Running head: RECRUITMENT & SELECTION
Assessment Techniques during Recruitment & Selection: Entry 3b, Educational
April Tuggle
McDaniel College
March 20, 2015
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Assessment Techniques: Recruitment & Selection
Recruitment and selection has become a primary function of human resources at many
organizations. In order to properly place people in open positions it is necessary to be able to
fairly assess applicants and how they best fit the organization. The artifact chosen to exemplify
the assessment of applicants is the analysis of the case study, “Recruitment of a Star” which
details the recruitment and selection process of a Senior Semi-Conductor Analyst (2006, Baylog,
Groysberg, & Haimson). Therefore, this will be classified as an educational entry, and fulfill the
third objective of using various assessment techniques to inform decisions about individuals and
organizations. The artifact not only details the response of Stephen Connor the recruiter, but my
assessment of the candidates as well.
At the investment banking firm RSH, the company prided itself on fostering a team
environment in what could be a highly autonomous work environment (Balog & Haimson,
2006). When one of their star Senior Semi-Conductor Analysts abruptly tenured his resignation –
the man responsible for finding a replacement, Stephen Connor panicked (Balog & Haimson,
2006). RSH experienced fairly low turnover so succession planning was not seen as a top
priority. However, this should be a priority for all organizations because even though you may
have loyal employees, it does not mean they are guaranteed for life. All organizations should
engage in workforce planning to ensure its success. Workforce planning is “the process an
organization uses to analyze its workforce and determine the steps it must take to prepare for
future staffing needs” (SHRM, 2011). In order for workforce planning to be successful it must
have buy in from executives, unfortunately RSH executives did not see value in workforce
planning, which led to panic whenever a benchmark employee left.
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There are many approaches to recruiting and selecting employees, in this case I would
have recommended RSH using a more competency based approach to their search. RSH used an
outside recruiter to track down “Stars” in the investment banking semi-conductor industry (Balog
& Haimson, 2006). It would have been beneficial to consult human resources before proceeding
with his search because Stephen Connor’s approach clearly lacked an understanding of the
recruitment and selection process.
Stephen Connor’s approach once a candidate was selected by the recruiter was haphazard
at best. He would usually meet with them at a restaurant and asked them whatever questions he
wanted (Balog & Haimson, 2006). His questions with each interviewee were different, he did not
have a specific format, or a series of questions that each interview answered, which makes it
difficult to compare candidates objectively. He was also the sole interviewer, he only sought the
opinions of other employees when he gave the candidate a tour of the workplace and then used a
word of mouth to find out what people thought of the candidates (Balog & Haimson, 2006).
Inconsistency and subjectivity were both major issues in this recruitment and selection process.
Specifically, when Stephen Connor did not interview an internal employee who was filling in for
the vacant position, but said he would consider her for the position (Balog & Haimson, 2006). In
order to accurately assess all applicants it is necessary to fairly evaluate each candidate with the
same techniques.
According to Heneman, Judge, Kaymmeyer-Mueller competency based approach is more
recent in origin (2012, p. 147). The competency based approach “attempts to identify and
describe job requirements in the form of general knowledge, skills, and abilities required across a
range of jobs” (Heneman et al., 2012, p. 147). In other words soft skills may be of more
importance than hard skills, in that most hard skills can be learned. According to Katz there are a
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number of benefits from using competency based selection strategies (2015). These benefits
includes using a competency based question bank again and again, favoring diversity, and
identifying transferable skills for new hires and existing employees (Katz, 2015). The
competency based approach favors diversity because it is based on behavior, “it can ensure that
people of all ages and backgrounds receive consideration, regardless of the length of their formal
experience or other factors” (Kats, 2015). This can be further ensured by appointing diverse
panels, rather than having one on one interviews (Katz, 2015).
Although Stephen Connor’s interview tactics were inconsistent and subjective, there was
valuable information provided in the case study. As a part of the assignment I was required to
identify my top candidate after ranking each individual on the required qualifications. Of course,
it would have been much easier to objectively identify the top candidate if they had all been
asked the same series of competency based questions. After consideration, I suggested David
Hughes, a professional with 30 years of experience for the senior semi-conductor position, not
only for his years of experience and proven performance at other organizations, but his
willingness to teach others his life’s work (Balog & Haimson, 2006). David Hughes was willing
to be part of the team to ensure the success of the organization in the future by sharing his wealth
of knowledge and experience.
The first mistake Stephen Connor made was his lack of collaboration with human
resources. Even, if he did decide to use a recruiter, he still should have sought the advice of
human resources for the selection process, if just for liability reasons. Human resources should
function as the first place for guidance when hiring employees. By evaluating this case study it
has enabled me to be more successful in my current position. I have served on multiple search
committees for vacant Institutional Advancement positions, and workforce planning could have
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prevented some of the panic surrounding retiring employees. My evaluation of this case study
taught me to not only hire for skills, but for soft skills, as well as the person’s ability to fit well
into the organization’s culture and strategic vision. Ultimately, this case study taught me many
skills to utilize during the recruitment and selection process as a future Human Resources
professional. This proves my mastery of objective three because by understanding and
implementing a competency based strategy; organization’s can use techniques to accurately
assess applicants and make decisions about individuals and the organization.
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References
Balog, S., Groysberg, G., & Haimson, J. (2006). Recruitment of a star. Harvard Business
School, Case Number 407036-PDF-ENG. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School
Publishing.
Heneman, H., Judge, T. & Kammeyer-Mueller, J. (2012). Staffing Organizations (7th ed.).
Middleton, WI: McGraw-Hill Irwin.
Katz, L. (2015, March 1). Competencies hold the key to better hiring. HR Magazine. Retrieved
from:http://www.shrm.org/publications/hrmagazine/editorialcontent/2015/0315/pages/03
15-competencies-hiring.aspx
SHRM (2011, October 21). Workforce planning. Retrieved from: http://www.shrm.org/india/hrtopics-and-strategy/talent-acquisition-and-people-flows/talentplanning/pages/workforce%20planning.aspx