MODULE 4

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

Lesson 1: Recruitment of Employees

Lesson 2: Selection of Employees

INTRODUCTION

This module focuses on the discussion about recruitment and selection of human resources needed for
the company to find the right employees for the right job. Effective recruitment and selection are critical
components of the HRM process. Recruitment is the process of creating a pool of suitable applicants for
organizational jobs whereas selection is the process of placing the appropriate people in the right
positions. The overall objective of the recruitment and selection procedure should be to achieve the
number and quality of personnel required to meet an organization's human resource demands at the
lowest possible cost. There are three stages involved in recruitment and selection. These are:

1. Defining requirements
2. Attracting candidates
3. Selecting candidates

In the first stage, this is a process of determining the vacancies to be filled in. It involves developing job
descriptions and specifications, as well as deciding on employment terms and conditions. The number
and types of people needed should be described in the recruitment program, which is developed from the
Human Resource Plan discussed in the previous module. Lesson 1 focuses on attracting and recruiting
applicants, while Lesson 2 focuses on the selection process and induction of newly hired employee.

LESSON 1: RECRUITMENT OF EMPLOYEES

Once a request to fill a position has been approved, HR manager must create an applicant pool through
either internal or external recruiting. An organization must hire the most talented personnel at the lowest
possible cost. Before an organization can recruit someone, it must first find suitable individuals who are
looking for work, a process known as developing an applicant pool. An effective employee selection
procedure is limited by the effectiveness of the recruitment process. Outstanding job candidates cannot
be selected if they are not included in the applicant pool.

Attracting qualified people refers to recruitment and it represents one of the major responsibilities of the
HR manager. In an era when the focus of most organizations is on efficiently and effectively running the
organization, recruiting the right person for the right job is a priority.

Human resource management (HRM) includes the recruitment process. It cannot be accomplished
without proper strategic planning. Recruitment is defined as a process that provides the organization with
a pool of qualified job candidates from which to choose. Before recruiting, businesses have to implement
proper staffing plans and forecasts to predict how many people they will require. The basis of the forecast
will be the annual budget of the organization and the short- to long-term plans of the organization—for
example, the possibility of expansion. Forecasting is based on both internal and external factors.
Internal factors include the following:

1. Budget constraints
2. Expected or trend of employee separations
3. Production levels
4. Sales increases or decreases
5. Global expansion plans

External factors might include the following:

1. Changes in technology
2. Changes in laws
3. Unemployment rates
4. Shifts in population (Shifts in urban, suburban, and rural areas)
5. Competition

Once the forecasting data has been obtained and reviewed, the HR professional may identify where gaps
exist and proceed to recruit people with the necessary skills, education, and backgrounds.

Attracting Candidates

Attracting candidates is primarily a matter of identifying, evaluating and using the most appropriate sources
of applicants. There are several sources of candidates and an organization may use one or a combination
of sources. This depends on:

 the type of job to be filled

 the relative difficult of attracting candidates
 the area in which the organization operates
 the history of success or failure of using different methods
 the time limitations
 the cost

The sources for candidates are basically from the internal and external sources. The source to use
depends on the factors stated above.

Recruitment Process/Recruitment Plan

This plan is an effort to quickly fill the HR request with an individual who first satisfies the job specifications.

1. Formulating a recruiting strategy.

This is a choice between internal and external recruiting strategy.

Comparison of promotion within (Internal Hiring) versus External Hiring

Promotion from within (Internal Source/Hiring)

Advantages
 Provides greater motivation for good
performance.
 Provides greater promotion
opportunities for present employees.
 Improves the morale and
organizational loyalty.
 Enables employee to perform the new
job with little loss of time
 Familiar with the organization on how it
operates.
Disadvantages
 Promotes inbreeding (narrowing of
thinking and states ideas.)
 Creates political in-fighting and
pressures to compete.
 Requires a strong management
development program.
 Create homogenous workforce.

External Source/Hiring

Advantages
 Provides new ideas and new insights
 Allows employee to make changes
without having to please constituent
groups
 Does not change the present
organizational hierarchy
Disadvantages
 Loss of time due to adjustment
 Destroys incentive of present
employees to strive for promotions
 No information is available if the applicant
can blend with the rest of the
group.

2. Searching for job applicants

The applicant search may involve traditional recruiting methods or through the use of e-recruitment.

