Employee Selection: Recruiting and Interviewing

Recruitment

  • Refers to organizational activities and practices aimed at attracting new hires.

Recruitment Process

  • Generating Applicants: Attracting potential candidates.
  • Maintaining Status: Keeping applicants interested during the screening process.
  • Closing the Deal: Persuading attractive applicants to accept job offers.

Generating Applicants

  • Requires strategic decisions on where to search for applicants and how to communicate with them.
  • Recruiting Sources:
    • Formal Sources: Third-party intermediaries like employment agencies or college placement offices.
    • Informal Sources: Direct contact between the employer and potential employee (e.g., direct applications, referrals).
  • Early Recruitment Communications:
    • Organizations must communicate effectively to persuade potential applicants to apply.
    • Recruitment materials should be informative, distinctive, and vivid.

Design of Materials

  • Applicants are drawn to firms providing informative recruitment materials.

Internet Recruitment

  • Applicants prefer websites offering useful information and easy navigation.

Organizational Image

  • General impressions are formed through corporate advertising, media depiction, personal experiences, and other factors.

Maintaining Status

  • The goal is to keep applicants interested while the screening process unfolds.

Recruiters

  • Initial interviews serve as selection devices and recruitment opportunities.

Applicant Reaction to Selection Devices

  • The selection process influences how applicants perceive the organization and their willingness to accept a job offer.
  • Rationales for Applicant Reactions:
    1. Privacy Concerns
    2. Desire for and perceptions of justice

Realistic Communications

  • Use realistic job previews (RJPs) to provide a balanced view of the job, including positive and negative aspects.
  • Met-Expectations Theory: Realistic information prevents inflated expectations and reduces disappointment.
  • Ability-to-Cope Perspective: Advance notice of negative aspects allows applicants to develop coping strategies.
  • RJPs can create an atmosphere of honesty appreciated by applicants.
  • Self-selection: Candidates can remove themselves if they react negatively to unattractive job aspects.

Closing the Deal: Influencing Job Choice

  • Organizations must persuade their most attractive applicants to join.
  • Research focuses on applicants' decision-making processes.
  • Significant debates concern which job and organizational attributes lead to positive job choice outcomes.

Methods of Assessing Attribute Preference:

  1. Direct Estimation: Applicants rate or rank the importance of job attributes (e.g., high pay, advancement).
  2. Policy Capturing: Applicants rate the attractiveness of job descriptions with systematically varied attribute levels.

Job Choice: Process Issues

  • Expectancy Perspective: Applicants estimate the probability of obtaining certain outcomes, weigh them by attractiveness, and choose the job with the highest total weighted attribute score.

How to Construct a Valid, Structured Interview

  • Structured interviews are almost twice as effective as unstructured ones.
  • Employ a systematic approach to objectively measure candidates’ competencies.
  • Transform informal discussions into reliable, structured processes.

Key Features of a Structured Interview

  • Predetermined questions asked in the same order to all candidates.
  • Questions correlated to job competencies from a detailed job description.
  • Standardized scoring system with a range of acceptable answers.

Steps to Construct a Structured Interview

  1. Job Analysis:
    • Helps develop job ads, interview questions, and salary ranges.
  2. Define Requirements:
    • Provide a full definition for each requirement.
  3. Develop Lead and Probing Questions:
    • Develop interview questions carefully, ideally with expert help.
    • Use both situational and behavioral questions related to the job.
    • Predetermine probing questions to clarify and gain more information.
  4. Determine Grading Scale:
    • Use a scoring system to ensure objective decisions.
    • Choose a scale (e.g., five or seven points) and define the scoring levels accurately.
  5. Conduct the Interview:
    • Provide a guide for hiring managers to follow the process.
    • Maintain a friendly and respectful demeanor, avoiding actions that put off candidates.

General Guidelines for Writing Interview Questions

  • Use real-life situations.
  • Be clear and concise.
  • Avoid jargon.
  • Ensure questions can’t be answered with a simple ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
  • Avoid questions that point to a right answer.
  • Avoid excessive detail.
  • Don’t assess non-job-related factors (especially protected characteristics).

Types of Questions

  • Close-ended questions: Seek specific information and may require choosing from a list of alternatives.
  • Open-ended questions: Allow for a variety of answers.
  • A structured interview ensures each interviewee receives the same questions.

Advantages of Structured Interviews

  • Easy to conduct.
  • Can be checked for consistency.
  • Expands the line of questioning.
  • Questions can be rephrased for clarity.
  • Reliable and objective.
  • Examines understanding level.
  • Powerful form of assessment.
  • Gathers detailed information.

Disadvantages of Structured Interviews

  • Limited rapport.
  • Limited assessments and potential tension.
  • Can feel intimidating.
  • Internal disconnect.
  • Inability to alter questions.
  • Lack of communication testing.
  • Intense process.
  • Cannot explore people’s reasons in depth.

Advantages of Unstructured Interviews

  • Better understanding of a candidate.
  • Flexible and comfortable.
  • Practical for analyzing candidates.
  • Valid and interactive.
  • Creates a positive impression of the organization.

