es

d Us
An
at
rm
Fo

Chapter 5
 Systematic method to assess applications against the job
requirement and person specifications

 Sifting, screening & shortlisting

 There should be a mechanism to ensure that the best

candidate for the job makes it through the R & S phase.

 Similarly, the rejected candidates are those, who do not

meet the job requirement and person specification.
 Initial screening:
The occasion when the person seeking a job and the
potential employer meet and make comparison about each
other

 It should be a rational decision making

 Practically, it is not.____ no fair process

 SHORTLISTING
 Transition phase between Recruitment & Selection

 Total number of applications reduced to selected group

considered to entre the selection phase

 As per American research, women are widely discriminated

during shortlisting

 Men and women are equally biased against women

 Biases and prejudgments distort the fairness and quality of

the decision
 PROPOSED STAGES FOR SHORT
LISTING
 Initial screening using bio data or reference check

 Long listing against criteria, then drawing up a final

shortlist

 Pre-interview testing against particular abilities

 Pre-meetings with key individuals

Common method of reducing applications is to examine them

and apply some decision criteria by allocating weight to
KSAOs
 HOW TO REDUCE BIASES IN
SHORTLISTING
 Decide who is going to shortlist (a line manager,
recruitment consultant etc.)

 Shortlisting by an individual (matrix, e.g, Attainment,

Experience, Abilities, Aptitudes and Interests)

 Group shortlisting (Nominal group technique to reduce

peer pressure)

 Shortlisting by several individuals separately (Integrating

opinions of shortlisters, Delphi techniques)

 Checking the remaining applications

 DELPHI TECHNIQUE
A systematic forecasting method that involves structured
interaction among a group of experts on a subject. The Delphi
Technique typically includes at least two rounds of experts
answering questions and giving justification for their answers,
providing the opportunity between rounds for changes and
revisions. The multiple rounds, which are stopped after a pre-
defined criterion is reached, enable the group of experts to
arrive at a consensus forecast on the subject being discussed.

-www.businessdictionary.com
LEVELS OF AWARENESS TO CHANGE
BEHAVIORS OF INTERVIEWERS
Unconscious Incompetence: This is the way I have
always conducted an interview. I am good at asking
probing questions

Conscious Incompetence: I should not have asked that

question like that

Conscious Competence: I had better prepare and think

carefully about the questions I will ask every candidate

Unconscious Competence: This is the normal way I

conduct interviews now. How did I used to do it
 MEASURES OF VALIDITY
Face And Content Validity: The method appears reasonable
to those being assessed and to ‘experts’ in the area

CriterionValidity: The method predicts who will be the best

applicants as determined by relevant modes of assessment

Construct Validity: The method measures meaningful,

relevant criteria

Reliability:
A manager can check if the same decision would
be made about the same applicant at a later time

Consistency: Other managers can be involved to check if

they too would make the same decision
DECISION MATRIX-PERSON
SPECIFICATION CRITERIA
(BRANCH MANAGER)
Attainment:

 GCSEs (or equivalent) in English and Maths

 Evidence of post 16 training
 Management or supervision training

Experience:

 Customer service (including dealing with complaints) staff

supervision
 Keeping financial and other records
 Use of computer based systems
Abilities:

 Leadership
 Independent decision making
 Planning and organization
 Promotion techniques

Aptitudes:

 Social skills
 Financial acumen
 Coaching
 Concern for quality
 Assertive

Interests:

 People
 Improvement
CONTENTS OF TYPICAL APPLICATION

 Personal details

 Informationneeded for monitoring the effects of

equal opportunities action

 Education and training

 Employment history

 Additional information to support the application

 CV PATTERN
 Name, address and telephone number(s)

 Date of birth, marital status and number & ages of children

 Education and achievements

 Employment history – brief description of responsibilities

and duties (salary and reasons for leaving are frequently
omitted)

 Professional activities such as membership of professional

bodies, training etc.

 References may or may not be given

 DRAWBACKS OF CV

 No additional information

 Mode of presentation varies, difficult for short

listers to compare between applications

 Length of CV may vary from brief to lengthy

narrative

 All
information needed for shortlisting may not be
provided
 ARGUMENTS IN FAVOUR OF CV
 No cost to the employer

 Nodelay while the application form is sent out

and returned

 Inferences about communication and

presentation skills can be drawn

 CVs being shorter are easier to be used for

shortlisting
 HOW TO APPLY

You are asked to consider your attainments,

experience, skills and abilities against those given
in the attached person specification. Your CV
should demonstrate how you match the profile of
the ideal job holder
 SCREENING METHODS

 Bio-data

 Graphology

 Tests:

 Work-related ability tests

 Cognitive ability tests (intelligence test)
 FORMS OF
INTELLIGENCE
 Verbal Abilities:
The ability to use and understand speech

 Quantitative Abilities:
Computation such as adding, incrementing and
interacting between numbers

 Problem Solving:
The ability to represent problems and to identify
solutions

 Learning Abilities:
To remember through repetition and rehearsal
 Inductive Reasoning:
The ability to perceive relationships between related
terms and concepts

 Deductive Reasoning:
The ability to draw conclusions from information
provided about a problem

 Spatial Abilities:
Forming and identifying visual representations
SHORTLISTING MATRIX
(Criteria For Office Manager – Candidates’
Comparison)
Attainment:

 Successful completion of required education

 Job-related management training

Experience:

 IT office applications
 Customer service
 Staff training and supervision
 Record maintenance
Abilities:

 Communication skills
 Leadership skills
 Planning and organization
 Training and instructional skills

Aptitudes:

 Customer focused
 Accuracy
 Concern for quality

Interests:

 Involved with people

 Learning and self development
 ADVANTAGES OF
SHORTLISTING MATRIX
 Makes the criteria explicit.

 A tool that simplifies the process of shortlisting

 Facilitates pooling of several shortlisters’ opinions

 Enables comparisons between shortlisters, applicants and

the job-related criteria

 Provides record of decisions and their grounds

 Gives a mechanism for checking the validity of decisions.

The applications can be re-examined and decisions checked
to see if other shortlisters reach the same decisions on the
basis of evidence supplied by applicants