RECRUITMENT METHOD ADVANTAGES DISADVANTAGES

Outside recruiters Can be time saving Expensive

Executive search firms Less control over final
Temporary employment candidates to be interviewed
Agencies

Campus Recruiting/Educational Can hire people to grow with the Time consuming
Institutions organization Only appropriate for certain
Plentiful source of talent types of experience levels or
jobs

Professional Organizations and Industry specific There can be a fee for placing
Associations Networking an ad
May be time-consuming to
network
 Websites &Social Media
Recruiting
Events
Referrals
Unsolicited resumes and
applications
Traditional Advertisements
(TV, radio, print ads)
Employee Leasing
Public employment agencies
3. Screening applicant
Applicants should be screened to eliminate individuals who are obviously unqualified.
Diversity friendly Could be too broad
Low cost Be prepared to deal with
Quick hundreds of resumes
Overwhelming response from
the applicants
Access to specific target Can be expensive
markets of candidates May not be the right target
market
Higher quality of people Concern for lack of diversity
Low cost/no cost at all Nepotism
Retention
Inexpensive, especially with Time consuming
time-saving keyword résumé
search software
Equal opportunities
Can target specific audience Can be expensive
For smaller organizations, it Possible costs
means someone does not have Less control of who interviews
to administer compensation for the position
and benefits, as this is handled
by leasing company
Can be a good alternative to
temporary employment if the job
is permanent
The potential ability to recruit a May receive many résumés,
more diverse workforce which can be time consuming
No cost, since it’s a government
agency
Nationwide service
 4. Maintaining applicant pool

Applicant pool consists of individuals who have expressed an interest in pursuing a job opening and who
might be feasible candidates for the position.

Sources of Applicants

1. Internal Sources – It is the use of promotion from within taking into consideration the advantages
and disadvantages. Companies notify employees about job openings through job postings and job
bidding. For companies using IT, they have portals which are accessible to all employees. Although
the use of portal may not be applicable for small organizations, one has to always take note that to
fill an opening, it is better to look at the current employees first.
2. Referrals – Present employees are asked to encourage friends and relatives to apply. This is most
often used recruiting tool in small organization.
3. External Sources
a. Job Advertisement – placement of help-wanted advertisements in newspapers, trade and
professional publications, or on radio and television.
b. Employment center or agencies – agencies that change a fee for each applicant they place.
c. Campus recruitment – a primary source for entry-level job candidates. This is usually
coordinated with the university or college placement center.
d. Internships – for students with practicum or on-the-job training, this can help them in honing
their business skills, check out potential employers, and learn more about their likes and dislikes
when it comes to choosing a career. For employers, they can use their interns to make useful
contribution while they are being evaluated as possible full-time employees.
e. Job fairs/special events recruiting – joining or sponsoring employment fairs.
f. Online recruiting/ e-recruitment – using websites or social media

Alternatives to Recruiting

1. Subcontracting/Outsourcing – subcontracting work to another organization wherein the

organization loses some of its control over work that is outsourced. The company takes full
operational responsibility for performing that function rather than just supplying the personnel. This
is now the trend for most companies to avoid recruitment of additional employees.
2. Overtime – used to avoid the incremental costs of recruiting and hiring additional employees for a
short period of time.
3. Temporary help – use of temporary help services to fill the needs of companies on a temporary
basis. When the company is downsizing, temporary employees create a flexible staff that can be
laid off easily and recalled when necessary.
4. Employee leasing – similar to temporary help agency but employees are not temporary. Leasing
companies issue the workers’ paychecks, take care of personnel matters, ensure compliance with
workplace regulations, and provide the required employee benefits.
LESSON 2: SELECTION OF EMPLOYEES

Job analysis, human resource planning, and recruitment are necessary pre-requisites to the selection
process. When recruiting programs have generated a large number of candidates for open positions, the
selection process starts.

Before the selection process begins, a profile of characteristics required for successful performance
should be developed for the jo specification. These include the technical, interpersonal, and personal
requirements of the job.

Selection is the process of choosing individuals who have relevant qualifications to fill jobs in an
organization. Without qualified people, a company has a lower chance of success. Choosing the best
candidate is only one aspect of selection. Finding the right combination of knowledge, skills, and abilities
(KSAs) in a person is an effort to match what the applicant can and wants to perform with what the
company needs. Because it's not always easy to determine exactly what a candidate can and wants to
achieve, the selection procedure becomes more challenging. Fit between the applicant and the
organization affects both the employer’s willingness to make a job offer and an applicant’s willingness to
accept a job. Fitting a person to the right job is called placement.

Why Selection Process is Important?

1. Employees are always a factor in performance. Those who do not have the right skills will not
perform effectively and the overall performance in turn will suffer. The time to screen out
undesirable performers is before they become part of the organization, not after.
2. Hiring and recruiting new personnel is expensive.
3. Employees that have been correctly chosen based on their qualifications will perform better in
achieving company objectives.
4. A worker that lacks competence is a liability to the organization, resulting in direct losses from poor
performance and low productivity, and occasionally, a potential source of problems for
management, his or her coworkers, and customers.
5. Applicants have varying degree of intelligence, aptitudes, and abilities.
6. Labor laws protect employees making it difficult to terminate or dismiss an incompetent employee.

