Selection and recruitment

by David Baker

Teacher’s notes: Level 1 (Intermediate)

Worksheet A
ESP HR MANAGEMENT TEACHER’S NOTES

the syllable stress can often shift (e.g. able > ability;
produce > productivity).
A. Pre-reading
Key:
This tests ability to skim-read. Encourage students
2. ability; 3. productive; 4. complexity; 5. ambiguity;
– especially stronger ones – to complete the task as
6. to pursue; 7. productivity; 8. distinction;
quickly as they can.
9. attract, attractive
Key:
D. Discussion
1. c; 2. a; 3. f; 4. e
Use question 2 to expand students’ knowledge of
B. Comprehension
adjectives and especially personality descriptions.
When checking students’ answers, make sure they Make a list of jobs and positive and negative traits
can identify which sentences they used to decide on and qualities on the board, e.g.
their answers.
Sales executive:
Key: + energetic, articulate, sociable
1. T. ‘The research on the key role of ability in - introverted, shy, dislikes travel
explaining performance suggests that they are right
As a follow-up activity, you could get students
to do so.’ [paragraph 1, lines 5-7]
to discuss which qualities and characteristics
2. F. ‘Failure to recruit workers with appropriate are relevant to all jobs and which are especially
skills will cause a firm to fail or, at the very least, important for particular jobs (or categories of job).
not to grow properly.’ [paragraph 1, lines 7-9]. The
Question 3 leads in to the topic of interviews and
expression ‘at the very least’ means that failure is
personality tests which is covered in more detail in
likely but not necessarily certain.
Worksheet B.
3. F. ‘While firms should aim to recruit effectively
at all levels of ability ...’ [paragraph 2, lines 1-2]. In Worksheet B
other words, good recruitment is still important for
lower-level jobs, even though it’s more important for A. Pre-listening
higher-level ones. Monitor students while they are discussing their
4. T. ‘Some people simply lack the blend of ideas and review answers with the whole class. For
intelligence and personality traits needed ... weaker students, you might need to give one or two
and these people should not be recruited at all.’ examples before they begin the discussion.
[paragraph 3, lines 6-10] B. Comprehension
5. F. ‘Among those who do have the necessary Key:
abilities, the performance range will still be 1. F. Tom says this is true of “more and more companies”
enormous.’ [paragraph 3, lines 10-12] but not all of them. [Tom, paragraph 4, line 1]
6. T. ‘Selection is about choosing among job 2. T. “Big companies have the resources to do this
candidates ... Recruitment strategy is best for themselves on their own company websites.”
understood as the way in which a firm tries to find or [Tom, paragraph 4, lines 2-3]
attract people among whom it will ultimately make
3. F. Some use them in this way, “But other
selections.’ [paragraph 4, lines 6-7 and 10-13]
recruitment agents offer to manage the entire
C. Vocabulary: Word transformation recruitment process online …” [Tom, paragraph 4,
Review answers with the whole class. Practise lines 6-7]
saying the words aloud (either in isolation or a 4. F. The opposite is true for some agents, who work
complete sentence) and ensure that students are “… in collaboration with their client company’s HR
placing the syllable stress correctly. Point out how department.” [Tom, paragraph 4, line 7]
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 Selection and recruitment
by David Baker

Teacher’s notes: Level 1 (Intermediate)

ESP HR MANAGEMENT TEACHER’S NOTES

5. T. “... now the bigger companies also place more Key:

general adverts which aim to make job candidates 1. standards; 2. title; 3. department; 4. reports;
aware of the company: what it does and what its 5. objectives; 6. responsibilities; 7. qualifications;
image and values are.” [Tom, paragraph 6, lines 3-4] 8. abilities; 9. motivation; 10. application;
11. reference; 12. interview
6. T. “Nowadays, interviews tend to be much more
structured and standardized than they were in the E. Discussion
past.” [Tom, paragraph 14, lines 3-4]
With stronger students, you might want to discuss
7. T. “First, there are ability or aptitude tests ... And why a question might be wrong (for example is it
secondly, there are personality tests or inventories illegal, inappropriate or simply unlikely to produce
...” [Tom, paragraph 16, lines 2-4] a useful answer?). Answers about what kind of
questions are legal or illegal to ask during a job
C. Listening for detail
interview vary from country to country and are an
Students will probably not know many (or any) of interesting discussion point in their own right.
these expressions before doing this activity, so it is
F. Project
primarily test of their note-taking skills and ability to
identify specific and unfamiliar pieces of information. For weaker students, provide categories for both job
descriptions and personnel specification before they
Key:
begin writing, e.g.
1. “… in newspapers mainly, but also in specialist
professional journals.” [Tom, paragraph 2, line 3] Job descriptions:
• job title
2. a “job board” [paragraph 4, line 5]
• job department
3. “‘low-involvement’ advertisements” • responsible to
[paragraph 6, line 5] • purpose / overall objectives of the job
4. “competencies” [paragraph 14, line 9] • specific responsibilities of the job
• where the job will be located
5. “personality tests or inventories” [paragraph 16,
• salary and working conditions
line 4]
Personnel specification:
6. a “self-report questionnaire” [paragraph 18, line 1]
• qualifications
7. (a) “… it allows companies to save money and • experience
to process candidates more quickly.” • abilities
[paragraph 20, line 1] • achievements
(b) “… it means that they might end up rejecting • interests
good candidates as well as bad ones.” • motivation
[paragraph 20, line 2] • personality

