your skills to this job?

This takes the ever popular “Tell me what you’d do in your first 90 days” question and
combines it with the “Why are you the right person for this position?”

4) What quality/qualities are you looking for in a team/manager?

 This depends on the position of course, but you need to know whether this person can
deal with a team or manager and if so, what kind.

5) What is your biggest weakness and how do you plan to overcome it?

This question serves two purposes. The first if to find the answer to the question so you
can adequately manage this person (or someone on your team can) and the second is to show
that in your organization any weakness can be overcome and there is value assigned to those
who try to tackle personal goals.

6) Tell me about your experience at ________ and what you’d do differently here.

This gives you a chance to analyze their answers around past employment or to tell you
why they are choosing to leave. The most recent job is also the most likely to be similar to the
one you’re offering, so is therefore, the most applicable. But the last piece of the question is the
most important. By allowing them to take accountability to their previous work, you set the stage
for a healthy work environment if and when you select them for the next round interview.

Reference Check

Completing Reference Checks

As a selecting official, you are responsible for conducting reference checks prior to making a
final selection. Checking references before making a final decision can save time, money, and
effort, since it reduces the likelihood of making an inappropriate selection. Some applicants
provide false or exaggerated information. Prepare a reference check form in advance and write
notes on it while completing a reference check.

Conducting Effective Reference Checks

Conducting reference checks can be one of the most important steps in the selection process.
Since past performance is often the best indicator of future performance, references allow you
to talk to past supervisors in order to determine if the applicant being considered is suited for the
role.

Reference checking allows you to ensure that you are finding the most qualified person who is
also a good match for the position. By conducting reference checks, you can avoid costs
associated with failed probation periods and poor performance, which can impact your guests or
clients and damage your image or reputation.

Why Perform Reference Checks

These checks help you confirm information on the candidate's application form and resumes.
You will also gain greater insights into the candidate's skills, knowledge and abilities from
someone who has actually observed the candidate perform.

It is important that during the interview process, you obtain consent from the applicant to contact
their references and ask employment-related questions. A common mistake managers often
make is asking candidates to choose their references. Instead, you should tell the candidates
that you wish to speak to the people who actually supervised them. It is good practice to speak
to two or three work-related references. If the candidates’ current employers do not know they
are seeking work elsewhere, then go to the previous employers.

Before making the calls, it is good practice to make a list of questions so that you are asking the
same set of questions, giving you a consistent frame on which to base your decisions. All
questions should be job-related and legal. You cannot ask questions during a reference check
that you are prohibited from asking during an interview.

How To Conduct Reference Checks

1. Identify yourself, your title, organization name and tell them you are calling about a
reference for a candidate you are considering

2. Ask if now is a good time to talk or whether they would rather schedule a call at a later
time

3. Make sure they understand that you have the consent from the applicant and that all
responses will remain confidential

4. It is important to give a brief description of the role you are considering the applicant
for, so that they can comment in context

5. Give them time to answer your questions. Let them respond, and do not cut them off
or put words in their mouth

While it is important to tailor reference check questions to your organization, the job and the
applicant being considered, the following are some common examples of questions that can be
asked:

1. In what capacity were you associated with the applicant, and since what date?

2. In what capacity was the applicant employed, and what were their job responsibilities
and salary?

3. Was the applicant successful in fulfilling his or her duties?

4. What was it like to supervise the applicant?

 Was the applicant a valuable member of the team?

5. What unique skill did the candidate bring to your organization?

6. What were their strengths?

7. What were their weaknesses or areas that needed improvement?

8. How would they describe this applicant's absenteeism record in relation to other
employees?

9. Did you ever find it necessary to reprimand or discipline this person? If so, what were
the circumstances?

10. Considering the job being applied for, do you think the applicant is suitable?

11. Why did they leave your employment?

12. Would you rehire the candidate; why or why not?

13. Is there anything else you would like to add?

This simple list of questions helps narrow down your list of top candidates in order to select the
best person for the job, your organizations, your clients and your bottom line.

Application Forms, Weighted Application Blanks, Biographical Data

Application Forms

If you use application forms, review these first to screen out applicants who clearly do
not meet the requirements for the job. Make sure to compare the applicant’s qualifications to the
job specification and the job description.