Steps in the Selection Process

1. Define the job before hiring an employee – This is where job analysis will come in handy. This
will help you prepare the job description and job specifications which in turn will define the
recruitment strategy.
2. Review application form and credentials carefully – This provides basic employment
information that can be used to screen out unqualified applications. Screen all applicants against a
list of qualifications, skills, experience, and characteristics required by the job. Take note of the
following information during your review of application form:
a. Employment gaps – These gaps include dates of employment listed only in years so that the
actual day and month of employment ending are masked.
b. Grammar, spelling, and punctuation – The small things, like using proper grammar, spelling,
and punctuation, can elevate a candidate above the competition. The company should take note
of the applicant's failure to stand out in these areas on their résumé and application.
 c. Evidence that a career has gone backwards or plateaued – In a career that is progressing
successfully, an applicant’s resume should show evidence that job titles and job description
have improved as the year progresses.
d. Failure to follow directions – Failure to follow directions is not just a waste of time but it can
be harmful specifically to job applicants because the employer might think the applicant does
not have the ability to work in an organize and effective manner.
e. Failing to include a cover letter – Submitting a high-quality cover-letter with your resume can
spell the difference. Failing to include one would entail failing to demonstrate how you stand out
from the rest of the applicants.

 Resume

Reviewing a resume starts with a job description or role profile so you know broadly what the job
entails. It should show details about the qualifications and experience of the candidate you seek
to fill the job.

 Cover Letters

Job searching specialists and career counselors recommend that job applicants write a customized cover
letter to accompany each resume sent to an employer. A cover letter saves you time, connects the
candidate’s relevant experience to the advertised job, and provides insight into the candidate’s skills,
characteristics, and experience.

 Employment Application

Employers use the employment application to gather consistent data about prospective employees. While
the format for resumes and cover letters changes from person to person, the employment application
collects consistent information in a uniform format from every applicant.

3. Employment interview – This provides the hiring supervisor the opportunity to review candidate’s
qualifications and determine their suitability for the position. It also provides candidates with the
chance to learn about the position and its requirements and present information on their skills and
experience.

Types of Interview

a) Informal Interview – This is may take place anywhere. The employer or a manager in the
personnel department may ask a few questions, like name, place of birth, previous experience, etc.
It is not planned and is used widely when the labor market is tight and you need workers very badly.
A friend or a relative of the employer may take a candidate to the house of the employer or manager
where this type of interview may be conducted.
b) Formal Interview – This held in a more formal atmosphere in the employment office by the
employment officer with the help of well-structured questions. The time and place of the interview
are stipulated by the employment office.
c) Planned Interview – This is a formal interview carefully planned. The interviewer has a plan of
action worked out in relation to time to be devoted to each candidate, type of information to be
sought, information to be given, the modality of interview and so on. He may use the plan with some
amount of flexibility.
 d) Patterned Interview – This is also a planned interview but planned to a higher degree of accuracy,
precision and exactitude. A list of questions and areas are carefully prepared. The interviewer goes
down the list of questions, asking them one after another.
e) Non-directive Interview – This is designed to let the interviewee speak his mind freely. The
interviewer is a careful and patient listener, prodding whenever the candidate is silent. The idea is
to give the candidate complete freedom to “sell’ himself without restrictions of the interviewer’s
questions.
f) Depth Interview – This is designed to intensively examine the candidate’s background and thinking
and to go into considerable detail on a particular subject to special interest to the candidate. The
theory behind it is that if the candidate is found good in his area of special interest, the chances are
high that if given a job he would take serious interest in it.
g) Stress Interview – This is designed to test the candidate and his conduct and behavior by putting
him under conditions of stress and strain. This is very useful to test the behavior of individuals under
disagreeable and trying situations.
h) Group Interview – This is designed to see how the candidates react to and against each other. All
the candidates may be brought together in the office and they may be interviewed. The candidates
may, alternatively, be given a topic for discussion and be observed as to who will lead the
discussion, how they will participate in the discussion, how each will make his presentation and
how they will react to each other’s views and presentation.
i) Panel Interview – This is done by members of the interview board or a selection committee. This
is done usually for supervisory and managerial positions. It pools the collective judgment and
wisdom of members of the panel. The candidate may be asked to meet the panel individually for a
fairly lengthy interview.