D. Vocabulary For stronger students, get them to find examples

of both kinds of document on the internet. A good
Draw the students’ attention to the speaker’s use
starting point might be the examples on the website
of words with similar meanings in pairs (purpose
of the UK conciliation service ACAS http://www.acas.
and objectives; duties and responsibilities; skills
org.uk/index.aspx?articleid=1392
and abilities). This might help them to fill in the gaps
correctly, or you could point it out afterwards. To turn this from a writing task into a speaking
activity, you could do this as a ‘What’s My Job?’
This activity tests vocabulary that is central to the
game. Individual students read out the descriptions
topic, so you should encourage students to note it
item by item, and the other students then have to
down and learn it.
guess at each stage what they think the job is.
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 Selection and recruitment
by David Baker

Worksheet A: Level 1 (Intermediate)

A Pre-reading
ESP HR MANAGEMENT WORKSHEET A

Read the text and match the correct headings (a-f) to each of the paragraphs (1-4) Two of the headings do
not match the text.

a. Why recruitment and selection are more important for some kinds of job than others
b. Where and how should companies be looking for new employees?
c. The central importance of recruitment and selection for companies
d. The difference between selection and recruitment
e. How companies can make sure that they are recruiting the best candidates for the job
f. Why individual differences between employees are so important for recruitment and selection

The crucial role of recruitment and selection

1. recognized in sales work, such as insurance sales.
Some people simply lack the blend of intelligence
and personality traits needed (such as a friendly
When one looks at the size of the recruitment
manner plus the ability to pursue the sales deal and
industry around the world, it seems that the people
not be deterred by rejections) and these people should
involved in this industry act as if recruitment and
not be recruited at all. Among those who do have the
selection is the most important human resource
necessary abilities, the performance range will still
function. The research on the key role of ability in
be enormous. In Anglo-American countries, at least,
explaining performance suggests that they are right
firms commonly find they need ‘sales compensation
to do so. Failure to recruit workers with appropriate
packages’ which allow high achievers to earn more
skills will cause a firm to fail or, at the very least, not
money according to a system that is better linked to
to grow properly. Firms need to attract and encourage
their personal productivity.
people with the kind of abilities that will make the
organization productive.
4.
2.
Recognizing the crucial role of ability in
performance, the literature on recruitment and
While firms should aim to recruit effectively at all
selection is vast. In terms of highlighting the key
levels of ability, the need to recruit successfully
messages in this literature, it is important to make
is particularly important where the ability to take
a distinction between selection practices and
difficult decisions or special combinations of skills is
recruitment strategies. Selection is about choosing
required in the work. As job complexity increases, so
among job candidates. It is about how to make
does the range of human performance. Thus, as we
fair and relevant assessments of the strengths and
move up from low complexity work (such as routine
weaknesses of applicants. It is concerned with the
clerical work) to jobs where greater ambiguity is
value of particular selection techniques. Recruitment
involved in decision making, differences in skills and
strategy is best understood as the way in which a firm
judgement become more significant and have greater
tries to find or attract people among whom it will
consequences for the organization.
ultimately make selections. Recruitment strategies
include attempts to make the organization an
3. attractive place to work and attempts to reach
better candidates.
It is quite possible for one professional, such as a
Adapted from Strategy and Human Resource Management
lawyer or an IT consultant, to be several times better
by Peter Boxall and John Purcell, pp. 194-195
than another at the same task. The phenomenon of
© Palgrave Macmillan, 2011
large performance variation is also commonly
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 Selection and recruitment
by David Baker

Worksheet A: Level 1 (Intermediate)

B Comprehension
ESP HR MANAGEMENT WORKSHEET A

Do these statements match the information in the text? Mark each statement as true (T) or false (F).

