Steps in the Selection Process
There is no standard selection process that all organizations can follow; various fields may follow different processes depending upon the size of the company, nature of the business, number of personnel to be employed, government regulations to be followed, etc. Thus, each company follows one or two combinations of methods that are suitable for it.
The selection procedure is not a simple act, but it is essentially a series of methods or stages by which different types of information can be secured through various selection techniques.
The selection process is as follows
1. Job Analysis
Job analysis is the basis for selecting the right candidate. Every organization should finalize the job analysis, i.e., job description and job specification, before proceeding to the next step of selection.
2. Recruitment
It refers to the process of searching for prospective employees & stimulating them to apply for a job in an organization. It is understood as the process of searching for applicants from the right candidate can be selected
3. Application Fomes
The technique of application forms is traditional & it is widely accepted for screening information from prospective candidates. Application forms are also known as application blank they can also be used as a device to screen the candidates at the primary level.
The information generally required in application forms is as follows
a) Personal background
b) Educational Attainment
c) Work Experience
d) Salary
e) References
4. Written Exam
The organization has to conduct written exams for the qualified candidates after they are screened on the basis of an application form, so as to measure the candidate’s ability in mathematical calculation, to know the candidate’s attitude towards job reasoning knowledge in various disciplines like G.K. and English language.
5. Preliminary Interviews
It solicits necessary information from the prospective, which is conducted by an assistant to assess the applicant’s suitability for the job. This kind of interview may be conducted by an assistant in the HR department. The preliminary interview is useful for eliminating undesirable and unsuitable candidates. These interviews are known as stand-up or short interviews.
6. Group Discussion
The technique of GD is used in order to know the suitability of candidates. GD is a method where groups of successful applicants are brought around the conference table & are asked to discuss either a case study or a subject matter. The candidates in a group are required to analyze, discuss & find an alternative solution and select the sound solution. The selection panel observes the candidate in the areas of initiating discussion, explaining problems, debating, or presenting their views
7. Different tests
The next stage in the selection procedure is conducting different tests. Its objective is to solicit further information to assess an employee’s suitability for a specific post. The tests are as follows
a) Aptitude test
This test is to check the mental abilities or intelligence of a candidate. This helps to know whether an individual has the capacity to learn a given job if provided adequate training.
Forms of aptitude test:
- Mental or intelligence tests: These analyze the overall intellectual ability of a person and enable us to know whether the person has the mental ability to deal with certain problems.
- Mechanical aptitude tests: To check the ability of a person to learn a particular type of mechanical work. These tests help to understand the specialized technical knowledge and problem-solving abilities of the candidate.
- Psychomotor or skills tests: which measure a person’s ability to do a specific job. Such tests are conducted in respect of semi-skilled and repetitive jobs such as packing, testing, inspection, etc.
b) Intelligence test:
It helps to evaluate the traits of intelligence. Mental ability, the presence of the mind, numerical ability, memory, and such other aspects can be measured. Intelligence is probably the most widely administered standardized test in the industry. It is used to judge numerical skills, reasoning, memory, and other abilities.
C) Interest Test:
These are conducted to find out the likes and dislikes of candidates towards occupations, hobbies, etc. Such tests indicate which occupations are more in line with a person’s interests. Such tests also enable the company to provide vocational guidance to the selected candidates and even to the existing employees.
d) Personality Test:
The importance of personality to job success is irrefutable. Often, an individual who possesses the intelligence, aptitude, and experience has failed because of an inability to get along with and motivate other people.
e) Perception Test:
At times, perception tests are conducted to understand beliefs, attitudes, and mental sharpness. etc.
8. Medical Examination
The objective of the medical examination is to check whether the candidate is physically fit to do the job. Those candidates who are successful at the interview will ultimately be rejected if they are found physically unfit and placed in jobs that they can handle without damage to their health.
9. Reference Checks
This is a very important parameter in the selection process. No matter how good candidates may appear on paper, and regardless of how impressive they may have been when you interviewed them, no recruiter should ever let the reference checking process slip, and it’s very essential to check the background information of that candidate before final selection.
10. Line manager’s decision
Line managers have the responsibility to conduct the interview and selection in the right way and to positively represent the candidate in front of the company & measure the applicant’s ability to meet the requirements of the current role, and possible future tasks, through a variety of interviewing techniques.
11. Employment
This is the final step in the selection process, where the candidate who is scrutinized in all the above steps is selected and given an offer letter, and now he is considered an employee and part of an organization.