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Recruitment and Selection

This document discusses recruitment challenges and strategies. It covers developing a recruitment strategy that identifies the types of individuals to target. The recruitment process involves carrying out activities consistent with the strategy, such as job advertising. An effective recruitment message is important and should present important job information to target applicants. Recruitment can be proactive by identifying and engaging with potential candidates before job openings exist, or reactive by responding to applicants for open roles. Proactive recruitment focuses on establishing early contact and nurturing relationships with individuals who may be future candidates.

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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
121 views200 pages

Recruitment and Selection

This document discusses recruitment challenges and strategies. It covers developing a recruitment strategy that identifies the types of individuals to target. The recruitment process involves carrying out activities consistent with the strategy, such as job advertising. An effective recruitment message is important and should present important job information to target applicants. Recruitment can be proactive by identifying and engaging with potential candidates before job openings exist, or reactive by responding to applicants for open roles. Proactive recruitment focuses on establishing early contact and nurturing relationships with individuals who may be future candidates.

Uploaded by

tamilarasansrt
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Presentation for

RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION


DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
MBA: III SEM
by

Dr. T. SRINIVASA RAO


UNIT: I RECRUITMENT CHALLENGES

How to make recruitment efforts succeed


a) Develop a recruitment strategy
The next step after establishing recruitment objectives is to
develop a recruitment strategy to fill job openings. This phase
involves establishing a specific plan of action to meet recruitment
objectives. Table 2 lists some of the questions an organization
might address when developing a recruitment strategy.
Determining the type of individuals that should be targeted for
recruitment (e.g., those with certain skills) was initially addressed
in discussing the establishment of recruitment objectives. With
regard to strategy development, an organization should further
specify the type of job applicants it wants.

2
 For example, does the organization want to recruit recent
college graduates, individuals who currently work for its
competitors or members of some other distinct group such as
military veterans (all of whom may have the skills established
as recruitment objectives)? Until an organization identifies
the type of individuals it wants to recruit, it will have difficulty
making informed decisions about the other
 strategy-related questions in Table 2. To answer these
questions, an employer may need to do some

3
Carry out recruitment activities
 The thoughtful development of a recruitment strategy is
critical if an employer is to derive maximum value from its
recruitment activities. Having established a coherent strategy,
the next step is to carry out recruitment activities—like
advertising a job opening on the organization’s website—that
are consistent with the strategy. Details about recruitment
activities are discussed in later sections of this report.
4
5
 Exhibit 1: Job Candidates’ Comments on How Organizational
Actions Affected Them
 They called me regularly to see if I had any questions. That
showed they were really interested in me.”
 I had a terrible experience with one job interviewer. He was
rude, childish and not that professional. I was offered the job
but declined the offer.”
 My mom was ill and I had to cancel a site visit. They sent a
huge bouquet of flowers . . . they made me feel important.”
 Consciously, the recruiter doesn’t matter, but I’m sure that
subconsciously it does. If a person makes you feel more
comfortable, then you’ll feel more comfortable about the job.”

6
 I assumed I was going to get a ding letter, which usually happens
when you don’t hear from a company within a few weeks. So I started
to look at other options, and I didn’t take that company as a serious
option.”
 In explaining the terms of their job offer, [the company] said that they
do not have to pay higher because there are five people waiting in
line behind me to take the job. Basically, they told me I’m
dispensable.”
 I generalize a lot about the company from their representative. If that
person is not very sharp, does not seem particularly interested in me,
or asks the same questions as every other recruiter, it does not
impress me.”
 I think a lot of people look at recruiting practices as reflective of the
company, and in many cases that’s absolutely accurate. Despite the
fact that other factors matter, people do make choices based on how
they’re treated.” 7
b) Workers Expectations- Recruitment Sources
 Position insight and self-insight
 No employer wants to hire people who are not a good fit in
terms of their skills and their job expectations.37 Two factors
to consider in recruiting are a candidate’s understanding of
what the position entails (position insight) and a candidate’s
awareness of his or her talents and interests (self-insight).
 To maximize both factors, it makes sense to focus recruitment
carefully. Table 5, on page 10, illustrates that recruiting former
employees who have performed well in the past is likely to
result in new hires with high position insight and self-
insight.38 Former employees also generally need less training
and are less likely to quit.

8
b) Workers Expectations- Recruitment Sources
 Position insight and self-insight
 Former interns, temporary workers and candidates who have
worked in similar jobs with other employers are also likely to
have considerable position insight and self-insight.39 Recruits
who have family members or friends who work for the
organization also should have greater insight into the workings
of the organization than people who lack such a connection.
 Four specific groups are considered next to highlight the value
of making thoughtful decisions about targeted recruitment.
The general principles presented in examining these groups
should allow employers to generalize results to other potential
groups.

9
Figure 3: An Applicant’s View of the Recruitment Process

Table 5: The Benefits of Targeting Specific Types of Individuals


for Recruitment
10
THE RECRUITMENT MESSAGE
An employer’s recruitment message is a major factor affecting
whether people apply for and accept a job.
To craft an effective recruitment message, organizations should
begin by asking the following four questions:
• Does the message present information that is important to
their target group?
• Is the information specific?
• Is the message phrased appropriately?
• Is the information realistic?

11
THE RECRUITMENT MESSAGE
Different opinions exist about what constitutes a recruitment
message. Some experts take a micro perspective and consider
each communication with a prospective employee—such as
comments made by a recruiter or content on a website—as a
separate message. Others take more of a macro perspective and
view the recruitment message as the totality of the information
exchanges an organization has with a prospective employee over
the course of the recruitment process. In this report a micro
perspective is taken, but when planning a recruitment campaign,
an organization should ensure that the sum of its recruitment
messages conveys the overall message it wants to communicate.

12
THE RECRUITMENT MESSAGE
Message credibility is fundamental to a successful recruitment effort. To
strengthen candidates’ perceptions of credibility, recruiting managers
should consider three factors. First, recruitment communications have
greater credibility if they provide some negative information about a job
opening, for example “evening and weekend work required”. Second,
credibility is enhanced if what is said about a job by different sources
(e.g., a prospective supervisor, co-workers) is consistent. Finally,
credibility is increased if some of the information comes from sources
external to the organization.53 For example, positive reviews on third-
party websites are generally seen as being more objective than
employer-provided testimonials. Awards from external sources (e.g.,
Fortune) may be seen as very credible sources for judging an employer
as a good place to work. Even small organizations can compete for
awards, as there are often categories for small businesses
13
Key Takeaways for Recruitment Targeting
14
c) Proactive and reactive recruitment
What is Proactive Recruitment?
Proactive recruitment is focused on sourcing, engaging and
attracting candidates ahead of hiring demand. With the ever-
increasing time to hire and cost per hire, it makes sense for
recruiters to engage their candidates proactively and stay ahead
of the hiring demands.
Unlike reactive recruiting, proactive recruiting doesn’t depend on
candidates applying for a position after it’s open. Instead,
proactive recruitment focuses on identifying talent before its
demand, establishing contact, nurturing relationships and
ultimately making the candidate interested in an open
opportunity.

15
16
Find
• You don’t want to just reach out to anyone. You would
probably want to reach out to only those people who are most
likely to become candidates and ultimately happy employees.
But the question is how do you find them?
• You need to talk to your team and respective hiring managers
to know more about the ideal candidate and create an ideal
candidate persona. It helps you narrow down your search for
relevant candidates. (Checkout our candidate persona
template used by more than 350 amazing recruiters around
the globe!)
• Find these people on various social platforms, your own
candidate database, relevant communities, events and
channels.
17
Engage
• Finding a relevant prospect is just one part! Your proactive recruiting
engine would be no good if you aren’t able to attract their attention.
Your first touch point is really crucial and it helps you start a new
relationship with the prospect. Remember, they are not your
candidates till now, they are just prospects. You should never try to
oversell your company or a job to these prospects. A well-drafted first
touch point should talk more about the candidate than your
company. It should be super personalized with a clear call to action.
• Have you ever seen a venture investor making the first contact with a
startup? It’s never about funding. It’s more about how well the
startup is doing and that they would like to know what the startup is
up to. Do the same with candidates! Opening up a conversation in
whatever way works best for them – with emails, call, or meetings.

18
Nurture
• One of the most critical parts in proactive recruiting is nurturing
your relationship with candidates. This very similar to sales,
where salespeople try to create and nurture relationships with
their probable customers.
• As salespeople have sales cycle, which depends upon the
complexity of the product (and various other factors), proactive
recruitment also has candidate interest cycle, duration of which
depends upon the difficulty of filling a position. A junior-level
business position will have a shorter candidate interest cycle than
a senior data scientist position.
• Nurturing your relationship with candidates is really important
during the candidate interest cycle. It keeps you as a recruiter
always at the front whenever they are considering a job change.
19
Attract
You’re on the right track. You’ve found the right people and
converted the right prospects, established a relationship with
them but now you need to transform those prospects into
candidates. How can you most effectively do this? The proactive
recruiting tools available at this stage to make sure you’re closing
the right candidates at the right time, faster and easier.
Using Recruiter flow, you can know in which stage your
candidates are. Engage more with candidates in later stage who
have more chances of joining your company. Create a series of
recruitment emails focused on useful, relevant content which
builds a relationship with a prospect and helps them become
more ready to apply.

20
Convert
Once a prospect applies, make sure they have a remarkable
candidate experience. They have a much higher awareness of
your business and they have built a relationship with you. So, it’s
even more important to delight, and make your candidates
happy. If you do, they will not only apply and join themselves but
also refer their friends who might also be an ideal fit for your
company.

Be transparent with them, help them prepare for the interview


process and even if they get rejected, be good with them. No
matter what the outcome of the process is, you should keep
these candidates in your talent pool. You might need them or
their friends later
21
So what’s so bad about Reactive recruitment?
Taking a reactive approach to anything work-related is fraught
with dangers, and this is particularly true when it comes to hiring
new employees. After all, recruitment is a stressful enough
exercise without piling more pressure on your already weary
shoulders.

You see, when we wait for roles to become vacant before actively
seeking suitable candidates, we are putting unnecessary pressure
on the recruitment team to deliver in a short space of time. And
unless we’re extremely lucky to find the perfect candidate who
just happens to be out of work at that moment, then our
recruitment process may end up looking like this.

22
So what’s so bad about Reactive recruitment?
• Employee leaves role/company expands workforce
• Recruiters start looking for suitable candidates
• Weeks go by
• Employee notice period ends
• Interviews start
• Successful candidates begin their notice period
• Weeks go by
• New employee begins onboarding process
As you can see, it’s not an ideal scenario and one that will slow
down the entire hiring process a great deal.

23
24
e) Innovative recruitment sources

• Change your employer brand rapidly using TV ads. ...


• Virtual reality recruiting is about to explode. ...
• Build your employer brand with authentic videos and
messages. ...
• Recruiting on alternative sites where your targets hang out. ...
• Raid your talent competitors. ...
• Hold a National hiring day to create a buzz.

25
e) Innovative recruitment sources
• There are some things us recruiters just can’t have enough of.
Like, candidates. Or LinkedIn connections. Or imagination
sparking – innovative recruitment methods.
• Finding the best candidates has never been as tough as it is
today. Baby boomers are retiring left, right and center,
Millennials are freelancing away, and Generation Z has only
just started to enter the workforce.
• And no, that’s not all.
• At the same time, we’ve got a digital revolution going on that
we’re supposed to stay on top of. Vendors old and new are
throwing all kinds of AI and automation tools at us, trying to
simplify our recruitment lives.
26
e) Innovative recruitment sources
• Needless to say, it can be quite a challenge to figure out which
recruitment methods fit your company’s bill, let alone stay up
to date on emerging ones.
• Luckily, there are plenty of great examples out there to help
you get inspired. For today’s article, we’ve selected 13
innovative recruitment methods. Some of them may be a tad
more novel than others, but all of them give you an idea about
what the possibilities are so you can use the inspiration for
your own recruitment strategy.
• Hear all about the most innovative recruitment methods in
our new podcast
• Recruitment On The Go available on Sound Cloud and iTunes!
27
e) Innovative recruitment sources
• A Quick Summary of Innovative Recruitment Methods
• Inclusive job adverts
• Programmatic advertising
• Video interviewing
• Benefiting from gig economy
• Engaging with passive candidates
• Employee referrals
• Texting
• Social media
• Virtual reality
• Using data
• Employer review sites
28
f) Electronic Recruitment
• The E-Recruitment, also called as Online Recruitment, is the
process of hiring the potential candidates for the vacant job
positions, using the electronic resources, particularly the
internet.
• Nowadays, companies make use of the internet to reach a
large number of job seekers and hire the best talent for the
company at a less cost, as compared to the physical
recruitment process.