1. There is evidence to suggest that recruitment and selection are the most important aspects of HR.
2. Companies that do not carry out recruitment and selection well will always fail.
3. Effective recruitment is not really important for less complicated / lower-level jobs.
4. Sales people who lack the personality traits of friendliness and determination should not be recruited.
5. Performance variation can be explained entirely by the difference between those who have the necessary
skills and personality traits and those who do not.
6. Selection is to do with choosing the right person from a group of potential job candidates, whereas recruitment
strategy is focused on attracting good candidates in the first place.

C Vocabulary: Word transformation

Without looking back at the text, fill in the missing words (the first is done for you).

recruitment
1. the noun from the verb to recruit ________________
2. the noun from the adjective able ________________
3. the adjective from the verb to produce ________________
4. the noun from the adjective complex ________________
5. the noun from the adjective ambiguous ________________
6. the verb from the noun pursuit ________________
7. the noun from the verb to produce ________________
8. the noun from the verb to distinguish (between) = to make a ________________ between
9. the verb and adjective from the noun attraction = to _________________ somebody to a job; to make a job
seem ________________

Now look back at the text and check your answers.

D Discussion
Look at the following excerpt from the text then answer the questions.

Some people simply lack the blend of intelligence and personality traits needed (such as a friendly
manner plus the ability to pursue the sales deal and not be deterred by rejections) and these people
should not be recruited at all.

1. Do you agree with this statement?

2. Can you think of other examples of particular personality traits and qualities needed for specific jobs? What
about traits and qualities that might make someone unsuitable for a specific job.
3. What are the different ways in which a company can find out whether a candidate’s intelligence and personality
does (or doesn’t) make them suitable for a particular job?
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 Selection and recruitment
by David Baker

Worksheet B: Level 1 (Intermediate)

A Pre-listening
ESP HR MANAGEMENT WORKSHEET B

What do you think are the most important stages of the process of selecting and recruiting job candidates?
Discuss your ideas in pairs or small groups and make notes. Then, listen to the conversation and make
more notes. Which of the stages you discussed are (and aren’t) mentioned?

B Comprehension
Listen to the dialogue and decide whether these statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. Nowadays, companies only advertise jobs on websites and only accept job applications online.
2. Companies that advertise jobs and manage recruitment on their own websites tend to be the bigger ones.
3. Companies only use recruitment agents to advertise jobs.
4. When recruitment agents manage the process of recruitment on behalf of a company, they do so
independently of the company’s HR department.
5. Nowadays, companies sometimes place advertisements simply to attract good candidates, rather than to
advertise a specific job.
6. In the past, job interviews tended to be less organized and pre-planned than they are now.
7. Psychometric tests separately assess both a candidate’s ability to do the job and whether their personality is
right for the job.

C Listening for detail

Read the questions below. Then, listen to the recording again and answer them.
1. What sorts of publications did job advertisements use to be placed in twenty years ago?
2. What term does the speaker use to describe the website page where recruitment agencies advertise jobs?
3. What term does the speaker use to describe advertisements that companies use to advertise themselves to
job candidates (rather than advertising a specific job)?
4. What term does the speaker use to describe a person’s general characteristics (i.e. their skills and personality)
which make them suitable for a particular job?
5. What term does the speaker use to describe tests designed to assess candidates’ personalities?
6. What term does the speaker use to describe a questionnaire where job candidates have to describe their own
behaviour and attitudes?
7. What does Tom say are (a) the good consequences and (b) the bad consequences of online testing?
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 Selection and recruitment
by David Baker

Worksheet B: Level 1 (Intermediate)

D Vocabulary
ESP HR MANAGEMENT WORKSHEET B

Listen to the dialogue again and complete the notes below using the words in the box.

abilities application department interview

motivation objectives qualifications reference
reports responsibilities standards title

Tom: As you would expect, the job description describes the job and the______________ (1) of performance
needed to do it. Typically it includes the job ______________ (2), the ______________ (3) the
job holder works in and who he or she ______________ (4) to. It also sets out the overall purpose and
______________ (5) of the job and the jobholder’s specific duties and ______________ (6).

Laura: And the personnel specification?

Tom: That focuses more on the ‘ideal’ person to do the job. It might include categories such as

______________ (7) and experience, skills and ______________ (8), why the person wants to do
the job – in other words their ______________ (9) and personality. It’s useful as a way of deciding
between candidates.

Laura: OK, so those are the earlier stages. What about the point at which the company selects the
successful candidate?

Tom: Well again, looking back to when I started out, the key elements of selection were the ______________ (10)
form, the letters of ______________ (11) and – most important of all – the job ______________ (12).

