Why Organisations Should not Rely Solely on the Classic Trio in Selection - Example

An organization can no longer rely on the “classic trio” of application form, interview and reference to select which individuals would be best suited to work for that organization” Introduction Traditionally, organisations have relied on the “classic trio” of application form, interviews and reference to select individuals to meet their human resource (HR) needs. This method of selecting individuals that would be best suited to work for an organisation is beneficial because of factors such as reliability given that job applicants have to fill forms detailing their skills and abilities and proceed to meet interviewers who assess their qualifications and capabilities. Interviewers can also contact the references mentioned by the interviewees as a follow-up to know the interviewees’ past experiences and achievements. Therefore, the use the application form, interviews and reference to select individuals to fill job vacancies can result in getting a relatively reliable workforce depending on how transparent and meticulous the recruitment and selection processes are. However, there are significant demerits of relying on the traditional approach to select candidates. To start with, the use of application forms can be tedious and expensive especially when many candidates apply for a given job. It may take too long to select the candidates to be called for an interview because of the large volume of applications. Secondly, the interview process itself may be biased because it depends on the skills and aptitude of the interviewers. Third, the information given by references is only an opinion of the referee and is therefore not the best determinant of an applicant’s capability. Referees may also not wish to disclose certain information about candidates. Against this backdrop, this essay argues that organisations should not rely on the traditional methods of selection alone; rather, they should incorporate other methods such as online recruitment and the use of psychometric tests. Why organisations should not rely solely on the “classic trio” in selection To begin with, application forms are used to offer a preliminary pre-employment screen that enables the employer to determine whether the candidate is minimally qualified for the position (Dale 2003, p. 200). A standardised application form enables an employer to collect information in a uniform format. The information that is collected may then be utilised by the hiring team as a standardised reference material for any subsequent screening interviews and to make a comparison of applicants when discussing the results of the interview sessions (Dale 2003, p. 200). According to Dale, a standardised application form generally makes it easier to conduct these types of comparisons. Such information includes specific employment history and education qualifications, a statement certifying the accuracy of the details, as well as a release for checking credentials (Cushway 2012, p. 14). Applications forms will usually provide a wealth of information about the applicants, which if interpreted correctly, can significantly reduce the number of applicants required for the interview. The essential purposes of application forms are to eliminate applicants failing to meet minimum qualifying requirements, and for the remaining candidates to come up with a hypothesis about their personality traits and motivation to be examined during the interview (Mathis & Jackson 2008, p. 77). There are however several disadvantages of using application forms to review applicants’ credentials. First is that it takes more time to have all candidates complete and return the application forms (Cushway 2012, p. 14). Cushway (2012) further notes that the longer the process takes could result in attractive candidates getting jobs elsewhere. This is because when an individual makes an application and does not receive feedback within a reasonable period, he or she will be obliged to look for another more promising opportunity. This is the same reason that made UK retailer River Island unable to attract a suitable number of candidates required for its jobs because it was not able to track candidates once they submitted an application. In addition, the company was unable to provide news or response to anyone who contacted the recruitment department to check on the progress of their application (Emerald, 2011, p. 24). Another point is that applicants’ perceptions on unnecessary and cumbersome processes compared with other organisations may be a drawback in a tight labour market (Cushway 2012, p. 14). Further, the people reviewing application forms may misuse them by considering aspects such applicant’s handwriting or creativity – thus leaving out some suitable candidates. Applications forms are supposed to be used for data gathering only, but some assessors may end up using them as test instruments, which obscures their purpose. Turning to the interview section, interviews remain the most popular form of selection (Needle 2010, p. 478). There are several advantages of using interviews as a method of selection. First is that interviews provide opportunities for