29
f) Electronic Recruitment
• E-Recruitment includes the entire process of finding the
prospective candidates, assessing, interviewing and hiring
them, as per the job requirement. Through this, the
recruitment is done more effectively and efficiently.
• Generally, the job vacancies are advertised on the world wide
web (www), where the applicants attach their CV or resume,
to get recognized by the potential recruiters or the employers.
• The companies undertake their online promotional activities
via their official websites, wherein the complete information
about the corporation is enclosed. Through this information,
the prospective candidate could decide whether to be a part
of a firm or not. Thus, the firm’s official website is considered
to be an essential element of E-Recruitment.
30
Advantages of E-Recruitment
• The recruitment process becomes more efficient and easy to
record details of the applicant.
• The E-Recruitment software and systems are available,
through which the entire recruitment process becomes
automated. One of the systems is the Recruitment
Management System, which is a portal that involves hiring the
candidates online and each step involved in the recruitment
process is automatized.
• Business JargonsHRE-Recruitment
• E-Recruitment
• Definition: The E-Recruitment, also called as Online
Recruitment, is the process of hiring the potential candidates
for the vacant job positions, using the electronic resources,
particularly the internet. 31
Advantages of E-Recruitment
• Nowadays, companies make use of the internet to reach a large number of
job seekers and hire the best talent for the company at a less cost, as
compared to the physical recruitment process.
• E-recruitment
• E-Recruitment includes the entire process of finding the prospective
candidates, assessing, interviewing and hiring them, as per the job
requirement. Through this, the recruitment is done more effectively and
efficiently.
• Generally, the job vacancies are advertised on the world wide web (www),
where the applicants attach their CV or resume, to get recognized by the
potential recruiters or the employers.
• The companies undertake their online promotional activities via their
official websites, wherein the complete information about the corporation
is enclosed. Through this information, the prospective candidate could
decide whether to be a part of a firm or not. Thus, the firm’s official
website is considered to be an essential element of E-Recruitment.
32
Advantages of E-Recruitment
• Low cost per candidate, as compared to the physical recruitment
process.
• Wide geographical coverage, i.e. the candidates can be hired from
any part of the world.
• Beneficial for both the employer and the job seeker, the
corporations can find the prospective candidates through their CVs
attached to world wide web, and similarly, the candidates can
search the employer through their job vacancy advertisement
posted on the internet.
• Less time required in hiring the potential candidate for the firm.
• Right people for the right job can be easily found through E-
Recruitment, by matching the candidate’s CVs with the job profile.

33
The recruitment process becomes more efficient and easy to record
details of the applicant.
The E-Recruitment software and systems are available, through which
the entire recruitment process becomes automated. One of the
systems is the Recruitment Management System, which is a portal that
involves hiring the candidates online and each step involved in the
recruitment process is automatized.

Related Terms:
• e-HRM
• Selection
• Recruitment Process
• Internal Sources of Recruitment
• External Sources of Recruitment
34
g) Electronic resumes
An electronic resume is a plain text (ASCII), PDF or HTML document
that provides an employer with information regarding a job candidate's
professional experience, education and job qualifications and is meant
to be read by a computer program instead of by a human being.

35
g) Electronic resumes
An electronic resume is a plain text (ASCII), PDF or HTML document
that provides an employer with information regarding a job candidate's
professional experience, education and job qualifications and is meant
to be read by a computer program instead of by a human being.
Many large companys process all their incoming resumes electronically
by using an automated applicant tracking systems (ATS) or subscribing
to a resume scanning service that scans resumes as images and uses
optical character recognition (OCR) software to read the text.
Essentially, the information contained on the resumes is entered into a
relational database so when the company needs to hire new talent,
someone from the human resources management (HRM) department
can query the database for possible candidates. Resumes that match a
specified score for keywords that were identified by the hiring manager
are then selected for human review.
36
g) Electronic resumes
On an electronic resume, keywords can be stated in a separate
keyword section, or they can be integrated into the text. The font
should be simple and all text should be aligned to the left. Do not use
underlining, bolding, italics or bullets as these can confuse older OCR
software programs. In general, action verbs like "managed" or
"facilitated," which are recommended for use in paper resumes, are
not effective in electronic resumes because most ATS keywords are
nouns.
Since computers read resumes differently than people do, recruiters
recommend that job hunters should prepare two versions of their
resume: a simple, electronic one for talent analytics programs and a
more creative one printed on quality paper to hand-deliver to someone
within the organization or bring to an interview.

37
Continue Reading About electronic resume
• This Placement Manuals Online article lists suggestions for polishing
your keyword skills.
• This Vault.com article has guidelines for preparing an electronic
resume.
• Pat Kendall provides directions for preparing an electronic resume.
• Talent analytics gaining a foothold in the industry
• Talent assessment tool supplements "gut feeling" in hiring
Advantages Disadvantages
• Speed and efficiency • Your resume may have a plain appearance
• Convenience for you and the employer • You may need to send a hard copy if you become
a top candidate
• No mailing costs
• Quality of print will be determined by the
• No envelopes to stuff receiver

38
h) Career web sites
01 Indeed.com
Indeed is a leading job site with millions of job listings from thousands
of websites, including company career sites, job boards, newspaper
classifieds, associations, and other online sources of job postings. Users
can also upload a resume and get a personalized resume link to share
with employers. You can also apply for jobs, research salaries and job
trends, set up job alerts, and use Indeed's job search app for mobile
job hunting.

39
h) Career web sites
02 CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder is one of the largest job boards, providing job listings,
resume posting, and career advice and resources to job seekers.
CareerBuilder secures job listings directly from employers and has
expanded local listings by partnering with many newspapers to
incorporate their online classifieds.

03 Dice.com
Dice is the leading site for tech job seekers. You can search by company,
job title, keyword, employment type, and location. Registered users
can upload a resume, get salary information, store resumes and cover
letters, and track jobs. You'll also find career advice and tech news for
job seekers.
40
h) Career web sites
04 Glassdoor.com
Glassdoor is a career community that helps people find jobs and
companies recruit top talent. Glassdoor members can see the latest job
listings and get access to user-generated content, including company-
specific salary reports, ratings and reviews, interview questions, and
more.
05 Google for Jobs
Google for Jobs is a product from Google that aims to help job seekers
find job listings that are right for them. Google for Jobs is a job search
engine that compiles listings from many different sources, including
other job search engines. Instead of using a specific job search site,
users can simply type a job into their Google search bar. Google then
pulls up related listings. Users can then narrow their search by type of
job, location, company type, date posted, and more.
41
h) Career web sites
06 Idealist.com
Idealist is the premier clearinghouse for information on full-time, internship,
and volunteer positions within the non-profit sector. You can identify target
organizations by their mission and specific types of opportunities within
various niches. Registered users can also identify groups of interest and
communicate with members for networking purposes.
07 LinkedIn.com
LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive
and successful. LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional network on the
Internet. You can search for jobs, identify contacts at employers who are
advertising vacancies, and follow companies of interest on LinkedIn. Users can
incorporate portfolio samples within their profile to showcase their offerings
for prospective employers. LinkedIn works well for strong candidates
conducting a passive jobs search where they want employers to find them.

42
h) Career web sites
08 LinkUp.com
If you want to avoid spam, scams, and duplicate job listings, LinkUp is
the job site for you. LinkUp only posts jobs provided on company
websites, furnishing applicants with often unadvertised jobs. Because
the jobs come directly from company sites, you can be sure they are
current openings.

09 Monster.com
Monster is one of the original job boards and has expanded to include
a variety of other resources and apps for job seekers. Monster users
can search for and apply for jobs online, post a resume, review
company profiles, and get salary information and career advice.

43
h) Career web sites
10 US.jobs
Job seekers using US.jobs for their employment search have access to a
database of more than a million unique, verified positions from
nationwide employers. US.jobs is derived from a partnership between
the Direct Employers Association and the National Association of State
Workforce Agencies (NASWA). It is designed to improve the labor
market and directly connect employers and job seekers. There's a
Veteran's Job Bank as well as a searchable schedule of upcoming in-
person career events.
11 Specialty/Niche Job Sites
Niche job websites are an excellent resource for finding job openings
that aren’t always listed on other sites. There are too many great niche
job websites to list them all, but here are some favorites that are
especially useful for job seekers.
44
UNIT: II INTERVIEWING AND JOB DESCRIPTION

a) Interviewing, Job descriptions,


Basic Job Description:
Interview persons by telephone, mail, in person, or by other means for
the purpose of completing forms, applications, or questionnaires. Ask
specific questions, record answers, and assist persons with completing
form. May sort, classify, and file forms.
Job Duties and Tasks for: "Interviewer"
1) Ask questions in accordance with instructions to obtain various
specified information, such as person's name, address, age, religious
preference, and state of residency.
2) Identify and resolve inconsistencies in interviewees' responses by
means of appropriate questioning and/or explanation.
3) Compile, record and code results and data from interview or survey,
using computer or specified form.
45
Job Duties and Tasks for: "Interviewer"
4) Review data obtained from interview for completeness and
accuracy.
5) Contact individuals to be interviewed at home, place of business,
or field location, by telephone, mail, or in person.
6) Assist individuals in filling out applications or questionnaires.
7) Ensure payment for services by verifying benefits with the
person's insurance provider or working out financing options.
8) Identify and report problems in obtaining valid data.
9) Explain survey objectives and procedures to interviewees, and
interpret survey questions to help interviewees' comprehension.
10) Perform patient services, such as answering the telephone and
assisting patients with financial and medical questions.
46
Job Duties and Tasks for: "Interviewer"
11) Prepare reports to provide answers in response to specific problems.
12) Locate and list addresses and households.
13) Perform other office duties as needed, such as telemarketing and
customer service inquiries, billing patients and receiving payments.
14) Meet with supervisor daily to submit completed assignments and
discuss progress.
15) Collect and analyze data, such as studying old records, tallying the
number of outpatients entering each day or week, or participating in
federal, state, or local population surveys as a Census Enumerator.

47
b) Reviewing the application and résumé

The work of resume review starts well before the applicant resumes fill
your inbox. Reviewing a resume starts with a job description or role profile
so that you know broadly what the job entails. Part of the job description,
in an effective job description, details the qualifications and experience of
the candidate you seek to fill the job. Using the key qualifications and
experience you identified for the role, develop your online and offline job
postings, post them on your recruiting website, and make them available
to contacts and employees for referrals.

48
Determine a Salary Range
Then, determine the salary range by using a market pay study and the
additional salary research materials you have on hand. Better candidates
will inquire about the pay range before they invest a lot of time in your
company. Be prepared with an appropriate response so as not to lose your
best candidates.

49
Develop a Key Qualifications List or Candidate Profile
This process gets you started. The next key is for HR staff and the hiring
manager to narrow down all of this information. Create a list that spells
out your most important candidate selection criteria. This is often called a
candidate profile. You’ll want to list:

• the key characteristics or traits,


• the most important skills,
• the most relevant experience
• the desired educational level, and
• the other most important factors that you will consider in candidate
selection.

50
Job Posting Example
Here is an example of an actual job posting that was created from a list of
key qualifications. Notice that the candidate’s qualifications are carefully
defined.

Marketing Specialist
Company X, an award-winning global leader in the xxx, xxx and xxx of xxx
seeks a motivated, proactive, Marketing Specialist to develop marketing
materials and website content, design ads, and generally, support the
work of the marketing function. The successful candidate has a degree in
marketing, and 1-3 years experience in advertising, website development,
and Internet competitive research.

51
Preparing to Review Resumes
The preparation for resume review enables you to get down to the serious
job of applicant resume review quickly. Set aside a block of time whenever
possible. Part of resume screening is comparing one candidate’s
qualifications and credentials to those listed in the other resumes you
have received. Additionally, with the use of electronic applications and
recruiting websites that accept applications, resume screening has taken
on new dimensions.
Steps in the Resume Review
• Read the customized cover letter. Look especially for a flawless
presentation, correct spelling and grammar, and the applicant’s attention
to detail. What—there is no cover letter? This is the downside of
electronic resume spamming. Receiving countless, usually unqualified,
applicant resumes, occurs following every job posting. The tip-off? Usually,
unqualified applicants fail to write a cover letter.
52
Steps in the Resume Review
• Worth noting, too, is the fact that advice to job applicants has changed in
recent years. Disagreement exists about whether a cover letter is still a
necessary component of an application. Supporters contend that it is a
wonderful opportunity for an applicant to demonstrate that their credentials
are perfect for your job requirements. Then, choose, or choose not, to
continue your resume review at this point.
• Scan the resume to obtain an overall impression of the applicant. You'll
want to see at a glance that the applicant fulfills your key expectations.
experience, and qualifications of the person whom you would hire. Look
especially for a flawless presentation, correct spelling and grammar, and their
attention to detail. Paper resumes must pass the “feel” test.
• In the first skim, look for the easy-to-find qualifications. (As an example, if
you are requiring a college degree, does the applicant have one?) If not, reject
the resume or place it in your “maybe” meets qualifications pile or electronic
folder.
53
Steps in the Resume Review
• Read the description of what the candidate says they are looking for in
their next job. Is the statement customized to your job or does it describe any
job in the world? For example, generally reject resumes that make statements
such as, “I seek a challenging opportunity to utilize my skills with a progressive
employer who will provide opportunities for growth." Honestly, you’ve got to
do better than to offer this type of generality to pass the resume screen.
• Look for a summary statement of qualifications and experience. If the
candidate has taken the time and customized their summary for your job, this
enables you to quickly find the characteristics you seek from your role profile.
These resumes quickly hit the “further review” pile.
• Applicants also need to recognize that more and more, larger
organizations are scanning resumes into databases. When a job becomes
available, resumes are scanned for relevant keywords. Make the keywords
easy to find.