E Discussion
In pairs or small groups, make a list of examples of good questions and bad questions to ask candidates
during a job interview. Why are they good or bad? How would you answer them?

F Project
Look again at the section of the conversation that deals with job descriptions and personnel specifications
[see the Vocabulary question above]. Now write job descriptions and personnel specifications for two or
three different jobs.
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 Selection and recruitment
by David Baker

Listening transcript: Level 1 (Intermediate)

ESP HR MANAGEMENT TRANSCRIPT

Tom and Laura are talking about what can usually be expected in an interview, and how
modern recruitment practices are a little different from those in the past.

Laura: So, what would you say are the most important stages of the selection and recruitment process?

Tom: I think the starting point has to be attracting the right candidates. When I first started twenty years
ago, it was very simple. Each time a job vacancy came up, the company used to place an
advertisement – in newspapers mainly, but also in specialist professional journals. Nowadays
things are different in lots of ways.

Laura: For example?

Tom: Well, as you know, there’s been a huge growth in e-recruitment. More and more companies only
advertise jobs on websites and only accept job applications online. Big companies have the
resources to do this for themselves on their own company websites. But there are also lots of
recruitment agents who do the job of recruiting on the company’s behalf. Sometimes these
agents function like a newspaper’s jobs page and just provide a job board and other advice
to job applicants. But other recruitment agents offer to manage the entire recruitment process
online, in collaboration with their client company’s HR department.

Laura: Apart from e-recruitment, are there any other changes since you started out?

Tom: Yes, there are. The way in which companies advertise has changed. Whereas they used to just
describe a particular job, where it was based, what it involved, what the salary was, and so
on, now the bigger companies also place more general adverts which aim to make candidates
aware of the company: what it does and what its image and values are. These ads are
sometimes called ‘low-involvement’ advertisements. By doing this, companies hope to draw the
best candidates away from their competitors.

Laura: Does that mean that companies have stopped using traditional job descriptions?

Tom: No, job descriptions are still a key aspect of the process. In fact, there are actually two key
documents that most companies use: the job description and the personnel specification.

Laura: What’s the difference between the two?

Tom: As you would expect, the job description describes the job and the standards of performance
needed to do it. Typically it includes the job title, the department the job holder works in and
who he or she reports to. It also sets out the overall purpose and objectives of the job and the
jobholder’s specific duties and responsibilities.

Laura: And the personnel specification?

Tom: That focuses more on the ‘ideal’ person to do the job. It might include categories such as
qualifications and experience, skills and abilities, why the person wants to do the job – in other
words their motivation and personality. It’s useful as a way of deciding between candidates.

Laura: OK, so those are the earlier stages. What about the point at which the company selects the
successful candidate?

Tom: Well again, looking back to when I started out, the key elements of selection were the application
form, the letters of reference and – most important of all – the job interview. Job interviews
used to be a bit like a general conversation. Nowadays, interviews tend to be much more
structured and standardized than they were in the past. Also, job interviews used to focus
quite a lot on the candidate’s past experience: what they did and the things they were
responsible for. Past experience is also significant now, of course, but these days we
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 Selection and recruitment
by David Baker

Listening transcript: Level 1 (Intermediate)

ESP HR MANAGEMENT TRANSCRIPT

concentrate much more on finding out about the candidates’ abilities and their personality – not
just what they are able to do but also how well they are likely to perform in the job. This is what we
mean by ‘competencies’, which is an expression you might have heard. And there are various
techniques for finding out about this.

Laura: You mean things like psychometric testing?

Tom: Yes, psychometric testing can be a useful way of finding out how people will perform once they are
actually doing a job. In fact there are really two kinds of tests. First, there are ability or aptitude tests
that look at skills such as numeracy, verbal reasoning and other mental and physical abilities,
depending on what the job requires. And secondly, there are personality tests or inventories, which are
designed to find out about candidates’ personalities: what their values and interests are; how intelligent
they are; what sort of things they’re interested in, and so on.

Laura: How do you ask people about their personalities?

Tom: Well, people usually are given a self-report questionnaire, where they have to agree or disagree with
a list of statements. For example, a typical statement in a questionnaire might be: “I can work well,
even when things are disorganized.” People can give a range of responses to the statement, for
example ‘strongly agree’, ‘strongly disagree’ and ‘neither agree nor disagree’. Again, a lot of this kind of
testing is done online nowadays. Online testing has good and bad consequences, in my opinion.

Laura: What do you mean?

Tom: Well, on the plus side, it allows companies to save money and to process candidates more quickly. But
on the minus side, it means that they might end up rejecting good candidates as well as bad ones. In
the end, it’s all a question of ...

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