Job Analysis, Recruitment,

Selection and Induction

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 Recruitment & Selection – Learning
By the end of this unit you should be able to:
1. Describe the steps in the recruitment & selection
process
2. Differentiate between recruitment and selection
3. Write a job description
4. Describe the elements of and compile a person
specification
5. Describe and evaluate three internal and six
external recruitment methods
6. Prepare for and conduct a basic selection
interview
7. Compare and contrast alternative selection
techniques.

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 General Comments
• One of the most important HR function
• Recruitment versus selection? Are the two
different?
• Not just about finding the right person for the job
but the person that fits the company
• Good recruitment should make selection easier
• This is the ‘Marketing’ end of HR
• Need to comply with the legislation
• Who do you involve in the process?
• Important to evaluate the process regularly
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Recruitment & Selection Process

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 Job Analysis
• Identifying the human behaviour
necessary for job performance
(Schneider & Schmitt 1986)
• Process of collecting & analysing
information about the tasks,
responsibilities and the content of jobs.
(Marchington & Wilkinson 2000)
• There are a number of different methods

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 Task: Uses of Job Analysis
What else (other than recruitment and selection)
might job analysis be used for in the organisation?
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..

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 9 Methods of Job Analysis
1. Observation
2. Diaries
3. Interviews
4. Questionnaires
5. Checklist
6. Expert analysis
7. Work participation
8. Critical incident
The following slides summarise the strengths and weaknesses
of the four most popular methods

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 1. Observation
Most straightforward Preferably not in
Used anyway isolation
Cost effective Cognitive work
Ease of clarification Observation may
affect behaviour
Different observers
see different things
Tasks may vary from
day to day, month to
month etc.
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 2. Work Diaries
High degree of
commitmment from
job holder
Can be very detailed Heavily on reliant on
and methodical job holder
interpretation
Person closest to the
job Subjective and
sometimes too close to
Cost effective the job
Good for cognitive
tasks

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 3. Interviews
Unstructured to
structured
Individual to group
Cocounselling &
critical incident Subjective
Cost effective May not cover
Convenient everything
Open to bias
Interviewer skills

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 4. Questionnaires
Most sophisticated & Costly
complex even Need to justify the
computer packages ROI
E.G. PAQ, WPS Time consuming
Aim to be anti
discriminatory
Objective – minimal
HR dept involvement

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 Job Descriptions
• “A broad statement of
the purpose, scope, duties
and responsibilities that
are attached to the job,
and as such form the
basis of the contract of
employment” (Gunnigle et
al 2002:91)
• Will vary slightly across
companies
• Becoming outmoded
because….
• Still important because

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 TASK:Elements of a Job Description
List the items that you think should be included in a
job description?
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
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 TASK:Elements of a Job Description
List the items that you think should be included in a
job description?
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
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 Person Specification
• Outlines the skills and
experience necessary to
carry out the tasks and
responsibilities of a job
• “A description of the
ideal person that will fit
the job ..”(Gunnigle et al
2002:91)
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 TASK: Person Specification
List the items that you think should be included in a
person specification?
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
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 Person Specification
• Describes the ideal person for the job &
provides a detailed description of the criteria
necessary to do the job effectively
• Number of important functions:
– Describes the ideal person
– Helps in deciding where to concentrate search &
advertising
– Can facilitate short-listing (should differentiate
between essential & desirable characteristics, etc)
– Can help determine the selection criteria
 Person Specification
• Should include human characteristics &
attributes
• Two different approaches normally used
– 7 Point plan (Rodger 1952)
– Five Point plan (Fraser 1966)
• Essential attributes
• Desirable attributes
• May not be appropriate now because….
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 A good Person Specification
The following are the qualities of a good
person specification:
• It closely matches the job description
• It is specific and detailed
• It is weighted
• It is measurable

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Rodger’s 7 Point Fraser’s 5 Point
Plan Plan

• Physical make-up
• Impact on others
• Attainments
• Acquired knowledge
• General intelligence
and qualifications
• Special aptitiudes
• Innate abilities
• Interests
• Disposition • Motivation
• Circumstances • Adjustment

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TASK: Write your Job Description

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TASK: Write your Person Specification

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 Terms & Conditions
• Refer specifically to the effort-reward
relationship
• Play an important role in attracting suitable
candidates
• Must adhere to employment law statutes
 Terms & Conditions
• Hours of work
• Shift
• Payment method and frequency
• Holiday entitlement
• Bonus
• Allowances
• Benefits (sick, pension, VHI…..)
• Other…dress standards etc.
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TASK: Employment Legislation
• Name any pieces of employment legislation which you
think affect recruitment and selection?

• Can you list the nine grounds of discrimination covered by

the equality legislation?

• What specific aspects of the recruitment and selection

process do we need to be careful about as a result of the
legislation?