54
Steps in the Resume Review
• Review the most recent employers and the applicant’s stated experience,
accomplishments, and contributions. At this point, you must have found
significant cross-over between the applicant’s resume and your requirements.
Place the resume in your “to be reviewed further” folder unless you have
encountered problems.
• Red flags at this point in your resume review, that are unexplained on the
resume or in the cover letter, include: employment gaps, evidence of
decreasing responsibility, evidence of a career that has reached a plateau or
even gone in the wrong direction, short-term employment at several jobs, and
multiple shifts in career path.
• Review your selected resumes against your criteria and each other.
• Telephone screen the seemingly qualified candidates. Schedule interviews
with the candidates who pass your initial screen.

55
c) Planning basic questions
Anticipating interview questions.
• How would you deal with site employees who disagreed with the
timescales you had determined within a plan?
• What do you see as the key challenges faced by planners on a day-to-day
basis?
• Do you prefer being office or site based? Why?
• Can you describe what you see as a typical day for a planner?
• Are there any professional qualifications you would like to gain in the next
few years?
• What would you say are the most important attributes a successful
planner needs?
• What interests you most about working within planning?

56
General interview questions.
• Why should this company employ you?
• Why are you looking to leave your current role?
• What appeals to you most about this role? What appeals least?
• Why did you apply to this company?
• How do you see your career developing over the next few years?
• Do you have any questions about the role or the company?
• Scenario interview questions.
• Describe a recent planning task and tell me what was most and least
successful about the project.
• Tell me about a problem you have faced that required logical thinking to
solve. Would you approach the problem differently next time?
• Can you explain how you would go about developing the very initial stages of
a long-term plan? Who would you engage with first?
• Using a recruitment agency will be helpful as they may well have further
information about a specific role. 57
d) Competency Based questions
Job Performance/Career Goals:
• Could you share with us a recent accomplishment of which
you are most proud?
• How much supervision have you typically received in your
previous job?
• Describe one or two of the biggest disappointments in your
work history?
• Why are you leaving your present job? (Or, why did you leave
your last job?)
• What is important to you in a company? What things do you
look for in an organization?

58
d) Competency Based questions
Job Performance/Career Goals:
• What was your primary contribution/achievement? Biggest
challenge?
• What are your short-term and long-term goals?
• In what areas would you like to develop further?
• What are your career path interests?
• What would you most like to accomplish if you had this job?
• What do you know about our company?
• Why should we hire you?
• If you are the successful applicant, how would you expect to
be different after a year in the position?
59
d) Competency Based questions
Job Performance/Career Goals:
• Can you give us an example of your ability to manage or supervise others?
• What are some of the things you would like to avoid in a job? Why?
• In your previous job, what kind of pressures did you encounter?
• What would you say is the most important thing you are looking for in a
job?
• Everyone has strengths and weaknesses as workers. What are your strong
points for this job?
• What would you say are areas need improvement?
• What were some of the things about your last job that you found most
difficult to do?
• What are some of the things you particularly liked about your last job?

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Education:
• What special aspects of your education or training have
prepared you for this job?
• What courses in school have been of most help in doing your
job?
Managerial:
• Tell us about your management style – people, teamwork,
direction?
• Describe an ideal supervisor.
• What is your own philosophy of management?
• Have you participated in planning processes?
• What was the most challenging personnel issue you’ve had to
deal with and how did you handle it?
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Managerial:
• A new policy is to be implemented organization-wide. You do
not agree with this new policy. How would you discuss this policy
with your staff?
• Describe a decision you made which would normally have
been made by your supervisor? What was the outcome?
• Discuss and differentiate between remediation, corrective
action, and discipline.
• Explain, step by step, how you have handled an employee
who had performance problems.
• Why should employees seek to improve their knowledge and
skill base? How would you motivate them?

62
Managerial:
• What coaching and mentoring experience have you had?
How did you determine the appropriate way to coach/mentor
and what were the results?
• Management requires both good writing and verbal skills for
good communication. When it comes to giving information to
employees that can be done either way, do you prefer to write a
memo OR talk to the employee?
• What is the largest number of employees you have
supervised and what were their job functions?
• Would you please describe your interest in becoming (title of
position)?

63
Managerial:
• Tell us about your current position or most recent position
and how you helped the organization accomplish its goals and
mission.
• Tell us about your fiscal management experience: budgeting,
reporting, cutting costs, building and maintaining reserves.
• Have you ever had to champion an unpopular change? How
did you handle it?
• Give us some example of how and when you were the
spokesperson for your current or most recent company.
• Tell us about your experiences with staff development. How
do you think your current or most recent staff would describe
you?
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Managerial:
• How do you get people who do not want to work together to
establish a common approach to a problem? If you do not have
much time and they hold seriously differing views, what would
be your approach?
• How do you stay informed of current ideas on management
and the industry field for the organization?
• What would you think are the most important characteristics
& abilities a person must possess to become a successful leader?
How would you rate yourself in these areas?

65
Customer Service:
• Tell us about a time when you went out of your way to give
great service to a customer.
• Describe a process or system that you improved so customers
would be better served.
• Tell us about a time when you asked for feedback on your
customer service skills from your manager or co-worker, and then
used that response to improve your work.
• Tell us about a time when you had trouble working with a
difficult or demanding customer. How did you handle this?

66
Behavioral:
• If someone told you that you made an error, describe how
you would react and what you say in your defense.
• You are a committee member and disagree with a point or
decision. How would you respond?
• Tell us about a time when you were part of a great team.
What was your part in making the team effective?
• Give us an example of a time when you had to deal with a
difficult co-worker. How did you handle the situation?
• Can you tell us about a time during your previous
employment when you suggested a better way to perform a
process?

67
Behavioral:
• Give us an example of a time when you were trying to meet a
deadline, you were interrupted, and did not make the deadline.
How did you respond?
• What strengths did you rely on in your last position to make
you successful in your work?
• What motivates you?
• What kinds of things do you feel most confident in doing?
• Can you describe for us a difficult obstacle you have had to
overcome? How did you handle it? How do you feel this
experience affected your personality or ability?
• What gives you the greatest satisfaction at work?
• What things frustrate you the most? How do you usually
cope with them? 68
Interpersonal:
• Explain the phrase “work ethic” and describe yours.
• What kind of people do you find it most difficult to work
with?
• What methods do you use to make decisions? When do you
find it most difficult to make a decision?
• How would your co-workers describe your work style?
• What do you think are the best and worst parts of working in
a team environment? How do you handle it?
• Under what kinds of conditions do you learn best?
• Do you prefer working in groups or alone?

69
Interpersonal:
• Some people get to know strangers quickly; while others
prefer to take their time letting people get to know them.
Describe how you entered relationships when you were “new”
on a job.

70
Creative Thinking:
• What was the most creative thing you did in your last job?
• What is your interpretation of “success”?
• Can you think of a problem you have encountered when the
old solutions didn’t work and when you came up with new
solution(s)?
• Of your creative accomplishments big or small, what gave you
the most satisfaction?
• What kind of problems have people recently called on you to
resolve? Tell us what you have devised.
• The person in this job needs to be innovative and proactive.
Can you describe some things you have done to demonstrate
these qualities?
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Decisiveness:
• What was your most difficult decision in the last six months?
What made it difficult?
• The last time you did not know what decision to make, what
did you do?
• What kinds of decisions do you make without consulting your
immediate supervisor?

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Work Standards:
• What are your standards of success in your job?
• When judging the performance of your employees, what
factors or characteristics are most important to you?

Flexibility:
• What was the most important idea or suggestion you recently
received from your employees? What happened as a result?
• What do you think about continuous changes in company
operating policies and procedures?
• What was the most significant change made in your company
in the last six months which directly affected you, & how
successfully do you think you implemented this change?
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e) Key competency category
Essential HR Manager Skills and Competencies
Human resource management responsibilities require an
overlapping set of skills and competencies. If you’re looking for
an edge in today’s competitive job market, understanding and
developing these skills is the key to success. Let’s count down six
core competencies for HR professionals.

1. Human Resources Knowledge


Today’s job seekers have access to more information than ever
before. Therefore, the best HR professionals must be prepared to
meet these informed candidates with industry expertise of their
own.
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e) Key competency category
1. Human Resources Knowledge
Understanding how and why individuals enter and move within
an organization is at the core of everything else you will do in
human resources. HR managers who truly add value are always
attuned to “the big picture” of how HR practices relate to a
successful business.

Your knowledge in this area needs to be greater than anyone


else’s to support the objectives of employees and employers
alike. After all, HR management is not just about talent
acquisition, but also about retention

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e) Key competency category
2. A Commitment to Ongoing HR Learning
• Today’s business landscape is complex and in a state of
constant flux. The field of HR is dynamic and our ability to
process and understand it needs self-motivation.
• Growing in your job means being receptive to new ideas,
wherever they may come from. Have you demonstrated a
commitment to ongoing learning by taking advantage of
conferences, other colleagues in HR, or graduate studies?
• HR professionals who never stop learning are well-positioned
to translate well thought out industry trends and data into
actionable insights.

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e) Key competency category
3. Communication Skills in Human Resources
The primary function of the typical HR professional’s job involves
facilitating discussion between employees and employers. If a
human resources manager can’t communicate clearly they will
not be successful. Both oral and written skill are required to
effectively relay information.

One aspect of communication that gives people an edge is a


strong ability for conflict resolution. Even in the most agreeable
workplaces, problems arise that need a diplomatic ear, an eye for
assessment, and a hand for getting the problem settled. This
particular skill is invaluable when negotiating solutions and
keeping things on track. 77
e) Key competency category
4. Critical Thinking Skills
Critical thinking is in the “sweet spot” of less common/more
desired employed traits, according to an analysis of the skills gap
by Bloomberg. HR professionals, in particular, frequently need to
balance complex situations and take their time to think with a
combination set-in-stone processes and outside-the-box
thinking.

Employees come from a breadth and depth of backgrounds and


experiences. HR professionals need to strategically cultivate an
environment in which all can work together toward the
improvement of the business.
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e) Key competency category
5. An Ethical Approach for Human Resources
The importance of ethics as an HR core competency cannot be
overstated. Every day, HR professionals face ethical challenges
related to everything from managing private employee
information to protecting the reputation of their organizations.
Adopting an unwavering and unilateral commitment to ethics not
only helps attract top talent while safeguarding your
organization, but also fosters a culture of trust and loyalty.

Part of being ethical is truly caring about people. Empathy for


tough situations and “real life” goes a long way to setting you
apart from those who just do it “by the book.”
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e) Key competency category
5. An Ethical Approach for Human Resources
Some ethical principles are enshrined in law. Making sure your
company’s policies and practices are in legal compliance is a
mainstay in the world of human resources. Avoiding
discrimination in regard to ethnic background, disability, religious
belief, and many other factors is important because of the hurt it
will avoid and to foster a better, more diverse work environment.

Laws are always changing, sometimes incrementally, sometimes


as part of a great cultural shift. Therefore, staying up to date on
national news, trends, and laws is particularly important;
ignorance of the law is not a winning defense. Legal compliance,
of course, also protects the company and its officers. 80
e) Key competency category
6. Human Resources Organizational Skills
HR management is a juggling act. The more organized you are, the better
you’ll be able to stay ahead of what you need to do and have time for things
you would like to do. If you think organization is something you either have or
you don’t, think again. Organization can be honed by understanding where
you work, and doing a few things the same every day to build a routine.

