Employee selection methods – an overview

Employees constitute the most valuable resource of each organization. They directly influence the competitiveness and positive brand perception of their company. This is why the rational and effective employee selection process is such important factor for human resources management. Competent, committed, and loyal employees are the key of success for each company. The properly conducted process of employee selection should help with finding and hiring such individuals. The benefits gained by successful hiring will compensate for all the costs of the recruitment process.

Employee selection methods – table of content:

1. Employee selection – terminology
2. Methods of employee selection
3. Factors that influence the methods of staff selection
4. Summary
5. Chceck out our recruitment software for HR

Employee selection – terminology

Employee selection is a set of activities resulting in finding and hiring of employees, who match vacant positions. The main aims of the selection are:

• candidate’s profile drafting, defining his characteristics, abilities and required skills
• selection of applications and suitability assessment
• final hiring decision and employment of selected candidate

The employee selection process should be directly correlated with all strategic goals of the company and should impact the efficiency of its operations. The selection process has three main phases: recruitment, selection and onboarding of the new employee. To find suitable candidates following actions have to be taken:

• verification of resumes, motivational letters, personal questionnaires and references
• conducting interviews, competency and knowledge tests as well as other psycho-technical test related to candidate’s suitability assessment
• selection of the best candidate, presenting him with terms of employment, signing the employment contractors

Methods of employee selection

Methods of employee selection should meet with the requirements of the company and attract as many willing to work individuals as possible. Those selection methods depend on the recruitment process, which can be either aimed at a labour market segment or at a broad labour market. If recruitment is pointed at broad labour market job advertisement should be placed on the internet job portals or in newspapers with national coverage.

If recruitment is pointed at one labour market segment the job advertisement should be placed at dedicated information channels relevant to the interested segments of the market. For example, if we search for computer analysts, we should find out what newspapers and internet portals are read by this professional group and place our job adverts in those newspapers and portals. Methods and techniques of recruitment depend on the sources of recruitment.

Internal personnel selection can be either open or closed. Open internal recruitment relies on publicizing as widely as possible information about vacancies, for example by placing job offers on the notice boards or sending it via email.

Closed internal recruitment happens when the information about the vacancy is informally and directly aimed at the prospective candidates. The basis for the selection form: periodical assessments, career development plans, completed training and successes achieved.

Contemporary companies willingly resort to the services of employment agencies for personnel selection. Agencies have to place job advertisements in press, and then based on the initial interviews and to make lists of matching candidates. To recruit highly qualified workers (specialists in their niche) and senior managerial staff companies may use the services of head hunting companies. Those consulting companies specialize in personnel selection for highly paid positions and directorial positions.

Factors that influence the methods of staff selection

The method of staff selection depends on many factors and is influenced by the company’s approach to the vacancies.

Summary

Company management is based primarily on the effective use of the resources, not only the material and physical, but human resources as well. Accordingly to Peter Drucker, who claimed, that employment of only the whole person may be a chance for increase of effectiveness in the company, while failure of the company is directly lined to “buying” of only a part of the employee.

Obviously talking about the whole employee vs. a part of the employee is only a convention, but in reality it explains how the knowledge and abilities of the employee create human capital in the company. This is why, the right choice of personnel selection method is so important. This method has to be compatible with the strategy of the company, its organizational culture and values as well as with the situation on the labour market.

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