Master the employee selection process with our step-by-step guide. Optimize your hiring & recruit top talent efficiently, every time.
The Comprehensive Employee Selection Process
The employee selection process is a crucial and systematic series of steps designed to identify and hire the most suitable job applicants. It acts as a set of barriers that candidates must successfully navigate. Each stage is important, as it provides new information that could lead to the candidate’s disqualification or rejection.
As candidates progress through these steps, the pool of potential employees narrows until the final successful individual is hired. Throughout this process, the job description is continually matched against the required job specifications.
The core purpose of any selection process is the thorough collection and verification of information about the candidate. Organizations must strategically decide how many steps to use, their order, and the required detail and comprehensiveness to gather all pertinent information. How to Boost Employee Morale in the Workplace!
Step-by-Step Selection Procedure
An analysis of common corporate practices, particularly in large and multinational companies, reveals the following typical selection steps:
- Preliminary Screening or Interview: An initial filtering to eliminate obviously unqualified applicants efficiently and to ensure the job meets the applicant’s expectations.
- The Role of Application Blanks or Forms: A key tool that provides a summary of the applicant’s history, tests their ability to communicate accurately and legibly, and serves as a foundation for the interview.
- The Meaning, Types, and Uses of Psychological Tests: In-depth testing (e.g., aptitude, achievement, personality) to objectively measure an individual’s abilities, aptitudes, interests, creativity, and personality to predict future job success.
- Job Interviewing Phase and Interviewing Skills: A critical stage where the interviewer matches information from previous steps with personal observation, seeks clarification, and provides detailed information about the job and company.
- The Usefulness and Limitations of Reference Check: Contacting previous employers or familiar individuals to verify information and gain insight into the candidate’s past performance and future success potential.
- Using Physical Examination for Employment Purposes: Ensuring the candidate is physically capable and fit to perform the job requirements to avoid future liability and compensation claims.
- Planning for Induction and Orientation: The final step, where the new hire formally introduced to the job, fellow employees, supervisor, company rules, regulations, and facilities to ensure a smooth transition and reduce early turnover.
- Evaluating a Selection Program: A continuous process of assessing the effectiveness of all selection tools and procedures (e.g., source of manpower, application forms, tests, interviews) to ensure they are current, objective, and accurately predict job performance.
Key Considerations in the Selection Process
- The Preliminary Screening: This stage involves visual screening and asking “knock out” questions directly related to critical job requirements (e.g., travel availability, specific technical background). Applicants who do not meet these minimum requirements politely screened out.
- The Application Form: Beyond basic information, the form allows for two main evaluation methods: the clinical method (in-depth psychological inference) and the weighted or statistical method (assigning points to responses proven to correlate with job success). The content typically covers personal background, education, employment record, extracurriculars, physical record, and references.
- Psychological Tests: To ensure effectiveness, tests must be valid (measure what they supposed to measure and predict job performance) and reliable (provide consistent scores over time).
- The Job Interview: This phase requires skillful interviewers who plan carefully, establish rapport, actively listen, gather and provide information honestly, and close the interview professionally. Interviewers must be aware of common errors like the Halo Effect, Oversimplification, Projection, Misconceptions, Pre-Judging, and Personal Bias.
- Reference Checks: These typically conducted in person, by mail (most popular but slow), or by phone. The specialist must note the tone and enthusiasm of the former employer’s comments.
- Induction and Orientation: New employees must be provided with comprehensive information on the General Background of the Company (history, products, policies) and Job-Related Information (duties, salary, benefits, work hours) to facilitate a smooth entry into the organization.
