Selection Tools – Management Essay
Good selection decisions make a difference in the type of employee that you hire. If you make a bad selection then you will see the results of this as well. That is why it is very important to choose the right method of selection for the jobs that need to be filled. Selection will
reduce the amount of applicants that you have to choose from and hopefully give you the cream of the crop in which to pick the best-qualified candidate.
The people involved in the selection process can be one or two or several. Usually in larger companies the Human Resource Department will make the initial screening of the applicants. Once the initial candidates are chose it is then up to the line managers to decided who they want to hire into their units. This is why it is important for the line managers to know about the practices of the selection process. Line managers should have enough information in order to make a sound selection about the candidates.
Three selections tools that would be considered when looking to hire personnel for a supermarket are, completing an application, holding an interview and providing references. The reasons for choosing these three selections are to come.
Being able to fill out an application shows a lot. It allows you to see if the person is able to read and understand the English language. Working in a supermarket will require the ability to know the English language due to all the advertising on the product that is done. If an applicant can fill out an application without too many problems then you know they are al least competent enough to be able to work in the supermarket.
The interview process is very important. This is one of the most important parts of the selection process. Conducting an interview allows you to meet the potential candidate and allow you to make an impression about the individual. One may want to see if the candidate matches up to what he/she has put on the application. The interview gives you a perfect opportunity to ask questions and inquire about what may have been put on the application. It also gives you a chance to see how the individual presents him or her self. Is this person dirty or sloppy? Do they take pride in their appearance? Do they seem excited about the job they are applying for? Holding an interview with the candidate can assess all of these questions.
The third selection process to be considered is collecting references. You want to ensure that the impression that you make on the individual reflects how others perceive them to be. Although most candidates are not going to give you a bad reference to call, you can still contact them and inquire about what type of person that individual is. If you are prepared you might even catch the reference off guard and find out something about the candidate that you did not know. This is a good tool to get to know how others perceive your ideal candidate.
The advantage to using these three forms of selection criteria is simple. Working in a supermarket is not brain surgery. Overall you just want to make sure the individual has basic skills that will adapt to this environment. The application process is a quick and easy way to show whether the candidate has all the required elements to perform the job in question. The interview process lets you see if this individual would be a good fit for the job and the references just backs up the character of the candidate in question. These are all tools that will help the selection process go quickly and smoothly without it becoming too difficult or expensive to fit the bill.
The position that has been chosen for my final project is a case manager, program specialist. The three selection tools that have been named above would be a good starting point for my final project position. However because this job requires more responsibility and is generally funded through the state or a non-profit agency that is being run on federal funds, a more in-depth hiring approach should be used. For this position the person should have higher credentials and be able to handle a lot more responsibilities.
A background check would definitely be in order for a person in my final project position. In this position you are required to deal with confidentiality situations within the organization and with the people that you work with. A background check would show if the individual has ever had anything that could be considered questionable behavior in their past.
Another tool that may be helpful is to have the potential candidate do a personality test. Since this position is such a highly public position you want to ensure that the potential candidate is not swayed one way or the other too much. This candidate should be pretty solid in their tenure.
Using all of the above selection tools will help in the process of hiring the best candidate for my final project job. If you limit yourself to just the basic selection tools then you may limit the amount of information that you have about the candidate and may not be able to make the best selection for the job position in question.
Recruitment for this position would be pretty simple. The first recruitment method would be to post an opening internal for any interested candidates. Interested candidates would be given the details on the position available and then given a deadline in which to turn in their resume to a specified person by a specific date. Interviews would then be set up accordingly for the internal candidates that met the criteria of the job in question.
Interviewing methods vary a lot depending upon what you are trying to achieve. Structured interviews usually have a set of questions that are asked to each applicant. They keep the flow of the interview in check and do not allow the interview to get off the mark of the questions. For my position in my final project I choose the non-directive interview process. The position in question will vary from client to client. The person who fills this position will need to be very flexible and be able to probe others to find out what it is they are really trying to achieve. The non-directive Interview method allows the interviewee the freedom to go in any direction that they feel. This will be helpful in determining whether they will be able to do this with their clients as well.
Broad open-minded questions leave the door open for other things to emerge or come out that may not have come out in a structured environment. As a case manager it is your job to access the client and find out what their needs may be. By holding the non-directive interview you will be able to determine if the interviewee is able to do this
Compiled below is a list of some possible interview questions that may be used for this position:
1. Tell me about yourself?
2. What are your major strengths?
3. What is your idea of success?
4. Why do you want to work here?
5. Do you prefer working with others or alone?
6. What type of people do you find most difficult to work with?
7. How do you deal with difficult people?
8. Tell me about a difficult customer you dealt with and how you managed the situation?
9. What is the benefit you will receive from working here?
10. What is the perfect job?
11. What characteristics do you need to possess to succeed in this position?
12. What do you know about this job in which you are applying for?
13. What interests you about this job?
14. How will I know you are the right person for this job?
15. Describe the perfect job?
Trying to find the right candidate to fill this position might be difficult depending upon who your potential candidates are. First a summary of all the candidates should be drawn up. In this particular position you need to be a people oriented person and you need to be able to at least show that you care even if you don’t. The personality test will help to give you some background about who this person is.
Other things to consider are if the person has the right background or qualifications. Has the candidate worked with others in the past? Or have they been just been in an office environment with no customer contact. Are they a good fit with the current staff members? Do they have the right credentials? All of this information must be gathered on the potential candidates and a decision must be reached based upon all these factors.
Reaching the final decision is usually left up to the Manager of the hiring department. Once the decision is made then the offer of employment is also make to the candidate. If you candidate accepts then you hope that a sound decision was made based on all your hiring selection tools that are in place to help you. Hopefully you have achieved success.
References
Managing Human Resources, G. Bohlander, S Snell 2004 South Western – Thompson