While these six HR core competencies may seem like a tall order, they’re
embodied by the best HR managers in workplaces across the country. Great
work experience can help, but that takes time. A Master of Science in Human
Resources Management helps develop all these skills quickly. Not only will an
advanced degree help you develop a richer understanding of how to be a
better HR leader, but you’ll learn how to apply these skills appropriately for
success.

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f) Competency based lead-institute
Competency-based Education (CBE) The competency-based
education (CBE) approach allows students to advance based on
their ability to master a skill or competency at their own pace
regardless of environment. This method is tailored to meet
different learning abilities and can lead to more efficient student
outcomes.

82
An explanation using a real-life scenario
People learning to drive manual transmission might first have to
demonstrate their mastery on the "rules of the road", safety,
defensive driving, parallel parking etc. In this manner, they can
focus on two independent competencies – "using the clutch,
brake with right foot" and "shifting up and down through the
gears". Once the learners have demonstrated that they are
comfortable with those two skills, the next overarching skill that
needs to be learned might be "finding first: from full stop to a
slow roll" followed by "sudden stops", "shifting up" and "down
shifting". Because this is kinetic learning, the instructor likely
would demonstrate the skill to the learner a few times after
which the student can perform guided practice followed by
independent practice until mastery is demonstrated.
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As a learning method
Competency-based learning is learner-focused and works naturally with
independent study and with the instructor in the role of facilitator. Learners
often find different individual skills more difficult than others. This learning
method allows a student to learn those individual skills they find challenging
at their own pace, practising and refining as much as they like. Then move
rapidly to other skills to which they are more adept.

Best practices
Competency profiles assist in effective learning and development by
identifying the behaviors, knowledge, skills and abilities that are necessary for
successful performance in a job. Employees can assess their competencies
against those required for their own job, or for another job in which they are
interested, and then take steps to acquire or improve any necessary
competencies.

84
Competencies support learning by:
• Focusing learning on the critical competencies needed for
success in the job and organization
• Providing standards for measuring employee performance and
capabilities
• Providing the framework for identifying learning
options/curriculum/programs to meet employee and
organizational needs
• Supporting effective forecasting of organizational, as well as
project-related learning requirements
• Providing standards for determining how well learning has
occurred, both at the individual and organizational level

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g) Generic competency Questions
Here are the top five common competencies used in the most common
competency-based interview questions followed by an example:
• Teamwork – “Tell me about a time you led or worked in a team.”
• Problem solving – “Describe a situation where you solved a
problem.”

These are 10 of the key competencies which interviewers often focus


on:
Communication. Regardless of the position or industry, the way we
interact with others is crucial and you need to be able to build and
maintain excellent relationships with clients and colleagues. Example
question: ‘Tell us about a time you had to adjust your communication
approach to suit a particular audience.’
86
Decision making. Good decision making will help you solve problems,
devise solutions and make efficiencies. Example question: ‘Give an
example of a time when you had to make a difficult decision.’

Leadership. Valuable for many reasons – such as showing that you can
coordinate, motivate and lead a successful team. Example question:
‘Describe a situation when you assumed the role of leader. Were there
any challenges, and how did you address them?’

Results orientation. Being focused on results is a skill that will help you
excel in your career. It can be anything from improving a system or
process through to hitting targets. Example question: ‘Give me an
example of a time when you believe you were successful.

87
Teamwork. Businesses don’t work properly without good teamwork.
Collaborative working can achieve results, improve productivity and
boost performance. Example question: ‘Describe a situation in which
you were working as part of a team. How did you make a
contribution?’

Trustworthiness. Good employees can be trusted to get things done.


Example question: ‘Would you report on a colleague who you knew
was taking money from the company illegally?’

Responsibility. Employees who take responsibility for and pride in their


work are highly valued. Example question: ‘Describe a situation when
you held responsibility for completion of a task.’

88
Commercial Awareness. A skill that illustrates intelligence,
professionalism and commitment to the firm. Example question:
‘Describe a situation when you have had to use commercial
awareness.’

Professional Development. Being open to enhancing your skills will


always help you succeed at work. Example question: ‘Describe a period
where you enhanced your skills effectively.’

Technical Skills. Ever more important, technical (and particularly


digital) skills are highly sought after because so many businesses are
using them to grow. Example question: ‘Describe a situation where you
have used technical skills in your work.’

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h) Additional types of questions
What is a Question?
A question is defined as a sentence that seeks an answer for the
purpose of information collection, tests and research. Good questions
produce accurate responses and this aids in collecting actionable
quantitative and qualitative data.
Questions have over the years evolved to different question types to
now collect different sets of information. The types of question used in
a research study are decided by the information required, nature of the
study, time that the respondent has, their willingness to participate and
the time and budget constraints of a study.

The art of asking the right questions helps to gain deep insights, take
informed decisions and develop effective solutions. To know how to
ask good questions, it is imperative to know the basic question types.
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1. The Dichotomous Question
The dichotomous question is generally a "yes/no" close-ended
question. This question is generally used in case of the need of basic
validation. It is also used to distinguish from in-between people that
have had some or any form of interaction with your brand. In the
below example, a yes or no question is used to understand if the
person has ever used your online store to make a purchase. The
respondents that answer “Yes” can be bunched together and the
respondents that answer “No” can be bunched together and both can
be asked different questions.

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2. Multiple Choice Questions
Multiple choice questions are a question type in which a respondent
has to select one (single select multiple choice question) or many
(multiselect multiple choice question) responses from a given list of
options. The multiple choice question is consisted of an incomplete
stem (question), right answer or answers, incorrect answers, close
alternatives and distractors. Not all questions would have all of the
above and these guidelines can be used as deemed fit or that best
matches the expected outcome of the question. Typically, single select
questions are denoted by radio buttons and multi select questions are
denoted by check-boxes. An example of a multiselect multiple choice
question, is a bank that would like to launch a new credit card and
wants to understand the usage of payment merchants would ask the
following:

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2. Multiple Choice Questions

93
3. Rank Order Scaling Question
The rank order question type allows the respondent to rank
preferences in a question in the order of choice. This question type is
used to understand the weightage that is offered by respondents to
each option. The other type of rank order question is a drag and drop
question type where the respondent can rearrange options on the
basis of importance. An example of a rank order question is a sporting
good store looking to understand from respondents their choice of
sports and in what order they would place them.

94
5. Likert Scale Question
Likert Scale is one of the most used tools by market researchers when
they want to evaluate the opinions and attitudes of their target
audience. This type of question is essential in measuring a
respondent's opinion or attitude towards a given subject. The scale is
typically a five, seven, or nine point agreement scale used to measure
respondents' agreement with a variety of statements. Likert scales are
either unipolar, where it indicates a respondent to think of the
presence or absence of a quality and bipolar, where it indicates a
respondent to balance two different qualities, defining the relative
proportion of those qualities. For example, if a telecom company would
like to understand the respondent’s satisfaction level with their
services, the question that can be asked is:

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5. Likert Scale Question

96
7. Stapel Scale Question
The stapel scale question is defined as a rating scale that is close-ended
with a single adjective (unipolar), developed to gather respondent
insights about a particular subject or event. The survey question is
comprised of an even number of response options without a neutral
point. For example if an airline would like to collect feedback on
multiple attributes of a respondent’s flying experience.

97
8. Demographic Question
The demographic question captures the demographic data from a
population set. They are used to identify characteristics such as age,
gender, income, race, geographic place of residence, number of
children, and so forth. Demographic data helps you paint a more
accurate picture of the group of persons you are trying to understand.
For example:

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i) Probing questions
Examples of probing questions for interviews
Probes cannot be easily planned in advance. It is impossible to know
what issue the person might raise and how you might need to probe to
learn more. However, it is helpful to be familiar with probing and some
general ways to probe. You can therefore specifically use the following
questions to follow-up on the prepared behavioral questions.
“Tell me more about that.” “What did you learn?”
“What led you to . . . “ “What did everyone else do?”
“What eventually happened?” “What else can you remember about that situation?”
“Looking back, what would you do differently now, if anything?” “Give me more detail about what you did, please.”
“Compare this to what others have done.” “What exactly did you say?”
“What did your supervisor say / do?” “I’d like to hear more.”
“What was the outcome?” “How did that make you feel?”
“What was the situation?” “What was the financial impact?”
“Why did you do that?”
“How did others see it?”
“What kind of feedback did you get?”
“Is this typical for you?”
“Can you think of another example of this?”

99
j) Questioning techniques to avoid
If you watched the presidential debates, you may have come to the
conclusion that answering questions is optional. If you don’t want to
provide an answer, simply insert your own topic and carry on.
When you’re at work and your client or boss asks a question, however,
it’s not always smart to change the subject and promote your own
agenda. Questions need to be addressed.
The right strategy to do that without sounding like a politician, says
Stan Steinreich, president and CEO of Steinreich Communications, a
New York City-based public relations firm that specializes in crisis
management, “is not to dodge, but rather to satisfy the questioner.”
From politely declining, to giving information you are willing to share,
here are nine ways to address a question you don’t want to answer.

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1. MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THE QUESTION
People are not always exact or clear about their language, and it’s easy
to assume what you think they’re asking, says Jay Sullivan, author of
Simply Said: Communicating Better At Work And Beyond.

“The first thing to do is clarify the question,” he says. “You don’t want
to dance around an answer and then have the person say, ‘No, that’s
not what I’m asking. I’m asking something different or simpler.’ Make
sure you’re getting the question right,” Sullivan advises.

Steinreich says this strategy mimics what most of us learned in grade


school about inserting portions of the question in our answers, but
adds a caution. “This strategy is treacherous when you are asked a
negative question,” he says, “One of the most important things to
remember is to never repeat the negative language of a question.”
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2. TAKE TIME TO RESPOND
If you’re asked a difficult question, give yourself a few minutes to
determine how you want to respond, says Sullivan. “Take thinking
time,” he says. “You’ll notice that when the presidential candidates
don’t answer the question they’ll repeat or rephrase the question as a
lead in. If they do it well, the stall gives an opportunity to think of ways
to reposition the information.”

3. ANSWER PART OF THE QUESTION


If you don’t want to answer the entire question, find a part that you
can address, says Sullivan.
“You can say, ‘I appreciate that this is of interest, right now. Let’s focus
on this part,’” he says. “Briefly answering part of the question may be
enough to assuage and satisfy them.”
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4. POSTPONE YOUR ANSWER
Another technique is to claim you do not have sufficient information to
responsibly or intelligently provide an answer. Buy yourself some time
by saying, “That is an important question and I want to make sure I give
you the best and most complete answer I can. I will need to get back to
you in (time frame),” says Nick Kalm, founder and president of
Reputation Partners, a Chicago-based strategic communications firm.

“By the time you circle back to the questioner, you can pick and choose
the aspects of their question that you want to address,” he says.

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5. TURN AROUND THE PRONOUNS
There are three ways to communicate, explains Sullivan: talk about
yourself, talk about your content, or talk about the audience. “Almost
everybody talks about themselves or the content, but that’s not how
you connect with people,” he says.

The difference between giving a good answer and a better answer


could simply be your use of pronouns, says Sullivan. “Focus on other
people,” he says. “You can say, ‘It’s interesting that you think that,’ for
example. ‘Why is this question of interest to you?’ Changing ‘I’ to ‘you’
can take the focus off of you.”

104
6. DIVERT THE QUESTION
You can also resolve the situation by diverting to a different topic, says
Eldonna Lewis-Fernandez, author of Think Like a Negotiator: 50 Ways
to Create Win-Win Results by Understanding the Pitfalls to Avoid. “Say,
‘What I think you really want to know is…and this is how we are
handling that,’” she says.

Kalm says this technique is called “bridging.” “While this is most useful
in media interviews, it can be used in almost any setting,” he says.
“Bridging involves acknowledging, not ignoring, the question with a
phrase such as ‘That’s an interesting question, but I’d like to point
out…’ or ‘That’s not quite right. The fact is …’ and then moving on to
one of your key messages.”

105
7. GIVE THE ASKER SOME CONTROL
Tough questions tend to be emotional because the person is frustrated
or anxious, often when something takes too long or costs too much.

“Give the other person control over the conversation,” Sullivan advises.
“You can say, ‘I understand you’re frustrated. Would it be helpful if I
shared some information about that?’” he suggests. “This gives the
person control over the conversation, and he or she will automatically
calm down.”

106
8. WATCH YOUR TONE
You can also refuse to answer the question, but be sure to be polite.
“Say, ‘I appreciate that this is of interest but we don’t feel sharing the
information is appropriate, especially at this time. But I’d be glad to
answer other questions if you have them,’” says Sullivan. “Appreciate
the interest but draw lines.”

It can be tempting to answer difficult questions with only a “yes” or a


“no,” but it’s important to supplement them with a key message
instead, says Kalm.

