ethics in recruitment and selection

ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

ETHICS IN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION.

Introduction:

Ethics are the principles or standards that guide day-to-day business activities in accordance with established corporate values. Ethical business conduct offers a wide range of organizational integrity, involving strategy, business goals, policies and activities. Among ethical values are trust, respect, honesty, responsibility and the overall pursuit of perfection.

RECRUITMENT: refers to the processes followed by organisations when they wish to attract applicants for vacant or new positions.

SELECTION: follows the recruiting process with the appointment of the most suited applicant to the position.

Ethics in the field of hiring, staffing and recruitment is based on a combination of things and depends on who is actually involved in the hiring process.Certainly the job searcher, hiring manager and recruiter are just three possible people involved in a hiring decision.

ETHICAL ISSUES IN RECRUITING

• Organisations comprise employees who need respect as people.

• Streamlining has lead to downsizing or right-sizing of organisations. Those employees who are left behind often mistrust management and feel insecure about their own jobs.

Job insecurity can result in stress for the employee which increases the likelihood of mistakes being made or accidents occurring

• As organisations become more complex with fewer employees, legislative requirements become crucial to maintain the psychological well-being of employees.

• Legislative requirements include: EEO legislation, Affirmative Action legislation, Worker’s Compensation Acts and Regulations and so on.

• Discriminatory recruitment practices may inhibit the success of women or people from minority backgrounds, but also older applicants.

BY POOJA .C AND RAVINDRA


Code of ethics for employers

Treat all jobseekers equally

No discrimination based on race, origin, religious or political views, gender, age or

sexual orientation Do not request Jobseekers to include their photos in the resume

Rely only on relevant and job-related information when making hiring decisions

Code of ethics for jobseekers

Ensure Resume accuracy

Accept and expect employment history verification

Assume personal responsibility for publishing resume, pictures and other.

DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYEMENT ON THE BASIS OF UTILITY, RIGHTS, AND

JUSTICE.

The arguments mustered against discrimination generally fall into three groups namely

utilitarian, rights, justice.

Utility:

The standard utilitarian argument against racial and sexual discrimination is based on the idea

that a society’s productivity will be optimized to the extent that jobs are awarded on the basis

of competency. Different jobs, the argument goes, require different skills and personality

traits if they are to be carried out in as productive manner as possible. Furthermore, different

people have different skills and personality traits. Consequently, to ensure that jobs are

maximally productive, they must be assigned o those individuals whose skills and personality

traits qualify them as the most competent for the job. Insofar as jobs are assigned to

individuals on basis of other criteria unrelated to competency, productivity must necessarily

decline. Discriminating among job applicants on the basis of race, sex, religion, or other

characteristics unrelated to job performance is necessarily inefficient and, therefore , contrary

to utilitarian principles.



Rights:

Nonutilitarian arguments against racial and sexual discrimination may take the approach that

discrimination is wrong because it violates a person’s basic moral rights.

Kantian theory for example, holds that human beings should be treated as ends and never as

means. At a minimum, this principle means that each individual has moral right to be treated

as a free person equal to any other person and that all individuals have a correlative moral

duty to treat each individual as a free and equal person.

Discriminatory practices violate the principle in two ways. First, discrimination is based on

the belief that one group is inferior to the other groups, that blacks, for example, are less

competent or worthy of respect than men. Racial and sexual discrimination, for instance, may

be based on stereotypes that see minorities as “lazy or “shitless” and see women as

“emotional” and “week” such degrading stereotypes undermine the self esteem of those

groups against whom stereotypes are directed and thereby violate their right to be treated as

equals.

Second discrimination places the member of group that are discriminated against in lower

social and economic position: women and minorities have fewer job opportunities and are

given lower salaries. Again, the right to be treated as a free job and equal person is violated.

Justice :

A second group of nonutilitarian arguments against discrimination view it is as a violation of

the principle of justice. “Social and economic inequalities are to be arranged so that they are

attached to offices and positions open to all under conditions of fair equality of opportunity.

Discriminatory practices

Regardless of the problem inherent in some of the arguments against discrimination, it is

clear that there are strong reasons for holding that discrimination is wrong. It is consequently

understandable that the law has gradually been changed to conform to these moral

requirements and that there has been a growing recognition of the various ways in which



discrimination in employment occurs. Among the practices now widely recognized as

discriminatory are the following.

