Selection

Selection is concerned with picking the right candidate from the pool of applicants. Throughout this blog, I will state three different selection methods, describe an interview that I’ve had before and recommendations that I have for the companies that I am familiar with regarding their selection procedures.

There are also other selection methods other than interviewing such as :

·         psychometric tests

·         assessment centres

·         biodata

Psychometric tests

Psychometric tests can be valuable when selecting an applicant from a group of people who do not have clearly similar abilities or experience. They are more likely to be employed as soon as a manager is being sought. Psychometric tests can be utilised to assess intellect, character or ability for precise responsibilities, for instance:

·         perceptive/problem solving

·         decision making

·         interactive skills

·         self-confidence

However, an organisation need to think about the these things about the test as they :

·         are not always a decent pointer of future enactments

·         should not be utilised except if there is a verified requirement and a fittingly qualified person to manage them

·         frequently necessitate a fee when you practise them

Assessment centres

These are usually exercised by large companies, mainly when creating senior arrangements. Discrete and group practices occur, on occasion over limited days, every so often containing an interview, psychometric tests, group conferences and tasks, written exercises and demonstrations. They can be costly and timewasting.

Biodata

This test captures the method of a multiple-choice biographical questionnaire and is more likely to be employed by large companies. However, it is needed to take care not to rupture data protection or discrimination laws.

There was a time where I had an interview in my current job as a sales consultant in a private company called Censura Consulting. The manager who interviewed me explained that it was the first stage interviewing which will just basically wants to know more about my life so he just asked me to tell me more about myself other than what is stated on my CV. In my opinion, the interview went well as we already built a sense of connection as the manager was very professional in explaining clearly what the job is about and answered all the questions that I have asked about the company. In addition to this, he also mentioned what I aspire in the future and what good would I bring to their company. At the end of the interview, he asked his secretary to make a suitable time for me to come back to do the second stage which is job assessment where I have to work on to different departments of the company while they watch how I do. At the end of the office hours, the employees will get back to the manager stating how I did and whether I am essential for the job.

In the past, I had another interview in a retail shop which is in peacocks for a vacancy as a part time sales assistant. The interview lasted for five minutes which was very easy with simple questions like where do I live? Do my parents agree with me about working as a part time every weekend? Am I still in education? How many hours am I willing to work? These are the only questions that were asked. I think the interview went well because the Manager seems very happy with me and seems satisfied. After 2 days, the company rang me and said I got the job and set me a date to start and I was to work as a part time, 8 hours a week. However, in the future, I believe they should provide their employee with training and gain more experience about the job so that applicants will be confident to tackle the job after the training. Also, add more questions during the interview to show how interested they are working in the company such as: In a situation where a customer has erupted in a busy day, what would the candidate do. Likewise, they could have given me the chance to show them how I work first and assess how I work whether I am confident enough. These methods can make sure that an applicant is really enthusiastic in working as what the applied for and will be a benefit to the company. Also, it is important to keep in mind the criminal background checks and the status of their stay in UK, whether they are valid to work legally and other laws.

In conclusion, even at present, we know that interview is still generally the most popular use of method of selection, however by including other selection methods such as psychometric testing, I believe can make their choice a better as you will get to know most of the required information about the applicant. However, it should be kept in mind the critics that are accompanied by using other selection methods.

References:

Mullins, L. ( 2010) Management & Organisational Behaviour : ninth edition. London: Person Education Limited.

Koster,M.(2002) Human Resource Management: Classical selection methods and alternatives. Germany:Auflage.

Taylor,I.(2007)A Practical Guide to Assessment Centres and Selection Methods: Measuring competency for recruitment and development.Great Britain:MPG Books Ltd.

Graduate Recruitment Bureau.(2011) Selection Methods [online]. Available on: http://www.grb.uk.com/selection-methods.0.html [ Accessed on 19 April 2011]