Blog 12 - Selection

Selection is the process whereby not only does the employer choose between two or more interested applicants, but applicants also select, deciding how much further they wish to pursue their original enquiry. The end of the recruitment and selection process is a legally binding agreement. (Torrington et al., 2011)

Selection methods take a variety of forms:

• ·         Short listing from information on CV’s and applicant forms
• ·         Interviews
• ·         Tests
• ·         Assessment centres
• ·         References
• ·         Work simulations
• ·         Telephone Screaming
• ·          Graphology
• ·         Role play demonstrations

The first process usually is looking through peoples CV’s and this then allows the employer to select the ideal people that they want to know more about, this has both positives and negatives, by allowing the employer to discard people which don’t suit the educational or experience whilst keeping the best fitted, however, education doesn’t always show the true personality of the individual, and could leave less educated people with a lower level of English grammar being discarded when they may be very good at a more hand on skill. (J.Mullins, 2007)

Tests and telephone screening are often the second aspect that is explored. This allows the employer and potential employee to get an idea more of the personality of the individual and the organisation and thus if liked taken onto the interview stage. Phone interviews are a great way to give a non-biased opinion regarding someone’s content rather than looks and takes away the opportunity for anyone to make judgements over race or ethnicity. However, appearance is important, and having clean, smart employees is essential in keeping customers returning. Therefore this has some limitations. (Mulins, 2002)

 With regards to tests, it is clear that it can has positives as to looking at how a person’s character will fit into the current work force and by seeing how someone would react in a certain situation, however, people may answer with what they think you want to hear rather than what they would actually do, or ambiguity within the questions could also cause confusion.

Interviews are usually used after other processes have taken place, and are often the last process within the recruitment chain before a decision is made. These is where people can experience what someone is like as a person, and see how they deal with interacting with people they don’t know under a stressful situation. This in my opinion is the most efficient way of dealing with the selection process.

I have been involved in a number of educational and job selection processes. For which the most effective process I believe was the application I made to my 6^th form. The application to my 6^th form took many stages of which you had to pass each stage to progress onto the next.

To begin with you had to write a written application to the headmaster requesting to be considered to be accepted into the school, and this had to include things such as your current predicted grades and what you could bring to the school.

 Once this was looked at and the successful applications sorted through, a telephone style informal chat took place, this was where they questioned anything you had written in your application and got you to expand on what beinifit it would bring to the school if you were to go there.

Then you were asked to an interview, for which you met with the head of 6^th form to discuss your application. This application was then accepted or not accepted via a letter written to you, on condition that you received the necessary grades.  

I was thankfully accepted into studying English Language and Literature, History, Sociology, Business Studies and General studies for my A-Levels at Spalding Grammar School.I believe by having a mix of selection processes it increases the effectiveness, and ability to judge a person’s character. Analysing each aspect of character and skill means that the best person can be chosen to perform the role.

Selection process can take place on a larger scale also, as many job or education roles are looked upon by a few select individuals. When applying for a position for the people, such as in parliament, it is a selection from a mass of people, and so the way of selection is very different, and is usually seen in the way of anonymous voting. I experienced this at my 6^th Form, in the application and campaign I was involved in to become Deputy Captain for my House Gamylin; a selection process by campaigns, for example public speaking in assemblies and by advertising your skills and abilities. I was very happy to be voted in to have the opportunity to take over being the leader of the Gamylin team in my second year at 6^th form.  This process is clearly also a very effective way of gaining the opinions of many people, and by taking a majority vote it means that you can look at many people’s feelings.

The application for university I feel could be done in a very different way; and the selection of who is accepted onto a course could be looked at in a better way. There are many people who do not have the commitment or the ambition to complete a degree course, and apply as to just use up time. I feel that if the selection of university students becomes harder, for example all included an interview or personality test there would be a decrease in absenteeism and lack of effort during the university course. Creating a higher efficiently within the lecture room, and creating a higher standard of person for people getting degrees.

To conclude I think the selection part of the recruitment process is clearly a complex one, and by using and developing the correct stages of selection, the best person for the role can be selected, however all processes clearly have positives and negatives and so over all a combination of many different selection process will allow applicants to show off their talents, and for the selector to see and analyse many different aspects of the skill and character of the individual.

Bibliography

J.Mullins, L. (2007) Management and organsational behaviour. 9th ed. Harlow: Pitman inprint.

Mulins, L.J. (2002) Management and Organisational Behaviour. Sixth Edition ed. Essex: Financial Times Pitman Publishing Imprint.

Torrington, D., Hall, L., Taylor, S. and Atkinson, C. (2011) Human Resource Mangement. 8th ed. Harlow: Pearsons Education Limited.

Wilton, N. (2011) an introduction to human resource managment. 1st ed. London: SAGE publications.