Recruitment practices

Firms that rely solely on the word-of-mouth referrals of present employes to recruit new

workers tend to recruit only from those racial and sexual groups that are already represented

in their labour force. When a firm’s labour force is composed of only white males, this

recruitment policy will tend to discriminate against minorities and women. Also, when

desirable job positions are only advertised in media that are not used by minorities or women

or are classified as for men only, recruitment will also tend to be discriminatory.\

Screening practice

Job qualification are discriminatory when they are not relevant to the job to be

performed.Aptitude or intelligence tests used to screen applicants become discriminatory

when they serve to disqualify members from minority culture who are unfamiliar with the

language, concepts, and social situations used in the tests but who are in fact fully qualified

for the job.

Job interviews are discriminatory if the interviewer routinely disqualifies women and

minorities by relying on sexual or racial stereotypes. These stereotypes may include

assumptions about the sort of occupations “proper” for women, the sort of work and time

burdens that may fittingly be “imposed’ on women, the ability of women or minority person

to maintain “commitment” to job, the propriety of putting women in “male” environments,

the assumed effects women or minorities would have on employee morale or on customers,

and the extent to which women or minorities are assumed to have personality and aptitude

traits that make them unsuitable for a job. Such generalizations about women or minorities

are not only discriminatory, they are also false.

Promotion practices

Promotion, job progression, and transfer practice are discriminatory when employers place

white males on job tracks separate from those open to women and minorities. Seniority

systems will be discriminatory if past discrimination has eliminated minorities and women



from the higher, more senior positions on the advancement ladder. To rectify the situation,

individuals who have specifically suffered from discrimination in seniority system should be

given their rightful place in the seniority system and provide with whatever training is

necessary for visors, promotion policy will be discriminatory to the extent that supervisory

rely on racial or sexual stereotypes.

Conditions of employment:

Wages and salaries are discriminatory to the extent that equal wages and salaries are not

given to people who are doing essentially the same work. If past discrimination or present

cultural traditions result in some job classification being disproportionately filled with

women or minorities steps should be taken to make their comensation and benefits

comparable to those of other classification.

Discharge:

Firing an employee on the basis of race or sex is a clear form of discrimination. Less balatant

but still discriminatory are layoff policies that rely on a seniority system, in which women

and minorities have the lowest seniority because of past discriminations.

Sexual Harassment

Women, are victims of a particularly troublesome kind od discrimination that is both overt

and coercive: They are subjected to sexual harassment. Although males are also frequent

victims. For all acknowledge frequency, sexual harassment still remains difficult to define

and to police and prevent.in 1978, the Equal Employment opportunity commission published

a set of “guidelines” defining sexual harassment and setting out what, in its view, was

prohibited by the law.in their current form, the guidelines state:

Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favors and other verbal or physical contacts

os sexual nature constitue sexual harassment (1) when submission to such individuals made

either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individuals employement,(submission

to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employement decision

affecting such individual, (3) such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably



interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or

offensive working environment.

How can we promote ethical practices

How can we promote ethical practices within our field and reduce the negative stigma

attached to the 'headhunter'? As there is no policing agency that oversees recruiting practices,

ethics must be self-enforced. Ethical behavior begins with the definition of roles and

responsibilities when interacting with candidates, clients, and other recruiters. One of the

ways in which recruiters can foster an ethical relationship from the outstart is by creating a

mission statement or ethical code that emphasizes key values and guiding ethical practices.

Ensuring that agreements are in writing can resolve complicated issues more quickly, both

protecting your interests and allowing you to be upfront in relationships.

Additionally, it is important to examine what is occurring around you. Detecting and

effectively handling unethical behavior is central to maintaining upstanding business

practices. Although the bulk of this article places ehical responsibility on the recruiter, it is

important to remember that commitments are made from all sides when entering into the

hiring process. Candidates must also grapple with ethical issues, being honest throughout the

process, from interviewing, to selection, to accepting an offer. Misinforming a recruiter to

obtain an interview or cinch the job can place recruiters in compromising positions with

clients. Both parties have a responsibility to maintain ethical standards.

The benefits of ethical practices during each step of the hiring process are numerous.

Recruiters often build their client bases through referrals. Both clients and candidates will

refer business to reliable, high-quality recruiters. Upon placement, candidates have no loyalty

to recruiters and poor practices may quickly become public knowledge. As in other

industries, we all have a responsibility to uphold the reputation of our profession. Our daily

business practices reveal a professional standard against which we all are measured. We

should use this daily opportunity to reflect a positive image.

