MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 1

MODULE 1 – AN OVERVIEW OF SELECTION

INTRODUCTION

In time of increasing global competition, every organization is concerned about the

level of work performance of its employees. This is because the performance of
employees is a major determinant of how successful an organization is in reaching its
strategic goals and developing a competitive advantage over rival firms. Therefore,
influencing the work performance of employees is a major objective of organizations.
Fortunately, there is agreement about how this can be accomplished. Organizational
specialists have determined that an individual employee’s work performance is made up
of two factors: the ability of the individual and the individual puts forth.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:

After reading this module, the learner should be able to:

1. Understand the importance of selection in conjunction with other human resource

functions, especially human resource planning and recruitment
2. Identify the steps in developing a useful selection program
3. Learn the inherent difficulties and constraints of selection that must be addresses
in developing a program

TIME:

The time allotted for this module is 6 hours.

LEARNER DESCRIPTION

The participants in this module are BSBA HRDM Students

MODULE CONTENTS:

LESSON 1: Definition of Selection

• The process of collecting and evaluating information about an individual in order

to extend an offer of employment.

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

 MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 2

 Such employment could be either a first position for a new employee or a

different position for a current employee.
 The selection process is performed under legal and environmental
constraints and addresses the future interests of the organization and of
the individual.

• Collecting and Evaluating Information

 KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities)
• The factual information about how to do the job and the necessary
skills and abilities an individual must possess in order to perform
the job.

• Selection programs can be useful if:

 Proper steps are taken to develop selection instruments that collect job-
related information from applicants
 This information is then used appropriately in making selection decisions.
Selection versus Hiring

• Selection
 When job-related information is collected from applicants and offers of
employment are given to those who apparently possess the necessary
KSAs to do well on the job.
• Hiring
 When offers of employment are given with no evaluation of the applicant’s
job-related qualifications.

Initial Job Selection and Internal Movement

 Similar tasks
 Initial jobs - external applicants
 Internal movement (i.e., promotions) – internal candidates (current
employees)
• Information and evaluation processes differ
Activity 1.1:

Please refer to UBian LMS

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

 MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 3

LESSON 2: Selection and Strategic HRM

• Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)

 Activities that align the number of employees and their performance with
the goals of the firm
 Requires that the human resource (HR) systems of the firm are
coordinated and interact smoothly with one another.
• Basic Resources
 Financial Resources
 Physical Resources
 Human Resources

• Forecasting HR
 Future labor demand
 Future labor supply
 Aligning demand to supply

FIGURE 1.1 Interaction of Selection and Other HRM Systems

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

 MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 4

Selection and Recruitment

 Selection more closely related to recruitment than to other HRM programs

 Consists of activities that influence the number and types of individuals
who apply for a position
 Affects applicants’ decisions about whether to accept a job offer
(increases the probability that candidates will accept a position if it is
offered)

FIGURE 1.3 Steps in the Development of a Selection Program

Job Analysis

Identification of Relevant Job Performance Dimensions

Identification of Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) Necessary for Job

Development of Assessment Devices

to Measure KSAs

Validation of Assessment Devices

1. Content
2. Criterion

Use of Assessment Devices in the Processing of Applicants

Activity 2.1:

Please see UBian LMS

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

 MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 5

LESSON 3: Developing a Selection Program

• Job Analysis Information

 Job analysis
 Gathering of information about a job in an organization
– The tasks, results (products or services) equipment, material
used, and environment (working conditions, hazards, work
schedule, etc.) that characterize the job
 Purposes of information
 Inform applicants about the nature and demands of the job
 Provide a database for the other steps in the developmental
process

• Identifying Worker Characteristics

 KSAs and other characteristics
that a worker should possess
in order to perform the job
successfully are potential
selection evaluation measures:
 Work (Job)
requirements
 Worker attributes
 Worker characteristics

• Development of Selection Devices

 Device must measure the
KSAs identified as needed for the job.
 Device must able to differentiate among applicants.
• Validation Procedures
 Empirical validation
 A representative sample of individuals and correlation measures of
how well the individuals are performing the job.
 Content validation
 Systematically taking data (the judgments of workers and
managers), and using them to determine the relationship between
the selection test and job performance.
Activity 3.1:

Please see Ubian LMS

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

 MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 6

LESSON 4: Constraints in Developing a Selection Program

Measurement of Jobs,
Limited Information
Individuals, and Work
on Applicants
Performance

Selection Program
Development

Other Factors Affecting Work

Performance

Figure 1.3 Constraints in Developing a Selection Program

A. Limited information on applicants – the greater the amount of accurate data obtained
the higher the probability of making an accurate selection decision

B. Measurement of jobs, individuals, and work performance – numbers must be

accurate descriptions of the characteristics of the applicant, the job, or the job
performance under study

C. Other factors affecting work performance

1. training programs for employees
2. appraisal and feedback methods
3. goal-setting procedures
4. financial compensation systems
5. work design strategies
6. supervisory methods
7. organizational structure
8. decision-making techniques
9. work schedules

D. Selection research vs. selection practice

1. Gap between what academic research shows and management practice
2. Evidence-based management – translating principles based on evidence into
organizational practice
3. Evidence-based management is not universally practiced in organizations

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

 MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 7

E. Selection and staffing

1. Staffing: broad concept that can refer to various HR programs and techniques
used to manage the employees of an organization. Staffing includes recruitment,
selection, training, work performance measurement, succession planning, job
reassignment, termination, and compensation.

2. Staffing is closer to strategic HRM than it is to selection

3. Knowledge of selection is essential foundation of staffing

Activity 4.1:

Please see Ubian LMS

LESSON 5: Current Issues in Selection

• Broadly Defined Team-Based Jobs

 Emphasize KSAs necessary for teamwork
 Emphasize interpersonal skills and use of incumbent team members in the
selection of new members
 Describe jobs in terms of processes rather than specific job activities
 Work analysis methods should allow for considerable flexibility as job
incumbents and organization change

• The Growth Of Small Business

 Large organizations have been reducing the number of employees, while
small businesses have been increasing their numbers

Activity 5.1:

Please see Ubian LMS

READING MATERIALS:

ONLINE READING MATERIALS:

ONLINE VIDEO LINKS AND MATERIALS:

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

 MODULE 1 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION 8

TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE:

MODULE REFERENCES:

Selection in Human Resource Management, 8th Edition, Robert Gatewood, Murray Field
and Murray Barrick, 2016

BM102 – RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION