INITIAL SCREENING

When we say Initial it means prime/primary/preliminary/ or first. Screening, on the other hand is the process of evaluating job applications,
scanning resumes and selecting suitable candidates that match with the job. So basically, initial screening comes first right after candidate
sourcing and employers use many different pieces of information to try to determine if an applicant will be successful on the job. The initial
pieces of information for screening candidates include résumés & cover letters, internet checking, phone screening, application forms and online
application.

So first, let’s talk about the

1. Resumes and cover letters.

Résumés and cover letters have been used for decades to assess the suitability of applicants, especially for salaried positions. Generally, these
documents are reviewed first with an eye towards who can be eliminated because they do not have the skills, abilities, education, or experience
outlined in the job description for the application.

Evaluating résumés can be a subjective process. Evaluators often have a difficult time applying a set of consistent standards across multiple
candidates or they consistently apply standards that are irrelevant to success on the job.

The fact that there is no “set” format for writing résumés—that they vary from person to person—can make them difficult for people to screen.

Developing explicit evaluation criteria and a structured way to review résumés can help make the process less subjective. Once applicants who
clearly are not qualified are eliminated, a company might use a resume assessment grid.

The downside of manually screening and assessing cover letters is that it is not uncommon for a firm to get hundreds of résumés for a single
position. To speed up the evaluation process, many firms are now using software to scan résumés to find qualified applications.

2. Internet Checking

HR professionals and hiring managers will often “Google” applicants’ names and check online social networking sites before deciding whether or
not to invite them for an actual face-to-face interview.

The downsides of conducting Internet searches relates to the privacy of applicants. It is also difficult to verify the authenticity of information
posted online and easy to confuse an applicant with someone else who has the same name.

(So as early as possible, samtang wala paka nag job hunting. Please be careful what you post on social media kay lisud kayo ug matungnan kag
employers nga mag internet checking or in a simple word “mang stalk sa imong socmeds” diba so mayabo ka. Lain pud kayo sa part nga qualified
lagi ka sa ubang mga aspect but tungod ra sa imong for example nag post ba ka dihag mga curse words chuchu kay nasuko) or nag away mo sa
imong uyab unya nakit an ka sa imong employers. So unsa may mahitabo? Naay possibility nga dili naka e hire because of your “ATTITUDE” that
may affect the company badly someday.

3. Phone Screening

Short phone interviews, or screening interviews, are also often conducted, many times by HR personnel, to narrow down the field and save
managers time by eliminating candidates who are not likely to be hired.

Managers can quickly screen through the candidates when they have time before bringing applicants in for a face-to-face interview. To give
employers a “preview” of themselves, candidates are also posting video résumés on YouTube, Jobster, and sites such as HireVue.

Video résumés are short video clips that highlight applicants’ qualifications beyond what they can communicate via their résumés and cover
letters. The videos allow employers to see how well they present themselves and decide whether they should be called in for an interview.
However, there is some concern that video résumés will cause employers to screen people based on their looks rather than their qualifications.

4. Application Forms

Application forms provide a fairly quick and systematic means of obtaining a variety of information about the applicant, such as whether the
applicant meets the minimum requirements for experience, education, and so on.

The form also provides information regarding the employer’s conformity with various laws and regulations. For scientific, professional, and
managerial jobs, a more extended form is likely to be used.

Even when applicants come armed with elaborate résumés, it is important that they complete an application form because it is a way to gather
consistent information about candidates.

However, people even those in high positions, frequently exaggerate their qualifications on their résumés and omit unflattering information.
Hence, asking applicants to transcribe specific résumé material onto a standardized application form can help alleviate this problem.

5. Online Applications

Most large companies accept applications online, and some conduct preapplication screening tests online. One of the key advantages of
accepting applications online is that companies can recruit candidates and fill their job openings much faster.

As with résumés accepted online, companies report that the downside of accepting online applications is that it can lead to a large volume of
them being submitted—many of which fail to meet minimum qualifications. The upside, however, is that generating a larger number of
applicants tends to promote greater employee diversity.
Reaching a Selection Decision
The most critical step is the decision to accept or reject applicants. Thus it requires systematic consideration of all the relevant information about
applicants.