A brief review of why the selection decision is so difficult and hence why so many

defensive mechanisms are used, will both throw light on the subject and raise the

ethical dimension again. First, the inherent difficulties in the selection decision. Given that

human beings are complex entities, and that all the mental activity that sits behind overt



behaviour is invisible to the observer, finding an objective way of define the capability

available in the candidate is a challenge from the start. Given that organisations are just

groups of (complex) human beings transacting together in a common cause – well, at least

that’s the theory! – then there is a large extension to the level of complexity involved, and the

job of objectively defining what is needed for success in a job is possibly even more

challenging than defining what is available in candidates.

Those two difficulties add up to a serious challenge for the knowledge and skills of the

person making the selection decision - this is the third challenge. There is, however, an

assumption in all of this that needs airing. It is about the objectives to be achieved through the

selection decision. If they are about fit with the culture and style of the business, that would

lead in aparticular direction. If they are about fit with the rest of the management team, the

direction would be different. If they are abut the new manager being able to project the right

image of the company, that would lead to yet another different direction.

If the desire is for someone who will be a good team worker, and a safe pair of hands,the

direction would be different again. If the key is experience of the industry, and especially if

‘good contacts’ are the order of the day, then the direction shifts once more.

If theseis for someone who will be a good team worker, and a safe pair of hands, the direction

would be different again. If the key is experience of the industry, and especially if ‘good

contacts’ are the order of the day, then the direction shifts once more.

If these are the objectives, then there are a lot of tools and techniques out there, to assist with

the decision. They range from the standard selection interview, through aptitude tests, critical

reasoning tests, psychometric inventories, emotional intelligence inventories and even

graphology, all the way through to 'motivation in action' profiles.

The problem is that all of these tools and techniques only make sense if the objectives are as

suggested above. If, however, the objectives are rather more prosaic and useful, then the tools

and techniques noted above make no sense whatsoever. If there are selection objectives that

are grounded in reality, they will be all about whether or not the new manager will be able to

perform adequately in the job – the performance objective.



Will this person deliver the business results that are needed? Both in output terms and in

terms of the resources consumed on the way? Implicit in all this is the need to motivate and

carry people through the achievement of the business objectives, coping with complexity and

a rapidly changing environment along the way, as that is what managing is all about.

The ‘performance objective’ reduces the focus of the selection decision down to skills and

only skills. As there is no evidence of a causal relationship between personality, hand writing,

experience, aptitudes or any other characteristic assessed by the various ‘state-of-the-art’

inventories out there, on the one hand, and the performance delivered by the assessed

manager, on the other, there is only one possible justification left for using them. That is the

defence mechanism noted above.

That raises the ethical dimension again. Is it ethical to rely on varieties of the standard

selection interview and defensive assessments, and ignore the skills issue that is central to

achieving required business results? If the skills issue is ignored, then the manager Making

the selection decision is playing Russian roulette with the candidate, and leaving that person

to suffer the consequences if the selection decision is wrong. Even worse, is when managers

making poor selection decisions punish the new manager twice.

First, is the transformation from success into failure; second is when the ‘failing manager’ is

fired by the very same manager who created the problem in the first place – by the poor

selection decision.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: DECISION-MAKING AND EMPLOYMENT

Recruitment and selection is an area of decision-making that requires thorough attention,

accompanied by best practice guidelines to ensure that risks of corruption and unfair practices

are minimised. Fortunately,recruitment and selection decision-makers have a wide range of

material to guide their decision-making.Within the South African context we have the

following material available to guide our decision-making in recruitment and selection



FRAMEWORK OF LEGISLATION AND KEY SET OF VALUES CONCERNED WITH EMPLOYEMENT

Framework Of Legislation

The following legislation within the South African context, applies to various stages in the recruitment, selection and placement processes:

Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of 1997 (updated) Employment Equity Act Skills Development Act 97 of 1998 (updated) and SAQA Occupational Health and Safety Act Unemployment Insurance Fund Act Pensions Fund Act Receiver of Revenue Smoking and Other Workplace Legislation Medical Schemes Act and Regulations Codes of Good Practice Public Holidays Act 35 of 1994,amended by 48 of 1995Promotion of Access to

Information Act Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act Protected Disclosures Act Electronic Communications Acts Insolvency Act National Credit Act 34 of 2005 South African Constitution and Bill of Rights

Company Policy

Company policy refers to guidelines, circulars, memoranda, policies and procedures

published by the relevant organisation and should be freely available on the Intranet of the

organisation.

