Personnel selection and Placement Definition Recruitment This is

Personnel selection and Placement

Definition �Recruitment �This is the process of searching for and obtaining sufficient number and quality of potential job seekers or applicants to enable the organization to select the most appropriate people to fill its job needs. �It is pertinent to note that the process of recruitment must begin with a clear specification or understanding of manpower needs.

�Personnel selection is the process used to identify and hire individuals or groups of individuals to fill vacancies within an organization. �Often based on an initial job analysis, the ultimate goal of personnel selection is to ensure an adequate return on investment

�Personnel Selection is the methodical placement of individuals into jobs. Its impact on the organization is realized when employees achieve years or decades of service to the employer. � The process of selection follows a methodology to collect information about an individual in order to determine if that individual should be employed. The methodology used should not violate any laws regarding personnel selection.

Selection and Placement è Selection is the process of gathering legally defensible information about job applicants in order to determine who should be hired for long- or short-term positions. è Placement is concerned with matching individual skills, knowledge, abilities, preferences, interests, and personality to a job.

The importance of selection and placement §To fairly and without any element of discrimination evaluate job applicants in view of individual differences and capabilities. §To employ qualified and competent hands that can meet the job requirements of the organization. §To place job applicants in the best interest of the organization and the individual. §To help in human resources manpower planning purposes in organization. §To reduce recruitment cost that may arise as a result of poor selection and placement exercises.

Problems in Recruitment & Selection �Recruitment and selection doesn't happen without challenges. �The quality of employees you hire depends on an effective recruitment and selection strategy. However, the process isn't always smooth sailing. �Employers face tangible problems such as the cost of advertising job openings and intangible obstacles such as improving communication between recruiters and hiring managers.

�Job Analysis �One of the most serious problems in recruitment is not knowing the nature of the position for which you are hiring. Your company should routinely conduct a job analysis for each position and create a complete, accurate description of the function and tasks.

�Misalignment �Even with an awareness of a job's purpose, you can have misalignment in the job description and selection tools used for recruitment and selection. �Hiring managers or committees need to take time, often in conjunction with human resources specialists, to develop job descriptions and interview questions in tune with the position.

�Narrow Focus �During the selection process, a hiring manager might become too enamored with a singular quality or talent he expects of a candidate. � This can limit his focus when looking over applications and resumes, and conducting interviews

�Poor Culture Fit �Screening tools usually offer more insight into a candidate's skills and experiences to perform the job. �The indirect qualities, such as friendliness, communication skills and interpersonal skills, require some interviewer observation. �Someone with loads of talent might negatively affect your work culture if he doesn't have the attitude and personal qualities to blend well with other employees.

Steps In Selection process �Selection process or selection procedure involves a series of steps to be followed for choosing the suitable person for the vacant job. This process starts after recruitment and divides the candidates in two parts those who will be offered job and those will not be. There is a need of well-organized selection process because only then right type of candidate can be selected and unsuitable candidates are rejected.

�The selection process varies from organization to organization and even from department to department within the same organization. Like in some organizations medical examination is done after final selection while in other it may be done before final selection. Howevery organization designs the selection process as per its need. The main selection process steps are.

Steps In Selection process

� 1. Preliminary interview: The selection process generally starts with this step where the totally unsuitable applicant is eliminated. Thus the organization is saved from the expenses of processing the applicant through the remaining steps of selection. The candidates who pass this step are only asked to fill the application form.

� 2. Receiving applications: After passing the preliminary interview the candidate is asked to fill the standard application form. The application form generally consists the information about the age, qualification, experience etc. of the candidate on the basis of which the interviewer gets the idea about the candidate and this information also helps in formulating questions.

� 3. Screening of applications: After receiving the applications the screening committee screens the applications. Only the candidates who qualify the criteria of the screening committee are called for the interview. Usually the candidates selected for interview are four to six times than the number of posts. Interview letter is sent to them or they are called telephonically.

� 4. Employment test: After getting the interview letter and before going to the interview there is one more step and that is the employment tests. These tests are done to check the ability of the candidate. These tests vary from organization to organization and change as per the need of the particular job. These tests are intelligence tests, aptitude tests, trade tests, interest test, personality tests etc. These tests must be designed properly otherwise they will not good indicator of one knowledge.

� 5. Employment interview: The candidates who qualify the above tests are called for the employment interview. This interview is done to get more information about the candidate, to give him the actual picture of what is required from him, to check the communication skill of the candidate etc. for senior position post; a panel is prepared who take the interview. At the end of interview of each candidate the members of panel discuss about the candidate and give him the grades. �There may be direct interview or indirect interview. The interview should be conducted in a room free from the noise and disturbance only than the candidates will be able to speak freely and frankly.

� 6. Checking references: Before selecting the employ the prospective employee generally look out for the referees given by the candidate. To check about the candidate’s past record, reputation, police record etc.

