Role of Recruitment in the Selection Process
Job Analysis
HR Planning
(e.g., Job requirements,
KSAs
(e.g., # job openings, time
frame)
Job Description
(e.g., job duties, benefits,
applicant qualifications)
Recruitment
(e.g, methods, processing
of applicants)
Selection
(e.g., assessment of KSAs
~ Attracting Applicants ~
Recruitment Objectives & Strategy
• How many applicants does the company need to
attract for each position?
• What KSAs do applicants need to possess?
• What diversity (e.g., demographic, viewpoints) is
desired?
• When should the positions be filled (timeframe)?
• What financial limitations exist (cost issue)
Yield Pyramid
Hires
5
Selection Ratio:
# Openings/Hires
Offers
10
Interviews
40
Invites
60
# Applicants
Lower # is better for
organizations:
1 opening
_________
100 applicants
Applicants
240
Adapted from R.H. Hawk, The Recruitment Function (New York: American Management
Association, 1967).
Attracting Applicants -- Recruitment
Sources/Techniques (See pg. 164 for longer list of recruitment sources)
• Newspaper advertising (quick, relatively inexpensive)
• Trade publications (focused audience)
In-House Pros:
• Quicker
• Cheaper
• Know person’s qualifications
• The applicant knows the
company (e.g., people, systems,
resources)
• In-house referrals (What are the pros and cons of this approach)?
• On-site interviews (e.g., college campuses)
• Executive search firms
In-House Cons:
• Less diversity (demographics,
ideas)
• Potential interpersonal
conflict (now a coworkers boss)
• Need to fill an opening
• Web sources (e.g., LinkedIn, Monster.com, Company web page) &
Social Media (e.g., links on Twitter, Facebook)
Issue Affecting Recruitment (Applicant Interest)
• Labor market (e.g., unemployment rate)
• Affirmative Action stance
• Role of minority representation in job advertisements
(attractiveness and compatibility perceptions)
• Affirmative action policy vs. broad AA statement
Medtronic example
• Use of minority testimonials
UWF is an Equal Opportunity/Access/Affirmative Action Employer and applications from women and
minorities are especially encouraged.
Issue Affecting Recruitment/Applicant Interest (cont.)
• Attractiveness
of the organization
• Image/reputation (e.g., Apple, Google, Starbucks, GE, Johnson & Johnson)
• Familiarity and product awareness
• Company size and longevity
• Financial stability (profit), pay and benefits (e.g., child care, flextime,
work/life balance program)
• Location
• Social factors/relationships (perceived fairness, climate, likeability of
organizational members)
Recruitment Content (Message)
Content of the job advertisement --• Amount of information required of applicants
• Detail regarding job duties/requirements
• Description of organization (e.g., mission, core
values)
• Minority representation and AA policy
• Positive and realistic description of jobs (RJPs)
Should job salary be included in the advertisement?
Teaching Application Material Example
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Letter of intent
Research Philosophy/Statement
Teaching Philosophy/Statement
Student (teaching) evaluations
Copies of published articles
Letter of recommendation (3)
Resume
Transcript
Realistic Job Preview Effects
PERCEPTION OF HONESTY
AND CARING
RJP
VACCINATION OF
EXPECTATIONS
ROLE
CLARITY
COPING MECHANISMS
DEVELOP FOR
NEW JOBS
SELF SELECTION
INTERNAL
FOCUS OF
CONTROL
COMMITMENT TO CHOICE
OF ORGANIZATION
NEEDS ARE
MATCHED TO
ORGANIZATIONAL
CLIMATE
JOB SATISFACTION
JOB
PERFORMANCE
VOLUNTARY TURNOVER
INVOLUNTARY
TURNOVER
TENURE IN THE
ORGANIZATION
Realistic Job Preview!!!
Men wanted for hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete
darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.
