The Main Purpose of Conducting or Organizing a Hiring Program - Case Study Example

Tools Selection Tools The three selection tools that are considered for a hiring program at a supermarket would be the following Job skills paper test, 2) hands-on demonstration trial test and 3) personal interview. These three selection tools, when combined will yield better hiring results than other mediums or forms of hiring future employees, because the first two tools are aimed at measuring skill and knowledge while the third step appraises the character traits of the applicant. It is better to focus on the skill at the beginning of the hiring process and to focus on the personality traits afterward to avoid getting sidetracked by strong personality traits or good physical looks. Hiring an employee based on resume, physical appearance or recommendation alone does not justify whether the applicant can and is suitable for the job (About.Com:, page 1). The main purpose for conducting or organizing a hiring program is to hire the best possible employee for a certain job. In relation to the three tools that were previously selected, skill or job knowledge is a very important factor, thus, when the job skills paper test is administered it immediately measures the range of intellect each applicant has regarding the job that is being proffered. A passing mark of a certain percentage which was predetermined must be reached by the applicants in order to be qualified for the next phase of hiring process. Equally important in the hiring of a new employee is to detect the ability to perform a required task within the actual work area or environment. And this is where the hands-on demonstration trial comes in. This is a very significant phase of the hiring program because the applicants will be required to prove that they are capable of doing the job and applying the facts and theories they learn into actual work mode. The applicant should be made to understand that there is a vast difference with theoretically knowing how to do the job and actually getting the Tools 2 job efficiently done within a specified period of time. Last but not the least is the personal interview phase of the hiring process. After having streamlined the significant number of applicants to a few remaining few, a personal interview must be conducted by the immediate supervisor. At this stage all applicants will be having a one-on-one conversation with their future or soon-to-be boss. The purpose of the interview is to gain direct information from the applicant (Peak Search Company, para.1). It is also a chance to evaluate, if a certain applicant demonstrates the necessary character traits needed for the job, aside from being a potential team player in the company. Hence, it is advisable that the atmosphere be a relaxed one so that true information could easily be gained. Questions must be job related and personal questions that may be deemed illegal or unnecessary must be avoided. The same methods or selection tools could be used for a hiring program for the position of a mechanic, because a mechanics job requires knowledge, skill and good personality traits like any other job requirements or specifications. Even though a mechanics job entails more of the hands-on type of work, it still needs theoretical knowledge that came from books and vocational course programs. Therefore, to reduce the number of applicants and retain the best qualified individual for the said position, the skills knowledge paper based test is applied. Then the hands-on demonstration trial and lastly, the personal interview. Interview questions (About.Com:, page 1) for the position of a mechanic will incorporate the following: 1. What made you decide to apply with our company? 2. Tell me something about yourself and your last or current job? 3. Tell me about a time when you had to cope with strict deadlines or time demands? Tools 3 How did you go about it? 4. What if you disagree with your supervisors decision regarding a certain company policy, will you voice out your concern? Why or why not? 5. Sometimes your job would require working beyond your regular hours or might require that you work on a weekend or day off, would that be a problem? 6. Along the way, we meet people who belittle us or who always find fault with what we do, what would you normally do if such an occasion arise? 7. When we call your references or your last employer, what do you think they may say about you? 8. Can you tell me why we should hire you and what advantage do you have over the other applicants? The traditional way of interviewing where the interviewer sits behind a desk and the applicant sits at the other, makes most applicants for interview nervous and tense. The interviewer on the other hand, might be having mental biases because the applicant may be putting up a front that was not suppose to be there in the first place, just because the ambience is not susceptible for good conversation. The best interviewing method would be an informal one (Peak Search Company, page 1) where the setting is not like in an office or conference room. Refreshments, coffee, tea, juice, etc. should be offered when the applicant comes in to initiate camaraderie. This will put both applicant and interviewer at ease. Questions should be phrased carefully. Preliminary questions should be about neutral things, like sports, the weather, the traffic, etc. This is encouraging the applicant to reveal more of himself without actually realizing it and making the applicant more confident as the interview goes on. Doing it this way will allow Tools 4 the interviewer glimpses of the applicants unguarded responses and moments for better personality