Selection

Selection Methods

When people would apply for the Plaice chip shop in Tring, Hertfordshire, there were three particular stages to the selection process.
As it was mostly first time workers applying from the local sixth form, they would ask for teacher references, as well as references from extracurricular activities to check commitment levels and how the employee fitted in amongst groups. This was a good way to find out if the applicants had any bad history, but there is also a risk that the reference may give a biased interpretation of them.
The interview would be mostly the managers explaining the roles expected of the new employees, and telling them what benefits to expect. The applicant would then have a fuller understanding of the job details, however this does not allow for negotiation or establishing any recognisable interests between employer and employee.
The employee is then invited to a practice shift, where they experienced the job with role play, lead by more experienced employees. At the end of the shift the potential employee could agree to remain in the organisation, or decide it’s not for them before a commitment has been made, which is a good opportunity for the applicant. Although the employer could have potentially wasted their time, they may actually be reducing staff turnover by offering this pre employment experience.


A Successful Interview

In the summer of 2007, I was interviewed for employment with ABC Costume Hire in Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire. It was an effective interview, because there were two people interviewing, making the interview feel fairer, as there would be less bias from first impressions.
The two bosses introduced themselves, so that it was known and understood what roles they played, and the working relationships that should be expected.
They began with easy questions, such as asking how I found out about the job role.
The fact that there were interests, such as performing arts, and friends of the company in common was important, because it encouraged the employer to seem interested in the discussion.
There was good body language from the employer, as they sat on the counter throughout the interview. It made the environment feel very relaxed.


Opinions on Personality Testing

When interviewing a family member on the subject of personality tests, they had the following opinions.
Personality tests are advantageous because they are predictive of what to expect from an individual's job performance, and help decipher whether or not they are a suitable fit for the organisation.
If a potential employee is a poor performer, has a dangerous personality, or is inappropriate for the organisation, this will show in the personality test.
In some ways the tests can be better than interviews or reference checks, because these more traditional methods can often be subjective and influenced by bias.


Improving the Selection Process

When testing the abilities of potential employees, the pub The Whiteleaf Cross in Princes Risborough, Buckinghamshire will do a training shift with the new employee to see if they can cope under pressure from customers.
However, as discovered from experience with other employees, some can often loose commitment, and become slack or tardy.
The pub ought to make more effort to investigate a new employee’s previous experience by contacting references, and finding out what previous employers think of them before inviting them into the organisation.


Conclusion

There are many processes which can be used during selection, none of which are compulsory. All processes harbour their own pros and cons, and therefore it depends on the organisation or job roles which processes are used.
Their predictive validity is rarely 100% effective, and so the more processes that are used on applicants, the more supported the employer’s decision about whether or not to employ them.