recruitment & selection- pub & pvt_sector_mhrdm

8/8/2019 Recruitment & Selection- Pub & Pvt_Sector_MHRDM

1/63

MET-Institute of Management


2/63


3/63

Group Leader

Sachin Gokhale (138)

Names of Team Members

Sanjay Bhagwatkar (123)

Vrushali Kadam (141)

Uma Panja (156)

Rashmi Sarnaik (165)

Shilpa Shinde (168)


4/63

Acknowledgement

It gives us great pleasure and deep satisfaction in presenting this project

work undertaken as part of subject of Manpower Planning of MHRDM Second

year Semester-IV 2010, arranged in order to gain practical knowledge.

We take this opportunity to sincere gratitude to several people with

whose help and encouragement, we have been able to complete the project

successfully.

We express a sense of gratitude to our project guides and our senior

office colleagues. They have guided us the valuable suggestions and continuous

encouragement without which the project would not have been success. They

have been a source of inspiration as they motivated us to work more

productively and efficiently.

We would also like to convey special thanks to Mumbai Educational Trust (MET)

college an institute of rare excellence in the field of Management and

Yours Sincerely,

Sachin Gokhale (138)

Sanjay Bhagwatkar (123)

Vrushali Kadam (141)

Uma Panja (156)

Rashmi Sarnaik (165)

Shilpa Shinde (168)


5/63

Exec utive Summ ary

This projec t d ivided into three parts the first p a rt c ove rs a de tailed Theo retica l co ncep ts

of Rec ruitme nt & selec tion. In the sec ond pa rt we e xam ine this ang le throug h the c ase

stud ies of tw o c om pa nies, involved in the two different sec tors and different in their

pe rc ep tions tow a rds rec ruitme nt a nd selec tion. And third pa rt c onsists of d ifferenc e

be twe en the rec ruitme nt & selec tion p roc ess of these t wo sec tors.

The human resources a re t he m ost imp ortant a ssets of an o rganiza tion. The suc cess or

failure of a n organizat ion is large ly de pe nde nt on the c alibe r of the p eo ple working

therein. Without p ositive and c rea tive c ontributions from pe op le, orga nizat ions c anno t

prog ress and p rosper. In orde r to a c hieve g oa ls or the a c tivities for every orga niza tion it is

imp ortant to ha ve a right pe rson on a right job .

With referenc e to this c ontext, this project is be en p rep ared to p ut a light o n Rec ruitme nt

and Selec tion process the theoretic al conc ep ts like meaning a nd d efinition of

Rec ruitment and Selec tion, Sc ientific Rec ruitme nt a nd Selec tion, which an Organizat ion

shou ld follow fo r, in Selec tion p rocess, which inc lude s step s of Selec tion, Approa ches to

Selec tion, Sc ientific Selec tion Polic y, etc .

The role o f Rec ruitme nt a nd Selec tion in the c ontemp orary orga nizat ion is a subjec t on

which the experts have pondered, deliberated and studied, considering the vital role

that they obviously play. Sinc e a ll the a spe c t need s prac tica l exam ple a nd e xplana tion

this p rojec t inc ludes Rec ruitment and selec tion Proc ess of Infosys Tec hno log ies rep resents

Privat e sec tor & Indian O il Co rpo ration Ltd rep resent priva te sec tor and a p rac tica l ca se

study.


6/63

INDEX

Sr. No Contents

1. Introduction

2. Brief on Rec ruitment Process

3. Me thods of Rec ruitment

4. Me aning & Purpose of Selec tion

5. Selec tion Proc ess

6. Ca se Stud y : Rec ruitm ent & Selec tion Proc ess

a . Priva te Sec to r: Infosys Tec hno log ies Ltd .

b . Pub lic Sec to r: Ind ian Oil Co rporat ion.

7. Differenc e betw een Rec ruitme nt & Selec tion Proc essin Pub lic & Private Sec tor

8. Conclusion

9. Bibliography


7/63

INTRODUCTION

The human resources a re the mo st imp ortan t a ssets of an o rganiza tion. The suc c ess or

failure of an organization is largely dependent on the caliber of the people working

therein. Without positive and creative contributions from people, organizations cannot

prog ress and p rospe r. In o rder to a c hieve the g oa ls or the a c tivities of a n o rga nizat ion,

therefore, they need to recruit people with requisite skills, qualifications and experience.

While doing so, they ha ve t o kee p the p resent as well as the future req uirem ents of the

organizat ion in mind.

Rec ruitme nt is distinct from Emp loyment and Selec tion. Once the req uired numb er and

kind o f huma n resources are dete rmined , the manag em ent has to find the p lac es whe re

the required huma n resources are/ will be ava ilab le and also find the mea ns of a ttrac ting

them towards the organization before selecting suitable candidates for jobs. All this

proc ess is ge nerally know n as Rec ruitment. Som e p eo ple use the term Rec ruitment for

em ployment. These tw o a re no t one and the same . Rec ruitment is only one of the step s

in the ent ire emp loyme nt p roc ess. Som e o the rs use the te rm rec ruitment for selec tion.

These a re no t the same eithe r. Tec hnica lly spea king , the func tion of rec ruitment

precedes the selection function and it includes only finding, developing the sources of

prospective employees and attracting them to apply for jobs in an organization,

whe rea s the selec tion is the p roc ess of finding out the m ost suitab le c and idat e to the job

out of the candidates attracted (i.e. recruited). Formal definition of recruitment would

give clear cut idea ab out the function of rec ruitment.

DEFINITIONS

Rec ruitme nt is defined as, a proc ess to disc ove r the sources of m anp ow er to m ee t the

requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting

that manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient

workforce. Edwin B. Flippo defined recruitment as the process of searching for

prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization.

Rec ruitment is a linking func tion -joining to ge ther those w ith job s to fill and those seeking

job s. It is a joining p roc ess in that it tries to b ring togethe r job see kers and em ployer with

a view to enc ourag e the former to a pp ly for a job with the latter.


8/63

In order to a ttrac t people for the jobs, the organizat ion m ust c om municate the p osition in

suc h a wa y tha t job seekers respo nd . To be c ost e ffec tive, the rec ruitme nt p roc ess

should attract qualified applicants and provide enough information for unqualified

persons to self-select themselves out.

Thus, the rec ruitment p roc ess beg ins when ne w rec ruits a re sought and end s when the ir

ap p lic ations a re subm itted . The result is a po ol of a pp lica nts from which new em ployee s

are selected.

PURPOSES AND IMPORTANCE

The g ene ral p urpose o f rec ruitme nt is to p rovide a po ol of p otentially qualified job

candida tes. Spe c ific ally, the p urpo ses are to :

Determine the present and future requirements of the organization in conjunctionwith its personnel-planning and job -ana lysis ac tivities.

Increase the po ol of job c and ida tes at minimum c ost. Help increase the success rate of the selection process by reducing the number of

visibly, unde r qua lified or ove rqua lified job ap p lic ant s.

Help reduce the probability that job applicants, once recruited and selected, willleave the o rga nizat ion o nly afte r a short period of time.

Begin identifying and preparing potential job applicants who will be appropriatecandidates.

Induc t outside rs with a new pe rspe ctive to lead the c omp any. Infuse fresh b lood a t a ll levels of the o rganiza tion. Develop an organizational culture that a ttrac ts c omp etent pe op le to the c om pa ny. Sea rc h or head hunt/ hea d p ouc h pe op le whose skills fit the c om pa nys values. Devise me thodolog ies for a ssessing psychologic a l traits. Sea rch for talent g loba lly and not just within the c om pa ny. Design e ntry pa y that c om pete s on q uality but not o n qua ntum. Anticipa te a nd find p eop le for po sitions tha t do not e xist yet. Inc rea se organizat iona l and individual e ffec tiveness in the short term a nd long t erm. Eva luate the effec tiveness of va rious rec ruiting tec hnique s and sources for all types of

job applicants.


9/63

Recruitment represents the first contact that a company makes with potential

em ployee s. It is throug h rec ruitment tha t ma ny individua ls will com e to know a com pa ny,

and eventually decide whether they wish to work for it. A well-planned and well-

managed recruiting effort will result in high-quality applicants, whereas, a haphazard

and piecemeal effort will result in mediocre ones. High-quality employees cannot be

selected when better candidates do not know of job openings, are not interested in

wo rking for the com pa ny and do not a pply. The rec ruitme nt p roc ess should inform

qualified individuals about employment opportunities, create a positive image of the

company, provide enough information about the jobs so that applicants can make

com pa risons with their qua lifica tions and interests, and ge nerate enthusiasm am ong the

be st c and ida tes so tha t they w ill apply for the vac ant positions.