interviewers to ask probing questions about the applicant’s experience and to explore the extent to which the applicant’s competences match those stated for the job. Second is that interviews enable interviewers to describe the job as well as the organisation in more detail, thus revealing some of the terms of the psychological contract. Third, interviews offer opportunities for applicants to ask questions about the job and clarify issues regarding training, prospects of their career, the organisations and the terms and conditions of employment. Interviews also facilitate face-to-face encounters, which enable the interviewers to assess how the applicant would fit into the organisation. They also give the candidate the same opportunity to assess the organisation, the interviewer as well as the job (Armstrong 2003, p. 422-423). There are several demerits of interviews as a tool of selecting candidates for a job, which makes the method inadequate. To begin with, Needle (2010, p. 479) notes that research suggests that interviewers are often biased, that unfavourable detail is given greater consideration than favourable, that decisions tend to be made based on first impressions, and that interviewers tend to have a poor recall of the candidates. Armstrong (2003, p. 423) contends that interviews can lack validity as a method of making sound predictions of performance; and lack reliability in terms of measuring the same things for different job applicants. Further interviews depend on the skill of the interviewer, but many people are not efficient at interviewing; although most believe that they are good at it. Armstrong also suggests that interviews do not necessarily assess competence in meeting the demands of the particular job; and that they can lead to biased and subjective judgements by the interviewer. Although interview biases can be removed by approaches such as interviewer training and use of a structured approach that focuses on the behaviours and competences required for successful performance (Needle 2010, p. 479; Armstrong 2003, p. 423), it is evident that some biases inherent among the interviewers may not be completely eliminated. The final aspect of traditional recruitment practices is the use of references. The selection team can make contacts with previous employers, teachers and so on of the candidates to verify the details given by the applicants and clarify any other issues that they have identified about them (Cook 2009, p. 94). The disadvantage of relying on referees was mentioned in the introduction section of this essay. Notably, the information given by the referee is just an opinion and may not reflect the true traits of the candidate in question. This means that relying on referees alone may lead to selecting the wrong candidates. Use of online recruitment and selection and tests Some of the approaches that can be used to seal the loopholes associated with the “classic trio” include online recruitment and the use of psychometric tests. A study conducted by Branine (2008, p. 497) in the UK revealed that all employers, irrespective of the size of organisation or type of operations, tend to use more sophisticated, objective and less costly methods of recruitment. In addition, the process of recruiting and selecting graduates in the UK has become more person-related and job-focused since many employers are more interested in the attitudes, personality traits and transferable skills than the type or level of qualification acquired (Branine 2008, p. 497). With this in mind, it can be noted that relying on application forms and interviews alone would leave out a substantial pool of talent that a recruiting organisation would otherwise have got. Since the 1990s, the Internet has gained wide usage in recruitment and selection – especially graduate recruitment – as more employers use the Internet for advertising vacancies, receiving applications online and even offering tests (Branine 2008, p. 500). Organisations can significantly reduce the costs and delays associated with the traditional methods of recruitment and selection by using online tools such as job boards (for instance Monster.com) or their own websites (Lievens & Chapman 2009, p. 136; Suvankulov 2010, p. 2, 11). The benefits of online recruitment and selection include the fact that organisations can use media content that is substantially richer, encompassing photos, graphics, video and interactive text. There is also a potential for the immediate customising of recruiting information to target the needs of prospective candidates. For instance, after filling in a needs questionnaire online, a potential candidate could be offered targeted information about the organisation, its benefits, programmes, and the opportunities that touch on their individual needs. According to Dineen et al. (2007, cited by Lievens & Chapman 2009, p. 136), customised information about possible fit (combined with good web aesthetics) reduced viewing time and recall of low-fitting applicants, implying a means to avoid such candidates being attracted to the organisation. Another selection tool that can be used online is the use of psychometric testing. According to Cripps and Spry (2007, p. 118), online