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9. AND WATCH YOUR BODY LANGUAGE
The way you hold your body is as important as your tone, says Sullivan.
Maintain eye contact, and hold yourself in a neutral position. “The
second you do anything makes you seem defensive, such as crossing
your arms or avoiding eye contact, it puts the other person on edge,”
he says. “They think, ‘Now I’ve got them.’” As Sullivan points out,
“Neutral body language sends the message, ‘I want to answer this
question,’ and that alone can help the situation.”

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k) Encourage applicant to talk
1. Respond to your candidates
• “Hello? Is anybody out there?”
• If a candidate has taken the time to apply to an ad you’ve posted on
a job board, then you should give them the courtesy of some kind of
response – yes … even an automatic response is sufficient.
• But just don’t keep them waiting in antici … pation!
• Here are a few quick suggestions: You might want to include a
‘disclaimer’ at the end of every job ad that says something along the
lines of “only applicants meeting the strict criteria outlined above
will be contacted as part of the shortlisting process”.

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k) Encourage applicant to talk
1. Respond to your candidates
• That way if the candidate doesn’t hear back from you they
understand that in this particular instance no news unfortunately
doesn’t mean good news. Set up an auto-response advising
candidates of how long the shortlisting process might take.

• At least this helps alleviate the feeling of them being kept in limbo.
One of the most common pieces of candidate feedback is that they
never hear back from the recruiter even though they followed all
the necessary steps in the application process.

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2. Take time to prepare before interviewing a candidate
• Don’t wait for the call telling you that your candidate is waiting for
you in reception before quickly printing the résume and grabbing it
off the printer on your way to meet the candidate. It really isn’t a
good look if you start flicking through the résume in front of them
making it very apparent that no preparation has taken place.
• I remember sitting in on one of my own consultant’s candidate
interviews many years ago. I was quite shocked when two minutes
into the interview the candidate pointed out that the recruiter
wasn’t even looking at her CV. It was a bit embarrassing for all
parties.
• Here’s a hint: If you are booking a candidate in to meet with you at
3:00pm, block your calendar from 2:45pm, allowing you sufficient
time to print the (correct) résume, and to sufficiently familiarise
yourself with the candidate’s work history and background.
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This is also the perfect opportunity to prepare four or five key interview
questions before you walk into the interview room. Oh … and whilst
this might sound pretty obvious in terms of preparation, ensure that
your interview rooms are tidy and presentable. No half finished glasses
of water from a few hours earlier; no notes from previous interviews;
and no Mentos wrappers scattered across the table!

3. Never keep a candidate waiting


• Never. It’s unacceptable.
• No matter how qualified or experienced a candidate is, a job
interview can still be a daunting situation. So as a recruiter it’s
important that you make the candidate feel comfortable and
relaxed.
• Do not keep them waiting. Assuming they are on time, then meet
with them immediately. There’s no need to pretend you’re more
important than they are, or that you’re any busier than they are. 112
Making them wait in your reception or in a meeting room is like a
dentist keeping a patient waiting unsure of how painful the next 45
minutes will be.

One more thing on this topic: If for whatever reason you do keep your
candidate waiting, please offer them a glass of water. Then when you
eventually meet with them please avoid the all too clichéd (not to
mention overused) “So did you get here OK?”.

Unless they look like they fell off the ferry or have been caught in a
tornado, then just assume that they had no problems finding your
office. Everyone has google maps!

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4. Spend at least 30 minutes with every candidate
• Whilst there are some recruiters who still choose to operate under
the philosophy of “get ‘em in … get ‘em out”, this is one instance
where common courtesy should prevail.
• In order to avoid being tarnished as just another ‘churn and burn’ or
‘bums on seats’ recruiter, you should try to spend at least 30
minutes with every candidate. Trust me, your first reaction about
whether your candidate is right for your client’s role could well be
wrong … as I learned when I interviewed Serge back in 2003.
• When our receptionist called to tell me that Serge had arrived and
was waiting for me in one of our meeting rooms, I could tell that she
was trying her best not to laugh. When I walked into the interview
room, I was greeted by a very large gentleman wearing a bright
fluorescent green short-sleeved shirt, a Charlie Chaplin like bowler
hat, and a bow tie that illuminated red flashing lights every few
seconds. It was a hot day and Serge was perspiring … a lot. 114
4. Spend at least 30 minutes with every candidate
• What made the situation even more awkward was when I gestured
to Serge to take a seat, I noticed that he wasn’t able to physically fit
into our tub chairs, so I quickly moved the meeting to a different
meeting room where we had a small sofa.
• If I’d ever been inclined to “go on gut feeling”, this would have been
the moment. I was sitting opposite a combination of Hagrid from
Harry Potter and Krusty the Clown. To be honest many recruiters
would have wrapped the interview up pretty quickly, perhaps even
writing Serge off as totally unsuitable.
• Instead I pretty much grilled Serge for 30 minutes on his past work
experiences and I have to admit his answers were fantastic. He was
more than capable of fulfilling the responsibilities required by my
client.

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4. Spend at least 30 minutes with every candidate
• In preparing him to meet with my client, I completely refined his
wardrobe and suggested he arrive in their lobby at least half an hour
before the interview to cool off. I then briefed the client and
suggested that they too book in a meeting room with sofas.
• Serge was successful at interview and was offered the job on the
spot. Over the next 18 months he needed to grow his team and
briefed me exclusively on at least 10 positions … all of which I ended
up filling. Nice!
5. Don’t ask your candidate stupid questions
• If you’re lucky enough to have a great candidate sitting in front of
you, you need to ensure you make the most of the situation … and
not waste either party’s time. This can be achieved by collecting,
confirming and clarifying as much information as possible through
thorough questioning.
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5. Don’t ask your candidate stupid questions
• A friend shared a story with me the other day. He’d recently applied for a
sales role in the tech sector and apparently the recruiter had asked him
just three questions:
• “In your own words, could you please explain the internet?”
• “If our company was a sports star, who would we be?”
• “What Ben & Jerry’s ice-cream flavour can you relate to most and why?”
• Ineffective. Pointless. Futile.
• Whilst the answers to these questions may be interesting, in no way do
they help you accurately assess a candidate’s past behaviour, core
competencies or ability to in fact do the job in question.
• Gone are the days of just asking about strengths and weaknesses. And
hypothetical questions are a thing of the past. The only way to determine
how your candidate will perform in your client’s role, is to ask questions
around how they performed a similar task in the past.
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6. Listen twice as much as you speak
Another common reason for a candidate to lose faith in a recruiter is if they
felt the recruiter just talked to / at them as opposed to asking them any
meaningful or relevant questions.

In other words the recruiter just went into sales overdrive and talked about
themselves or their client’s opportunity for the entire interview. Remember
that you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.

This means that you should listen twice as much as you talk. Never oversell
the role.

Ensure your candidate feels comfortable but also don’t spend an hour just
chatting to them either. You want to make the right hire so make sure you run
a professional and effective interview.
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7. Provide prompt interview feedback
Sure it’s nice to call a candidate, tell them how impressed you were with them
at interview and to arrange a time for them to meet with your client or to
arrange a second interview with the hiring manager.

And we all know how good it feels to call a candidate and to verbally offer
them a job. It’s not so nice to have to call a candidate, thank them for their
time, but let them down gently and tell them that they have been
unsuccessful.

But this is still something you must do if nothing else to maintain a


professional reputation in the market. Please don’t just send a standard email
(or text message!) letting them know your decision to not include them as
part of the shortlist.

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7. Provide prompt interview feedback
Or to let them know that your client has decided not to take them to the next
stage. They more than likely took time off work to come to meet with you,
probably did the best they could at interview, so please have the decency to
call them and let them down over the phone personally.

Please don’t let days (or weeks) go by without providing your candidate with
feedback.

Some candidates might think that “no news is good news”, while others might
think that “silence can only mean one thing”. Don’t keep candidates in a state
of uncertainty.

Provide them with feedback – whether positive or constructive – regardless of


the outcome of their interview. They will be grateful either way and more
importantly they will respect your level of professionalism.
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7. Provide prompt interview feedback
Remember, a satisfied candidate might tell a friend about their positive
experience. But a disgruntled candidate will tell at least 10 friends how
appalled they were with their interview experience. And there’s no stopping
the damage they could bring to your (and your company’s) reputation when
they begin their social media tirade.

l) Providing talk
Structuring Your Talking Points

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l) Providing talk
Structuring Your Talking Points
Identify your mission or message.
Consider why you are speaking to your audience and identify the purpose of
your speech or interview. Is your main mission to convince a committee to
support your policy or a change to an existing policy? Is your main message to
tell an audience of students about your experiences in a foreign country? Are
you trying to present a specific issue or problem at your child’s school to the
PTA board? Are you giving an interview to a local newspaper about a local
issue or to promote a product? Focusing on the main purpose of your talk will
then help you create the rest of your talking points.

You can develop your message by thinking about emotion, or what you want
your audience to feel, contrast or how your message is different than the
message of others, connection, or why your audience should care about what
you are saying, and credibility, or why your audience should believe what you
say.[2]
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Identify your mission or message.
For example, maybe the main message of your talk is to argue for the creation
of after school programs at your child’s school. You may then identify the
mission of your speech as: “The mission of my speech is to convince the
school board to provide after school programming at my child’s school.”

If the main message of your interview is to discuss the latest product released
by your company, you may write out the mission as: “The mission of my
interview is to promote the 2016 release of the lightweight hover board by my
company, Hover, Inc.”

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Outline two to three talking points.
Once you have identified your main message, you can then create two to
three main talking points to support your main message. You will then use
these main points to develop supporting arguments or examples to ensure
your main message is well supported. Focus on talking points that will help
you prove your main message or expand further on your main message.

Your talking points should be clear, short, and to the point. Think of your
talking points as your elevator pitch, made up of keywords or short sentences.

124
Outline two to three talking points.
For example, if the main message of your talk is to argue for after school
programs at your child’s school, they may be structured as follows:
• Benefits my child’s education, will supply her with educational activities in
a controlled, monitored environment.
• Benefits other students at Normandy who need educational guidance and
activity once school hours are over.
• Benefits the other parents of students at Normandy High School by
providing education and guidance for their children.

125
Provide specific examples to support your talking points.
You should use examples that are personal and impactful, with the strongest
examples listed first. Your examples may be personal stories of success that
illustrate the importance of your talk or data that show how useful and
effective the main points of your talk will be for your audience.

Though it may be tempting to make a long list of examples, try to focus on one
to two examples that best illustrate your main point or mission. Most
speeches are the most effective when they are short and to the point,
especially if you are arguing for a particular position or stance on an issue.

126
Your talking point may look like this:

127
Provide specific examples to support your talking points.
For example, if you are arguing for after school programs at your child’s
school, you may tell a short story about how your child struggles with her
math assignments and is looking for tutoring that could be provided through
the after school program. You may also use data from a national study on after
school programs that show how well students in after school programs do in
their academics and in their community as a result of these programs.

Your talking point may look like this:


Talking point: Benefits your child's education, gives her support in a
controlled, monitored environment.
Example 1: Story about her math assignments.
Example 2: National study on after school programs and academics.

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Provide specific examples to support your talking points.
Emphasize a win-win solution. Let your audience know why they should care
about your talk by providing possible solutions or ways to enact your
suggestions. Your talk should not only identify a main message or problem; it
should also give your audience several ways to solve or address the main
message or problem. Ideally, your talk should present a solution that feels like
a win for you, as the speaker, and a win for the audience, your listeners.

For example, if you are creating possible options or solutions for your
argument for more after school programs at your child’s school, you may give
one option: introducing an after school program on a trial basis, one to two
times a week, with monitoring done by the school for a period of six months.
This can act as a test to see how effective the program is for the students at
the school.

129
Provide specific examples to support your talking points.

130
Provide specific examples to support your talking points.
Emphasize a win-win solution. Let your audience know why they should care
about your talk by providing possible solutions or ways to enact your
suggestions. Your talk should not only identify a main message or problem; it
should also give your audience several ways to solve or address the main
message or problem. Ideally, your talk should present a solution that feels like
a win for you, as the speaker, and a win for the audience, your listeners.

For example, if you are creating possible options or solutions for your
argument for more after school programs at your child’s school, you may give
one option: introducing an after school program on a trial basis, one to two
times a week, with monitoring done by the school for a period of six months.
This can act as a test to see how effective the program is for the students at
the school.

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UNIT-III PRE-EMPLOOYMENT TESTING

a) Pre-employment Testing
Pre-employment tests are used to screen job applicants and can include
testing of cognitive abilities, knowledge, work skills, physical and motor
abilities, personality, emotional intelligence, language proficiency, and even
integrity. Drug testing can also be utilized as part of the pre-employment
process.