The neg at ive c onseq uenc es of a poo r rec ruitme nt p roc ess spe ak vo lume s ab out its role

in an o rga nizat ion. The failure to g ene rate an a deq uate numb er of rea sona bly qua lified

applicants can prove costly in several ways. It can greatly complicate the selection

proc ess and ma y result in lowe ring of selec tion sta nd ards. The p oo r qua lity of selec tion

me ans extra c ost on t raining and supervision. Furthermore, whe n rec ruitment fa ils to m ee t

the organizational needs for talent, a typical response is to raise entry-level pay scales.

This c an d istort trad itiona l wa ge and sa lary rela tionships in the orga niza tion, resulting in

avoida ble c onseq uenc es. Thus, the effec tivene ss of a rec ruitme nt p roc ess c an play a

major role in determining the resources that must be expended on other HR activities

and the ir ultimate suc c ess.

SUB-SYSTEMS OF RECRUITMENT

The rec ruitment p roc ess c onsists of the fo llow ing four sub -func tions:-

Finding out and developing the sources where the required number and kind ofem ployee s will be ava ilab le.

Develop ing suitab le tec hniques to a ttrac t the desirab le c andida tes. Emp loying the te chniques to attract c and ida tes. Stimulating a s ma ny c and idate s as possible and asking them to a pply for job s

irrespe c tive of the numb er of ca ndidate s req uired .


10/63

Management has to attract more candidates in order to increase the selection ratio so

that the mo st suitab le c and ida te c an b e selected out of the total ca ndida tes ava ilab le.

Recruitment is positive as it aims at increasing the number of applicants and selection is

som ew hat neg at ive as it selec ts the suitable candida tes in w hich p roc ess; the unsuitable

c and idate s are a utom atic ally eliminate d . Thoug h, the function o f rec ruitme nt seems to

be ea sy, a numbe r of fac tors ma ke performa nce of rec ruitment a c omp lex one.

FACTORS AFFECTING RECRUITMENT

The follow ing a re the 2 imp ortant fac tors a ffect ing Rec ruitme nt:-

1) INTERNAL FACTORS

o Recruiting policyo Temp orary and pa rt-time emp loyeeso Recruitment of local citizenso Enga gem ent o f the c omp any in HRPo Co mp any s sizeo Co st o f rec ruitme nto Com pa nys growth a nd e xpa nsion

2) EXTERNAL FACTORS

o Supp ly and Dema nd fac torso Unem ployment Rateo Labo ur-market co nditionso Politica l and lega l considerationso Soc ial fac torso Ec onom ic fac torso Tec hnolog ica l fac tors


11/63

INDUCEMENTS

Organisational inducements are all the positive features and benefits offered by an

organizat ion tha t serves to a ttrac t job a pp lic ants to the orga nisat ion. Three induc em ents

need spe c ific me ntion here, they are:-

Compensation: Sta rting sa laries, freq uency o f pay inc rea ses, inc ent ives and fringebe nefits can all serve as induc em ents to p otential emp loyees.

Career Opportunities: These he lp the p resent emp loyee s to g row p ersona lly andprofessionally and a lso a ttrac t good peop le to the o rga nization. The fee ling tha t

the company takes care of employee career aspirations serves as a powerful

induc eme nts to po tential em ployees.

Image or Reputation: Factors that affect an organisations reputation include itsgeneral treatment of employees, the nature and quality of its products and

service s and its partic ipa tion in worthwhile soc ial endea vors.

RECRUITMENT- Relationship with othe r ac tivities


12/63

CORPORATE MISSION, OBJECTIVES, STRATEGIES AND TACTICS (MOST)

Co rporate have sta rted linking the ir Mission, Ob jec tives, Strate gies and Tac tics (MOST) to

the func tions of rec ruitme nt a nd selec tion. The e c onomic libe ralizations and c onseq uent

competition through quality and services necessitated the companies to search for and

attract competent human resources. Corporations focusing on new business

de velopme nt will have to see k entrep reneurial ab ilities, com pa nies planning to withdraw

from diversific at ions must look fo r pragm at ists and com pa nies c hasing growt h a lliances

should employ people comfortable in different cultural backgrounds. Above all,

companies must hire for the future, anticipating jobs that may not be in existence yet.

Recruitment managers must focus for attitudes and approaches that fit the corporate

go als and c ulture.

RECRUITMENT POLICY

Rec ruitme nt p olic y of a ny organiza tion is derived from the p ersonne l policy of the same

organization. In other words the former is a part of the latter. However, recruitment policy

by itself should take into consideration the governments reservation policy, policy

regarding sons of soil, etc., personnel policies of other organizations regarding merit,

internal sources, social responsibility in absorbing minority sections, women, etc.

Recruitment policy should commit itself to the organisations personnel policy like

enriching the orga nisat ion s huma n resources or servic ing the c om munity b y a bsorbing

the retrenched or laid-off employees or casual/temporary employees or dependents of

present/ former em p loyee s, etc.

The follow ing fac tors should be taken into c onsideration in formulating rec ruitme nt p olic y.

They a re:-

Gove rnment po lic ies Personne l po lic ies of othe r co mp eting orga niza tions Organisations personnel policies Recruitment sources Recruitment needs Recruitment cost Selec tion c riteria and preference


13/63

RECRUITMENT- Matching the of the organ ization & app licants

IMPACT OF PERSONNEL POLICIES ON RECRUITMENT POLICIES

Recruitment policies are mostly drawn from personnel policies of the organization.

Ac c ording to Dale Yod a r and Paul D. Stando har, ge neral pe rsonnel polic ies provide a

wide variety of guidelines to be spelt out in recruitment policy. After formulation of the

recruitment policies, the management has to decide whether to centralize or

de c entralize the rec ruitme nt function.

CENTRALISED V/ s DECENTRALISED RECRUITMENT

Rec ruitment p rac tice s va ry from one orga niza tion to a nother. Som e organiza tions like

commercial banks resort to centralized recruitment while some organizations like the

Indian Railway resort to decentralized recruitment practices. Personnel department at

the central office performs all the functions of recruitment in case of centralised

rec ruitme nt and pe rsonnel dep a rtme nts at unit level/zona l level perform all the functions

of recruitme nt c onc erning to the job s of the respe c tive unit or zone .

MERITS OF CENTRALISED RECRUITMENT

Average cost of recruitment per candidate/unit should be relatively less due toec onomies of sc ale.

It wo uld have mo re e xpe rtise a va ilab le to it.


14/63

It can ensure broad uniformity among human resources of various units/zones inrespe c t of e duc at ion, skill, knowled ge , talent, etc .

It wo uld gene ra lly be a bo ve m a lprac tices, abuse o f po we rs, favouritism, b ias, etc . It w ould fac ilitat e interc hang ea bility o f sta ff among va rious units/ zone s. It enables the line managers of various units and zones to concentrate on their

op erational a c tivities by relieving them from the rec ruiting func tions.

It ena bles the o rga nizat ion to have c entralised selec tion proced ure, promo tional andtransfer p roc ed ure, etc .

It ensures the m ost effec tive and suitab le p lacem ent to c andida tes. It enables centralised training programmes which further brings uniformity and

minimizes average c ost of sta ff.

MERITS OF DECENTRALISED RECRUITMENT

The unit c onc erned c onc entrates only on tho se sources/ p lac es whe rein norma llygets the suitab le cand ida tes. As suc h the c ost of rec ruitment would be relatively less.

The un it get s mo st suitab le cand ida tes as it is we ll aware o f the req uirem ents of the job regarding culture, traditional, family background aspects, local factors, social

fac tors, etc.

Units can rec ruit c and ida tes as and w hen they a re required without a ny de lay. The un its wo uld enjoy free dom in find ing out, develop ing the sources, in selec ting

and emp loying the tec hniques to stimulate the c and ida tes.

The unit would relatively enjoy ad vantag e a bo ut the a vailability of informa tion,c ontrol and feed ba c k and va rious functions/ p roc esses of rec ruitme nt.

The unit would enjoy b ette r fam iliarity a nd control over the e mp loyees it rec ruitsrather than o n em ployees selected by the c entral rec ruitment ag enc y.

