FOUR BASIC STEPS TO HIRE THE RIGHT PERSON

A poor hiring decision will affect your bottom line. Not only will have you wasted your time
and money in the recruiting and hiring process, you now will have to spend time fixing the
problem.
Eventually you may need to go through the "de-hiring" process, which can be expensive and time-
consuming as well. In the meantime, company morale, your reputation as an employer and
customer service may have suffered. There are a number of things you can do to assist yourself in
selecting the best candidate for your needs. Some of the more common ones are resume screening,
interviewing, testing and reference checking.

RESUME SCREENING
The purpose of screening a resume is to determine if the applicant has the basic knowledge and
skills needed to do the job you're trying to fill. You should establish a list of qualifications that a
successful candidate must have in order to do the job. Look for these qualifications when reviewing
resumes. If the applicant lacks any of the qualifications on your must-have list, you eliminate him
or her from further consideration. For example, if you are recruiting a short-order cook, you might
want to insist on previous cooking experience, and only candidates who have this experience are
invited for an interview. On a practical basis, the more resumes you have for any particular
opening, the more stringent you can be in developing a must-have list.

INTERVIEWING
There are three crucial elements that a candidate must possess in order to succeed within a job:
knowledge, skills and attitude. From resume screening, you can usually determine if a candidate
has (or at least claims to have) the basic knowledge and skills to do the job. It takes an interview
to determine if he or she really does. In addition, the interview is the best place to determine
attitude.

When interviewing, stick to the 80/20 rule: the candidate should be doing 80 per cent of the talking;
while you ask questions and guide the process for the other 20 per cent. Most of your questions
should be open-ended to encourage discussion. These questions usually begin with “who,” “what,”
“when,” “where,” “tell me about” or “describe.” Closed questions are used only when you require
a specific yes or no answer. All of your questions must be related to the needs of your job and not
discriminatory from a human-rights perspective. For example, if the job involves shift work, you
could ask, “Is there anything that would limit you from working shifts?” rather than “Who will
look after your children if you have to work shifts?”

When interviewing, it is important to probe the candidate’s experience to substantiate his or her
skill set. The best predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour. For example, if an element of
your job is working under pressure for periods of time, you might ask your candidates to describe
a job where they worked under pressure. Remember, if you ask a hypothetical question (“what
would you do if….”), you will get a hypothetical answer, and some candidates have enough
imagination to create some extraordinary answers. Your hiring decision should be based on facts,
not speculation.
TESTING
Administering a test may help in understanding if the candidate is qualified, skilled enough or has
the abilities to perform the job for which you are hiring. Testing can range from a typing test to
a personality test, so it is important that you determine whether testing is necessary for the
position you are hiring for and if what is being tested is relevant to the candidate
successfully performing the job.

REFERENCE CHECKS
Check at least two business references on each finalist. Research shows that up to one-third of
applicants embellish their employment history. By checking references, you are validating the
information you have received to ensure that your candidate has the knowledge, skills and attitude
they have presented.

If you follow these four easy steps, you will minimize the risk of making a poor hiring decision.

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Explain methods of Training & Development.

Ans. Training & development methods for managerial personnel can be divided into two groups
as follows :

(I) ON THE JOB METHODS :

1. Job Rotation :

Job rotation involves the transfer of trainees from one job to another and sometimes from
one branch to another. Job assignment under a rotation system may last for a period of 3 months
to 2 years. The trainee is given full duties and responsibilities of the rotated position. It is more
suitable for lower level executives.

Advantages :

 Job rotation promotes creative thinking and enables for executive development.
 It provides a rich experience to the candidate in a variety of matters.
 It does away with the monotony of routine duties.
 It creates a second line of competent executives to meet the problems of transfers, turnover,
etc.
 It identifies the most suitable position for an executive. The position in which the trainee
performs better is generally offered to him.

