Recruitment and Selection:

Hiring the Right Person

Staffing Management Myrna L. Gusdorf, MBA, SPHR 2008

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Learning Objectives
At the end of this module, students will
understand the:
> Methods used by organizations to recruit
and select employees.
> Legal issues that affect recruitment and
selection.
> HRs role in the recruitment and selection
process.
> Role of supervisors and peers in the
recruitment and selection of team members.

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Hiring the Right Person: Recruitment

RECRUITMENT
> The process of attracting individuals in sufficient
numbers with the right skills and at appropriate times
to apply for open positions within the organization.

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Recruitment Issues
Alternatives to recruitment:
> Outsourcing.
> Contingent labor.
> Part-time employees.
> Overtime.

Costs of recruitment and selection:
> Replacing supervisory, technical and management
personnel can cost from 50 percent of salary to
several hundred percent of salary.
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Internal Environment
Promotion from within:
> Advantages:
Promotion as a reward for good work.
Motivational tool for other employees.
Promoted employee gets up to speed
must faster in his or her new job.
> Disadvantages:
Must fill the position vacated by the
promoted employee.
Lack of new ideas and creativity that may
come from a new person.
Jealousy from those not promoted.

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Internal Environment
Nepotism: Hiring relatives.
> Does your organization have a policy on
nepotism?
> May be discriminatory.
> Must ensure individuals are not in
supervisory positions managing their own
relatives.
> May create issues of favoritism.

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External Environment
Labor market conditions:
> Strong economy = difficulty hiring.
> Weak economy = too many applicants.

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Discrimination Issues in Recruiting
Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967.
Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1975
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Local regulations can add further protections
against discrimination.

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Internal Recruitment
Job Posting: The process of announcing job
openings to employees.
> Job information must be made available to all
employees.
> Ensure minority workers and disadvantaged
individuals are aware of job opportunities.
> Employee cynicism occurs when there is not
equal opportunity for open positions.
Employee Referrals:
> Some believe this is the route to the best
employees.
> Can perpetuate discriminatory hiring practices.

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External Recruitment
Employment agencies.
Executive search firms.
In-house recruiters.
Local advertising:
> Newspaper.
> Multimedia.
Internships.
Job fairs.
College recruiting.
Walk-in candidates.

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Internet Recruiting
Advantages:
> Inexpensive.
> Quick and easy to post announcement.
> Responses arrive faster and in greater quantity.
> Will generate a wider range of applicants.
> Applicants can be screened by computer.
> Some selection tests can be administered by
computer.
> Automated applicant tracking.
Disadvantages:
> Ease of submission will result in a lot of applicants,
many whom are not qualified.
> May take more HR time to sort through the greater
quantity of applicants.

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Recruitment for Diversity
An ethnically diverse workforce enhances
creativity and may facilitate expansion into
global markets.
Recruiting must generate applicants from a
wide variety of individuals.
Train recruiters to use objective standards.
Include pictures of minority and disabled
employees on recruitment flyers.
Make sure ads and interviews are bi-lingual.

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HR Dilemma: Employee Referrals

An organization starts an employee referral
program to find employees for its assembly
plant. The program is very effective, but no
candidates from protected groups are referred
or hired.

1. Could the organization be guilty of
discrimination?
2. Should the organization abandon its referral
program?

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The Employment Application
Applications must include:
> Applicant information.
> Applicant signature certifying validity of information.
> Statement of employment at will, if permitted.
> Permission from the applicant for reference check.
Avoid the following:
> Discriminatory information.
> Citizenship and Social Security data.
> Information on past use of FMLA, ADA or Workers
Compensation.
> Disability information.
> Past salary levels.
> Birth date or education dates.
> Drivers license information, unless driving is a job
requirement.

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Screening Interview
Usually conducted by telephone.
Not done in all organizations.
A few straight-forward questions.
Can eliminate those less qualified early in the
selection process.

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Selection Tests
SELECTION TEST: Any instrument that is used to
make a decision about a potential employee.(1)

STANDARDIZATION: Uniformity of procedures and
conditions related to administering tests.(2)

RELIABILITY: The extent to which a selection test
provides consistent results.(2)

VALIDITY: The extent to which a test measures
what it claims to measure.(2) Do higher test scores
relate to higher success on the job?

(1) Myrna L. Gusdorf
(2) R. Wayne Mondy

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Kinds of Selection Tests
Cognitive aptitude tests measure reasoning,
vocabulary, verbal and numeric skills.
Job knowledge tests measure knowledge regarding
a particular job.
Work sample tests allow candidates to demonstrate
how they would work on the job.
Psychomotor abilities tests assess the skill level of
tasks required on the job.
Personality tests assess traits and personal
characteristics. They are used to determine if the
applicant is the right fit for the organization.
Vocational interests tests identify occupations in
which the candidate is most interested.
Honesty and integrity tests try to measure a
candidates truthfulness .

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Interviewing Candidates
Team or individual interviewer?
Structured or patterned interview:
> Pre-set questions asked of all candidates.
Nondirective interview:
> Minimum of questions, not planned in advance.
> Open-ended questions; interviewer follows the
candidates lead.
Situational and problem-solving interview:
> Candidate describes how he or she would solve a
problem.
Behavioral interview:
> Candidate describes how he or she responded to a
specific situation.

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Background Verification and Reference
Checks
The importance of checking:
> 40 percent of applicants lie about work
histories and educational backgrounds.
> 20 percent of applicants falsify credentials
and licenses.
> 30 percent of applicants make
misrepresentations on their resumes.

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Legal Liability
DEFAMATION: The act of harming the
reputation of another by making a false
statement to a third party.(1)

NEGLIGENCE: The failure to exercise the
standard of care that a reasonably prudent
person would have exercised in the same
situation.(1)






[1] Garner, B. A. (Ed.). (1999). A handbook of basic law terms. St. Paul, MN: West Group.

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Legal Liability - Negligence
NEGLIGENT REFERRAL: The legal risk incurred
when a past employer fails to warn a potential
employer of the inherent danger presented by a
former employee.(1)

NEGLIGENT HIRING: The liability incurred when
failing to conduct a reasonable investigation of an
applicants background and then assigns a
potentially dangerous person to a position where he
or she can inflict harm. .(1)

(1) Mondy, R. W. (2008). Human resource management (10th ed.). Prentice Hall, NJ: Pearson

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The Job Offer
Making the job offer:
> May be done by phone, letter or in person.
> Make arrangements for further conditions:
Physical exam and drug screen.
> Discuss salary and benefits:
Avoid quoting an annual salary.
> Realistic job preview,
> Verify employment eligibility:
I-9 form.

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HR Dilemma: I-9 Verification
A landscaping company requires all legal aliens to
provide a permanent resident card at the point of
hire. The company hires a worker and verifies that
his permanent resident card is legal. Two weeks
after starting the job, the company and the
employee fill out the I-9 form for the employers
files.

1. Is the company in violation of the Immigration
Reform and Control Act?
2. What changes in procedures would you suggest to
the company?

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Evaluating the Recruitment and Selection
Process
Cost:
> Did you stay within your recruitment budget?
Time:
> How long did it take you to fill the position?
Quality:
> Were your applicants well qualified for the job?
Longevity:
> What about turnover? Do your new hires stay for the
long term?

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CONGRATULATIONS!
You have a new employee!