Both the systems of recruitment would suffer from their own demerits. Hence, the

management has to weigh both the merits and demerits of each system before making

a final decision about centralizing or decentralizing the recruitment. Alternatively

management may decentralize the recruitment of certain categories of employees

preferably middle and top level managerial personnel and centralize the recruitment of

other categories of employees preferably lower level positions in view of the nature of

the job s and suitab ility of those systems for those c a tegories of p ositions. The


15/63

management has to find out and develop the sources of recruitment after deciding

upo n c entralizing or dec entralizing the rec ruitme nt func tion.

SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT

The sources of rec ruitme nt may be b roa dly d ivided into two c at eg ories: internal sources

and e xterna l sourc es. Both have their ow n merits and d em erits. Let s exam ine these.

Internal Sourc es:-

Persons who are already working in an organization constitute the internal sources.

Retrenched employees, retired employees, dependents of deceased employees may

a lso c onstitute the internal sources. Whenever any vac anc y arises, som eo ne from within

the orga nizat ion is upg rade d , transferred , p rom oted o r even demo ted .

Exte rnal Sources:-

External sourc es lie out side a n orga niza tion. Here the o rganiza tion c an have the services

of : (a) Employees working in other organizations; (b) Jobs aspirants registered with

em ployme nt exc hang es; (c) Students from rep uted ed uca tional institutions; (d)

Candidates referred by unions, friends, relatives and existing employees; (e) Candidates

forwarded by search firms and contractors; (f) Candidates responding to the

advertisem ents, issued by the o rga nizat ion; and (g) Unsolicited app lica tions/ wa lk-ins.


16/63

Merits and Demerits of Rec ruiting p eople from Within

Merits Demerits

Econom ica l: The c ost o f rec ruiting internal

c and ida tes is minima l. No expenses a re

incurred on advertising.

Suitable: The o rga nizat ion c an pick the right

cand ida tes ha ving the requisite skills. The

ca ndida te ca n choose a right vaca ncy

where the ir ta lents c an be fully utilized .

Reliable: The orga niza tion ha s the

knowled ge ab out suitab ility of a c and ida tefor a p osition. Know n d evils a re b ette r than

unknown ang els!

Satisfying: A polic y of preferring p eople

from within offers regular promotional

avenues for employees. It motivates them

to wo rk hard a nd ea rn p rom otions. They

will wo rk with loyalty com mitment and

enthusiasm.

Limited Cho ice : The o rga niza tion is forc ed

to selec t c and ida tes from a limited po ol. It

ma y have to sac rifice q ua lity and settle

dow n for less qua lified cand idate s.

Inbreeding: It d isc ourage s ent ry for

talented p eop le, ava ilab le o utside an

orga niza tion. Existing e mp loyee s may fa il to

be have in innovative wa ys and injec t

nec essary dyna mism to enterpriseactivities.

Inefficiency: Prom otions based on leng th of

servic e rather than m erit, may p rove to b e

a b lessing for ineffic ient c and ida te . They

do not w ork hard and prove their wo rth.

Bone of c ontention: Rec ruitment from within

ma y lea d to infighting amo ng em ployees

aspiring for limited, higher level positions in

an orga nizat ion. As yea rs roll by, the race

for prem ium po sitions ma y end up in a

bitter rac e.


17/63

The m erits and d em erits of rec ruiting c and ida tes from outside a n orga niza tion

ma y be state d thus:

Merits and Demerits of External sources of Recruitment

Merits Demerits

Wide Choice: The orga niza tion has the

freed om to select c and ida tes from a large

poo l. Persons w ith requ isite q ua lifica tions

co uld be picked up.

Infec tion of fresh blood : Peo ple w ithspec ial skills and knowled ge could be hired

to stir up the e xisting em p loyees and pa ve

the w ay for innova tive w ays of working.

Motivational force: It he lps in mo tivating

internal emp loyee s to w ork ha rd and

c omp ete with external ca ndida tes while

seeking c areer growth. Such a c om pe titive

atm osphere would help an em ployee to

wo rk to the best o f his ab ilities.

Long term b enefits: Talented pe op le co uld

join the ranks, new idea s c ould find

me aningful expression, a com pe titive

atm osphere would com pe l pe op le to give

out the ir be st and e a rn rew ards, etc.

Expenses: Hiring c osts could go up

sub sta ntia lly. Tapp ing multifarious sourc es

of rec ruitment is not an ea sy task either.

Time consuming: It ta kes time to a dvertise,

sc reen, to test a nd test and to selec tsuitable employees. Where suitable ones

a re no t ava ilab le, the p roc ess has to b e

repeated.

De-motivating: Existing employees who

have p ut in co nsiderab le service ma y resist

the p roc ess of filling up vac anc ies from

out side. The fee ling tha t the ir services have

not b een rec og nized by the organization,

forces then to work with less enthusiasm

and m otivation.

Uncertainty: There is no g ua rantee tha t the

orga nization, ultima tely will be ab le to hire

the services of suitable candidates. It may

end up hiring som eo ne who d oes not fit

and who m ay not be ab le to a djust in the

new setup.


18/63

METHODS OF RECRUITMENT

The follow ing a re the mo st c om mo nly used me thod s of recruiting peop le.

INTERNAL METHODS:

1. Promot ions and Transfers

This is a me thod of filling va canc ies from w ithin through transfers and promotions.

A transfer is a late ral movem ent w ithin the sam e g rad e, from one job to ano ther. It ma y

lead to c hanges in duties and responsibilities, working c ond itions, etc ., but no t necessa rily

sa lary. Prom otion, on the othe r hand , involves mo vem ent of employee from a lowe r

level position to a higher level position accompanied by (usually) changes in duties,

responsibilities, sta tus and va lue.

2. Job Posting

Job po sting is ano ther wa y of hiring people from w ithin. In this me thod , the organisat ion

pub lic ises job op ening on b ulletin boa rds, elec tronic m ethod a nd similar outlets. One o f

the important advantages of this method is that it offers a chance to highly qualified

applicants working within the company to look for growth opportunities within the

company to look for growth opportunities within the company without looking for

gree ner p astures outside.

3. Emp loyee Refe rrals

Emp loyee referra l me ans using pe rsona l cont ac ts to loc a te job opportunities. It is a

rec omm enda tion from a current emp loyee regarding a job ap plic ant. The log ic behind

em ployee referral is that it takes one t o know one .


19/63


20/63

Ide ntify the pot ential ca ndida tes ea rly: The ea rlier tha t ca ndida te w ith top p otentialcan be identified, the more likely the organization will be in a position to attract

them.

Emp loy va rious me ans to a ttrac t c and ida tes: These m ay include providing resea rchgrants; consulting opportunities to faculty members, funding university infrastructural

requirements, internships to students, etc. in the long run these will enhance the

p restige o f the c om pa ny in the eyes of p otential job seekers.

Use effective recruitment material: Attractive brochures, films, computer diskettes,followed by enthusiastic and effective presentations by company officials,

c orrespo nde nce w ith p lacem ent o ffices in respe c tive c am pus in a friend ly wa y will

help in booting the c om pa ny ima ge in the eyes of the a pp lica nts. The c omp any

must p rovide de ta iled information ab out the c harac teristics of e ntry level p ositions,

espe c ially those tha t have had a m ajor positive imp ac t on p rior app lic ants d ec isions

to join the c omp any.

Offer training to c am pus interview s: Its be tter to d evo te mo re t ime and resources totrain on campus interviewers to answer specific job related questions of applicants.

Come out with a competitive offer: Keep the key job attributes that influence thedecisions of applicants such as promotional avenues, challenging assignments, long

term inco me po tential, etc., while talking to c and ida tes.

Indirect methods:-

Advertisements:-

These inc lude advertisem ents in newspapers; trade, p rofessiona l and tec hnica l journa ls;

radio and television; etc. in recent times, this medium has become just as colourful, lively

and imag inative as c onsume r advertising. The a ds ge nerally g ive a brief o utline of the

job responsibilities, compensation package, prospects in organizations, etc. this method

is ap propriate when (a) the o rga nization intends to reac h a large ta rget group a nd (b)

the organizations wants a fairly good number of talented people who are

ge og raphically spread out. To a pp ly for ad vertised vac anc ies lets briefly examine the

wide variety of alternatives ava ilab le to a c om pa ny - as far as ad s are conc erned:

Newspa pe r Ads: Here it is ea sy to p lac e job ads without m uch of a lead time. It hasflexibility in terms of information and can conveniently target a specific geographic

location. On the nega tive side, new spap er ad s tend to a ttrac t only those who a re

actively seeking employment at that point of time, while some of the best


21/63

candidates who are well paid and challenged by their current jobs may not be

aw are of such op enings. As a result, the co mp any ma y be bo mb arded with

applications from a large number of candidates who are marginally qualified for the

job add ing to its administrative burden. To ma intain sec rec y for va rious reasons

(avoiding the rush, sending signals to competitors, cutting down expenses involved in

responding to any individual who applies, etc.), large companies with a national

reputation may also go in for blind-box ads in newspapers, especially for filling lower

level positions. In a blind-box ad the re is no identific a tion of the ad vertising

organizat ion. Job aspirants are asked to respo nd t o a po st offic e b ox number or to

an employment firm that is acting as an agent between the job seekers and the

organization.