2. Planned Progression :

It is similar to job rotation, except that every movement from one job to another involves higher
pay, position and duties. In job rotation, every movement involves more or less same pay and
position. Planned progression is more likely to occur at higher managerial levels, whereas, job
rotation occurs mainly at lower level positions.

3. Coaching & Counselling :

Coaching : In coaching, the superior plays an active role in training the

subordinate. The superior may assign challenging task to the subordinate for the purpose of
training. The superior may assist and advice the subordinate to complete the assigned task. In this
case, the superior acts as a coach in training the subordinate.

Counselling : In this case, the superior plays a passive role in training the
subordinate. The superior may assign challenging task to the subordinate for the purpose of
training. The superior may provide advice to the subordinate in the completion of task, if so
required. In this case, the superior acts as a guide rather than a coach n training the subordinate.

4. Understudy Position : The trainee is given an understudy position. The trainee handles some
important aspects of his superior’s job. The trainee, at a future date, is likely to assume the duties
and responsibilities of the position currently held by his immediate superior.

The understudy technique ensures a company that a fully qualified person will be available to take
over a present manager’s position whenever he leaves the position through promotion, transfer,
retirement or resignation.

The understudy person is generally asked to do the following :

 He may be asked to investigate and make written recommendations about problems an

projects related to a unit or department.
 He may also supervise a small group of employees to experience leadership qualities.
 He may be called to attend executive meetings either with or in place of the superiors.
 He may be called to assume superior’s position in his absence.

5. Junior Boards : In western countries, junior boards are formed. It permit promising young
middle-level managers to experience problems and responsibilities faced by top-level executives
in their company. About 10 to 12 executives from diverse functions within the organisation serve
on the board for a term of say 6 months or more.

The board is allowed to study any problem faced by the organisation, in respect of personnel
policies, organizational design, interdepartmental conflicts, etc, and to make recommendations to
the senior board of directors.

(II) OFF THE JOB METHODS

1. Classroom Methods : Classroom methods for training managerial personnel include

lectures, discussion, role playing, and case study.
 Advantages :

 Training can be given to a large group of trainees at a time, especially in the case of lecture
method.
 Both theoretical and practical aspects are emphasized.
 Training can be done in a short period of time.
 It is economical.
 Senior and qualified expert can train the executives. At times, an outside expert is invited
to give a lecture or for debate.
 It generates interaction among different executives belonging to various departments, and
ranks.

2. Simulation : A simulated learning situation in an imitation of reality. It is a technique

wherein the trainee is trained in an environment that closely reflects and represents actual work
place. It tries to duplicate actual conditions encountered on a job. Simulation is a very expensive
training technique, but it is useful or even necessary, where actual on-the-job practice could result
in a serious injury, a costly error, or the destruction of valuable company materials or resources.

3. Business or Management Games : Business games are classroom simulation exercises in

which teams of individuals compete against each other to achieve given objectives.

For instance, teams may be asked to make decisions concerning pricing, production
volumes, research expenditures, advertising and sales promotion plans, channels of distribution
etc. Team actions and decisions are fed into a computer that has been programmed according to a
particular model of the market. Business game participants learn by analyzing problems and by
making trial-and-error decisions.

4. Committees and Conferences :

Committee : A committee can be a method of training. The junior members of the

committee can learn from the discussions and interaction with the senior members of the
committee. The senior members also can learn from the opinions and views expressed by the junior
members.

Conferences : In the case of conferences, group discussion and meetings are held to discuss
various issues and to provide solutions to various problems. The chairperson leads the discussion
and then the participants attempt to provide solutions. The conference acts as a group interaction
and exchange of views and ideas. It reshapes thinking of attitudes of the participants.

5. Readings, Television and Video Instructions : Planned reading of relevant and current
management literature is one of the best methods of management development. It is essentially a
self-development programme. A manager may be aided by training department, which often
provides a list of valuable books. The manager can discuss the relevant articles with the senior
manger and get necessary clarifications.
6. Seminar and Workshops : Management employees can be trained with the help of seminars
and workshops. In seminars, trainees present their papers on work related developments. The paper
presentations are reviewed by experts. The experts may give their insights on the topic presented
y the trainee. In workshops there is a good interaction between the trainer and the trainees. The
trainer may present his views on certain developments and then initiate interactive discussion. The
trainees can get insights due to the views expressed by the trainer and other trainees.

