Human Resources Management - Research Paper Example

Comparison of common methods used for selecting human resources The selection methods differ from each other depending upon the types of skills being judged by the organization. The different common methods used to select human resources include but are not limited to job knowledge tests, personality tests, situational judgment tests, structured interviews, and non-structured interviews (Pulakos, 2005). The job knowledge tests measure critical knowledge areas that the employee would need in order to be able to do the job effectively.

These tests typically measure the employee’s technical knowledge. These tests are employed in such situations which require the candidates to already know the details about the job. The job knowledge tests are based on multiple-choice questions (MCQs) that may either be administered via a computer or paper and pencil. Personality tests tend to assess the candidate’s personality characteristics that relate to the job. Such factors include extraversion, openness, conscientiousness, conflict avoidance and resolution skills, and agreeableness.

These tests may be based on MCQs or True/False questions and are also administered via a computer or paper and pencil. Situational judgment tests provide the candidates with situations in which they are required to tell how they would perform. These situations are usually the ones the candidates would be encountering at work. These tests may either be administered in written form or may be videotaped. These tests tend to evaluate the informed decision making skills of the candidates in tough circumstances and with very little time to make the decision.

Interview is amongst the most widely employed methods of selection. Most interviews are unstructured which means that there are no definite questions and these interviews are without any agreed-upon standards of evaluation of the candidate’s performance. These interviews may be conducted face-to-face, over the phone, or in a group. Structured interviews, on the other hand, evaluate the candidate’s skills with the help of a definite set of questions previously set by the interviewer. Like the unstructured interviews, the structured interviews are also conducted either face-to-face, over the phone, or in a group.

How to conduct effective interviewsInterviewing is a technical process and requires very fine skills on the part of the interviewer for the skills of the candidate to be appropriately judged. There are certain strategies and precautions that can help an interviewer make the interview effective. Some organizations take the services of an employment agency to conduct the interviews on their behalf. This method may be suitable when there is very little time to select the employees. This streamlines the process of selection for the organization.

Whether or not an employment agency’s services are taken, the employer must verify the qualifications and experience of the candidates. The quality of an interview fundamentally depends upon the type of questions asked in it. The employer should tend to abstain from asking personal questions from the candidates (saylersemployment.com, 2010). It is advisable for the employer to check which questions are allowed and disallowed by the local labor standards. After the questions have been sorted out, interview may be conducted face-to-face or over the phone as per the convenience of the interviewer.

It is better to have the conversation videotaped or audiotaped for referral later. References:Pulakos, E. D. (2005). Selection Assessment Methods: A guide to implementing formal assessments to build a high-quality workforce. USA: SHRM Foundation. saylersemployment.com. (2010). Interviewing Tips: How to Conduct a Successful Interview. Retrieved from http://www.saylersemployment.com/int_tips.htm.