Cover Letters- applicants for both academic and administrative positions should provide
a covering letter that identifies the positions, provides relevant background linking their
education and experience to the position, and highlights their specific qualifications. This is a
good document to look at first, as it might indicate at a glance that an applicant is completely out
of the game.

Resume and CV’s-a Resume is a brief description of a candidate’s education,

professional experience, knowledge, skills and accomplishments. A Curriculum Vitae (CV) is an
in-depth account of a candidates backgrounds.

Weighted Application Blank

 A weighted application blanks (WAB) is an approach to collecting and scoring
background information from job applicants. It involves scoring applicants background in a
quantitative manner based on the proven “best responses” to each application item.

To make the application form more job related, some organizations assign numeric
values or weights to response provided by applicants.

Generally, the items that have a strong relationship to job performance are given high
scores. The cost of developing a WAB could be prohibitive if the organization has a several
operating levels with unique features. The WAB must be updated every few years to ensure that
the factors previously identified are still valid predictors of job success.

Why is the WAB superior to traditional application forms?

The WAB is distinguished from traditional application forms in three important ways:

a. The items on the WAB are selected based on their demonstrated relevancy for the
jobs for which applicants are being evaluated.
b. Best responses to each item are determined based on scientific data, as opposed to
the guesswork and assumptions that sometimes guide the development of traditional
application forms and,
c. Weights are assigned to each applicant response and scores are totaled thus
permitting a quantitative comparison of each applicant

What is the process of building a weighted applicant blank?

a. Choose the criterion

b. Identify criterion groups among the employees in your study
c. Select the items that you will evaluate to possible inclusion in the WAB
d. Specify response categories for each potential item
e. Compare responses to each item between the good group and the poor group and
determine weights.

Biographical Data (BIODATA)

BIODATA measures are based on the measurement principle of behavioral consistency,

that is, past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior. Biodata measures include items
about past events and behaviors reflecting personality attributes, attitudes, experiences,
interests, skills and abilities validated as predictors of overall performance for a given
occupation. Often, biodata test items are developed through behavioral examples provided by
subject matter experts. These items specify situations likely to have occurred in a person life,
and ask about the person’s typical behavior in the situation. In addition biodata items reflect
external actions that may have involved, or were observable by others and are objectives in the
sense there is a factual basis for responding to each item
Chapter Discussions:

1. Behind every successful business, there are always outstanding employees who are
making the firm more productive and efficient. Try to elaborate the statement in your own
words.

2. We examined different types of selection methods in this chapter. Assume that you were
just rejected for a job based on one of these methods. In general, why might the
acceptability of the test to applicants be an important standard in effective applicant
screening.

3. Try to distinguish between concurrent and predictive validation designs, discuss why the
latter is preferred over the others.

4. When it comes to validating tests, what type of predictors that we studied in this chapter
maybe over estimated and underestimated if one relies just on supervisory evaluations
as the criterion.

5. How might you reconcile differences in assessed performance if these two sources
largely disagreed about the value of any one employee, and how would data on
traditional predictors of performance help inform this deliberation.

Case Analysis
DIRECTION: Read the article below and make a reaction based on the lessons learned.

NEW TECHNOLOGY REIGNITES DOUBLE-BARRELED DEBATE (adapted to F. Drasgow,

O.S. Chernyshenko and S. Stark, Human Resource Management by Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart
and Wright)

Imagine you wanted to hire someone for a job that demanded a high level of extraversion, and
thus, you needed to construct a test that could differentiate a group of job applicants who were
total strangers to you. You decide to ask an applicant if he or she agrees with the question, “I
would enjoy chatting with a friend at a noisy bar”. If you were to show this question to an expert
in test validation, 10 years ago, this person would immediately recognize this as a double
barreled item and tell you to break this one item into two items, one about chatting with a friend
and one about being in a noisy bar. The reason is that there may be people who may enjoy
chatting with a friend, but who would not like to do this in a noisy bar, making the response
ambiguous. If you were to ask that same expert about that same question today, however, you
might get a different answer.

Seatwork Chapter 3
1. What do you mean by recruitment? Explain the external sources of recruitment of
Managerial Personnel.

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2. Discuss the external sources of recruitment that are commonly used by the big
enterprises. Also discuss the merits and demerits of external sources of
recruitment.

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3. Carefully describe the selection procedure in a big industrial concern or what
could be the basis of identifying the criteria for selection how can its validity and
reliability be established.

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