Television and rad io ad s: These a ds a re m ore likely to e ach individua l who a re no tactively seeking employment; they are more likely to stand out distinctly, they help

the orga nization to ta rge t the aud ienc e mo re selec tively and they offer c onsiderab le

sc op e for designing ads c reat ively. Howe ver, these ads a re expe nsive. Also,

because the television or radio is simply seen or heard, potential candidates may

have a tough time reme mb ering the de tails, making a pp lica tion d ifficult.

Third Party Method s

Priva te Emp loyment Sea rch Firms:-As search firm is a private employment agency that maintains computerized lists of

qua lified ap p lic ants and supp lies these to em ployers willing to hire people from the list for

a fee . Firms like Arthur And erson , Bob le a nd Hewitt, ABC c onsultants, SB Billimoria , KPMG ;

Ferguson Associates offers specialized employment-related services to corporate houses

for a fee , espec ially for top and midd le level executive va canc ies. AT the lowe r end , a

number of search firms operate providing multifarious services to both recruiters and

the rec ruitees.

Employment Exchanges:-AS a sta tutory req uirem ent, com panies are a lso e xpe c ted to no tify (wherever the

Employment Exchanges Act, 1959, applies) their vacancies through the respective

Emp loyment Exc hang es, created all ove r Ind ia for help ing une mp loyed youth, disp lac ed

persons, ex-military personnel, physica lly ha nd ica pped , etc . AS per the Ac t all em p loyers

are supposed to notify the vacancies arising in their establishments form time to time


22/63

with certain exemptions to the prescribed employment exchanges before they are

filled . The Ac t covers a ll estab lishments in pub lic sec to r and nonagricultural

esta b lishments em ploying 25 or more workers in the p riva te sec tor. How eve r, in view o f

the practical difficulties involved in implementing the provisions of the Act (such as filing

a quarterly return in respect of their staff strength, vacancies and shortages, returns

showing occupational distribution of their employees, etc.) many organizations have

successfully fought court battles when they were asked to pick up candidates from

am ong those spo nsored by the em ployment e xc hang es.

Ga te Hiring a nd Contrac tors:-Gate hiring (where job seekers, generally blue collar employees, present themselves at

the factory gate and offer their services on a daily basis), hiring through contractors,

recruiting through word-of-mouth publicity are still in use despite the many possibilities

for the ir misuse in the sma ll sca le sec to r in Ind ia.

Unsolicited Ap p lic ants / Walk-ins:-

Comp anies ge nerally rece ive unsolic ited app licat ions from job seekers at various points

of time; the numb er of such ap plic ations de pe nds on e c onom ic c ond itions, the imag e o f

the company and the job seekers perception of the types of jobs that might be

ava ilab le etc . Such a pp lic ations are generally kep t in a d ata ba nk and wheneve r a

suitab le va c anc y arises, the co mp any w ould intima te the ca ndidate s to a pp ly through a

forma l channel. One imp ortant p rob lem with this me thod is that job seekers ge nerally

apply to number of organizations and when they are actually required by the

orga nizations, either they a re a lrea dy em ployed in other orga nizat ions or a re not simp ly

interested in the p osition.

Alternat ives to Rec ruitment:-

Since rec ruitme nt a nd selec tion c osts a re high (sea rc h p roc ess, interview ing ag enc y fee ,

etc.) firms these days are trying to look at alternatives to recruitment especially when

ma rket de ma nd for firm s produc ts and servic es is slugg ish. Mo reover, onc e e mp loyees

are placed on the payroll, it may be extremely difficult to remove them if their

performanc e is ma rg inal. Som e o f the op tions in this reg ard ma y be listed thus:


23/63

Eva luation o f Alternative Sources

Companies have to evaluate the sources of recruiting carefully looking at cost, time,

flexibility, qua lity and other criteria befo re e arma rking funds for the rec ruitment p roc ess.

They c anno t a fford to fill all their vacanc ies throug h a pa rticular source . To fa c ilitate the

decision making process in this regard, companies rely on the following:

Time lapse da ta: They show the time lag be twe en the d ate s of requisition for ma npo we r

supp ly from a d ep artment to the a ctua l date of filling the va ca ncies in that d ep artment.

For example, a companys past experience may indicate that the average number of

days from application to interview is 10, from interview to offer is 7, from offer to

ac cep tanc e is 10 and from a c cep tanc e to rep ort for wo rk is 15. Therefore, if the

company starts the recruitment and selection process now it would require 42 days

befo re the new em ployee joins its ranks. Armed w ith this information, the leng th of the

time needed for alternative sources of recruitment can be ascertained before pinning

hop es on a pa rticular source tha t meets the rec ruitme nt ob ject ives of the c om pa ny.

Yield ratios: These rat ios indica te the numbe r of lea ds / c onta c ts neede d to g ene rat e a

given numb er of hires at a p oint at time. For exam ple, if a co mp any needs 10

ma nage me nt trainee s in the next six mo nths, it ha s to m onito r past yield ratios in order to

find o ut the numb er of cand idate s to b e c onta c ted for this purpo se. On the b asis of pa st

experienc e, to c ontinue the sam e e xam ple, the c om pany finds that t o hire 10 tra inees, it

ha s to e xtend 20 offe rs. If the interview -to-o ffer is 3:2, the n 30 interview s must be

cond uc ted . If the invitees to interview ratios a re 4:3 then, as ma ny as 40 cand idate s

must be invited . Lastly, if c on ta c ts or lea ds nee ded to ide ntify suitab le tra inees to invite

are in 5:1 ratio, then 200 c onta c ts are m ad e.

Surveys and studies: Surveys ma y also b e c ond uc ted to find o ut the suitability of a

particu lar source for ce rta in positions. For examp le, as pointed out previously, em p loyee

referra l has em erged as po pular wa y of hiring peop le in the Informa tion Tec hnology

industry in rec ent time s in Ind ia. Co rrela tion stud ies c ould a lso b e c a rried out to find out

the relationship be twee n different orga niza tiona l positions. Befo re finally iden tifying the

sources of recruitment, the human resource managers must also look into the cost or

hiring a c and ida te. The c ost pe r hire c an be found out by divid ing the rec ruitment cost

by the numb er of ca ndidate s hired .


24/63

SELECTION

Introduction

The size o f the labour market, the imag e o f the c om pany, the p lac e o f po sting,

the nature o f job , the c om pe nsation pa c kage and a host of other facto rs influence the

manner of aspirants are likely to respond to the recruiting efforts of the company.

Throug h the p roc ess of rec ruitme nt the c om pany tries to loc ate p rospe c tive emp loyees

and enc ourage s them to a pp ly for vac anc ies at va rious leve ls. Rec ruiting, thus, provide s

a p oo l of applica nts for selec tion.

Definition

To selec t mea n to c hoo se. Selec tion is the p roc ess of p icking individua ls who ha ve

releva nt q ua lifica tions to fill jobs in an o rganisa tion. The b asic p urpose is to choose the

individual who can most successfully perform the job from the pool of qualified

candidates.

Purpose

The p urpo se o f selec tion is to p ick up the m ost suitab le ca ndida te w ho w ould m ee t the

requirements of the job in an organisation best, to find out which job applicant will be

suc cessful, if hired. To me et this go a l, the c om pany ob ta ins and assesses information

about the applicants in terms of age, qualifications, skills, experience, etc. the needs of

the job a re m atc hed with the p rofile o f c and ida tes. The m ost suitab le pe rson is then

picked up after eliminating the unsuitable applicants through successive stages of

selec tion proc ess. How we ll an em ployee is ma tc hed to a job is very imp ortant b ec ause

it is directly affects the amount and quality of employees work. Any mismatched in this

regard can cost an organisation a great deal of money, time and trouble, especially, in

terms of training and operating costs. In course of time, the employee may find the job

distasteful and leave in frustration. He may even circulate hot news and juicy bits of

nega tive informa tion ab out the co mp any, c ausing inc alculable harm to the co mp any in

the long run. Effective election, therefore, demands constant monitoring of the fit

betwee n peop le the job.