Best Practice Guidelines in Recruitment and Selection

Best practice can be viewed as a well defined procedure, technique, method, process, activity,

incentive or reward that is known to produce near optimum results. It is usually regarded as

more effective at delivering a particular outcome than any other technique, method, process,

etc. When applied to a particular condition or circumstance.It also focuses on delivering the

best results with the least amount of effort, by applying procedures that have proven

themselves over time. A specific best practice guideline is generally applicable to a specific

condition or circumstance and can be modified for similar circumstances. Best Practice can

transform or mature as the industry discovers new developments.



Key Set of ValuesAccording the Independent Commission against Corruption following are viewed as key values that apply to Recruitment and Selection:

Impartiality: all stages of the recruitment process should be impartial and Objective in its execution

Accountability: all stakeholders in the recruitment process should be accountable for all their decisions and ensure proper record keeping to support such decisions

Competition: the pool of potential candidates must be maximised to the extent that it is practicable and appropriate

Openness: factors impacting on recruitment and selection must be clear to all stakeholders involved, and the decision-making processes should be transparent, whil maintaining confidentiality with regards to the candidate

Integrity: recruitment and selection practices must be carried out in accordance with relevant guidelines, codes or rules.

The following case studies illustrate some of the key values in the context of various common areasof complaint in recruitment and selection:

Case Study 1: Maximising The Field

Joe has been acting as the IT manager for 18 months when it was decided to advertise the job.His Director prepared the advertisement without specifying any recruitment for qualifications or extensive experience in information technology, which had previously been part of theselection criteria. The Director decided to advertise the job internally. Joe was the sole applicant and was appointed to the position permanently without an interview.

Remarks: Receiving one application does not mean that is necessarily the best person for the job

– but could indicate that the job has not been advertised widely enough to maximise the potential field of applicants.

Perceptions of favouritism may result if the job that requires technical skill, tertiary qualifications or industry knowledge is advertised without requiring such competencies. It may appear that the Director deliberately removed such selection criteria that appeared previously, but may have precluded Joe from getting the job.

What can be done instead? Acknowledge the importance of maximising the pool of applicants Specifying the qualities sought from applicants, in addition to specific knowledge

required,may broaden the field – e.g. instead of having knowledge of a specific act, the candidate can show he/she has the ability to interpret legislation.

Ensure that potential candidates are not discouraged from applying for a job for reasons other than the content of the job advertisement; for example: advertisements



placed in journals to which few people have access or managers making statements regarding the competitiveness or lack of competitiveness of applicants.

Case Study 2: Putting It All On Paper (www.icac.nsw.gov.au, 2002)

A large State Government department (International) advertised to fill the position of Director,Corporate Services, reclassified in a recent evaluation of its Senior Executive Service structure.Three short-listed applicants were interviewed and the selection panel offered John the job.Shortly afterwards, the ICAC received a complaint alleging that John knew he had been appointed to the position before the interviews were held and got the job because he had worked for the department before. The ICAC asked the department to report on the matter.The department wanted to prove the recruitment process was above board so its Internal Auditor reviewed the files. He was surprised that the cull checklist did not show how applicants met the selection criteria and that there were no notes from the interviews. He also found that the selection panel report contained only the recommended applicant’s name and the convenor’s signature (no date or title of the position, no recommended salary, no reasons for recommendations and no eligibility list).The selection panel claimed that John was not appointed to the position before the interview and was clearly the best person for the job. However, the Auditor found no evidence to support this claim, making it difficult to assess the matter. Consequently, the department could not satisfy the ICAC that the recruitment process was fair.

Remarks:

Better record keeping would have supported the department’s claim that the process had been all above board.

The way staff is recruited sets the standard for induction and the culture of the organisation.