psychometric testing is proving to be a very popular choice for assessing individuals and nowadays tends to be preferred to paper testing. The Internet and other related technological applications have received acceptance from both private and public companies, including governmental agencies, and this is making them to rethink conventional personnel selection processes and recruiting methods (Piotrowski & Armstrong 2006, p. 490). In particular, online psychometric testing is popular among multinational corporations since they search for talent across different countries. For such organisations, tests can be completed over the Internet and this makes online testing a practical benefit. Additionally, many tests are now accessible in many languages (such the Expert Testing Systems adopted by Thomas International – which is available in over 50 languages) (Cripps & Spry 2007, p. 118). This means that such tests can be administered across different cultures and continents. One of the disadvantages of online recruitment is the possibility of having too many applications since the Internet attracts applicants across different areas. The high number of applications can inflict considerable cost on the organisation (Lievens & Chapman 2009, p. 136). But this can be dealt with by use of effective filtering software or services that can be sensitive to well-defined criteria pertaining to the candidates who may match the job profile (McGraw 2010, p. 215). As regards online psychometric testing, there is the risk of a person using a third party to do the test and the obscurity of some tests. For instance, if a person scores highly in personality dimension called leadership, this does not necessarily mean that she or he actually possesses a high level of leadership traits. Rather, it means that the person has the basic personality features that are commonly found among effective leaders, and therefore, with sufficient experience and development of the necessary skills, he or she can become an effective leader. Unfortunately, scores on such tests tend to imply that the person has all the required skills and already has the capacity to perform at a high level in the areas being tested. This example thus shows that psychometric tests are not able to measure the entire candidate and should therefore be used together with other appraisal tools such as interviews. Conclusion Based on the discussion, it is evident that each method of recruitment and selection has advantages and disadvantages, and as such, different tools need to be used in combination. In particular, the “classic trio” of application form, interviews and reference needs to be supported because of the time and cost constraints of using these tools and the fact that referees only give their opinion of candidates. In spite of some of their weaknesses, newer methods of recruitment and selection such as online recruitment and use of psychometric testing provide a quick and faster way of assessing candidates. These methods are particularly important for large organisations which search for talent from diverse cultures and territories. Therefore, organisations can no longer rely on the “classic trio” to select the best candidates for their HR needs. References Emerald 2011, ‘Recruitment reforms put talent on stream at River Island: Technology transforms the hiring processes’, Human Resource Management International Digest, Vol. 19, Iss: 7 pp. 24 – 26. Armstrong, M 2003, A handbook of human resource management practice: Fully updated to reflect current thinking, practice and research, 9th edn, Kogan Page Publishers, London. Needle, D 2010, Business in context: An introduction to business and its environment, 5th edn, Cengage Learning, London. Cook, M 2009, Personnel selection: Adding value through people, 5th edn, John Wiley & Sons, Chichester. Branine, M 2008, ‘Graduate recruitment and selection in the UK: A study of the recent changes in methods and expectations’, Career Development International, Vol. 13, No. 6, pp. 497-513. Lievens, F & Chapman, D 2009, ‘Recruitment and selection’ In Wilkinson, A, Bacon, N, Redman, T & Snell, S (eds), The Sage handbook of human resource management, Sage Publications Ltd, London, Chapter 9, pp. 135-154. Suvankulov, F 2010, ‘Job search on the Internet, e-recruitment, and labour market outcomes’, Pardee Rand Graduate School, viewed 08 December 2012 Cripps, B & Spry, D 2007, Psychometric testing pocketbook, Pocketbooks, London. Piotrowski, C & Armstrong, T 2006, ‘Current recruitment and selection practices: A national survey of fortune 1000 firms’, North American Journal of Psychology, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 489-496. McGraw, P 2010, ‘Recruitment and selection’, In CCH Australia, Australian master human resources guide, 8th edn, CCH Australia Limited, New South Wales. Dale, M 2003, A manager's guide to recruitment & selection, 2nd edn, Kogan Page Publishers, London. Cushway, B 2012, The employer's handbook 2012-13: an essential guide to employment law, personnel policies and procedures, 9th edn, Kogan Page Publishers, London. Mathis, R L & Jackson, J H 2008, Human resource management: Essential perspectives, 5th edn, Cengage Learning, London. Read More