1.Application Pool:
Application pool built-up through recruitment process is the base for selection process. The basic objective at the recruitment level is to attract as much worthwhile applications as possible so that there are more options available at the selection stage.
2.Preliminary Screening and Interview:
It is highly noneconomic to administer and handle all the applicants. It is advantageous to sort out unsuitable applicants before using the further selection steps. For this purpose, usually, preliminary interviews, application blank lists and short test can be used. All applications received are scrutinised by the personnel department in order to eliminate those applicants who do not fulfil required qualifications or work experience or technical skill, his application will not be entertained. Such candidate will be informed of his rejection.
3.Application Blank or Application Form:
An application blank is a traditional widely accepted device for getting information from a prospective applicant which will enable the management to make a proper selection. Information is generally taken on the following items:
- Biographical Data: Name, father’s name, data and place of birth, age, sex, nationality, height, weight, identification marks, physical disability, if any, marital status, and number of dependents.
- Educational Attainment: Education (subjects offered and grades secured), training acquired in special fields and knowledge gained from professional/technical institutes or through correspondence courses.
- Work Experience: Previous experience, the number of jobs held with the same or other employers, including the nature of duties, and responsibilities and the duration of various assignments, salary received, grades, and reasons for leaving the present employer.
- Salary and Benefits: Present and expected.
- Other Items: Names and addresses of previous employers, references etc. An application blank is a brief history sheet of an employee’s background and can be used for future reference, in case needed.
4.Selection Tests:
Many organisations hold different kinds of selection tests to know more about the candidates or to reject the candidates who cannot be called for interview etc. Selection tests normally supplement the information provided in the application forms. Such forms may contain factual information about candidates.
a. Aptitude Tests:
These measure whether an individual has the capacity or talent ability to learn a given job if given adequate training. These are more useful for clerical and trade positions.
b. Personality Tests:
At times, personality affects job performance. These determine personality traits of the candidate such as cooperativeness, emotional balance etc. These seek to assess an individual’s motivation, adjustment to the stresses of everyday life, capacity for interpersonal relations and self-image.
c. Interest Tests:
These determine the applicant’s interests. The applicant is asked whether he likes, dislikes, or is indifferent to many examples of school subjects, occupations, amusements, peculiarities of people, and particular activities.
d. Performance Tests:
In this test the applicant is asked to demonstrate his ability to do the job. For example, prospective typists are asked to type several pages with speed and accuracy.
e. Intelligence Tests:
This aim at testing the mental capacity of a person with respect to reasoning, word fluency, numbers, memory, comprehension, picture arrangement, etc. It measures the ability to grasp, understand and to make judgement.
f. Knowledge Tests:
These are devised to measure the depth of the knowledge and proficiency in certain skills already achieved by the applicants such as engineering, accounting etc.
g. Achievement Tests:
Whereas aptitude is a capacity to learn in the future, achievement is concerned with what one has accomplished. When applicants claim to know something, an achievement test is given to measure how well they know it.
h. Projective Tests:
In these tests the applicant projects his personality into free responses about pictures shown to him which are ambiguous.
5.Interview:
An interview is a procedure designed to get information from a person and to assess his potential for the job he is being considered on the basis of oral responses by the applicant to oral inquiries by the interviewer. Interviewer does a formal in-depth conversation with the applicant, to evaluate his suitability. It is one of the most important tools in the selection process. This tool is used when interviewing skilled, technical, professional and even managerial employees. It involves two- way exchange of information. The interviewer learns about the applicant and the candidate learns about the employer. Principles of Interviewing:
To make it effective, an interview should be properly planned and conducted on certain principles. Edwin B. Flippo has described certain rules and principles of good interviewing to this end:
- Provide proper surroundings. The physical setting for the interview should be both private and comfortable.
- The mental setting should be one of rapport. The interviewer must be aware of nonverbal behaviour.
- Plan for the interview by thoroughly reviewing job specifications and job descriptions.
- Determine the specific objectives and the method of the interviewing.
- Inform yourself as much as possible concerning the known information about the interviewee.
- The interviewer should possess and demonstrate a basic liking and respect for people.
- Questions should be asked in a manner that encourages the interviewee to talk.
- Put the applicant at ease.
- Make a decision only when all the data and information are available. Avoid decisions that are based on first impressions.
- Conclude the interview tactfully, making sure that the candidate leaves feeling neither too elated nor frustrated.
- Maintain some written record of the interview during or immediately after it.
- Listen attentively and, if possible, protectively.
- Questions must be stated clearly to avoid confusion and ambiguity. Maintain a balance between open and overtly structured questions.
- ‘Body language’ must not be ignored.
- The interviewer should make some overt sign to indicate the end of the interview.
6. Background Investigation:
The next step in the selection process is to undertake an investigation of those applicants who appear to offer potential as employees. This may include contacting former employers to confirm the candidate’s work record and to obtain their appraisal of his or her performance/ contacting other job-related and personal references, and verifying the educational accomplishments shown on the application.
7. Physical Examination:
After the selection decision and before the job offer is made, the candidate is required to undergo physical fitness test. Candidates are sent for physical examination either to the company’s physician or to a medical officer approved for the purpose.
Such physical examination provides the following information:
- Whether the candidate’s physical measurements are in accordance with job requirements or not?
- Whether the candidate suffers from bad health which should be corrected?
- Whether the candidate has health problems or psychological attitudes likely to interfere with work efficiency or future attendance?
- Whether the candidate is physically fit for the specific job or not?
8. Approval by Appropriate Authority:
On the basis of the above steps, suitable candidates are recommended for selection by the selection committee or personnel department. Though such a committee or personnel department may have authority to select the candidates finally, often it has staff authority to recommend the candidates for selection to the appropriate authority.
9.Final Employment Decision:
After a candidate is finally selected, the human resource department recommends his name for employment. The management or board of the company offers employment in the form of an appointment letter mentioning the post, the rank, the salary grade, the date by which the candidate should join and other terms and conditions of employment. Some firms make a contract of service on judicial paper. Usually an appointment is made on probation in the beginning. The probation period may range from three months to two years. When the work and conduct of the employee is found satisfactory, he may be confirmed.