The Historical Background Of Human Resource Management

Introduction to HRM

The term "human resource management" has been commonly used for about the last ten to fifteen
years. Prior to that, the field was generally known as "personnel administration." The name change
is not merely cosmetics.

Personnel administration, which emerged as a clearly defined field by the 1920s (at least in the
US), was largely concerned the technical aspects of hiring, evaluating, training, and compensating
employees and was very much of "staff" function in most organizations. The field did not normally
focus on the relationship of disparate employment practices on overall organizational performance
or on the systematic relationships among such practices. The field also lacked a unifying
paradigm.

HRM developed in response to the substantial increase in competitive pressures American

business organizations began experiencing by the late 1970s as a result of such factors as
globalization, deregulation, and rapid technological change. These pressures gave rise to an
enhanced concern on the part of firms to engage in strategic planning--a process of anticipating
future changes in the environment conditions (the nature as well as level of the market) and
aligning the various components of the organization in such a way as to promote organizational
effectiveness.

Human resource management (HRM), also called personnel management, consists of all the
activities undertaken by an enterprise to ensure the effective utilization of employees toward the
attainment of individual, group, and organizational goals.

An organization's HRM function focuses on the people side of management. It consists of practices
that help the organization to deal effectively with its people during the various phases of the
employment cycle, including pre-hire, staffing, and post-hire.The pre-hire phase involves planning
practices. The organization must decide what types of job openings will exist in the upcoming
period and determine the necessary qualifications for performing these jobs. During the hire phase,
the organization selects its employees. Selection practices include recruiting applicants, assessing
their qualifications, and ultimately selecting those who are deemed to be the most qualified.
 Facts
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It's believed that the first personnel management department began at the National Cash
Register Co. in the early 1900s, according to an HR Magazine article. After several strikes
and employee lockouts, NCR leader John H. Patterson organized a personnel department to
handle grievances, discharges, and safety, as well as training for supervisors on new laws
and practices

In the post-hire phase, the organization develops HRM practices for effectively managing people
once they have "come through the door." These practices are designed to maximize the
performance and satisfaction levels of employees by providing them with the necessary
knowledge and skills to perform their jobs and by creating conditions that will energize, direct,
and facilitate employees' efforts toward meeting the organization's objectives.

The Historical Background Of Human Resource Management

Human resource management has changed in name various times throughout history. The name
change was mainly due to the change in social and economic activities throughout history.

Industrial Welfare
Industrial welfare was the first form of human resource management (HRM). In 1833 the
factories act stated that there should be male factory inspectors. In 1878 legislation was passed to
regulate the hours of work for children and women by having a 60 hour week. During this time
trade unions started to be formed. In 1868 the 1st trade union conference was held. This was the
start of collective bargaining. In 1913 the number of industrial welfare workers had grown so a
conference organized by Seebohm Rowntree was held. The welfare workers association was
formed later changed to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.

Recruitment and Selection

It all started when Mary Wood was asked to start engaging girls during the 1st world war. In the
1st world war personnel development increased due to government initiatives to encourage the
best use of people. In 1916 it became compulsory to have a welfare worker in explosive factories
and was encouraged in munitions factories. A lot of work was done in this field by the army
forces. The armed forces focused on how to test abilities and IQ along with other research in
human factors at work. In 1921 the national institute of psychologists established and published
results of studies on selection tests, interviewing techniques and training methods.

Acquisition of other Personnel Activities

During the 2nd world war the focus was on recruitment and selection and later on training;
improving morale and motivation; discipline; health and safety; joint consultation and wage
policies. This meant that a personnel department had to be established with trained staff.

