Selection Tools For Hiring

Selection Tools for Hiring

HRM 240

January 20, 2008

Executive Summary

This paper will review and outline the selection tools for a hiring program to hire a project manager for our firm. The selection process that businesses go through is probably one of the most important steps to ensure that the right people are placed in the right job that best utilizes there skill sets for a particular job. Getting the best individuals for the job will help ensure the business has the best chance for success opposed to spending time and resources fixing problems with individuals that make have not been the best fit for a position. Better selections research and planning will contribute to the organization with better performing employees and contribute monetary value add.

The steps that will be outlined in this paper cover the importance in gathering data so we can accurately describe the requirements and needs to fill the position. How the importance of utilizing a job analysis plays in the process. And as already noted, the importance of the selection processes and how the perspective candidate will fit into the firm’s cultural aspects.

Job Analysis

The job analysis can be performed with the human resource team by observing the duties of the current project managers to allow us to get the most accurate description of job duties and responsibilities. This will help us to develop the job description for the position so we can develop the most accurate job description for the posting. This will allow us to match up the candidate’s skills, knowledge, and abilities with the requirements for the position.

In addition to matching the SKA’s this will also help in preparing evaluations that will more accurately meet the requirements necessary when evaluating the employee in this position. Also this will aid in showing any training that may or may not be needed for individuals in this position.

The job analysis presentation is attached as a separate presentation that outlines the process.

Selection Process

One of the biggest hurdles for any company is to be able to successfully identify good candidates for job vacancies within the company. Online applications have become one of the biggest and most popular resources in the past few years for human resource departments to use for locating potential candidates. Today 95 percent of fortune 500 company’s use some form of online applications to search resumes to find specific job qualifications (Bohlander/Snell, 2007).

One of the advantages to utilizing online applications is the turn around time in identify candidates from applications skill matches for vacancies and actually filling the position. The cost is substantially cheaper operating with online applications. For example Woolworth’s reported they were able to reduce their cost per hire by 70 percent by advertising online (Bohlander/Snell, 2007).

Another useful tool for selecting potential candidates is utilizing test to measure the skills and abilities of potential candidates. This is a very useful tool if they have been laid out correctly and properly used for the position. For example, you wouldn’t want to use a technically based test to evaluate or gauge a person that is applying for a non-technical position. So care must be taken to ensure that the test have been validated from HR to ensure that a benchmark has been established from which to gauge the candidate from (Bohlander/Snell, 2007).

Interviewing is probably the tool that carries the most weight in the whole process. The interview process is more complex than would appear at first glance. The interview process can have legal implications if interviewers are not aware of the legality in what can be asked and how. There is always the risk of bias or stereotyping that can become an issue because of the involvement for human nature. Although the interview process is subjective to these potentials an actual face to face interview provides tremendous insight to an individual on how the think, personality, character, and values which is sometime hard to get from applications.

Project Manager Interview Process

For the project manager interview we should first utilize the online application databases to ensure we were getting the best pool of candidates that provide the best skill matches and diversity for the position.

Next we would need the selected applicants to participate in testing to measure their knowledge, skills, and ability for the position and assess the results. In addition this test would need to also cover the honesty and integrity of the individuals considers this is a project manager position.

The interview process would need to be a structured interview. Statistically the structured styled interviews prove to be the most beneficial to making the decision on which candidate is best for the job. A report by the U.S. Merit Systems Protection Board reported that structured interviews were twice as likely as nondirect interviews for predicting on the job performance (Bohlander/Snell, 2007). In addition the interview process needs to be conducted in a team effort.

The plan would be as follows:

п‚* Completion of online application

п‚* HR screening

п‚* Testing

п‚* Background check

п‚* HR identifies final selections

п‚* Interview with management team

п‚* Offer

Suggestions for Interview Questions

First identifying the criteria for the position that will lead to an effective selection interviewing process for the team to follow is the first step. In doing this utilizing the structural style interview will help insure that candidates interviewed will provide information on past behavioral and job performance to aid in making the selection decision. Below is a quick outline to the process:

п‚* Predetermining the selection criteria

п‚* Using a team or panel for the interviewers

п‚* Following the interview guide

п‚* Using a quantitative scale to evaluate candidates

п‚* Completing all background checks