What are pre-employment tests?


Pre-employment tests are used to screen job applicants and can include
testing of cognitive abilities, knowledge, work skills, physical and motor
abilities, personality, emotional intelligence, language proficiency, and even
integrity. Drug testing can also be utilized as part of the pre-employment
process. Companies use testing to find the candidates most likely to succeed
in the open positions and to screen out those who are unqualified.

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Why are they used?
By helping companies identify the candidates most likely to perform well on the job,
pre-employment testing can lead to additional company benefits, such as saving time
and cost in the selection process, decreasing turnover, and even improving morale.
According to a survey by the American Management Association, “Almost 90 percent
of firms that test job applicants say they will not hire job seekers when pre-
employment testing finds them to be deficient in basic skills” (Greenberg, 1996, p. 24).

What are the key issues in using pre-employment tests?


While there can be dramatic benefits gained from using testing in the employee
selection process, there are potential issues companies need to understand prior to
implementing any tests. The first issue is validity; whether or not the test measures the
specific criterion it is supposed to measure and can predict future job performance or
success. An employer should be able to demonstrate that those who do well on the
test do well in performing the job and those who score poorly on the test perform
poorly on the job. For example, if an employer can demonstrate that a typing test and
skills tests using Microsoft Office software products constitute a fair sample of the
content of an administrative assistant job, then the tests will probably be considered
content valid. 133
b) Testing advantages and disadvantages
Advantages of Test:
(i) Proper Assessment:
Tests provide a basis for finding out the suitability of candidates for various
jobs
The mental capability, aptitude, liking and interests of the candidates enable
the selectors to find out whether a person is suitable for the job for which he
is a candidate.

(ii) Objective Assessment:


Tests provide better objective criteria than any other method. Subjectivity of
every type is almost eliminated.
(iii) Uniform Basis:
Tests provide a uniform basis for comparing the performance of applicants.
Same tests are given to the candidates and their score will enable selectors to
see their performance. 134
(iv) Selection of Better Persons:
The aptitude, temperament and adjustability of candidates are determined
with the help of tests. This enables their placement on the jobs where they
will be most suitable. It will also improve their efficiency and job satisfaction.

(v) Labour Turnover Reduced:


Proper selection of persons will also reduce labour turnover. If suitable
persons are not selected, they may leave their job sooner or later. Tests are
helpful in finding out the suitability of persons for the jobs. Interest tests will
help in knowing the liking of applicants for different jobs. When a person gets
a job according to his temperament and interest he would not leave it.

135
Disadvantages of Tests:
The Tests Suffer From The Following Disadvantages:

(i) Unreliable:
The inferences drawn from the tests may not be correct in certain cases. The skill and
ability of a candidate may not be properly judged with the help of tests.

(ii) Wrong Use:


The tests may not be properly used by the employees. Those persons who are
conducting these tests may be biased towards certain persons. This will falsify the
results of tests. Tests may also give unreliable results if used by incompetent persons.

(iii) Fear of Exposure:


Some persons may not submit to the tests for fear of exposure. They may be
competent but may not like to be assessed through the tests. The enterprise may be
deprived of the services of such personnel who are not willing to appear for the tests
but are otherwise suitable for the concern.

136
Advantages of employment tests
• Screen more in less time so probability of getting better resource in less
time increases.
• Reduced administrative time spent screening candidates
• Reduction in time spent with candidates who are not hired (This includes
time spent reviewing resumes, coordinating and conducting interviews, and
holding recruitment conversations.)
• Reduction in average cost of recruiting time ($) (Estimate of the hourly
cost of recruiters and hiring managers who spend time with unqualified
candidates.)
• Improve interview to hiring ratio.
• ROI Provided by Avoiding Catastrophic Hires
• ROI Provided by Reducing Turnover

137
Dis-advantages of employment tests
• If you are not a brand, experienced candidate may be reluctant to appear
for test, behavioral problem.
• Follow up to the candidates to take the tests.
• You need to spend some money initially to save more money, time, efforts
and hassles.

138
c) Test validation, testing categories
Functional testing types include:
• Unit testing
• Integration testing
• System testing
• Sanity testing
• Smoke testing
• Interface testing
• Regression testing
• Beta/Acceptance testing

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c) Test validation, testing categories
Non-functional testing types include:
• Performance Testing
• Load testing
• Stress testing
• Volume testing
• Security testing
• Compatibility testing
• Install testing
• Recovery testing
• Reliability testing
• Usability testing
• Compliance testing
• Localization testing
140
d) Computer based testing

MOTIVATION
One of the weaknesses of United Way fund raising was the
unavailability of donors' names. The use of payroll deduction as a
primary method for raising money eliminated the need for
gathering names of donors. If donors work for a corporation and
contribute through payroll deduction, their names are not known
to the United Way. To communicate more effectively, United Way
began to collect the names of donors.

141
STRATEGY
In the administrative area of the business, the employees had
from 22 to 36 years of experience. Computers were something
they did not want to hear about, and they began to find
numerous reasons why the old paper system would work. They
felt extremely threatened. It was important to get them to
explain how and why the current system was used, what was
needed, and what they were not getting. The first thing that
came to their mind was that they were to be replaced once this
information was put on the computer. Yet these people knew the
most about the system, the flow of paperwork, and what results
were needed. They had to open up so that a functional system
could be designed.

142
STRATEGY

143
THE SYSTEM
The human resource system was designed by seven students at Carnegie
Mellon University under the direction of Sarah Kiesler at a total cost of $5,700.
A successful system for desktop publishing was already being used. Students
built on this system to keep the standardization that had developed, even
though it may change in a few years, and to create a more low-key,
nonthreatening situation. They were dubious about the system's capabilities
but worked with the staff to develop a system with a Tandy 3000 personal
computer, a word processing program, a relational data base, and other
software.
Saving Time
One of the main advantages of having a computer substitute a human being is
the fact that computers are much faster at performing commands than
humans. They aren’t able to come up with their own commands or improvise,
but if you give them an understandable task, no matter how complex it is,
they will be able to put it into action infinitely faster than a human ever could.
144
Flexibility of Employee
Another important benefit that one receives from opting out for
an automated training software solution is the fact that it gives
both you and your employees a lot of flexibility when it comes to
performing the training itself. There’s absolutely no need to
schedule the training, as the training can be done at the
convenience of the employee. Whether that means that it will be
done at four in the morning or four in the afternoon is
completely irrelevant to a computer, which means that your
employees will be able to complete the training more easily, with
greater efficiency, and you’ll be able to evaluate the results of the
training at your own leisure as well.

145
e) Background check policy
Human Resources will order the background check upon receipt
of the signed release form, and either internal HR staff or an
employment screening service will conduct the checks. ...
Background check information will be maintained in a file
separate from employees' personnel files for a minimum of five
years.

Background checks will include:


Social Security Verification: validates the applicant's Social
Security number, date of birth and former addresses.

146
• Prior Employment Verification: confirms applicant's employment with the listed
companies, including dates of employment, position held and additional information
available pertaining to performance rating, reason for departure and eligibility for
rehire. This verification will be run on the past two employers or the previous five
years, whichever comes first.
• Personal and Professional References: calls will be placed to individuals listed as
references by the applicant.
• Educational Verification: confirms the applicant's claimed educational institution,
including the years attended and the degree/diploma received.
• Criminal History: includes review of criminal convictions and probation. The
following factors will be considered for applicants with a criminal history:
o The nature of the crime and its relationship to the position.
o The time since the conviction.
o The number (if more than one) of convictions.
o Whether hiring, transferring or promoting the applicant would pose an
unreasonable risk to the business, its employees or its customers and vendors.

147
The following additional background searches will be required if applicable to
the position:
• Motor Vehicle Records: provides a report on an individual's driving history
in the state requested. This search will be run when driving is an essential
requirement of the position.
• Credit History: confirms candidate's credit history. This search will be run
for positions that involve management of [Company Name] funds and/or
handling of cash or credit cards.

f) Reference check
When HRM reported on a study by recruitment data company Xref that found
that a significant amount of recruitment managers consider reference
checking in its current format “a formality which serves little purpose”,
readers responded with vigour. Here, we reflect on the debate and look at the
legalities involved.

148
General Instructions
• Introduce yourself to the reference and why you are phoning.
• Describe the general requirements of the position
• Report any flags to Chair of search and HR, if needed

Tips for Checking References


• Check references after you have interviewed the candidate. Checking references before the
interview can create false expectations and affect your ability to evaluate the applicant's
qualifications objectively. This includes University references.
• Advise the candidate that you will be checking references and ask permission to talk with the
current supervisor.
• Ask the candidate for other references (other supervisors, co-workers, customers, etc.).
Make sure to allow each candidate to provide you with the same number of references.
• Develop a set of job-related questions to be used on all reference checks. As with interview
questions, target your questions to the competencies needed in the job.
• Use a written or electronic questionnaire form so that you can record notes next to the
questions and to document the reference check. See Reference Check template (DOCX file).

149
g) Guidelines for releasing and obtaining Information.
The Department of Human Resources (HR) is providing these guidelines to
assist you and your Department during the recruitment process. Your
adherence to these guidelines will ensure that the University of Nebraska
Lincoln's (UNL) recruitment procedures are being applied uniformly. It also
ensures that UNL is in compliance with federal and state laws and regulations.
Along with these guidelines, also refer to the Office/Service Recruitment
Checklist to assist you with this process.

PeopleAdmin is software used by UNL for recruitment, hiring and creation of


job descriptions and requisitions. Please contact Human Resources to set up a
login account in PeopleAdmin.

The hiring department is responsible for ensuring adequate funding and


approval prior to the recruitment process.

150
The following are steps for the recruitment and hiring of Office/Service
employees:
1. An approved job description must be in place before a requisition is
prepared to fill a position. Create or update the job description electronically
through the PeopleAdmin system. Access to the electronic job description is
through the same website as the electronic HR Requisition –
https://employment.unl.edu/hr. Assistance in preparation of a job description
is available by contacting a member of Human Resources staff (402-472-3101)
or sending an e-mail to [email protected].

2. The unit should submit a requisition for the position through the
PeopleAdmin recruitment system at https://employment.unl.edu/hr.

151
3. A position may be posted for recruitment in one of three ways:
External – open to everyone, both University and non-University applicants.
University employees only – with approval of the Office of Institutional Equity
and Compliance, the position would be open to all University employees,
including those from University of Nebraska at Omaha, the University of
Nebraska at Kearney, the University of Nebraska Medical Center, and Central
Administration.

Department Only – with approval of the Office of Institutional Equity and


Compliance, a search may be limited to those within the department who are
current regular part-time or full time employees hired through the regular
UNL competitive search process (not a temporary employee).

Positions are normally posted external at UNL, a public institution. On some


occasions, upon prior approval from the Office of Institutional Equity and
Compliance, a department may request another form of posting.
152
4. A minimum of five working days is required for all posted office/service
positions. Exceptions must be approved by Human Resources. Office/Service
positions do not require any advertising but if newspaper advertisements are
needed to secure qualified applicants, Human Resources is responsible for
placement of advertisements. The hiring unit is responsible for the expense.
Please Note: newspapers will bill your department directly for
advertisements.

5. All applicants, both internal and external, will be instructed to apply on the
web site at https://employment.unl.edu/. The Employment Office in Room
407 of the Canfield Administration Building has computers available for
applicants to use and will assist applicants with the process if necessary.

153
6. Human Resources staff will screen applications to the top qualified
applicants and forward them to the hiring manager via PeopleAdmin after the
review date; no less than three and no more than ten applicants are normally
referred to the hiring unit. The hiring unit is required to interview all referred
applicants. If the hiring unit does not find a suitable candidate after
interviewing all referred applicants, the hiring unit may request in writing that
additional candidates be referred. The request should include reasons why the
candidates referred initially were not acceptable. Please Note: Hiring units
must obtain approval from the Office of Institutional Equity and Compliance
before administering any skill, knowledge, ability tests during the hiring
process.

7. Anyone involved in recruiting, screening and/or interviewing must have


attended the Search Process Seminar provided by the Office of Institutional
Equity and Compliance within the past three years. For additional interviewing
help, an Interview Guide is available for hiring managers which includes
competency based interview questions.
154
8. The hiring unit may request that the position be re-posted and if needed,
advertised in the newspaper if a suitable candidate is not found.

9. An office/service employee is eligible to apply for a transfer to another


department after completing six months of satisfactory service in the present
position. An employee with less than six months of service is eligible to apply
for promotion and/or transfer within the same department.