What can be done instead?Sound record keeping includes a selection report that includes the following:

Specific assessment methods utilised Reasons for the candidates’ unsuitability and reasons for selecting/ de-selecting prior

to the interview. General notes or comments on each applicant interviewed, with reference to each

selection criterion. Establish the reasons for the successful applicant being chosen over the rest of the

pool of candidates. Include names of referees who were contacted and include notes taken from referee

checks Notes made by each member of the selection panel should be retained on the

recruitment,together with the selection report.

report.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: A MODEL OF ETHICS FOR THE EMPLOYMENT PROCESSEthical Model: Recruitment & Selection



Van der Westhuizen (in Brand, 2008, p.208) states that there is an increase in appreciation for ethicsmanagement and the positive economic impact it has on the performance of organisations.

Phase 1:During phase one, a job analysis is conducted to compile a job description and job specification. The advertisement is then compiled based on criteria specified in the job description. It is essential that the method of advertising does not lead to discrimination or exclusion of applicants. When considering initial applicants, they should be compared to the minimum criteria in the advertisement. Eliminations are then done according to the guidelines in the company recruitment and selection policy and procedures.Phase 1Job AnalysisCompilePhase 2:During phase two, applications are acknowledged by sending out a letter to all the applicants. Applications are screened based on criteria from the advertisement making use of the same decision criteria for all the applications. Thereafter, a regret letter is sent to applicants that did not pass the initial screening.

Phase 3:Phase three includes conducting interviews of all applicants that meet the criteria. The interview should be asked the same questions of all applicants and should exclude anything discriminatory. The assessments are then conducted by using instruments that are valid and reliable. Final assessment scores and information from the interview are integrated for the applicants. Next, final interviews are conducted with short-listed applicants and an offer is made to the successful applicant. It is essential that all documentation relating to the recruitment and selection process is completed accurately.

ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS: THE USE OF PSYCHOMETRIC ASSESSMENTS



The Health Professions Council of South Africa regulates the health professions in the Republic of South Africa with regard to registration, education and training, professional conduct and ethical behaviour. Below are some ethical considerations pertaining to psychometric assessments from their ethical guidelines document, Form 94.

When making use of psychometric assessments, it is important that they are seen to be one part of the selection process and are not solely relied on to make decisions regarding the employment of an individual.

The psychometric assessments should predict success in the work situation as accurately as

possible. Thus it is critical that the professional conducting the assessments has knowledge and understanding of the psychological instruments with which they work.

The psychometric assessments should be reliable and valid, and free from bias or discrimination against any group of people. According to the Employment Equity Act No. 55 of 1998, psychometric testing and other similar assessments of an employee are prohibited unless the test or assessment being used: (a) has been scientifically shown to be valid and reliable; (b) can be applied fairly to employees; and (c) is not biased against any employee or group.

The assessment process should be standardised and consistent to ensure that each candidate being assessed go through exactly the same process.

The professional conducting the assessments should do so within the context of a professional relationship that is transparent.

Informed consent must be obtained from the individual undertaking the assessment, informing them of the purpose of the assessments and how the results will be used.

The confidentiality in terms of who will see the results should be clearly explained to the candidate.

It is the responsibility of the professional to take the necessary steps to ensure that the results of the assessment are not misused by others in any way. This would include refraining from releasing the raw test results to any persons other than a qualified professional.

It is essential that the individual or client organisation to whom the results are released, understands the ethical implications of how they should make use of the results.

The interpretation of results should include additional information that has any bearing on the overall results pertaining to selection such as situational factors.

When communicating the results of the assessment to the client, the professional should ensure that this is done in such a manner that the individual receiving the results fully understands those results.

Conclusion



Recruitment and selection form a vital function any business organization, since human

resource is treated as an asset of an organization, ethical issues governing recruitment and

selection has to be taken into cognizance while recruiting and selecting an employee for a

proposed job.

Job discrimination is the major problem prevailing in many organization toady. Job

discrimination is the wrongful acts of distinguishing illicitly among people not on the basis of

individual merit, but on the basis of prejudice or morally reprehensible attitude. Job

discrimination generally fall into three groups viz, utility, rights, justice.

Regardless of the problem inherent in some of the arguments against discrimination, it is

clear that there are strong reasons for holding that discrimination is wrong. It is consequently

understandable that the law has gradually been changed to conform to these moral

requirements and that there has been a growing recognition of the various ways in which

discrimination in employment occurs.

Discriminatory practices like sexual harassment is another major problem in many

organization, effective majors have been taken to tackle this issue but still the problem

prevails in many organization, effective measures have to be taken to get rid of these issue.

So ethics in recruitment and selection has to be practicised in order to avoid job

discrimination.


ethics in recruitment and selection

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