Selection

Find examples of three different selection methods used in an organisation with which you are familiar and identify when they are used and why, along with the pros and cons of each

Interviews:

When are they used?

An interview is a formal meeting when the interviewer will ask the interviewee questions and will evaluate that person upon the answers given. This is a common selection method used in most organisations and are usually used at the latest stage of the selection process.

Why are they used?

The main purpose of interviews is to allow the interviewer to gain more knowledge about potential employees. Interviews will help the interviewer make a judgement towards what the candidate is like, their personalities as well as their motives. Interviews are much more personal than CVs, if there was something on the CV the employer wanted to question the candidate about, this can be done during the interview stage.

The Pros

·                     The employer will be able to get an insight to what the candidate is like.

·                     Candidates will find it harder to lie about certain issues if they are being asked face-to-face.

·                     Interviews are more personal, so this will mean that there will be some connection between candidates and interviewer.

The Cons

·                     Interviewing candidates can take time.

·                     Interviews are expensive.

·                     If the correct information is not being asked then the interview will be useless.

References:

When are they used?

References are used after a candidate is selected for a job, this will help the employer get a better vision of what the candidate’s background is like.

Why are they used?

References help the employer understand skills the candidate may have developed through previous employments.

The Pros

·                     References give the employer understanding to what previous employees thought of candidates.

·                     If the recruiter does not believe something then they can talk to previous employers.

The Cons

·                     References can be biased.

Assessment Centre:

When are they used?

They are used at the latter stages of the recruitment process and are usually used for managers and graduate training.

Why are they used?

They are used to create an environment in which candidates can demonstrate key workplace skills. (Target Jobs, 2012)

The Pros

·                     Helps differentiate between similar candidates.

·                     Helps candidate understand what the job roles will be like

·                     Are more accurate as candidates are putting skills identified to use.

The Cons

·                     Assessment centres may be expensive and time consuming

·                     The evaluation process might be biased and furthermore there may not be any feedback given.

Describe an interview that you have taken part in.  It may have been for a job, but could also have been within your school or university.  Was the interview effective?  If so, why.  If not, why not.

I took part in an interview when I applied for a part time job at Marks and Spencer. This was a one-to-one interview with a Marks and Spencer employer; I personally thought this interview was effective as they asked questions clearly and also gave examples to what they are asking for. I thought this was helpful as it excludes the issue of misleading questions. Another reason why the interview was effective was because at the end of the interview, the interviewer gave feedback to how I can improve myself when going for an interview in the future. She gave advice such as having more confidence in myself as well as making eye contact while speaking to the interviewer. Personally I thought this was helpful as it would help candidates to improve their skills in the future.

In your own organisation or one with which you are familiar what recommendations would you make to improve selection processes?

The selection process within Marks and Spencer can be improved by offering candidates to carry out tasks stated in the job role within the store; this will help recognise the eligibility of the candidate’s skills. Another recommendation I would make is maybe having a few other candidates involved in the interview process, so instead of a one-to-one interview there should be a group interview. By enabling a group interview, the interviewer will be able to indicate the most suitable candidate out of the group. This will also be less time consuming as there will be fewer interviews to carry out.

Remember to write a brief conclusion about this topic

Selecting the most suitable candidate for a job role is one of the most important factors organisation face every day. If the most suitable candidate is not selected then is can result to poor performance within the organisation, resulting to the business facing negative feedbacks in regards to their customer service skills.

There are different methods of selections available to organisations; the three mentioned are interviews, references and assessment centres. These methods all have advantages as well as disadvantages and so to ensure that the most effective selection process is used, it is important that more than one selection method is used when selecting candidates.

Reference used:

Target Jobs (2012) Assessment Centres [online]. Available From: http://targetjobs.co.uk/careers-advice/assessment-centres [Assessed date: 6^th May 2012]