Selection

The main goal of selection is to find the best person for the job.

There are many different selection methods used to help employers identify the most suitable person.

One form of selection is to shortlist candidates from information featured on CV’s and application forms. This is because in many instances there are more applicants for the job than it would be possible to interview. This process is based purely on written information that applicants have supplied Foot & Hook (2008). A benefit of using this selection process is that it is easy to cut down the applicants in a short period of time where the applicants meet the person specification. This saves time and money for the organisation, as the recruitment process is a long and expensive one. A con of using this selection method is that it may rule out a good candidate based solely on the written information supplied. Foot & Hook (2008) suggests that this selection process could cause discrimination, for example as information such as a name, can reveal gender and racial origin discrimination may take place based on assumption. 

Another type of selection method is face to face interviews. Foot & Hook (2008) describes face to face interviews as the most popular and frequently used, even though research studies have found interviews to be poor predictors of future performance. The initial interview is usually conducted by a recruitment agency, job centre or done on the telephone Foot & Hook (2008). This helps narrow down the interviewees to the most suitable where by the employer then interviews them, as it would be unlikely to employ someone without meeting them first. Face to face interviews are used to learn more about the potential employees and see whether they fit the person specification and would be suitable for the job role. Although face to face interviews are widely used by employers there are many cons to conducting them. For example:

·       The Halo Effect – Foot & Hook (2008) describe the halo effect as when a candidate makes a strong impression on the interviewers as soon as they enter the room. The interviewers then look to find information to back up their initial judgement.

·       Stereotyping – “stereotyping occurs when a person is identified primarily with some group that he or she belongs to and then is assumed to have a range of characteristics that are thought to be commons to all members of that group.” (Foot & Hook, pg. 180, 2008) E.g. all blondes are dumb.   

·       The contract effect – The contrast effect is where a candidate is rated more highly than they merit by interviewers because they were preceded by a poor candidate, and by contrast appear better than in reality. Foot & Hook (2008)

·       Making Snap Decisions – “It is often said of interviewers that they make up their minds about a candidate in the first five minutes” (Foot & Hook, pg.180, 2008) This is usually their final judgement and could cause the employer to choose the wrong candidate.

There are many disadvantages to using face to face interviews, and bias can become apparent very quickly. Although the employer gets to meet and learn more about the potential candidates, there is low validity as candidates are put in a surreal situation. To reduce bias in interviews, panels are used to give the candidates a fair chance and reduce bias.

 Assessment centres can be used for selection and training purposes. An assessment centre is essentially a place where all the candidates come together to take part in different exercises to try and predict validity. “The more the assessment exercises reflect aspects of the job role, the better the results are likely to be.” (Foot & Hook, pg. 213, 2008) Therefore it judges different aspects of a candidate to ensure the correct candidate is selected. The exercises that make up an assessment centre include: Foot & Hook (2008)

·       Work simulations

·       Group exercises and discussions

·       Interviews

·       Psychological tests

·       Peers assessment and self-assessment

Assessment centres are very beneficial to employers as they show a true reflection of how a candidate should perform within the job; therefore assessment centres have a high validity. Another benefit of assessment centres is that the exercises are all the same to ensure no bias and give each individual the opportunity to demonstrate their skills. Feedback for the candidates on their performance may help them improve and develop for the future, and finally a decision can be made more quickly and easily by decision makers.

These different selection methods are a few ways in which employers can try to learn more about the potential employees of their business, and the only chance which they have to evaluate their skills and match them to the person specification. Selection is very important as it is time consuming and very expensive so it is important for the employer to get it right first time.

The most recent interview I have taken part in was for my current part-time job for a sales assistant role at Next. Initially I had to complete an online application form; this tested my knowledge about areas of the retail business, including home, childrenswear, womenswear and menswear, this had to be passed to go through to an interview, which I got a phone call for the following day, and the interview was arranged for the following week. The interview process consisted of a face to face interview with the store manager, and comprised of questions to find out whether I was suitable for the role. After the face to face interview, all the candidates had to spend time on the shop floor and be observed to see how we interacted with the public and other members of staff. In my opinion I believe this interview process to be effective as it looked at many different areas, and different exercises had to be completed to see if I met the person specification for the role. The interview process also gave me a good insight into what the job would be like, and the people I would be working for. The store manager made me feel comfortable and at ease during the interview process and made me feel if I was employed I could approach him about any problems. As a result of this interview process I currently am working for Next and I am happy with the decision I made.

The interview process for Barclays consisted of an online application form, telephone interview and a further face to face interview. The face to face interview consisted of a test, role play and selection of different questions. Although these steps give a good insight into whether the candidate meets the person specification, and whether they would be suitable for the role, it gives no indication to the candidate what the actual job will be like. In my opinion to improve the selection process, you should spend time in the branch with members of staff to experience what the job entails and let the candidate learn more about the role. Looking back at my interview process, it gave me no indication what the actual job would be like, just assumptions from previous knowledge of visiting banks and reading the job description and person specification from the online application. Therefore similar to my Next interview, it should be made compulsory potential candidates spend time in the branch meeting the staff and the customers to see how they would interact and work within branch. As a result this would give candidates a better understanding of the job role, and ensure the interviewees that they are right for the job.

In conclusion it is clear how important it is for employers to get the selection process right to ensure they employ the best individual for the job role. The selection process must try to predict the validity of an individual and for this to be successful the employer must use a range of techniques that assesses the candidate in all areas to see how they will work within the job role. The reason this process is so important is because it is an expensive and time consuming process, which is essential, and it is imperative employers get it right first time.  


Foot, M & Hook, C. (2008) Introducing human resource management. 5^th ed. Essex: Pearson education limited.