Disadvantages of Unstructured Interviews

  • May divert from the interview's purpose.
  • Not suitable for all candidates.
  • Time-consuming.
  • Risk of discussing confidential matters.
  • Potential for negative opinions about the organization.

How to Perform Well When Being Interviewed

  • Be confident from the start.
  • Maintain eye contact.
  • Avoid talking too much or being too familiar.
  • Use appropriate language.
  • Dress appropriately for the job or company.
  • Practice good nonverbal communication.
  • Avoid touching your face.
  • Smile and be poised.

Interview Tips

  • Research the company and position.
  • Prepare answers to common interview questions.
  • Prepare success stories.
  • Prepare questions to ask the interviewer.
  • See the interview as an examination.

How to Write a Cover Letter and Resume

What is a Cover Letter?

  • A document providing additional information on skills and experience alongside a resume.
  • Provides detailed reasons for qualifications.
  • May be required in the job posting; including one demonstrates extra effort.

Types of Cover Letters

  • Application Letter: Responds to a known job opening.

  • Prospecting Letter: Inquires about possible positions.

  • Networking Letter: Requests information and assistance in the job search.

  • A cover letter should complement, not duplicate, a resume.

  • It creates a critical first impression.

Things Not to Include in a Cover Letter

  • Personal information about you and your family.
  • Lack of qualifications; focus on matching credentials.
  • Salary expectations (unless requested).
  • Questions about job details, salary, or benefits.
  • Excessive length; keep it concise and focused.

Customize Your Cover Letter

  • Tailor it to each specific position.
  • Include:
    • The job title.
    • How you learned about the job.
    • Why you are qualified (be specific).
    • What you offer the employer.
    • Why you want to work at that company.
    • A thank you for consideration.

Cover Letter Writing Guidelines

  • Header: Include your and the employer's contact information and the date.
  • Your Contact Information:
    • First and Last Name
    • Street Address
    • City, State, Zip
    • Phone
    • Email
  • Salutation: Use “Dr./Mr./Ms. Last Name” or “Dear Hiring Manager.”
  • Introduction: State the job you are applying for, where you heard about it, and briefly mention matching skills.
  • Body: Explain your interest in the job and why you are an excellent candidate, providing specific examples.
  • Closing: Restate your fit, express interest in an interview, explain follow-up plans, and thank the employer.
  • Signature: Use a complimentary close followed by your handwritten or typed name.

Format

  • Format like a professional business letter.
  • Use a simple, easy-to-read font.
  • Use appropriate margins.

Edit and Proofread Your Cover Letter

  • Check for correct employer and company names.
  • Read aloud to catch typos and odd sentences.
  • Double-check spelling.
  • Enlist help for proofreading.

How to Make a Resume

Step 1: Choose From 3 Formats

  • Reverse-Chronological: Traditional format emphasizing career progression.
  • Functional: Focuses on abilities and skills.
  • Combination: Merges aspects of chronological and functional formats.

Step 2: The Order of Information

  • The information included depends on the chosen format.
  • I. Contact Information
    • Name (largest font)
    • Mailing Address
    • Telephone Number
    • Email Address
    • Link to online portfolio (optional)
    • LinkedIn Profile

Choose a Resume Introduction

  • Qualifications Summary: Bullet point list of career achievements.
  • Career Objective: Short statement providing an overview of skills and experience.
  • Professional Profile: Combination of career objective and qualifications summary.

Professional Experience

  • The core of your resume proves the skills listed in the introduction.
  • List relevant work experiences in reverse chronological order.
  • For each company, include the company’s name, city & state, your title, and dates of employment.
  • Use around 3-5 bullet points to describe your main duties and achievements.

3 Parts of a Strong Bullet Point:

  1. Action verb
  2. Quantifiable point
  3. Specific and relevant job duty

Education

  • Display your knowledge and expertise.
  • List:
    • Name of the school
    • Location
    • Date of graduation
    • Degree(s)
    • GPA (if above 3.0)

Additional Sections:

  • Certifications: Include relevant certifications or licenses.
  • Publications: List relevant published articles (for graduate students).
  • Awards/Honor/Activities: Provide evidence of your abilities.
  • Technical Skills: Showcase your knowledge of specific systems.
  • Additional Skills: List relevant skills (e.g., fluency in a second language).

Step 3: How to Style Your Resume

  • Font style and size depend on preference.
  • Dos:
    • Choose easy-to-read fonts
    • Use the same font throughout
    • Vary sizes for name, headers, and bullet points
    • Choose a font that fits with text sizes
  • Don’ts:
    • Use small sizes to fit everything on one page
    • Use unusual fonts
    • Use one uniform text size
  • For sizing, a common format is 24pt (name), 12pt (headers), and 10pt (bullet points).

Fonts

  • Serif fonts are better for paper versions; Sans Serif fonts are better for electronic versions.
  • Serif Fonts: Times New Roman, Georgia
  • San Serif Fonts: Arial, Helvetica

Lines

  • Use lines to break up the resume and improve readability.

Margins

  • One-inch margins are a safe bet.
  • It is acceptable to reduce margins to fit more experience on one page.