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Employment Legislation
• E E Act,

• The 9 grounds for discrimination are:

• Specific aspects affected related to

• Some particular points about ADVERTISING

• Positive action is permitted for over 50’s, sex,

disabled and travelling community if the ratio
of the numbers in your employment do not
reflect the ratio of these categories in your
surrounding community
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 Questions on articles
Flying in the face of the Law
1. What mistakes did the airline make

Recruitment & the Law

1. How long should records regarding recruitment &
selection be kept?
2. What points should one bear in mind when drafting
advertisements for a vacancy
3. As an employer what can you do to make sure that
discrimination does not occur at an interview?
4. What are the exceptions to the employment legislation?

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 Recruitment
3 Functions
1. Attract a pool of suitable candidates
2. Deter unsuitable candidates from applying
3. Create a positive image of the company

2 main approaches
Internal and External
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 Areas for consideration
• Do we recruit Internally or Externally or both?

• Which recruitment method or methods should

we use?

• What should the application process be? (CV,

application form, etc.)
 TASK: Methods of Recruitment
List different methods that organisations can
use to recruit a person to fill a vacancy?
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
• ..
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 Methods of Recruitment
1. .
2. .

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 4 Rules for Cost Effective
Recruitment Advertising (Lewis 1985)

1. Use the most appropriate

media
2. Look for an adequate
number of replies
3. Minimise number of
wasted replies
4. Promote the organisation

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 E Recruitment
• e-recruiting
• general job sites
• specialised job sites
• chat rooms
• newsgroups & company websites
• List as many e recruitment sources as you
can think of?

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 Application Forms
• Part of the selection
process
• Give information relevant
to the job/person
specification
• Need to be mindful of the
Equality legislation when
designing an application
form
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 Task: Read CIPD Factsheet - Recruitment

1. Identify the advantages and disadvantages

of using application forms

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 Screening & Short-listing
• Only works effectively where there is a
well-detailed, measurable job description
• Those who score high on the short-listing
matrix progress to the next round
• Poor scorers are eliminated from the
process
• Helps to remove biases of the short-lister
• Use the person specification to help you
shorlist
• Avoid comparing one application against
another
The Selection Phase

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 TASK: Choosing Selection Methods
List as many different selection methods that
organisations might use to select the best
candidate for the job.
• .
• .
• .
• .
• .
• .

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 The Selection Phase
• Suitability is largely determined by the nature
of the job & the responsibilities that are
attached to it & how well the candidate’s
KSAs match the job requirements
• Validity refers to the extent to which the
selection method used measures that it is
suppose to measure
• Reliability refers to whether the same selection
decision reached would be reached if other
individuals made it
 The Selection Phase
• 4 procedural justice dimensions may form
the basis for fairness reactions:
– Perceived job relatedness
– Opportunity to demonstrate one’s ability
– Interpersonal treatment
– The propriety of the questions
 How to assess the value of a selection
method

1. Practicability
2. Sensitivity
3. Reliability – will we get the same
result everytime
4. Validity – does it measure what it is
supposed to measure

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 Article: Selection Interviewing Factsheet
1. Give 3 reasons why the interview is a poor selection
method
2. What can an employer to do compensate for the flaws
associated with interviewing?
3. List the advantages and disadvantages of :
– A one to one interview
– A panel interview
4. You have been asked to interview candidates for the
position of Leisure Attendant. Compose 3 suitable
questions to ask at this interview? At least one question
must be a behavioural question.

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 The Interview
• Most widely used selection method
• Most criticised
• Types of interviews
– One to one
– Group/Tandem
– Panel
• Functions of the interview
– Mutual preview
– Assessment
– Negotiation

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 The Selection Interview
– Can be an accurate means of selection
– Structured interviews are more valid than
unstructured ones
– More accurate if based on detailed job analysis
techniques
– Appropriate & fairly reliable method for
assessing job-relevant social skills
– Interviewer accuracy varies & recruitment
decisions should always be validated
 TASK: Errors/Biases in Selection
List some of the errors that you think that an
interviewer might make in an interview setting.
• .
• .
• .
• .
• .
• .
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Errors/Biases in Selection

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 TASK: Types of Interview Questions
Explain each of the following types of questions that can be
used in an interviewing session. In your opinion which are
the best type of questions to use and why? In your opinion
which type(s) should be avoided and why?
• Closed
• Open
• Leading
• Hypothetical
• Behavioural
• Probing
• Summarising
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 Minimising problems with the Interview
• Structured interviewing
– Behavioural (past behaviour)
– Situational (hypothetical)
• Trained interviewers
• Preagreed scoring system
• Questions should relate only to
job and person spec
• Use a diverse interview panel
• Agree questions in advance and
ask same questions to all
candidates
• Keep interview notes

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TASK: Interviewing

As the interviewer list what you would want to cover

in an interview?
What areas of the person past would you want to
gather data on?
Based on the above what would be the best structure
for an interview?
Compose 3 open questions that you could ask a
candidate in an interview?
Compose 3 behavioural questions that you could ask
a candidate in an interview?
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 Review Questions
1. Describe four factors one should take into
account when deciding which selection methods
to use in an organisation?
2. Describe three errors that can occur in selection
interviewing. Give a practical example of each
3. What are the best type of questions to use as an
interviewer. Give a practical example of each.

