After studying this chapter, students should be able to understand the following:

We begin the chapter with a discussion of the significance of employee selection and the environmental

factors that affect it. Then, we describe the selection process, the preliminary interview, and review of the

application for employment.

Selection is the process of choosing from a group of applicants those individuals best suited for a particular

position. Most managers recognize that employee selection is one of their most difficult, and most

important, business decisions. This process involves making a judgment -not about the applicant, but about

the fit between the applicant and the job by considering knowledge, skills and abilities and other

characteristics required to perform the job Selection procedures are not carried out through standard

pattern and steps in this. Process can vary from organization to organization some steps performed and

considered important by one organization can be skipped by other organization

A permanent, standardized screening process could greatly simplify the selection process. However,

development of such a process—even if it were possible and desirable—would not eliminate deviations to

meet the unique needs of particular situation.

• Legal Considerations

Legislation, executive orders, and court decisions have a major impact on human resource management. It

is important for hiring managers to see the relationship between useful and legally defensible selection tools.

• Speed Of Decision Making

The time available to make the selection decision can have a major effect on the selection process. Closely

following selection policies and procedures can provide greater protection against legal problems; however,

there are times when the pressure of business will dictate that exceptions be made.

• Organizational Hierarchy

Different approaches to selection are generally taken for filling positions at different levels in the

organization.

• Applicant Pool

The number of applicants for a particular job can also affect the selection process. The process can be truly

selective only if there are several qualified applicants for a particular position. The number of people hired

for a particular job compared to the individuals in the applicant pool is often expressed as a selection ratio.

• Type of Organization

The sector of the economy in which individuals are to be employed—private, governmental, or not-forprofit—

can also affect the selection process.

• Probationary Period

Many firms use a probationary period that permits evaluating an employee’s ability based on performance.

This may be either a substitute for certain phases of the selection process or a check on the validity of the

process.

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• Selection Criteria:

Mostly the selection of applicant depends upon the following factors or criterions.

1. EDUCATION

2. COMPETENCIES

3. EXPERIENCE

4. SKILLS AND ABILITIES

5. PERSONNAL CHARECTRISTICS

Applicant who is best fit should be hired instead of hiring a person with extra ordinary skills it means right

person for right job should be hired person who is over or under qualified for the particular job will not be

able to adjust in the organization.

The selection process typically begins with the preliminary interview; next, candidates complete the

application for employment. They progress through a series of selection tests, the employment interview,

and reference and background checks. The successful applicant receives a company physical examination

and is employed if the results are satisfactory. Several external and internal factors impact the selection

process, and the manager must take them into account in making selection decisions. Typically selection

process consists of the following steps but it is not necessary that all organization go through all these steps

as per requirement of the organization some steps can be skipped while performing the selection process.

1. Initial Screening

2. Application Blank

3. Pre-employment Testing

• General Intelligence Tests

• Aptitude Tests

• Personality and Interest Tests

• Achievement Tests

• Honesty Tests

4. Interview

• Structured Interview

• Unstructured Interview

• Mixed Interview

5. Background Checks

6. Conditional job offer

7. Medical Exam/Drug Tests

8. Final Selection Decision

INITIAL SCREENING: The selection process often begins with an initial screening of applicants to

remove individuals who obviously do not meet the position requirements. At this stage, a few

straightforward questions are asked. An applicant may obviously be unqualified to fill the advertised

position, but be well qualified to work in other open positions. The Purpose of Screening is to decrease the

number of applicants being considered for selection.

Sources utilized in the screening effort:

Personal Resume presented with the job application is considered as source of information that can be used

for the initial screening process. It mainly includes information in the following areas:

• Employment & education history

• Evaluation of character

• Evaluation of job performance

Screening interviews are used to:

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• To verify information provided on resume or application blank.

• They are usually very short (approximately 30 minutes or so).

If the screening effort is successful, those applicants that do not meet minimum required qualifications will

not move to the next stage in the selection process. Companies utilizing expensive selection procedures put

more effort in screening to reduce costs.

APPLICATION BLANK: is a formal record of an individual’s application for employment The next step

in the selection process may involve having the prospective employee complete an application for

employment. The specific type of information may vary from firm to firm and even by job type within an

organization. However, the application form must reflect not only the firm’s informational needs but also

EEO requirements. Application forms are a good way to quickly collect verifiable and fairly accurate

historical data from the candidate.

Selection Process: Selection is the process of choosing from a group of applicants those individuals best

suited for a particular position.

Application Blank: Application blank is a formal record of an individual’s application for employment