Recruitment and Selection

(BAHRM322)
Week 1 Module

DR. ADOREE A. RAMOS

ACTS COMPUTER COLLEGE
Department of Business Management
 This course pack serves as the instructional material for offering offline learning
in the course Recruitment and Selection (BAHRM322). The course is offered
through Flexible Learning System. You must be able to access the learning
materials via the ACTS Virtual Learning Environment- (ACTS-VLE) at
WELCOME MESSAGE

[Link] are required for 2 hours access and self-

study of modules (asynchronous) and 1 hour synchronous ( online)
meeting/week. During asynchronous sessions, you are expected to do
independent learning using the course pack, which are accessible via ACTS-
VLE. You may also download and print the entire course pack for offline
learning. Synchronous sessions are scheduled and conducted via video
conferencing. These sessions will be for lectures, consultations and output
presentations. All course requirements are given in the course pack in the
Material page of ACTS-VLE. Course requirements by module will be submitted
via ACTS-VLE each week or as set by the Professor for immediate feedback
and guided learning.

It is expected that you will use genuine, sincere and fair

means for the accomplishment of the tasks or projects
from which evaluations of progress shall be determined.
During synchronous sessions, you are encourage to
observe web etiquette to ensure smooth flow of
discussion. You may talk to your professor about any
course issue and concern and for any help needed.
Most problems can be solved or completely avoided
by simple communication.

Enjoy learning! Your success is OUR goal! GETTING HELP

FACULTY INFORMATION

Name : Dr. Adoree A. Ramos

E-mail Address : avril_shaine@[Link]
Contact Number : 09159541389
Consultation Hours : 5 :00PM-6 :00PM
Venue : via video conferencing

FOR ACADEMIC AND ADMINISTRATIVE CONCERNS

actscc87@[Link]
049-501-1484

FOR ACTS-VLE CONCERNS

 Module 1
Recruitment and Selection -Introduction

Lesson 1
Foundations of Recruitment and Selection I: Reliability and Validity
This lesson develops the ideathat personnel recruitment and selection
strategies based on information obtained through scientific methods
are more likely to benefit an organization than decisions based on
impressions or intuition. The chapter begins with an illustration of a typical
hiring process and goes on to examinebasic concepts of reliability
and validity that underlie contemporary recruitment and selection practices

INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES

At the end of this lesson, you should :
 understand the basic components that make up a traditional personnel
selection model;
 have a good understanding of the concepts of reliability
and validity;
 recognize the importance and necessity of establishing the reliability
and validity of measures used in personnel selection;
 identify common strategies that are used to provide evidence on
the reliability and validity of measures used in personnel
selection; and
 appreciate the requirement for measures used in personnel
selection to evaluateapplicants fairly and in an unbiased
fashion.

ACTIVITY

1. How has your experience influenced your preferred career track in human
resources?

2. Is it important to engage with professional associations activities?

______________________________________________________________

ANALYSIS
 What are the foundations/important basic elements of recruitment and selection?
______________________________________________________________

How do changes in the following have an impact recruitment and selection:

- Technology
- Global competition
- Shifting labour force demographics
- Government regulation
- Societal pressures for conformity to ethical/ human rights standards

______________________________________________________________

ABSTRACTION

The Recruitment and Selection Process

An employer’s goal is to hire an applicant who possesses the knowledge, skills,
abilities, or other attributes (KSAOs) required to perform the job

Recruitment and Selection Today

Selection Process for Winnipeg Police Constables: Minimum Qualifications
Age 18 years or older
Education (Manitoba Grade 12 or equivalency– e.g. GED)
Foreign credentials require assessment by Manitoba Labour and Immigration prior to
application
Valid Full Class 5 driver’s licence with no more than four demerits on Driver’s
abstract as assessed by the Winnipeg Police Service 

Recruitment: the generation of an applicant pool for a position or job in order to

provide the required number of candidates for a subsequent selection or promotion
program