� 7. Physical examination: The organizations generally prefer medical examination to be incurred of the person to avoid time and expenditure spend on the medically unfit person. Sometimes the organization may ask the candidate to get them examined from the medical expert.

� 8. Final selection: After all these steps the candidate is selected finally. He is appointed by issuing appointment letter. Initially he is appointed on probation basis after finding his work satisfactory he is appointed as permanent employee of the organization or otherwise he may be terminated.

Staffing Model in Recruitment and Selection �The process of recruitment and selection of staff occurs within a student affairs culture shaped by many external and internal forces as described in the integrated staffing model. �Following are 12 steps that every effective search process should include: � 1. Assess the Need For and Establish the Purpose of the Position �The institution's goals and mission statement should be clearly defined and understood prior to conducting a search for qualified individuals. It should also emphasize the people oriented nature of the organization.

� 2. Perform a Position Analysis �Every student affairs division should identify the characteristics and requirements of the vacant position and the personality traits that would most benefit the individual who assumes the position. It is important to create a profile that best fits the position in the context of the institution's culture.

� 3. Prepare the Position Description �The division should first establish a hiring profile, consistent with the idea of choosing the person who would best fit the position. �It is imperative that a position description clearly defines the institution's goals, including the definition of student services, and that employees are selected based on personality and chemistry that fit the defined services and goals.

� 4. Appoint and Empower the Search Committee �The integrated staffing model suggests the use of a search committee to recruit and select staff. � Search committees are most frequently the mechanism used to carry out recruitment and selection processes. Search committee members should be selected either from the unit or units most affected by the search, or selected from diverse units within and sometimes outside the division and the institution or a combination. � This choice should be related to the level of the vacant position. As the level of responsibilities of the vacant position increases, the search committee members should be more widely

� 5. Prepare the Position Announcement �This crucial step informs all who are interested in the position precisely what the search committee is looking for in clear and unambiguous language. The announcement should include such information as: �Title Location and demographics of the institution Supervisor Mission of institution and division Contributions expected by the staff member toward the accomplishment of these missions Goals and work requirements of the position Minimum education, Experience and knowledge, requirements Conditions of employment , Date for beginning of review process. �Individual and office to contact for further information

� 6. Advertise the Position �The student affairs division should evaluate all possible avenues for advertising a position vacancy. Limited budgets may determine the means by which a position vacancy is advertised. Therefore, it is important to consider carefully which advertising medium is most likely to target the audience most important to reach. Possibilities to consider are �Campus resources such as publications, offices, employee referrals, web-sites, or electronic bulletin boards, Local newspapers, Word-ofmouth, Employment agencies, Mass media advertising (radio, television, etc. )

� 7. Conduct the Search �The individual and office listed in the position announcement should receive all applications from candidates. Acknowledgment of the application should be sent to both the applicant and the search committee. All correspondence and activity should be recorded in a log to ensure careful tracking of the candidates' materials and status.

� 8. Screen the Applicants �Screening of applications should be conducted from the beginning of the search process. � 9. Arrange the Candidate Interviews �Once the applicant pool has been screened and individuals to be considered are identified, interviews should be arranged with those candidates.

�Develop an evaluation tool for all interviewers to use upon completion of the interview, including the following: �Title of Position �Interview Note �Candidate Name �Evaluator Name �Strengths �Weaknesses �Rating (using a pre-defined scale) �Other Comments �Instructions for completion

� 10. Interview the Finalists �Interviews should be consistent from candidate to candidate and should evaluate a candidate's interpersonal and communication skills. Interviews should involve multiple interviewers. � 11. Conduct Reference Checks �One of the most crucial but often neglected steps in the hiring process is reference checking. Reference checking is often forfeited when a student affairs division is pressured to hire in a hurry.

� 12. Make the Offer �After the search committee has completed all of the interviews and has evaluated the candidacy of the finalists, the committee will submit a recommendation to the hiring authority and then the hiring authority give the offer letter to the candidate.

Cost of wrong selection �If you were to stop and add up what your company lost during the search process, and while your new person is getting a to hold in the organization, you’d be lucky to break even. �There are many hidden costs attendant to the termination and hiring cycle, including revenue losses, outlays of extra cash, and man-hours spent in various recruiting duties by all levels of staff – especially for small businesses.

�Losses of revenue: �Lost knowledge, experience, customers, and network of person leaving �Lost productivity for each week the position is vacant �Lost productivity during learning curve of new hire and those helping them

�Added outlay costs: �Paycheck of the person filling in �Investment in training the leaving employee �Severance pay, continuing benefits, and unemployment compensation for the leaving employee �Advertising for the new position in classifieds and on job boards �Background checks, drug testing, and assessments for short-listed candidates

�Man-hours expended on extra recruiting tasks: �Exit interview and payroll processing for the leaving employee �Sorting through resumes by administrative staff and management �Sourcing candidates through networks �Responding to job inquiries �Interviewing by multiple managers �Orientation and training including time and materials �Training tasks by the new hire’s immediate supervisor �Processing new hire for payroll and benefits