Preparation for the Interview

Supervisors and other personnel in the departments who are involved in the interview should prepare in
advance for the interview by:

 Developing a list of core questions which will be asked of all candidates interviewed
 Reviewing the requirements for the position and comparing them with the applications and resumes
of candidates
 Taking note of areas in the person’s job history where clarification is needed

4. Employment Testing – Employers often use tests and other selection procedures to screen
applicants for hiring and employees for promotion. There are many different types of tests and
selection procedures, including cognitive tests, personality tests, medical examinations, credit
checks, and criminal background checks.

The use of tests and other selection procedures are very effective means of determining which
applicants or employees are most qualified for a particular job. Types of tests are the following:

a. Cognitive tests assess reasoning, memory, perceptual speed and accuracy, and skills in
arithmetic and reading comprehension, as well as knowledge of a particular function or job.
b. Physical ability tests/test of motor and physical abilities measure the physical ability to perform
a particular task or the strength of specific muscle groups, as well as strength and stamina in
general.
 c. Sample job tasks (e.g., performance tests, simulations, work samples, and realistic job
previews) assess performance and aptitude in particular tasks.
d. Medical and physical examinations, including psychological test, assess physical or mental
health.
e. Personality tests and integrity test assess the degree to which a person has certain traits or
dispositions (e.g., dependability, cooperativeness, safety) or aim to predict the likelihood that a
person will engage in certain conduct (e.g., theft, absenteeism)
f. English proficiency tests determine English fluency

5. Background investigation/reference checking – This is done to verify the accuracy of factual

information previously provided by the applicant to uncover damaging background information such
as criminal records and violent behavior. More employers get this information from the following:

a. Personal references – The applicant is asked to mention in his application the names and
addresses of three such persons who usually know him well. These may be his previous
employers, friends, or professional colleagues. They are approached by mail or telephone and
requested to furnish their frank opinion, without incurring any liability, about the candidate either
on specified points or in general. They are assured that all information supplied would be kept
confidential. Yet, often either no response is received or it is generally a favorable response.
b. School records
c. Previous employment records

The verification of the information provided by the applicant is important because in some cases,
information supplied on the application form may be false or misleading.

6. Final Interview – this is generally the last interview that the applicant will encounter before learning
whether a company has decided to make an offer of employment.
7. Selection Decision – After obtaining information through the preceding steps, selection decision
– the most critical of all the steps – must be made. The HR Manager will decide which applicants
or candidates will undergo a medical/physical examination to determine who is physically qualified
for the position.
8. Physical examination – It determines if the applicant qualifies for the physical requirements of the
position and to discover any medical limitations that should be taken into account in placing the
applicant.
9. Final employment decision/placement on the job – This is the decision to accept or reject the
applicant based on the results of the physical examination and a value judgment based on all the
information gathered in the previous steps.

Placement and Induction

The candidate will now be assigned to the position for which he applied in the company after being chosen.
A suitable placement lowers absenteeism, accident, and turnover rates while also boosting morale.
Induction will take place before the newly hired worker is trained for the position. An employee is formally
introduced to their position and the company during induction. The main goal is to “sell” the business to
the newly hired employee so that he will be proud to be associated with it. The type of induction
programme will depend on the environment and culture of the organization as well as on the position, and
its level in the organization.
Purpose of Induction

Induction is carried out to:

a. Introduce the employee to the company, the department, and the position.
b. Reduce the time needed for learning and facilitate quick settling.
c. Introduce the organization's structure
d. Introduce the organization's culture to the employee

Induction is usually done at two or three levels. The first level is undertaken by the Human Resource
Department to introduce organizational wide aspects. The second is done by the Head of the department
to explain the department and its functions. The final part is done by the direct supervisor to explain the
work and work procedures associated with the job.

Induction Programme

A good induction programme should cover the following:

 The company, its history and products, process of production and major operations involved in his
job.
 The significance of the job with all necessary information about it including job training and job
hazards.
 Structure of the organization and the functions of various departments.
 Employee’s own department and job, and how he fits into the organization.
 Personnel policy and sources of information.
 Company policies, practices, objectives and regulations.
 Terms and conditions of service, amenities and welfare facilities.
 Rules and regulations governing hours of work and over-time, safety and accident prevention,
holidays and vacations, methods of reporting, tardiness and, absenteeism.
 Grievances procedure and discipline handling.
 Social benefits and recreation services.
 Opportunities, promotions, transfer, suggestion schemes and job satisfaction.

References:

https://www.academia.edu/15361919/BBA_Human_Resource_Management_Module
Crispina R. Corpuz, *Human Resource Management Third Edition*. Rex Book Store
Dr. Rakesh D., et al (2021). *Human Resource Management First Edition*. Archers and Elevators Publishing House Inc.
https://www.opentextbooks.org.hk/system/files/export/32/32088/pdf/Human_Resource_Management_32088.pdf

Prepared by:

Prof. Rachelle E. Esperanza