25/63

The Proc ess

Selec tion is usua lly a series of hurdles or steps. Eac h one must b e suc cessfully cleared

be fore the a pp lic ant p roc eed s to the ne xt one. The time a nd e mp hasis plac e o n ea ch

step will definitely vary from one organisation to another and indeed, from job to job

within the sam e o rga nisation. The seq uenc e o f step s ma y also va ry from job to job a nd

organisation to organisation. For example some organisations may give more

importance to testing while others give more emphasis to interviews and reference

chec ks. Simila rly a single b rief selec tion interview might b e enough for app lic ants for

lower level positions, while applicants for managerial jobs might be interviewed by a

number of peop le.

Step s in Selec ting Proc ess

Reception

A company is known by the people it employs. In order to attract people with talents,

skills and experience a company has to create a favourable impression on the

applicants right from the stage of reception. Whoever meets the applicant initiallyshould be tactful and able to extend help in a friendly and courteous way. Employment

possibilities must be presented honestly and clearly. If no jobs are available at that point

of time, the a pp lic ant m ay b e a sked to ca ll ba ck the p ersonnel dep artment after some

time.


26/63

Screening Interview

A preliminary interview is generally planned by large organisations to cut the cost of

selection by allowing only eligible candidates to go through the further stages in

selection. A junior executive from the Personnel Department may elicit responses from

the applicants on important items determining the suitability of an applicant for a job

such as ag e, educ ation, expe rienc e, pa y expec tations, aptitude, loc ation, choice etc .

this courtesy interview as it is often called helps the department screen out obvious

misfits. If the department finds the candidate suitable, a prescribed application form is

given to the a pplicants to fill and subm it.

App lication Blank

Application blank or form is one of the most common methods used to collect

informa tion o n the various aspe cts of the ap plic ants ac ad em ic , soc ial, dem og rap hic ,

work related background and references. It is a brief history sheet of employees

ba c kground , usually c onta ining the follow ing things:

Persona l da ta (ad dress, sex, te lephone number) Ma rital da ta Educ ational da ta Employment Experience Extra-curricular activities Referenc es and Rec om mend ations

Usefulness of Application Blank or Form

Application blank is highly useful selection tool, in that way it serves three important

purposes:

It introd uce s the c and ida te to the c om pa ny in a formal way. It helps the company to have a cross-comparison of the applicants; the company

can screen and reject candidates if they fail to meet the eligibility criteria at this

sta ge itself.

It c an serve a s a ba sis to initiate a d ia logue in the interview.


27/63


28/63

administered in combination with other tests like intelligence and personality tests as

it does not m ea sure o n-the-job-mo tivation

3. Persona lity Test: Of all test required for selection the personality tests have generateda lot o f hea t and c on troversy. The d efinition o f pe rsona lity, me thods of mea suring

personality factors and the relationship between personality factors and actual job

criteria has been the subject of much discussion. Researchers have also questioned

whether applicants answer all the items truthfully or whether they try to respond in a

socially desirable manner. Regardless of these objections, many people still consider

persona lity as an impo rtant com po nent o f job succ ess.

4. Ac hievem ent Tests: These a re d esigned to m ea sure w hat the ap plic ant c an do onthe job currently, i.e., whether the testee actually knows what he or she claims to

know. A typing test tests shows the typing proficiency, a short hand tests measures

the testee ab ility to take d icta tion and transc ribe, etc . Suc h p roficienc y tests are a lso

known as work sampling test. Work sampling is a selection tests wherein the job

app lic ant s ab ility to do a small portion of the job is tested . These tests a re o f two

types; Motor, involving physical manipulations of things(e.g., trade tests for

carpenters, electricians, plumbers) or Verbal, involving problem situation that are

primarily language-oriented or people-oriented(e.g., situational tests for supervisory

job s). Since wo rk samp les a re m inia ture rep licas of the ac tua l job req uirem ents, they

are d ifficult to fake. They offer conc rete evidence of the proficienc y of a n a pp lic ant

as aga inst his ab ility to the job . Howe ver, wo rk samp le tests a re no t c ost effec tive and

eve ry cand ida te ha s to b e tested ind ividua lly. It is not e asy to d eve lop wo rk sam ples

for eac h job. Mo reover, it is not a pp lica ble to all levels of the organisation

5. Simula tion Tests: Simulation e xerc ise is a t ests which d up lic a te m any of the ac tivitiesand p rob lem s an em ployee fac es while a t wo rk. Suc h exerc ises are c om mo nly used

while h iring m anage rs a t va rious levels in an orga nisa tion. To asses the potentia l of a

c andidate for ma nage rial p ositions assessme nt c entres a re c om mo nly used .

6. Assessment Centre: An assessment centre is an extended work sample. It usesp roc ed ures tha t inco rporate g roup and individua l exerc ises. These exerc ises a re

de signed to stimulate the type o f work which the c and ida te will be expec ted to do .


29/63

Initially a small batch of applicants comes to the assessment centre (a separate

roo m). Their performa nce in the situat iona l exerc ise is ob served and eva luated by a

tea m of 6-8 assessors. The assessors judg em ent on ea ch exerc ise a re c om p lied and

c om bined to have a summa ry rating for eac h c and ida te b eing assessed .

Differenc e between Work Sam ple m ethod and Assessment Centre

WORK SAMPLE ASSESSMENT CENTRE

Suitab le for routine, rep etitive job s w ithvisib le outc om es

Takes a few minute s to test theapplicant

Evaluated by one supervisor

Can b e d one on loca tion where theapp lic ant p erforms a sma ll seg me nt of

the job

Usually com pleted o n one a pp lic ant a ta time

Suitab le for ma na ge rial job s, theoutc ome s are not be haviourally

observable

Takes days to c ond uc t va rious exercise Evaluated by a team of trained

observers Req uires a sepa rate fac ility. The

c entres are co nduc ted for a variety of

task seg me nts( that m ay not b e the

rea l job ) that ma y be included in the

real job

Usua lly pe rformed o n group s ofap plic ants at the sam e time

Eva lua tion of Assessme nt Centre Tec hnique:

The a ssessme nt c ent re te chnique has a number of ad vanta ge s. The flexib ility of form and

content, the use of variety of techniques, standardised way of interpreting behaviour

and po oled a ssessor judge me nts ac c ounts for its ac c ep tanc e as a va luable selec tion

tool for managerial jobs. It is praised for content validity and wide acceptance in

corpo rate c irc les. By p roviding a rea listic job preview, the te chniques helps an cand idat e

ma ke a n a pp rop riate c areer choice. The p erforma nce ratings are mo re o bjective in

nature and could be used for promotions and career development decisions readily.

However, the method is expensive to design and administer. Blind acceptance of

assessme nt dat a without c onsidering othe r information o n c and idate s (pa st and c urrent

pe rformanc e) is alwa ys not a dvisab le.


30/63

1. Graphology Test: Grap hology involves using a tra ined eva luat or to e xam ine the lines,loops, hooks, stokes, curves and flourishes in a persons handwriting to assess the

person s persona lity and em otiona l make-up. The rec ruiting c om pa ny, ma y, for

examp le, ask the a pp lica nts to c om plete the a pp lic ation forms and write a bo ut why

they wa nt a job . These samp les ma y be finally sent t o g rapho logist for ana lysis and

the result m ay be put use while selec ting a pe rson. The use o f g rap hology, how eve r,

is dependent on the training and expertise of the person doing the analysis. In the

actual practice, questions of validity and just plain skepticism have limited in use.

2. Polygraph (Lie-Detector) tests: the polygraph records physical changes in the bodyas the tests subject answers a series of questions. It records fluctuations in respiration,

b loo d pressure a nd persp iration o n a mo ving roll of g rap h pap er. The p olygrap h

operator forms a judgement as to whether the subjects response was truthful or

deceptive by examining the biological movements recorded on the paper. Critic,

however, questions the appropriateness of the polygraphs in establishing the truth

abo ut an app lica nts beha viour. The fac t is that the p olygraph records the b iolog ica l

reac tion in response to stress and doe s not rec ord lying o r eve n c ond itions nec essarily

accompanying lying. Is it possible to prove that the responses recorded by the

polygraph occur only because a lie has been told? What about those situations in

which a person lies without guilt (pathological liar) or lies believing the responses to

be true? The fa c t of the ma tte r is tha t polygrap hs a re ne ither reliab le nor valid . Since

they invade the privacy of those tested, many applicants vehemently oppose the

use o f po lygrap h a s a selec tion too l.