~ Ernest Shackleton's advertisement for 1914 Trans-Antarctic Expedition
Maintaining Applicant Interest (after applying for position)
• Administration of recruitment process
• Communication and treatment by organization (e.g., professional,
quality of social exchange process)
• Type of information provided (e.g., job opportunities, organization
characteristics)
• Applicant reactions to recruitment process (e.g. perceived fairness)
* Key role of perceived fit:
• Person-Job Fit
• Person-Organization Fit
• Person-Supervisor Fit
• Person-Work Group Fit
Effect on employee
self-selection
Other Recruitment Issues
Recruiter Characteristics --• Demographics (e.g., gender, race, age)
• Functional job area (similarity to job being recruited; role of knowledge)
• Training (e.g., rapport building)
• Personality (e.g., warmth, enthusiasm, supportive, personableness)
Doverspike, Taylor, Shultz, and McKay (2000) " ... organizations should deploy minorities as recruiters,
particularly in settings where minorities are prevalent. ... The presence of successful minority employees sends a
signal to applicants that the organization is committed to diversifying its workforce, that potential role models
exist, and that minorities have a strong likelihood of success" (p. 452).
Post-Offer Closure
(Factors affecting applicant acceptance of offers)
Administration of Recruitment --• Promptness of follow-up contact (short timeframe is best, especially with
high quality applicants). Better perceptions of organization and higher
percent of acceptances
Some Key Post Offer Factors for Accepting Offers
• Work Itself
• Organizational Culture
• Location
• Opportunity for Advancement
• Pay
• Type of Industry
Other Notable Factors:
• Treatment by company
• Interaction with employees
• Quality of site visit (e.g.,
organization of trip, hotel,
spouse allowed)
• Timeframe for feedback/decision
Organizational Emphasis on Recruitment
• Money and time spent on recruiting by HR = 16%
• Evaluation of recruitment effectiveness (often limited to criteria such
as meeting deadlines)
• Extent of recruiter training (most not trained; less than half of
organizations used formal, standardized training programs)
Source: Rynes, S. L., & Boudreau, J. W. (1986). College recruiting in large organizations:
Practice, evaluation, and research implications. Personnel Psychology, 39, 729-757.
Metrics for Evaluating Recruitment Effectiveness
• Employee job performance
• New employee turnover
• Supervisor satisfaction with new employees
• New employee performance in training
• Cost per hire
Some Recruitment Recommendations
• Carefully consider the sometimes competing objectives of attracting
vs. selecting job seekers
• Identify specific objectives of a recruitment program
• Formulate a specific strategy for accomplishing recruitment program
objectives
• Ensure that recruitment screens reflect the desired job-related
characteristics of job candidates
• Use targeted recruitment to identify underrepresented protected
groups
• Develop a recruitment Web site that is attractive, easy to navigate,
and easy to use for submitting application materials
Recruitment Recommendations (cont.)
• Incorporate color, pictures, audio, and video on a recruitment
web site; all narrative content on the site should be well written in
an engaging style; all materials (including pictures and themes
presented) must accurately reflect the true nature of the
organization
• Consider using resume screening and applicant tracking
software to manage the number of resumes that must be
individually reviewed and applicant contacts that must be made
• Evaluate an organization’s image being communicated by
recruitment and related media to insure that image is the desired
organizational “brand”
Recruitment Recommendations (cont.)
• Consider using recruitment web sites
 Encourage referrals of potential applicants from employees
 Select recruiters on characteristics associated with dealing
with people
 Using technology to aid in recruiting is an asset. But, use
more personal means of communications to applicants who
are particularly desirable and stay in touch with them
throughout the recruitment process
 Use realistic job previews (RJPs)
 Use metrics and other measures to evaluate recruitment
programs and associated activities to identify “what works”
Orientation Principles
•
First impressions need to be managed well (1st day and initial few
months). A poor first impression can last a long time (e.g., many, many
years)
•
Show new workers how their job is important to the overall goals of
the organization (need to communicate organizational values and culture)
•
Sequence information that is provided to new employees (e.g., how
things are done, key personnel, processes, equipment, terms) --- do not
provide everything at once
•
New employee orientation should be the responsibility of the new
hire’s immediate supervisor
•
Attend to the needs of the new hire’s significant other and children (if
applicable)