10. Former employees who were dismissed from UNL are ineligible for rehire;
former employees whose performance is documented as below satisfactory
may be ineligible for rehire. Internal applicants whose performance is
documented as less than satisfactory and those who are under corrective
action are ineligible for transfer. Questions about eligibility policy should be
directed to Human Resources (402-472-3101). Conducting reference checks
with supervisors of current and former UNL employees is strongly
recommended.
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UNIT-IV ABILITY TESTS

Definition: Ability Tests


 An ability test is a test to check an individual’s ability to
perform a certain kind of job. It usually tests the individual for
certain skills or whether he is capable of acquiring those skills
in the course of the job or through training.
 Ability tests are also called aptitude tests and are generally
standardized. These tests can be used to test variety of skills –
mental aptitude, problem solving, knowledge of a particular
subject, reasoning ability, general intelligence and so on.
 These are conducted by the Human Resource function of a
company to find the suitability of a candidate for a given job
role. These can be quantitative, psychological, verbal or may
take other forms as well.

156
Definition: Cognitive Ability Testing
 Cognitive ability testing is a common selection method used to
test the knowledge & capabilities of a person. The process is
done through a Cognitive ability test (CogAT or CAT) which is
characterized to measure the level of aptitude that
determines a person’s ability to learn. Cognitive ability tests
include measures of verbal, mathematical, memory &
reasoning abilities.
Importance of Cognitive Ability Testing
 Cognitive ability testing is one of the most effective predictor
of job performance across job types. Though it is a widely
agreed and followed technique some controversy also looms
regarding the use of this method.

157
Cognitive Ability Test Advantages & Disadvantages
Advantages of Cognitive Ability Test

 verbal reasoning sections and numerical tests sections have


shown large validity for numerous number of jobs
 As the job complexity increases, so does the validity
 When many applicants are to be tested ,in that case it can be
administered in group settings
 Scoring of the tests can be completed by computer scanning
equipment
 Lower cost than personality tests
 Highly reliable

158
Disadvantages of Cognitive Ability Test
 Often, non-minorities score one standard deviation higher
than minorities thus leading to adverse impact depending on
how the scores are used in the selection process
 Ability differences between male and female differences (e.g.,
knowledge of mathematics) may negatively impact the scores
of female applicants
Coaching
 Coaching is providing feedback, usually to executives, senior
managers, and managers, about how to reach their personal
best in their organizational leadership role. In their capacity as
coach, the Human Resources professional will do everything
from active listening through providing test results that
highlight a manager’s strengths and weaknesses.
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The Traditional HR Coaching Role
 The traditional Human Resources coaching role focused on
helping managers address issues and opportunities
organizationally. Additionally, talented HR professionals have
always provided feedback to managers about the impact of
their personal and behavioral style on others.
 The HR coach is asking an organizational leader to reflect on
how she handled a particular situation. The HR coach asks
hard questions and provides advice about actions that may
have been more effective than the course of action the
manager chose. People have different reactions to feedback,
and even the most carefully chosen words can create an
unexpected negative reaction.

160
The Coaching Role
 In the coaching role, which HR professionals are urged to
pursue, the HR person partners with the manager and focuses
specifically on his development. Few internal HR people are
working in this new coaching arena. Organizations have most
frequently hired external coaches and consultants.

Skills and Knowledge of an HR Coach


 One of the most important factors the internal HR person
brings to the coaching role is her knowledge of the
organization and the impact of the manager on that
environment. This is one of the reasons HR coaches fail to
attract internal clients for these new relationships.

161
The HR Coaching Role Extends Beyond Coaching Individual
Managers
 As a larger organizational issue, the HR manager can serve as a
resource to coordinate and unify the process of coaching. She
can monitor the expenditure of resources, check out the
credentials of external coaches and assist with the
measurement and determination of coaching results.
 Mechanical ability test
Applicant tests are business tools meant to measure specific
aspects or qualities of applicants’ skills, knowledge,
experience, intellect, personality or psychological makeup. As
a Human Recourses professional, you should figure out what
you want to find out about a candidate and then choose the
appropriate test.
162
Proficiency tests
 What do they do? Measure how skillful an applicant is at a
particular task (word processing, for example) or how
knowledgeable he is in a particular field.

 Why would you use them? Proficiency tests measure skills that
applicants need for successful job performance. These are
useful if a baseline of a particular skill (usually trade related) is
essential.

 How reliable are they? Generally quite good. This sort of


testing has a good track record of validity in the business and
industrial world.

163
Aptitude and ability tests
 What do they do? Measure an applicant’s capability to learn
and perform a particular job and her capability to learn job-
related skills or tasks. These tests fall into the following three
basic categories:

 Mental abilities: Often called cognitive tests, these measure


intelligence, verbal reasoning, perceptual speed, and so on. A
classic example is the SAT, taken each year by college hopefuls.

 Mechanical abilities These tests gauge ability to recognize and


visualize a mechanical relationship. For instance, applicants
may be asked to distinguish between pulley and lever systems.

164
Psychomotor abilities: These test an individual’s skill and/or
ability to make certain body movements or use certain senses.
Why would you use them? Aptitude and ability tests show a
readiness to learn or perform a certain task. Whether you use
them alone or in batteries of tests, they help many organizations,
including governments, select the most likely applicants for
specific jobs.
How reliable are they? Generally excellent to adequate so long
as they don’t violate antidiscrimination laws. (Again, you need to
make sure that hiring decisions based on the results of such tests
[or any tests] do not work to the disadvantage of groups covered
by EEO legislation.)
Physical ability
Definition: An individual’s health and physical condition or ability
to perform certain tasks. 165
Personality Measurement Test, .

What is an Employee Personality Test?


A personality test is a selection process employed to measure the
personality characteristics of applicants that are related to future
job performance. A personality test typically measures:
emotional stability, conscientiousness, openness to experience,
agreeableness, and extroversion.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Employee Personality Tests


While weeding out applicants and streamlining the recruitment
process are the obvious advantages of employee personality
tests, other disadvantages include too.

166
 Advantages of Personality Tests
 Reveal more information about applicants’ interests and
abilities
 Identity personality traits that may be needed for certain job
roles
 Access how well an applicant will fit into the company culture
 Disadvantages of Personality Tests
 Lack of diversity if the selected applicants have the same traits
 Take more time than applicants are willing to invest
 Administering one can be expensive, especially if the talent
pool is large
 Applicants can lie the test, providing answers they think will
secure them the job

167
Types of Personality Tests
Personal Attribute Inventory: This personality test consists of 50
positive and 50 negative adjectives from Gough’s Adjective Check
List. The applicant is asked to select 30 which are most
descriptive of the person/group in question. Personal Attribute
Inventory is instrumental in assessing attitudes towards others as
well as oneself.

Personality Adjective Checklist: This personality test is a 153-


item self-report and rating mature of Theodore Millon’s eight
basic personality styles. The eight personality styles are:
confident, introversive, cooperative, forceful, inhibited, sociable,
sensitive, and respectful. Personality Adjective Checklist is
instrumental in assessing qualified professional for a job.
168
 Cross-Cultural Adaptability Inventory: This employee
personality test is most effective when used as a part of the
employee training program. It can also be used as a team-
building tool for diverse work groups, or as a counselling tool
for people in the middle of cross-cultural adjustment. Cross-
Cultural Adaptability Inventory has a self-scoring six-point
rating scale which is essential as a training tool designed to
provide feedback about an employee’s potential for cross-
cultural effectiveness. The inventory covers 50 items,
distributed among 4 subscales: personal autonomy, emotional
resilience, perceptual acuity, and openness.

169
 California Psychological Inventory: This multipurpose test is
designed to assess the personality characteristics important in
everyday life. It can be used in various settings, including
business, schools and colleges, counselling agencies and
clinics.

 Tips on How to Conduct Personality Tests


Experts agree that while personality tests can be a useful part
of the hiring process, it’s just a part of the process. Employee
personality tests should be used in conjunction with a number
of other supplemental psychometric assessment and thorough
pre-employment verification.

170
 Tips on How to Conduct Personality Tests
An employer that selects applicants with high-degree of
‘assertiveness,’ ‘self-confidence’ and ‘independence’ may end up
excluding a lot of female talent without would result in less
gender diversity at the workplace.

Select Employee Personality Tests Carefully


Any employee personality test should be analyzed for its adverse
impact as well as reliability.

Do Not Use Employee Personality Tests Exclusively


Personality tests should not be the sole medium for hiring talent.
Instead, employers must use it in conjunction with the hiring
process. That said, applicants shouldn’t be selected solely on the
basis of personality tests alone. 171
e) Personality Assessment- Performance tests
Human resources managers or departments may perform
assessments to predict the future performance of employees.
Certain assessments are particularly helpful when an individual is
being considered as a candidate for an open position at a small
business. Assessments may tell the company if the potential
employee is capable of fulfilling the job and if she has the
appropriate skill sets. Other assessments focus on the personality
of potential and current employees and their motivation to get
the job done

172
Cognitive and Personality Assessment
The human resources manager or department of a small business
may conduct cognitive tests to assess both knowledge and
intelligence before extending a job offer to a candidate. The
results of the tests may give employers a head's up about
whether or not the candidate has the intellectual capacity for the
job. Test results may also show whether the individual's
personality traits match up with the job requirements. For
example, an extremely introverted person may not be the best fit
for a job that requires extensive client contact. The personality
assessment may identify an individual's strengths, as well as his
potentially detrimental characteristics, in terms of the position.

173
Motivational Assessment
To make sure a potential employee will fit in with the
organization, a human resources manager may conduct a
motivational inventory and an organizational assessment. The
motivational inventory assesses what the individual wants,
although motivation may shift over time. The idea is to find
people whose motivational is in alignment with the goals of the
organization. When this fit occurs, employees tend to achieve a
high level of performance. Test results may also be used for
career counseling when openings are available.

174
Evaluation According to Performance Standards
Clear job descriptions with specific performance expectations for each job
help companies assess an employee's performance. The human resources
manager may be responsible for developing job descriptions and performance
standards that are expressed in such terms as outcomes, quality, cost and
quantity. Employees may then be subject to routine reviews by department
heads or managers.

Organizational Assessment
Organizational assessments take a look at areas of the company to find out
what works and what doesn't. These assessments are made to find out about
the context in which individual employees do their jobs. Human resources
looks at such things as organizational structure, workflow, outcomes and client
satisfaction. The test results are used to find opportunities to enhance
commitment and engagement on the part of the employee.

175
f) Use of performance test,
Definition: Performance Simulation Test
A performance simulation test is used by organizations as a way of evaluating
candidates for a job position. The basic premise of performance simulation
test is to observe the candidate perform the actual job in a controlled
environment.

Work samples are used where the job is monotonous and routine. These jobs
are well defined and can be matched with the performance output of the
candidate. Work sample technique is used to hire skilled labor such as
electricians, welders, machine workers and so on.
Read Next
• Performance Based Pay
• Performance Prism
• Performance Categories Baldrige
• Performance Counseling
• Performance Bonus
176
Work samples are used where the job is monotonous and
routine. These jobs are well defined and can be matched with the
performance output of the candidate. Work sample technique is
used to hire skilled labor such as electricians, welders, machine
workers and so on.

Assessment centers however are used to evaluate candidates for


a managerial position. Potential candidates are put through a
series of jobs and challenges that they could face while being
observed a trained psychologist and/or line managers.
Candidates are put through various exercises such as interviews,
group discussions or business games each involving decision
making situations.

177
One of the drawbacks however is that it is more difficult to administer than a
written exam or other objective testing methods. There can be no right or
wrong in decision making and hence the judgment is left to the observers’
discretion.

Hence, this concludes the definition of Performance Simulation Test along


with its overview.

178
g) Assessment Center-Integrity Testing Drug testing,
In the assessment center approach, candidates are generally
assessed with a wide variety of instruments and procedures.
These could include interviews, ability and personality measures,
and a range of standardized management activities and problem-
solving exercises. Typical of these activities and exercises are in-
basket tests, leaderless group discussions, and role-play
exercises. Assessment centers are most widely used for
managerial and high level positions to assess managerial
potential, promotability, problem-solving skills, and decision-
making skills.

179
• In-basket tests ask the candidates to sort through a
manager’s “in-basket” of letters, memos, directives, and reports
describing problems and scenarios. Candidates are asked to
examine them, prioritize them, and respond appropriately with
memos, action plans, and problem solving strategies. Trained
assessors then evaluate the candidates’ responses.

• Leaderless group discussions are group exercises in which


a group of candidates is asked to respond to various kinds of
problems and scenarios, without a designated group leader.
Candidates are evaluated on their behavior in the group
discussions. This might include their teamwork skills, their
interaction with others, or their leadership skills.