3. Integrity Test: These a re d esigne d to me asure e mp loyee s honestly to p red ict tho sewho are more likely to steal from an employer or otherwise act in a manner

unacc ep tab le to the o rga nization. The a pp lica nts who take these tests a re expe c ted

to a nswe r seve ra l yes or no t ype questions suc h as:

Typ ica l Integrity Questions

Typ ica l Integrity Questions Yes No

Have you eve r told a lie?

Do you rep ort to your boss if you know of a nothe r

em ployee stea ling from the store?

Do you c arry office sta tionary bac k to your home for


31/63

oc c asional use?

Do you ma rk attend anc e for your c ollea gue s a lso?

Often these tests contain questions that repeat themselves in some way and the

evaluator then examines the consistency in responses. Companies that have used

integrity tests have reported success in tracking employees who indulge in theft.

However, these tests ultimately suffer from the same weakness as polygraph and

graphology test.

Tests as Selec tion Too l:

Test a re useful selec tion device s in tha t the y unove r qua lific ations and talents tha t c an t

be de tec ted otherwise. They c an b e used to p red ict how well one w ould pe rform if oneis hired, why one behaves the way one does, what situational factors influence

em ployee prod uc tivity, etc . Tests also p rovide unb iased information tha t c an b e p ut to

scientific and statistical analysis.

However, tests suffer from sizeable errors of estimate. Most psychological tests also have

one common weakness, that is, we cant use scales which have a know zero point and

equal intervals. An intelligence test, for example starts at an arbitrary point, where a

pe rson m ay not b e a b le to answe r question properly. This does not m ea n tha t the pe rson

is totally lacking in intelligence. Likewise, a person who is able to answer all the 10

questions correctly cannot be called twice as intelligent as the one who was able to

answer only 5. If the test has commenced at some other point, where there easier

questions, the ir sc ore migh t have bee n d ifferent. Test a lso fails to elicit truthful responses

from testee s. To c om pound the p rob lem further, test results a re interpreted in a sub jec tive

was by testers and unless these testers do their homework well, the results may not be

reliable.

Standards for Selec tion Tests

To b e useful as p red ictive a nd d iag nostic selec tion to ols, test must sa tisfy certa in ba sic

requirements:

Reliab ility: Test sc ores shou ld no t va ry wide ly unde r rep ea ted c ond itions. If a test isadministered to the same individual repeatedly, he should get approximately


32/63

identica l sc ore. Reliability is the confidenc e tha t a n indica tor will mea sure t he same

thing eve ry time .

Validity: Validity is the extent to which an instrument measures what it intends tomea sure. In a t yping test va lid ity mea sures a t yp ist s spee d a nd acc urac y. To

determine whether it really measures the speed and accuracy of a typist is to

dem onstrate its va lid ity. The q uestion if det ermining the va lid ity of a selec tion test,

thus, has a lot to do with late r performanc e on the job.

Qua lified Peo p le: Test req uire a high leve l of p rofessiona l skills in the ir administrat ionand interpretation. Professional technicians are needed for skilled judgmental

interpretations of test scores.

Preparation: A test should be well prepared. It should be easy to understand andsimp le to administer.

Suitab ility: a test must fit the na ture of the g roup on w hich it is app lied . A written testcomprising difficult words would be fruitless when it is administered on less educated

workers.

Usefulness: Exclusive reliance on any single test should be avoided, since the results insuc h a c ase a re likely to b e c ritic ized . To b e useful, it is a lways better to use a ba tte ry

of test.

Sta nd a rdiza tion: Norms for fina lising test sc ores should be e sta b lished . There must beprescribed methods and procedures for administering the test and for scoring or

interpreting it.


33/63

Selec tion Prac tices:

The following throws light on how the g loba l giants use selec tion testing a s a basis

for picking up the right candida tes to fill up the va canc ies a rising internally:

1. Siemens India : It uses extensive psychometric instruments to evaluate short-listedc andida tes. The c om pa ny uses oc c upa tional pe rsona lity que stionnaire to

understand the c and ida te s pe rsona l attribute s and oc cupationa l testing to mea sure

competencies.

2. LG Electronics India: LG Electronics uses 3 psychometric tests to measure apersons ability as a team player, to check personality types and to find a persons

responsiveness and assertiveness.

3.

Arthur Anderson: while evaluating candidates, the company conducts criticalbehaviour interviewing which evaluates the suitability of the candidate for the

position, large ly based on his past expe rienc e a nd c red entials

4. PepsiCo India: The C om pany uses Ind ia a s a glob a l rec ruitment resource. To selec tprofessionals for global careers with it, the company uses a competency- based

interviewing te c hnique that looks at the c and ida te s abilities in te rms of stra teg izing,

late ra l thinking, p rob lem solving, mana g ing the env ironm ent . This apart, Pep si insists

that to succeed in a global posting, these individuals possess strong functional

knowledge a nd c ome from a co smop olitan ba ckground.

Selec tion Interview:

Inte rview is the oral examination of c and ida tes for employme nt. This is the mo st essent ial

step in the selection process. In this step the interviewer matches the information

ob tained ab out the c and ida tes through various mea ns to the job req uireme nts and to

the information obtained through his own observations during the interview. Interview

gives the rec ruiter an op po rtunity

To size up the c and ida te p ersona lly; To a sk que stion tha t a re not c ove red in the tests; To m ake judg me nts on c and idate s enthusiasm a nd intelligenc e; To a ssess sub jec tive aspec ts of the c and ida te fac ial expressions, appea ranc e,

nervousness and so fo rth;


34/63


35/63

Kee p ing te sts sc ore rea dy, along with inte rview assessme nt fo rms

Selec ting the interview m ethod to b e follow ed

Choosing the pa nel of experts who wo uld interview the c and ida tes

Ide ntifying prop er roo m for environm ent

RECEPTION:

The c andida te should b e p rop erly rec eived and led into the interview roo m. Start the

interview on time .

INFORMATION EXCHANGE:

Sta te the p urpo se of the interview , how the q ualific at ions are go ing to be mat ched with

skills neede d to ha nd le the job.

Beg in with ope n end ed questions where the c and ida te g ets enough freed om to e xpress

himself.

Focus on the applicants education, training, work experience, etc. Find unexplained

ga ps in ap p lica nts past wo rk or c olleg e reco rd a nd e lic it fac ts that a re not m entioned in

the resume.

EVALUATION:

Evaluation is done on basis of answers and justification given by the applicant in the

interview.

PHYSICAL EXAMINATION:

After the selection decision and before the job offer is made, the candidate is required

to undergo a physical fitness test. A job offer is often contingent upon the candidate

be ing dec lared fit after the physic al examination.

MEDICAL EXAMINA TION:

Certain jobs require physical qualities like clear vision, perfect hearing, unusual stamina,

tolerance of hard working conditions, clear tone, etc. Medical examination reveals

whether or not a cand ida te p ossesses these q ua lities.

REFERENCE CHECKS:

Once the interview and medical examination of the candidate is over, the personnel

department will engage in checking references. Candidates are required to give the


36/63

name s of 2 or 3 referenc es in their app lic a tion forms. These referenc es ma y be from the

individua ls who are fam iliar with the c and ida te s ac ad emic ac hievem ents or from the

applicants previous employer, who is well versed with the applicants job performance

and sometimes from the co-workers. In case the reference check is from the previous

em ployer, information in the follow ing areas ma y be o bta ined.

They a re job title, job desc ription, period of em ployment, pa y and a llow anc es, gross

emoluments, benefits provided, rate of absence, willingness of previous employer to

employ the candidate again, etc. Further, information regarding candidates regularity

at work, character, progress, etc. can be obtained. Often a telephone call is much

quicker. The m ethod of m ail query provide s deta iled informa tion a bo ut the c and ida te s

pe rformanc e, cha rac ter and be hav ior. How eve r, a p ersona l visit is supe rior to the m a il or

telephone methods and is used where it is highly essential to get a detailed, first hand

information w hic h c an a lso b e sec ured by ob servation. Reference c hec ks are ta ken as a

matter of routine and treated casually or omitted entirely in many organizations. But a

go od referenc e c hec k, whe n used sinc erely, will fetc h useful and reliable informa tion to

the o rga niza tion.