Summarizing Information about Applicants

Fundamentally, an employer is interested in what an applicant can do and will do.
Evaluating candidates on the basis of information you have assembled should focus on these two factors; the “can-do” factors include a
candidate’s knowledge and skills, as well as the aptitude (the potential) for acquiring new knowledge and skills. The “will-do” factors include the
candidate’s motivation, interests, and other personality characteristics. Both factors are essential to successful performance on the job. The
employee who has the ability (can do) but is not motivated to use it (will not do) is little better than the employee who lacks the necessary ability.
It is much easier to measure what individuals can do than what they will do. The can-do factors are readily evident from test scores and verified
information. What the individual will do can only be inferred. Employers can use the responses to interview and application form questions and
references to obtain information for making inferences about what an individual will do.

Decision-Making Strategy

The strategy used for making personnel decisions for one category of jobs might differ from that used for another category. The strategy used to
select managerial and executive personnel, for example, will be different than the strategy used to select clerical and technical personnel.
Although many factors have to be considered in terms of making hiring decisions, the following are some of the questions that managers must
consider:

1. Should the individuals be hired according to their highest potential or according to the needs of the organization?
2. At what grade or wage level should the individual be hired?
3. Should the selection be concerned primarily with finding an ideal employee to match the job currently open, or should a candidate’s potential
for advancement in the organization be considered?
4. To what extent should those who are not qualified but are qualifiable be considered?
5. Should overqualified individuals be considered?
6. What effect will a decision have on the firm meeting its affirmative action plans and diversity considerations.

In addition to these types of factors, managers must also consider which approach they will use in making hiring decisions.
Two basic approaches to selection exist: clinical (personal judgment) and statistical.

1ST the “Clinical Approach”

In the clinical approach to decision making, those making the selection decision review all the data on the applicants. Then, on the basis of their
understanding of the job and the individuals who have been successful in that job, they make a decision.

Different individuals often arrive at different decisions about an applicant when they use this approach because each evaluator assigns different
weights to the applicant’s strengths and weaknesses. Unfortunately, personal biases and stereotypes are frequently covered up by what appear
to be rational reasons for either accepting or rejecting a candidate. Plus, it can lead to a homogenous workforce because, , according to the
attraction-selection-attrition (ASA) model, people are often tempted to hire applicants like themselves.

2nd the “Statistical Approach”

In contrast to the clinical approach, the statistical approach to decision making is more objective. It involves identifying the most valid predictors
and weighting them using statistical methods such as multiple regression. Quantified data such as scores or ratings from interviews, tests, and
other procedures are then combined according to their weighted value. Individuals with the highest combined scores are selected. A comparison
of the clinical approach with the statistical approach in a wide variety of situations has shown that the statistical approach is superior. Although
this superiority has been recognized for many decades, the clinical approach continues to be the one most commonly used.

SO THERE ARE 3 MODELS IN STATISTICAL APPROACH:

1ST(compensatory model)
-A selection decision model in which a high score in one area can make up for a low score in another area

2nd (multiple cutoff model)

-A selection decision model that requires an applicant to achieve some minimum level of proficiency on all selection dimensions

3rd (multiple hurdle model)

-A sequential strategy in which only the applicants with the highest scores at an initial test stage go on to subsequent stages. The process
continues through several stages (hurdles) before a final decision is made. This approach is especially useful when either the testing or training
procedures are lengthy and expensive.

Now, what is selection ratio?

-Calculating selection ration involves dividing the number of applicants that to business plans t hire by the total number of applicants for the
open positions. The number of applicants compared with the number of people to be hired. A related factor helps ensure the best qualified
people are selected: having an adequate number of candidates from which to make a selection.
FINAL DECISION PROCESS
In large organizations, managers or supervisors usually make the final decision about whom to hire and communicate it to the human resources
department. HR personnel then notify external applicants about the decision and make job offers to candidates.

The HR department should confirm the details of the job, working arrangements, hours, wages, and so on and specify a deadline by which the
applicant must reach a decision. This information can be verbally communicated initially. It is commonplace to first contact candidates by phone
to inform them of the offer. The offer should then be put in writing, generally in a letter to the candidate. The process of notifying internal
candidates is slightly different. Generally, the hiring manager contacts the candidates personally and informs them of the decision. However, it is
still important to put the offer in writing if an internal candidate is chosen so there is no ambiguity or dispute about its terms. Rejecting both
internal candidates and external candidates is a difficult task, but rejecting internal candidates can be particularly tricky. Most internal
candidates seeking a promotion are valuable employees their firms would rather not lose.

Lastly, organizations should not fail to notify candidates who are not chosen for the position. This happens too often with both internal
candidates and external candidates. It is not uncommon for external candidates to be customers of the firms to which they apply. Not letting
them know about the employment decision can jeopardize that relationship.