180
• In role-play exercises, candidates are asked to pretend that they
already have the job and must interact with another employee to solve a
problem. The other employee is usually a trained assessor. The exercise may
involve providing a solution to a problem that the employee presents, or
suggesting some course of action regarding a hypothetical situation.
Candidates are evaluated on the behavior displayed, solutions provided, or
advice given.
Assessors must be appropriately trained. Their skills and experience are
essential to the quality of the evaluations they provide. Assessment centers
apply the whole-person approach to personnel assessment. They can be very
good predictors of job performance and behavior when the tests and
procedures making up the assessment center are constructed and used
appropriately.

It can be costly to set up an assessment center. Large companies may have


their own assessment centers; mid-size and smaller firms sometimes send
candidates to private consulting firms for evaluation.
181
h) Graphology
Graphology as a Personnel Selection Method. ... Graphologists assert that they
are able to identify a person's personality traits and mental status from their
handwriting. For example, if a person writes with a forward slant, that means
he has an outgoing personality.

Graphology as a Personnel Selection Method


Can a person’s handwriting reveal their aptitude for a job based on their
personality? Many handwriting experts known as ‘graphologists’ claim that
you can. This practice may be costing people their jobs.

Graphology differs from forensic handwriting analysis, which is used in


investigations to authenticate historical documents, or in court settings, such
as determining if a signature has been forged.

182
Graphologists assert that they are able to identify a person’s personality traits
and mental status from their handwriting. For example, if a person writes with
a forward slant, that means he has an outgoing personality. A backward slant
reveals a person to be shy and reserved. Therefore, graphology can be an
effective means of figuring out a person’s behavior, and that is why it’s being
used more and more in the recruitment process, interviews, and career
planning.

In the late 1990s, a lot of American organizations and company used


graphology for their hiring process, motivation and personnel testing, a
method that they have continued to use. In 1988, The Wall Street Journal
published that in Western Europe, around 80% of the fastest growing
companies used handwriting analysis as part of their HR procedures, hiring
full-time graphology experts.

183
A bad hire can have a negative impact and high monetary cost, so HR
departments, recruiters, and managers are constantly looking for new ways to
get some insight into what the candidate will be like and how they will fit into
the company before they are hired. Cover letters, resumes, and interviews are
helpful screening tools, but they are not always capable of revealing the
candidate’s real personality. This is where graphology comes into play, as
stated by industry leader Margaret White, who says that “when graphology is
used correctly, it gives a good indication of the personality structure, growth
and development abilities of the candidate”.

Principles of Graphology
In simple terms, graphology is the study of handwriting and its uses as a tool
for evaluating job performance and personality. Its practitioners measure a
person’s handwriting components, which include the amount of pressure used
when writing, the slanting angles and degrees and the spacing between the
letters and words. Graphology believes that a person’s handwriting traits
betray personality aspects, and they use this to achieve insight into a person’s
motivations and behaviors.
184
The Science Behind Graphology
The concept is built on the following premise: handwriting analysis works, as
handwriting is essentially the brain writing. The writing instrument such as a
pen or pencil is merely a tool, which is directed through the arms movement,
impulsed by the cerebral cortex. The message is delivered via the nervous
system to your arm and hand muscles, which motivate the pen to write.

When analyzing a sampling of handwriting, graphologists take some


assertions into consideration, including:
• The person’s ego is always active when they are writing, although the level
of activity can change, depending on the level of effort the writer is
excerpting.
• The muscular movements involved in writing, which controlled by the
central nervous system can be altered by the dynamical systems principles.
• A person’s writing can be modified, if they experience a change in their
central nervous system, be it transient or long-term.
• A person’s emotions and muscle stiffness affect their handwriting.
185
Here is the list of characteristics explained with the use of graphology-
1. DYNAMISM:
Those individuals Whose hand writing have Rightward Slant, Long, Sweeping
And Heavy T-Bars Are Very Dynamic.

2.ANALYTICAL ABILITY:
In The People Who Have V Formations In M’s And N’s, And Medium Size
Writing are good at numbers and outscore others with their observations.

3.RESILIENCE:
it is the sigh of resilience When an Individual Has a dominance of Upwards
Slope Formations, Sweeping T- Bars And Light Pressure in his hand writing

4.PRECISION:
People Who Have Retraced Lower P Loops Have Precision Trait.

186
Here is the list of characteristics explained with the use of graphology-
5.ENTHUSIASM:
Enthusiasm Trait Includes Rightward Slant And Long, Sweeping T Bars.
6. PATIENCE:
The Person Who Is Patient Has Self Control I.E., Umbrella Like T Bars, Tapering
M’s And N’s, Clear Wide E’s And Long Finals Of Lower Loops.
7.METHODICAL THINKER:
Persons Having Round M’s And N’s and clear writing in their hand writing are
considered To be methodical thinkers.
8.ORGANISATIONAL ABILITY:
handwriting with Balanced And Well -Formed Loops Of Letter F Comprise
Good Organizational Ability.
9.DETERMINATION:
Long, straight Downstrokes Of The Letters Like, G, Y, P.in someone’s hand
writing signifies determination
10.INITIATIVE:
People Having Breakaway Finals In Their Writing Are likely To Have Initiative
Taking Ability.
187
UNIT-V RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION PRACTICES
ABROAD
An International Commitment

Despite uncertainty about the future of immigration laws in the United States,
7 in 10 U.S. companies consider foreign workers very or extremely important
to their talent strategies―an increase from 63 percent a year
earlier―according to the results of a 2017 Harris Poll of human resource
professionals and hiring managers.

More than half of the respondents expected their head count of foreign
nationals to increase in 2018, according to the results of the survey, which was
conducted on behalf of global immigration services firm Envoy. More than 20
percent are “proactively seeking foreign national employees,” and nearly 90
percent are investing in immigration-related perks such as relocation expenses
and housing, and dependent visas and green cards, the survey results found.

188
An International Commitment

Top reasons cited for thinking globally in recruiting include the valuable new
perspective that foreign workers bring, the need to fill skills gaps, and
overseas employees’ knowledge of industries or business practices outside
the United States.

“For any company, it’s imperative that you have a global recruiting strategy
because at the end of the day, it’s about bringing the best talent to your
doors,” says Aimee Meher-Homji, vice president of talent acquisition, North
America, for Sodexo, a French food service and facilities management
corporation with 427,000 employees in 80 countries. Based in Washington,
D.C., she oversees a 100-person recruitment team dispersed across the
country.

189
Ten Steps to a Global Human Resources Strategy
The scarcity of qualified managers has become a major constraint on the
speed with which multinational companies can expand their international
sales. The growth of the knowledge-based society, along with the pressures of
opening up emerging markets, has led cutting-edge global companies to
recognize now more than ever that human resources and intellectual capital
are as significant as financial assets in building sustainable competitive
advantage. To follow their lead, chief executives in other multinational
companies will have to bridge the yawning chasm between their companies'
human resources rhetoric and reality. H.R. must now be given a prominent
seat in the boardroom.

Good H.R. management in a multinational company comes down to getting


the right people in the right jobs in the right places at the right times and at
the right cost. These international managers must then be meshed into a
cohesive network in which they quickly identify and leverage good ideas
worldwide.
190
Ten Steps to a Global Human Resources Strategy
Such an integrated network depends on executive continuity. This in turn
requires career management to insure that internal qualified executives are
readily available when vacancies occur around the world and that good
managers do not jump ship because they have not been recognized.

Very few companies come close to achieving this. Most multinational


companies do not have the leadership capital they need to perform effectively
in all their markets around the world. One reason is the lack of managerial
mobility. Neither companies nor individuals have come to terms with the role
that managerial mobility now has to play in marrying business strategy with
H.R. strategy and in insuring that careers are developed for both profitability
and employability.

Ethnocentricity is another reason. In most multinationals, H.R. development


policies have tended to concentrate on nationals of the headquarters country.
Only the brightest local stars were given the career management skills and
overseas assignments necessary to develop an international mindset.
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Ten Steps to a Global Human Resources Strategy
The chief executives of many United States-based multinational companies
lack confidence in the ability of their H.R. functions to screen, review and
develop candidates for the most important posts across the globe. This is not
surprising: H.R. directors rarely have extensive overseas experience and their
managers often lack business knowledge. Also, most H.R. directors do not
have adequate information about the brightest candidates coming through
the ranks of the overseas subsidiaries. "H.R. managers also frequently lack a
true commitment to the value of the multinational company experience,"
notes Brian Brooks, group director of human resources for the global
advertising company WPP Group Plc.

The consequent lack of world-wise multicultural managerial talent is now


biting into companies' bottom lines through high staff turnover, high training
costs, stagnant market shares, failed joint ventures and mergers and the high
opportunity costs that inevitably follow bad management selections around
the globe.
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Ten Steps to a Global Human Resources Strategy
Companies new to the global scene quickly discover that finding savvy,
trustworthy managers for their overseas markets is one of their biggest
challenges. This holds true for companies across the technology spectrum,
from software manufacturers to textile companies that have to manage a
global supply chain. The pressure is on these newly globalizing companies to
cut the trial-and-error time in building a cadre of global managers in order to
shorten the leads of their larger, established competitors, but they are
stymied as to how to do it.

The solution for multinationals is to find a way to emulate companies that


have decades of experience in recruiting, training and retaining good
employees across the globe. Many of these multinational companies are
European, but not all. Both Unilever and the International Business Machines
Corporation, for example, leverage their worldwide H.R. function as a source
of competitive advantage.

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Ten Steps to a Global Human Resources Strategy
Anglo-Dutch Unilever has long set a high priority on human resources. H.R.
has a seat on the board's executive committee and an organization that
focuses on developing in-house talent and hot-housing future leaders in all
markets. The result is that 95 percent of Unilever's top 300 managers are fully
homegrown. Internationalization is bred into its managers through job content
as well as overseas assignments. Since 1989, Unilever has redefined 75
percent of its managerial posts as "international" and doubled its number of
managers assigned abroad, its expatriates, or "expats."

I.B.M., with 80 years' experience in overseas markets, reversed its H.R. policy
in 1995 to deal with the new global gestalt and a new business strategy.
Instead of cutting jobs abroad to reduce costs, I.B.M. is now focusing on its
customers' needs and increasing overseas assignments. "We are a growing
service business -- our people are what our customers are buying from us,"
explained Eileen Major, director of international mobility at I.B.M.

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Ten Steps to a Global Human Resources Strategy
When managers sign on with these companies, they know from the start that
overseas assignments are part of the deal if they wish to climb high on the
corporate ladder. These multinational companies manage their H.R. talent
through international databases that, within hours, can provide a choice of
Grade-A in-house candidates for any assignment. Even allowing for company
size, few United States-based multinationals come close to matching the
bench strength of a Unilever or Nestlé. The Japanese multinationals are even
farther behind.

This article outlines a global H.R. action agenda based on the approaches used
by leading multinational companies. The goal is to build sustainable
competitive advantage by attracting and developing the best managerial
talent in each of your company's markets.

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Ten Steps to a Global Human Resources Strategy
The strategy demands global H.R. leadership with standard systems but local
adaptation. The key underlying ideas are to satisfy your company's global
human resources needs via feeder mechanisms at regional, national and local
levels, and to leverage your current assets to the fullest extent by actively
engaging people in developing their own careers.

Implementing these ideas can be broken down into 10 steps. By taking these
steps, a company should be able to put into place an effective global human
resources program within three to four years.

196
1. Break all the "local national" glass ceilings
The first, and perhaps most fundamental, step toward building a global H.R.
program is to end all favoritism toward managers who are nationals of the
country in which the company is based. Companies tend to consider nationals
of their headquarters country as potential expatriates and to regard everyone
else as "local nationals." But in today's global markets, such "us-versus-them"
distinctions can put companies at a clear disadvantage, and there are strong
reasons to discard them:

• Ethnocentric companies tend to be xenophobic -- they put the most


confidence in nationals of their headquarters country. This is why more
nationals get the juicy assignments, climb the ranks and wind up sitting on the
board -- and why the company ends up with a skewed perception of the
world. Relatively few multinational companies have more than token
representation on their boards. A.B.B. is one company that recognizes the
danger and now considers it a priority to move more executives from
emerging countries in eastern Europe and Asia into the higher levels of the
company.
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1. Break all the "local national" glass ceilings
• Big distinctions can be found between expatriate and local national
pay, benefits and bonuses, and these differences send loud signals to the
brightest local nationals to learn as much as they can and move on.
• Less effort is put into recruiting top-notch young people in overseas
markets than in the headquarters country. This leaves fast-growing developing
markets with shallow bench strength.
• Insufficient attention and budget are devoted to assessing, training
and developing the careers of valuable local nationals already on the company
payroll.

198
1. Break all the "local national" glass ceilings

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