HIRING DECISION:

The line m ana ge r has to m ake the final dec ision no w whethe r to selec t or rejec t a

candida te afte r solic iting the req uired informa tion throug h d ifferent tec hnique s discussed

ea rlier. The line m anag er has to ta ke ad eq uate c are in taking the final dec ision b ec ause

of economic, behavioral and social implications of the selection decisions. A careless

decision of rejecting a candidate would impair the morale of the people and they

suspect the selection procedure and the very basis of selection in a particular

organization.

A true understanding between line managers and personnel managers should be

estab lished so a s to fa c ilitate go od selec tion dec isions. After ta king the final dec ision, the

organization has to intimate this decision to the successful as well as unsuccessful

candidate s. The o rga nization send s the a pp ointment o rder to the succ essful cand idat es

either imm ed iately or afte r som etime d ep end ing upo n its time sc hed ule.


37/63

Apa rt from following the de tailed proce dure mention ab ove there a re a rea s where few

mista kes a re possible, which a re listed b elow. These m ista kes may results in selec tion o f

wrong c and ida tes, which in turns c an c ause a loss to orga nization.

Interviewing Mistakes:

Favors app lic ants who sha re his ow n a ttitudes; Not b e asking right q uestions and henc e not ge tting releva nt responses; Resort to snap judg me nts, making a dec ision a s to the app lic ant s suitab ility in the first

few minute s of the inte rview. Too often inte rviewers form on early impression and

spe nd the b a lanc e of interview looking for evidenc e to supp ort it;

Ma y have be en influenc ed by c ultural noise. To g et the job , the a pp licant s try toge t b y the interview er. If they revea l wrong things ab out the mselves, they ma y not

ge t the job, so the y try to g ive the interview er responses that are soc ia lly ac c ep tab le,

but no t ve ry reve a ling . These t ype s of responses a re known a s c ultura l noise

responses the a pp lic ant b elieves a re soc ia lly ac cep tab le rather than fa c ts;

Ma y have allow ed him to be unduly influence d by a ssoc iating a pa rtic ularpersona lity tra it w ith a pe rson s origin or cultura l bac kground and tha t kind of

stereotyp ing/ ge neralizing ultima tely dete rmining the sc ore of a c and idate . For

exam p le, he ma y feel that c and ida te from Bihar ma y find it difficult to read , write

and spe ak English langua ge and henc e not selec t them a t all;

Ma y conc lude tha t a po orly dressed c andida te is not intellige nt, at trac tive femalesa re g oo d for pub lic dea lings, etc . This is know n as Ha lo Effec t where a single

impo rtant trait of a c andida te a ffects the judgme nt of the rathe r. The ha lo effect is

p resent if an interview er allow s a c and ida te s ac c om plishme nts in a thletic s

ove rshado w o ther aspe c ts and leads the interviewer to like the ap plic ant bec ause

a thletes ma ke goo d sales pe op le ;

Have be en influenc ed mo re b y unfavo rab le than favorable informa tion a bo ut orfrom the candida te. Unfavo rab le informa tion is given roug hly twice the w eight of

favorable information. Ac c ording to Dob meyer and Dunette, a single nega tive

c harac teristic ma y ba r an individua l from be ing a c c ep ted , while no a mount of

po sitive fea tures will guarantee a c and ida te s ac c ep tanc e;

Have be en und er pressure to hire c and ida tes at short notice; Have be en influenc ed by the be havior of the c and ida tes (how he has answered, his

bod y langua ge ), his or her dress (espec ially in ca se o f fema le ca nd idate s) and othe r

physica l fac tors tha t are not job related.


38/63

Barriers to effec tive selec tion:

The m ain objec tive of selection is to hire p eop le ha ving c omp etenc e a nd c omm itment.

This ob jec tive is ofte n de fea ted bec ause o f ce rta in ba rriers. The imp ed iments wh ich

chec k effec tiveness of selec tion a re p ercep tion, fairness, validity, reliab ility, and p ressure.

PERCEPTION: Our inability to understand others accurately is probably the most

funda me ntal ba rrier to selec ting right candida te. Selec tion dema nds an individua l or a

group to assess and compare the respective competencies of others, with the aim of

choosing the right persons for the jobs. But our views are highly personalized. We all

perceive the world differently. Our limited perceptual ability is obviously a stumbling

bloc k to the ob jec tive a nd rationa l selection of peo ple.

FAIRNESS: Fa irness in selec tion req uires tha t no individua l shou ld b e d isc rimina ted aga inst

on the ba sis of religion, reg ion, race o r ge nde r. But the low numb er of wom en a nd othe r

less privileged sections of society in the middle and senior management positions and

open discrimination on the basis of age in job advertisements and in the selection

process would suggest that all the efforts to minimize inequity have not been very

effective.

VALIDITY: Validity, as explained ea rlier, is a test tha t he lps pred ict job pe rformanc e of a n

incumbent. A test that has been validated can differentiate between the employees

who c an p erform w ell and those who w ill not. How eve r, a va lidate d te st do es not p red ict

job suc cess ac c urate ly. It c an o nly inc rea se possibility of suc c ess.

RELIABILITY: A reliab le me thod is one which w ill prod uc e c onsistent results whe n repea ted

in similar situations. Like a validated test, a reliable test may fall to predict job

pe rformanc e w ith prec ision.

PRESSURE: Pressure is brought on the selectors by politicians, bureaucrats, relatives,

friends, and peers to select particular candidate. Candidates selected because of

com pulsions are o bv iously not the right ones. Appo intments to pub lic sec tor unde rtakings

ge nerally ta ke p lac e unde r suc h p ressure.


39/63

Case Study: Recruitment & Selection in Private Sector

Infosys:

Infosys Tec hno log ies Ltd . (NASDAQ : INFY) was sta rted in 1981 by seven peo p le w ith US$

250. Tod ay, we are a glob al leade r in the "next ge neration" of IT and c onsulting with

revenues of over US$ 4 b illion .

Infosys defines designs and delivers technology-enabled business solutions that help

Global 2000 companies win in a Flat World. Infosys also provides a complete range of

services by leveraging our domain and business expertise and strategic alliances with

lead ing tec hno logy provide rs. They o fferings span business and tec hno logy co nsulting ,

application services, systems integration, product engineering, custom software

development, maintenance, re-engineering, independent testing and validation

services, IT infrastruc ture services and business p roc ess outsourcing .

Infosys pioneered the Global Delivery Model (GDM), which emerged as a disruptive

force in the industry lea d ing to the rise o f offshore o utsourc ing. The GDM is based on the

princ ip le o f taking w ork to the loc ation w here the b est ta lent is ava ilable, whe re it ma kes

the b est ec ono mic sense, with the lea st am ount o f ac cep tab le risk.

Infosys has a global footprint with over 50 offices and development centers in India,

China, Australia, the Czech Republic, Poland, the UK, Canada and Japan. Infosys and its

subsidiaries have 105,453 employees as on September 30, 2009. Infosys takes pride in

building strategic long-term client relationships. Over 97% of our revenues come from

existing c ustomers.

Infosys has a vision of where they want to go, and it's really exciting with an annual

compounded growth rate of around 60% in the last 5 years, and branches across the

wo rld, Infosys is forging ahea d in the g loba l ma rket. To a c hieve their vision, they a re

always looking out for talented, learnable individuals who are ambitious, who love

c hallenge s and who have a pa ssion to excel!


40/63

Tow ards this ob jec tive, Infosys participa tes in ca mp us hiring p rog rams and a lso c ond uc ts

a number of off-campus initiatives throughout the year at various locations. Apart from

college hiring, they also hire experienced professionals from the industry at various mid-

level and senior positions.

Last yea r, over 1.3 million p eo p le app lied for a job a t Infosys. Only 1% of the m we re h ired .

In c om pa rison, Ha rva rd Co lleg e to ok in 9% of c and idate s.

Infosys has a lwa ys foc used on induc ting a nd ed uc ating the be st and the b righte st. With

global hiring practices, coupled with ever-expanding university programs such as

Campus Connect and development centers across the globe, Infosys is able to source

and nurture talent while delivering lasting value to clients.

Infosys, whic h trains ove r 15,000 new rec ruits eve ry yea r, is well prep a red to win the ba ttle

for top -notc h talent.

SOURCES ON MAN POWER SUPPLY:

INTERNAL:

Infosys upgrades from within only for managerial positions, but only to some extent.

Bec ause up grad ing from within is considered be tter as the e mp loyee is a lrea dy fam iliar

with the organization, reduces training cost, helps in building morale and promotes

loyalty.