Selection: the choice of job candidates from a previously generated applicant pool in
a way that will meet management goals and objectives as well as current legal
requirements

Social/Economic Factors Affecting Recruitment and Selection

 Global Competition
 Rapid Advances in Technology and Internet
 Changing Work-Force Demographics
 Economic Context
 Type of Organization
 Organizational Restructuring
 Redefining Jobs
 Changing Best Practices

 Global competition: index is based on economic, social, and political

globalization. Increasing globalization has changed the level of competition

 Rapid advances in technology and the Internet: employers expect new

hires to be computer literate

 Changing work-force demographics: abolition of mandatory retirement at

age 65 creates less room for new entry-level employees

 Economic context: supply and demand of jobs and people (e.g., economic
booms, recessions)

 Types of organizations:
Public sector: both federal- and provincial- formalized recruitment and
selection systems
Private sector: may vary depending on the type and size of the
business/industry
Union shop
For profit/Not for profit

 Organizational restructuring: workforce that is approaching retirement,

flattening of organizations

 Redefining jobs: workers need a wide range of skills in order to do their

job; the “gig economy” and contract labour

 Changing best practices: employers must have in place HR strategies for

recruiting, identifying, and selecting employees who will contribute to the
overall effectiveness of the organization

Elements of a Recruitment and Selection Action Plan

1. Develop Recruitment Strategy: Identify number of positions to be filled;
establish selection committee; review organization’s goals and objectives based
on strategic HR plan; establish budget for the recruitment process; establish
timelines for recruitment and selection activities; develop/review job description
for positions; develop selection criteria; develop profile of “ideal” applicant;
develop job advertisement/recruiting materials
2. Develop the Applicant Pool: Review state of the labour market; consider
employment equity issues; determine if recruitment will be internal/external;
identify any collective agreement clauses that apply; identify target applicant
pool; identify recruitment methods to be used; place ad/recruiting materials in
agreed-on media
3. Screen the Applicant Pool: Determine whether applicant pool is large enough;
screen job candidates’ application forms and résumés; conduct short screening
interviews; select “long list” of candidates for further review
4. Review and Selection of Job Applicants: Selection committee develops
shortlist of candidates; arrange visits of short-listed candidates to company;
conduct realistic job preview for candidates; conduct valid and reliable
employment tests; conduct behavioral-based selection interview; identify leading
candidate(s) for position; complete reference and background checks on leading
 candidates; make hiring recommendation; contingent on offer of employment,
arrange for any required medical or physical examinations
5. Evaluate the Recruiting and Selection Effort: Review the recruiting and
selection process: what went right? what went wrong?; review the outcomes of
the recruiting/selection process; review the performance of people who were
hired

Figure 1.1 presents a simplified model of some of the major HR functions with an
organization. Its purpose is to emphasize that recruitment and selection are but one
component of the HR system. The component is a very important one that helps an
organization meet its goals and objectives by producing competent, committed, and
effective personnel.

A Systems View of HR
Two basic principles underlie the model presented in Figure 1.1

Principle 1: HRM must carefully coordinate its activities with the other organizational
units and people if the larger system is to function properly

Principle 2: HR managers must think in systems terms and have the welfare of the
whole organization in mind

Recruitment and Selection and the HR Profession

HR functions:
 Must keep abreast of developments in their field through continuous learning
 Responsible for knowing the latest legal and scientific information related to R &
S
 Responsible for implementing policies and procedures in accordance with
accepted professional standards

There are six characteristics that define a profession:

1. A common body of knowledge
2. Agreed performance standards
3. A representative professional organization
4. External perception as a profession
5. A code of ethics
6. An agreed certification procedure

An Introduction to Professional Issues and Ethical Standards

Ethics: the determination of right and wrong; the standards of appropriate conduct or
behaviour for members of a profession; what those members may or may not do

Professional standards: provide guidance on how HR professionals should behave

in certain situations including the use of employment tests

Ethical Dilemmas
Applicant testing: ethical dilemmas frequently occur during the testing of job
applicants with various selection tools

