Recruitment, Retention, Selection Development and Retention of Personnel Educ 567 Summer 2009 Thomas DiPaola, Ph.D.

Recruitment identifying appropriate sources personnel and attracting applicants to apply for employment Selection is the process by which employers choose the most suitable applicant for a vacancy Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment and Selection Process Typically, a job description is written, stating the purpose of the job and the tasks, duties, and responsibilities it entails. Typically, a job description is written, stating the purpose of the job and the tasks, duties, and responsibilities it entails.job descriptionjob description This enables a personnel specification to be created, listing the qualifications, experience, and personal attributes that will be required in the successful candidate This enables a personnel specification to be created, listing the qualifications, experience, and personal attributes that will be required in the successful candidatepersonnel specificationpersonnel specification

KSAOs KSAOs Abbreviation for: knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics: Abbreviation for: knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics: attributes of an employee or job applicant that are assessed for selection and employment decisions Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment and selection practices are governed and influenced by law and regulation. In general there are three forms of discrimination that are against the law: DirectIndirectVictimization The Legal Context

Key Statutory and Regulatory Provisions

A key is to align performance within roles with the strategy, so recruiting for the ‘right’ people for a role depends on how it is defined in terms relating to performance to achieve the strategy. Begin with district vision and mission and ALL positions are aligned to perform within that context. A key is to align performance within roles with the strategy, so recruiting for the ‘right’ people for a role depends on how it is defined in terms relating to performance to achieve the strategy. Begin with district vision and mission and ALL positions are aligned to perform within that context. Competencies are criterion-related behaviors or standards of performance. Competencies are criterion-related behaviors or standards of performance. Competencies can be used to describe the behaviors needed at work to achieve the district or school goals and objectives, and enable the organization to define a model of the kinds of employee it wishes to attract. Competencies can be used to describe the behaviors needed at work to achieve the district or school goals and objectives, and enable the organization to define a model of the kinds of employee it wishes to attract. Recruitment and Attraction

The main approaches to attracting applicants can be summarized as follows: Make your district or school a place where people want to work Walk-ins Walk-ins Employee referrals Employee referrals Advertising Advertising Websites Websites Professional associations Professional associations Educational associations Educational associations Professional agencies Professional agencies E-recruitment (general recruitment agents/ companies’ own sites) E-recruitment (general recruitment agents/ companies’ own sites) Word-of-mouth Word-of-mouth Recruitment and Attraction

An organization will take account of a number of factors when forming its recruitment plans and choice of media. These might include: Cost Cost Time taken to recruit and select Time taken to recruit and select Labor market focus, for example: skills, profession or occupation Labor market focus, for example: skills, profession or occupation Mobility of labor – geographic and occupational Mobility of labor – geographic and occupational Legislation on sex discrimination, race discrimination and disability Legislation on sex discrimination, race discrimination and disability Recruitment and Attraction

Job Specification

Personnel specifications versus competencies Personnel specifications may contain stereotypes of the ‘ideal’ person and so organizations may be reinforcing the stereotype in their recruitment practices. Personnel specifications may contain stereotypes of the ‘ideal’ person and so organizations may be reinforcing the stereotype in their recruitment practices. The use of competencies allows organizations to free themselves from traditional stereotypes in order to attract applicants from a variety of sources. The use of competencies allows organizations to free themselves from traditional stereotypes in order to attract applicants from a variety of sources. Competencies appear to be more objective, have a variety of uses in attracting applicants and allow an organization to use more reliable and valid selection techniques. Competencies appear to be more objective, have a variety of uses in attracting applicants and allow an organization to use more reliable and valid selection techniques. Recruitment and Attraction

Organizations have become increasingly aware of making good selection decisions, since it involves a number of costs: The cost of the selection process itself, including the use of various selection instruments The cost of the selection process itself, including the use of various selection instruments The future costs of inducting and training new staff The future costs of inducting and training new staff The cost of labour turnover if the selected staff are not retained The cost of labour turnover if the selected staff are not retained Selection: Costs

Underlying the process of selection and the choice of techniques are two key principles: 1. Individual differences: Attracting a wide choice of applicants will be of little use unless there is a way of measuring how people differ, i.e. intelligence, attitudes, social skills, psychological and physical characteristics, experience etc. 2. Prediction: A recognition of the way in which people differ must be extended to a prediction of performance in the workplace. Selection: Principles

Reliability and Validity Issues Reliability refers to the extent to which a selection technique achieves consistency in what it is measuring over repeated use. Validity refers to the extent to which a selection technique actually measures what it sets out to measure. Selection

Information elicited – interviews have a specific focus, i.e. facts, subjective information, underlying attitudes. Information elicited – interviews have a specific focus, i.e. facts, subjective information, underlying attitudes. Structure – ranging from the completely structured to the unstructured. A compromise between the two enables the interviewer to maintain control yet allowing the interviewee free expression. Structure – ranging from the completely structured to the unstructured. A compromise between the two enables the interviewer to maintain control yet allowing the interviewee free expression. Order and involvement – the need to obtain different kinds of information may mean the involvement of more than one interviewer. Applicants may be interviewed serially or in a panel. Order and involvement – the need to obtain different kinds of information may mean the involvement of more than one interviewer. Applicants may be interviewed serially or in a panel. Selection Interviews

Selection

Selection

Personality research has lent support to the use of sophisticated selection techniques such as psychometric tests that have a good record of reliability and validity. Ability tests: these focus on mental abilities (verbal/numerical) and physical skills testing. Right/wrong answers allow applicants to be placed in ranked order. Ability tests: these focus on mental abilities (verbal/numerical) and physical skills testing. Right/wrong answers allow applicants to be placed in ranked order. Inventories: self-report questionnaires indicating traits, intelligence, values, interests, attitudes and preferences. No right/wrong answers but a range of choices between possible answers. Inventories: self-report questionnaires indicating traits, intelligence, values, interests, attitudes and preferences. No right/wrong answers but a range of choices between possible answers. Psychometric Testing

On-line testing, or e-assessment, is also used for selection and other HR purposes. Benefits: Online testing enables organizations to test at any time and anywhere in the world. It enables the quick processing of applicants. Drawback: Loss of control over the administration of the tests – anyone can be called on to help E-assessment

Assessment centres are designed to yield information that can be used to make decisions concerning suitability for a job. Assessment centres are designed to yield information that can be used to make decisions concerning suitability for a job. They provide a fuller picture by combining a range of techniques. They provide a fuller picture by combining a range of techniques. General methods used include group discussions, role plays and simulations, interviews and tests. General methods used include group discussions, role plays and simulations, interviews and tests. Candidates attending an assessment centre will be observed by assessors who should be trained to judge candidates’ performance against criteria contained within the competency framework. Candidates attending an assessment centre will be observed by assessors who should be trained to judge candidates’ performance against criteria contained within the competency framework. Assessment Centres

Applicants have expectations about how the organization will treat them. Recruitment and selection represent an opportunity to clarify these. Realistic job previews (RJPs) provide a means of achieving this. RJPs can take the form of case studies, shadowing, job sampling and videos – this enables the expectations of applicants to become more realistic. RJPs: lower initial expectations, cause some applicants to de- select themselves, increase levels of organization commitment, job satisfaction, performance and job survival. Realistic Job Previews