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 Review Questions
1. Identify the main stages in the recruitment and selection
process
2. Explain the difference between recruitment and selection
3. What is job analysis? List 3 methods.
4. Explain the difference between a job description and a
person specification
5. List the nine grounds for discrimination covered by the
equality legislation
6. Identify 3 recruitment methods
7. What factors need to be considered when choosing a
recruitment method
8. Identify 3 selection methods
9. Explain the following; stereotyping, horns/halo effect,
expectancy effect
10. Describe four factors one should take into account when
deciding which selection methods to use in an organisation?
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 Selection Testing
• Should be chosen carefully & appropriately
• Should be applied systematically in a
standard manner
• Results be capable of comparison with
norms for the particular group in question
Types of • Cognitive ability test (used to measure an
Psychometric applicant’s capability to perform a job)
Tests • Personality tests (measures personality
dimensions such as extroversion,
conscientiousness, ability to get on with
others, etc.)
• Performance or work sample tests (assess
skills & abilities of the applicant)
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 Task: Psychological Testing Factsheet
1. Who are generation Y?
2. What are their characteristics?
3. What is a psychometric test?
4. What is an assessment centre?
5. What factors should you consider in deciding if a
particular psychological test is appropriate for
your organisation?
6. What legal issues should one be aware of with
regard to the use of psychological tests?
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 Attitudes to work and the
workplace
• Generations ‘Y’ or the ‘nexters’
Technology friendly
Non discriminatory
Want work-life balance
Ethical conscience
Global mindset
Anti bureaucracy
Easy going about the future
Evaluation of the Recruitment and Selection Process.
How do we know we have got it right?
HRM, A Contemporary Approach, Veardwell & Holden

1. Effectiveness • Retention rates,

promtions,
2. Efficiency • Average cost per
recruit, average time
lapsed between stages,
% offers made, offer
acceptance rate
3. Fairness • Dealing with all
applicants fairly
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 Placement, Induction & Follow
Up
• Offer letter
• Regret letters
• Probationary Period
• Induction
• Feedback
• Goal setting

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 Recruitment in Ireland
based on Cranet E./UL 1999/200 survey

• Application forms, interview panel &

reference checks are the most commonly used
selection methods
• 2/3 of Irish company respondents indicated
problems filling vacancies, especially at
management & professional level (2004 data)
• Newspaper advertising is the most popular
recruitment strategy
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 Recruitment in Ireland
based on Cranet E./UL 1999/200 survey

• 1 in 5 new employees leave the company

within the first 6 months
• Prime response among Irish companies in
response to retention difficulties has been to
improve communication/involvement &
learning & development opportunities

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 CIPD 2007 Recruitment Survey
• Corporate websites (70%) and local newspaper
advertisements (75%) are equally used by
employers
• Average recruitment cost of filling a vacancy per
employee is £4,333
• > 70% of organisations use recruitment agencies
but mostly private sector
• 70% of organisations said they have an employer
brand
 CIPD 2008 Recruitment Survey
• Only 50% of respondents have a resourcing
strategy
• Key reasons for recruitment difficulties are
lack of necessary specialist skills (70%),
higher pay expectations (44%), insufficient
experience (42%)
• Top Solution: appoint people with potential
to grow
 CIPD 2008 Recruitment Survey
• Helpful recruitment initiatives: training internal
candidates to fill posts, providing realistic job
previews, employer branding
• Just 32% make use of talent banks
• Most common recruitment methods: Recruitment
agencies (78%); Company’s own website (75%);
local newspaper ads (74%)
• Selection method interview based on CV (72%);
competency based interview (65%)
Extra Reading – all in Moodle!
• Chapter 5 in core text book (ignore bit about HR
planning)
• CIPD Factsheets:
– Recruitment
– Selection
– Selecting Candidates
– Equality Law
– Disability
– Testing
• Class handouts

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 Sample Exam Questions
1. Distinguish between the terms job analysis, job
description and person specification as used in
recruitment and selection.
2. Write a job description and person specification for a
position that you are familiar with.
3. (i) Describe a piece of employment legislation which is
relevant to recruitment & selection.
(ii) Discuss the implications of this legislation for
recruitment and selection procedures within
organisations.
4. (i) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the
interview as a selection tool.
(ii) Discuss THREE ways you can minimize the
weaknesses of the interview as a selection tool.

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 Sample Exam Questions
6. Distinguish between the terms recruitment and
selection as used in an HR context.
7. (i) Describe what should be included in a job
description.
(ii) Describe what should be included in a person
specification
8. (i) Describe the factors that should be considered when
choosing which selection method(s) to use in an
organisation
(ii) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of THREE
methods of selection.
9. Describe the FOUR main steps in the recruitment &
selection process.
10. (i) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of ONE
internal and TWO external recruitment methods.
(ii) Describe how you might go about shorlisting
candidates after the recruitment phase has been
completed.
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