Industrial Relations
Consultation between management and the workforce spread during the war. This meant that
personnel departments became responsible for its organization and administration. Health and
safety and the need for specialists became the focus. The need for specialists to deal with
industrial relations was recognized so that the personnel manager became as spokesman for the
organization when discussions where held with trade unions/shop stewards. In the 1970's
industrial relations was very important. The heated climate during this period reinforced the
importance of a specialist role in industrial relations negotiation. The personnel manager had the
authority to negotiate deals about pay and other collective issues.

Legislation
In the 1970's employment legislation increased and the personnel function took the role of the
specialist advisor ensuring that managers do not violate the law and that cases did not end up in
industrial tribunals.

Flexibility and Diversity

In the 1990's a major trend emerged where employers were seeking increasing flexible
arrangements in the hours worked by employees due to an increase in number of part-time and
temporary contracts and the invention of distance working. The workforce and patterns of work
are becoming diverse in which traditional recruitment practices are useless. In the year 2000,
growth in the use of internet meant a move to a 24/7 society. This created new jobs in e-
commerce while jobs were lost in traditional areas like shops. This meant an increased potential
for employees to work from home. Organizations need to think strategically about the issues
these developments raise. HRM managers role will change as changes occur.

Information Technology Some systems where IT helps HRM are: Systems for e-recruitment; On-
line short-listing of applicants; Developing training strategies on-line; Psychometric training;
Payroll systems; Employment data; Recruitment administration; References; Pre-employment
checks. IT helps HR managers offload routine tasks which will give them more time in solving
complex tasks. IT also ensures that a greater amount of information is available to make
decisions.

https://www.go2hr.ca/articles/how-conduct-effective-interview

http://entrepreneurship.org/resource-center/recruiting-and-hiring-capable-selfmotivated-people.aspx

http://hrcouncil.ca/hr-toolkit/right-people-recruitment.cfm

http://www.businessnewsdaily.com/7155-startup-hiring-tips.html

http://www.slideshare.net/rumel009/employee-safety-and-health-14803872

http://www.trinet.com/blog/2014/03/07/four-hr-strategies-to-promote-employee-health-and-safety/

http://smallbusiness.chron.com/hr-training-development-methods-61449.html
The Interview Process: Selecting the "Right" Person
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How do you select the right person for your business? There is no perfect
answer, but the interview process can be a tremendous help if you use it
effectively. In other words, you must have completed all of the other steps in the
hiring process in order to get the most out of the interview process.
Interviewing candidates for a position within your company is one of the final
steps in the hiring process. Before you get to this step, you want to make sure
that you've completed all of the preceding steps since each of these steps will
have a direct impact on how effective the interview process will be. Below is a list
of the steps involved in the hiring process. See FindLaw's The Hiring
Process section for additional articles and resources on this topic.
In order, the key steps to finding the right person to fill a position in your company
include:

1. Determine your need to hire a new employee (Are you properly utilizing the
skills and talents of your current employees? Can your business growth
support a new employee?)
2. Conduct a thorough job analysis (What are the job's essential functions and
key performance criteria?)
3. Write a job description and job specification for the position based on the job
analysis.
4. Determine the salary for the position, based on internal and external equity
(Is the salary comparable and proportional with the salaries and
responsibilities of other positions inside your company as well as similar
positions out in the marketplace?)
5. Decide where and how to find qualified applicants (What are the recruitment
techniques to be used? What is the time frame for conducting your search?
Remember, advertising is not the only, or necessarily the best, way to
recruit.)
6. Collect and review applications and resumes, and then select the most
qualified candidates for further consideration
 7. Interview the most qualified candidates for the position, based on the job's
description and specification
8. Check references
9. Hire the best person for the job
Hopefully, after reviewing all of the resumes, you will be able to pick and choose
a select number of qualified applicants to be interviewed. (If not, you may want to
expand your time frame and re-write any ad copy and/or look at another
recruitment technique)