Employment interview: subject to the same set of regulations as any other

employment test and must meet professional standards when used in making high-
stakes decisions

Ethical Dilemmas to Consider

Psychological Testing
The central requirement for any selection tests or assessment procedures is that they
accurately assess the individual's performance or capacity to perform essential
components of the job in question safely, efficiently, and reliably without
discriminating against protected group member …except where the knowledge,
skills, abilities, or other attributes (KSAO’s) can be established as a bonafide
occupational requirement (BFOR)

Testing Standards

Must be developed in conformity with accepted professional standards to ensure

reliability and validity

Who Can Test?

 Know your limits and hire certified professionals

 Recognize basic cautions:

1. Informed consent and applicants right to know
2. Access to results
3. Privacy and Confidentiality
4. Language and Culture
5. Disability

Other Concerns: Reliability and Validity

Cautions involved in testing should not dissuade HR professionals from incorporating
testing into recruitment and selection procedures and practices
 However, as with all typical methods:
Any test, no matter how reliable and valid, may still provide inaccurate information.

APPLICATION

The Toyota (Cambridge, Ontario) plant exemplifies the changing workplace

requirements described in this chapter and their impact on HR practices.
Toyota is a Japanese company that competes in the global marketplace. It
has production facilities in many countries where labour costs are high, yet it
strives to maintain a very efficient work force. One reason for Toyota’s ability
to be an effective producer is its use of empirically proven recruitment and
selection practices. Toyota’s recruitment and selection practices are designed
to find the best possible people to hire, whether the job being staffed is on the
shop floor or at the executive level. In 1996, Toyota received thousands of
applications for 1200 blue-collar positions. As part of its hiring procedure,
Toyota took prospective employees through a rigorous, comprehensive,
multi-stage assessment process. According to Sandie Halyk, assistant
general manager for HR, Toyota “wants people who take pride in their work
and are able to work well with others. If you’re not comfortable working for a
team, you won’t be comfortable working here.” The selection process involved
realistic job previews, paper-and-pencil cognitive ability and personality
assessments, tests of fine and gross motor coordination, work samples, and
structured employment interviews. The work sample alone entailed a six-hour
manufacturing assembly exercise that involved individual and group problem
solving. Group leaders and first-line supervisors were active participants in the
panel selection interview. For those “making the grade,” references were
checked, and health and fitness tests were undertaken by those given
conditional offers of employment. The process was designed to “find out if
you’re able to identify problems and do something about them, and to ensure
a good fit between the company and the new employee.”

Source: G. Keenan. 1996. “Toyota’s Hunt for 1,200 Team Players.” The Globe
and Mail (January 5): B7. Reprinted with permission from The Globe and Mail.

Questions
The intent of this exercise is not to have you develop detailed answers but to
begin thinking about the many factors that affect recruitment and selection.
We appreciate that the case does not contain detailed information but in our
opinion that information is not needed to meet our primary objective. We will
review in detail many of the components of Toyota’s selection procedures
later in this text. For now, we would like you to discuss the following points,
but first you may find it useful to review Figure 1.1

1. Is Toyota’s elaborate selection system justified? What are appropriate

criteria for assessing its effectiveness?
2. Toyota received over 40 000 applications for 1200 positions. Is this an
effective approach? What is the cost, particularly the human cost,
associated with reviewing all of these applications? How do you reduce
the number of applicants to a reasonable number that can be run through
the selection system?
3. What are some of the cultural issues that might arise with a
Japanesemanaged auto plant located in Ontario?
4. Provide examples of how technology might be used to facilitate and
improve the recruitment and selection used by Toyota.
5. What criteria should Toyota use in selecting “team players”?

Congratulations for completing Week 1 in the first module of this course. The
next lesson will introduce you to Foundations of Recruitment and Selection:
Reliability and Validity.
.
References
NELSON EDUCATION SERIES IN HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT.
[Link]