assessment. The following considerations must be taken into account before a hiring decision is finalized for the position of mechanic : 1) passing the job knowledge test; 2) passing the hands-on demonstration trial test; 3) passing the personal interview; 4)salary expectation; 5) age; 6) physical disability; 7) passing the physical examination requirement of the company and 8) passing the background check. First and foremost, a candidate for the position of a mechanic must pass the job knowledge and hands-on demonstration trial tests that were given at the beginning of the hiring process. It is imperative for the chosen applicant to hurdle said tests because the job requires knowledge and skill in its field and scope of work. Recommendations made basing solely on past work experience without passing the preliminary examinations will not be allowed for an interview. After moving through the first and second steps of the hiring program, each candidate left are given a chance to be interviewed by a supervisor or manager. The interview will give the applicants another chance to convince the interviewer that they are indeed the right person for the job. While the interviewer may not ask the same questions from each applicant, all the questions are pre-scaled and validated with equivalent points. In reality, there is no right or wrong answer so the applicant is being assessed by the confidence they exude, personality traits and body language. It is best for applicants to avoid any kind of mannerisms while the interview is going on, because this might be mistaken for a negative gesture when it is really not meant to be one. Salary expectation is another fact that needs to be considered when hiring a mechanic Tools 5 or any employee for that matter. Is the salary expected by the applicant too high that the company cannot meet it? What is the current financial standing of the company? Would it be able to pay another new employee and give the benefits that are lawfully required? These questions must be taken into consideration before the hiring process begins. Salary expectations that are well beyond what the company could give at the moment are negotiable. And a candidate who could meet this expectation half-way should be considered for the job. The other thing that needs to be considered when hiring an individual for a mechanics position is the age. The company is an equal opportunity employer – meaning that there is no age limit for the job, however each applicant must go through the necessary screening that is given to every applicant. Since a mechanics job is skill oriented, those who have the most experience in relation to the job will probably be offered the position because it would require minimum supervision in the long run. Physical disability is another factor that needs to be addressed. Most companies encouraged handicaps and other disabled people to apply for any job opening. Likewise, they should be given the chance to prove themselves capable of the job they are applying for. However, a mechanics job entails a lot of moving around and requires functional legs, feet, arms, hands and a good vision. All applicants must be made aware of this. Thus, if the company finds itself in the position of hiring a handicap for the said position, then that individual must demonstrate the ability to be able to keep up with the demands of the job with no special treatment. Passing the physical medical examination before being allowed to work is one of the companys requirement for employment. All applicants will be informed of this policy before Tools 6 they embark on the hiring process. The final candidate for the mechanic position must satisfactorily pass the medical examination at the companys expense, and at a health facility that is affiliated with the entity. By having the required physical examination, the company will be apprised if the individual is physically fit for the job. It is not intended to discriminate or wave the dirty laundry of a person in public because such an examination may reveal a particular disease or illness. All results will be confidential and only the applicant will be informed about it. Religion is another critical issue that needs to be considered before a person is hired for the mechanic position. Company policies state that nobody within the company should enforce or practice their beliefs within the work premises. The only concern here would be the working days when a persons religion forbids him or her to work. This definitely will affect the production timeline of the company so before a final candidate is chosen it is best to state during the interview phase that work will be required on weekends and holidays. And if the applicant agrees to this then, there would be no problem in hiring him or her. A thorough background investigation must be done on the applicant in order to be considered for the aforementioned position. It will be more beneficial for the company to go through the rigorous process of checking on the accurateness of an applicants statement and the information that was provided in the resume. The principle being adhered to here is honesty, which every potential employee must possess. It is fundamentally one of the things that should clinch a decision whether an individual is worth hiring or letting go in order to find somebody better. Tools 7 References About.Com: Human Resources Ask Right to Hire Right: Effective Interview Questions (n.d.) Retrieved on March 12, 2008 from http://www.chally.com.hiring-mistakes.htm Peak Search Company. Interviewing for Employers. Winning the best in the 21st Century (n.d.) Retrieved on March 13, 2008 from http://www.peaksearch.net/hiringtips.htm Read More