If no one capable for managerial position is found in its internal source, it looks out for

external sources. It selec ts on ly the best em ployee for the o rga niza tion

TYPES:

Former Employees:-

They a sk the retired em p loyees who a re willing to w ork on a p art-time basis, ind ividua ls

who left work and are willing to come back for higher compensations. Even retrenched

emp loyees are taken up onc e ag ain.

Retirements: -

If its not able to find suitable candidates in place of the one who had retired, after

meritorious service. Under the circumstances, management decides to call retired

ma nage rs with new extension.


41/63

Internal notification (advertisement): -

Most employees know from their own experience about the requirement of the job and

what sort of person the company is looking for. Often employees have friends or

ac quaintanc es who me et these requirem ents. Suitab le p ersons are appo inted at the

vac ant p osts.

EXTERNAL:

For the posts of technicians, engineers, floor managers etc, it looks out for external

sources which inc lude.

Ag enc ies: TAPL

Institutions: Like B Schools, co lleg es, Ma na gem ent Institute s, etc .

Websites: ww w.india timesjob.co m, w ww .monster.c om , ww w.naukri.c om

Of the above three web sites given most widely used by the Infosys is the

www.monster.com with the success rate of 80% followed by www.indiatimesjob.com at

60% and www .naukri.co m a t the suc c ess ra te o f 50%.

External rec ruitment enab les the c omp any to ge t the be st c and ida te.

Infosys prefers external recruitment and mainly takes help from agencies and institutions

as its a giant company and internal recruitment proves to be inadequate as its yearly

ta rgets a re ve ry high.

Rec ruitment Targe ts for Infosys:

Yea r No. of em ployee s (per yea r)

2004 15000

2005 18000

2006 25000

2007 25500

2008 26000

CAMPUS:

Ca mp us rec ruitme nt is so m uc h soug ht a fter that ea c h c olleg e; university de pa rtme nt or

institute will have a p lac em ent offic er to hand le rec ruitme nt functions. How eve r, it is

often an expensive process, even if recruiting process produces job offers and


42/63

acceptances eventually. A majority leave the organization within the first five years of

the ir em ployme nt. Yet, it is a m a jor source o f rec ruitment fo r p restigious c om panies.

Infosys is the company of choice for campus recruitment programs in most major

eng inee ring institute s suc h as IITs, RECs etc . and a t p remier ma na gem ent institute s suc h

as the IIMs.

Eng inee ring Institutes:

Campus hiring at engineering institutes typically starts in May and continues through

Sep tem ber. Senior managers and office rs from Infosys ac tively pa rticipa te in this hiring, to

bring on board the next generation of bright, young and talented leaders for the

company. We encourage current students at the campuses we visit to use this

opportunity to interact with the Infosys recruitment teams during the hiring process to

understand the company and our people philosophy. We hire engineering graduates

and po st-gradua tes from all disc iplines, and MC A stude nts at the c am puses.

Management Institutes:

Campus hiring at management institutes typically starts in December and continues

throug h Ma rc h. We hire m ana ge me nt g radua tes from a ll disc iplines, with or without prior

wo rk experienc e in softw a re o r other fields.

All ap plic at ions are p re-sc reened ba sed on ac ad em ic c red entials. Short-listed

candida tes a re usually invited for an interview a s pa rt o f the selec tion p roc ess.

OFF CAMPUS:

It is the eve nt for those c and idat es who do not g et selec ted during c am pus rec ruitme nt.

The proc ess rem a ins the sam e; it just a ims at giving those c andida tes a c hance t hat

we re no t ab le to go throug h the p roc ess be fore. These c and ida tes also g o through the

same two round s, here only the sca le a nd b asis on w hich they a re eva luated c hang es.

JOB FAIRS:

What is job fair?

Job fair is whe re seve ra l com pa nies c om e und er one roof for seeking e ligible c andida tes

who can join their com pa ny, afte r go ing throug h certain rec ruitme nt proc ess follow ed by

them.


43/63

PROCESS FOLLOWED BY INFOSYS:

Initially they advertise about the job fair in the local newspapers of all the states

spe c ifying the venue a nd da te of the job fair.

On the spe c ified d a te, Infosys banne rs are p ut up at the ve nue. They ha ve a round 3 to 4

counters. Initially these counters are used for registrations. Once the number of

registrations is equal to the total capacity of all the counters, the registrations are

stop pe d a nd the registered c and idate s fill the a pplic at ion forms at the c ounte r.

Next a logic test of 45 minutes is conducted and an English test of 15 minutes is

conducted where in one is suppose to write an essay, to check their handwriting,

voc ab ulary and sentenc e fram ing ab ility.

Once the test is over, registrations for the next group start. At the same time the previous

pa pe rs are evaluated and the c and ida tes are selected for interview ba sed on the c ut-

off marks.

The c andida tes who are selec ted in the interview a re informed then a nd the re by

disp laying the list a nd are g iven the o ffer.

The p roc ess is rep ea ted for the next set o f ca nd ida tes.

Job fair takes plac e for 3 to 4 da ys.

ADVERTISEMENTS:-

It is a popular method of seeking recruits, as many recruiters prefer advertisements

be c ause o f their wide reac h.

Info sys adve rtises in:

NEWS PAPERS:

Time s of Ind ia

The e c onom ic times

Ind ian express

Hindustan times

The fina nc ial express


44/63

Emp loyment pa pe rs

MAGAZINES:

Business world

Busine ss Today

Ind ia Tod ay

c ap ital market

Business journa ls

IT magazines

Com puter and tec hnic al journals

WEB:

www.infosys.com

www.indiatimesjob.com

www.monster.com

www.naukri.com

Advertisements contain proper information like the job content, working conditions,

location of job, compensation including fringe benefits, job specifications, growth

aspe c ts, etc.

The a dve rtisem ent sells the idea t hat the com pa ny and job a re p erfec t for the

candidate.

WALK-INS, WRITE-INS AND TALK-INS:

Walk-ins are the most common and least expensive approach for candidates is direct

app lic a tions, in which job see kers submit unsolicited app lic a tion lette rs or resumes. Direc t

ap plic ations provide a po ol of p otential emp loyees to m eet future ne ed s.

Write-ins a re those who send written e nquiries. These jobsee kers a re asked to c om plete

app lic a tion forms for further p roc essing.

Ta lk-ins involves the job asp irants me eting the rec ruiter (on a n ap prop riated d a te) for

de ta iled talks. No ap plica tion is req uired to b e subm itted to the rec ruiter.

CONSULTANTS:

Infosys also seeks the help of consultants who are in the profession for recruiting and

selec ting manag erial a nd exec utive p ersonne l. They a re useful as they ha ve nationw ide

conta c ts and lend p rofessiona lism to the hiring p rocess.


45/63

INDUSTRIES:

Infosys also hires experienced professionals from the industry at various mid-level and

senior positions.

SELECTION PROCESS OF INFOSYS:

Steps:

1. Initial screening of interviews:Initia l Sc ree ning is done on the b asis of app licants and a pp lica tions. A p reliminary

interview is cond uc ted so a s to selec t the suitab le c and idate who can go through further

stages of interviews.

Norma lly for the p osts of e ngineers de gree cutoff is dec ided like say 60% on a n a verage.

2. Com pletion o f a pp lic ation forms:Application form establishes the candidates general details like name, address,

telephone number, education, job- related training, work-experience with dates,

company names, and job details, professional or industrial involvement, hobbies and

rec rea tiona l p ursuits.

Application forms are such framed that, they provide the necessary details to the

organization w ithout a ffect ing the sentiments and feelings of the c and idat e.

3. Emp loyme nt tests:Log ica l test

Eng lish t est

Vocabulary

Reasoning

Essay writing

Mental o r intellige nce tests

Mec hanical ap titude tests

Inte lligenc e test

Personality Test

Grap holog y Test

Me d ica l Test


46/63

4. InterviewForma l Interview :

Interview s are held in the e mp loyment o ffic e in a m ore forma l atmo sphe re, with the help

of we ll structu red questions.

Patte rned Interview :

A p a tterned interview is also a planned interview , but it is mo re c arefully pre-planne d to

a high degree of accuracy, precision and exactitude. With the help of job and man

specifications, a list of questions and areas are carefully prepared which will act as the

interviewers guide.

Non-directive Interview:

Here the interview ee is a llow ed to spea k his mind freely. The interview er has no forma l or

directive questions, but his all attention is to the candidate. He encourages the

c and idate to ta lk by a little p rod ding whe neve r he is silent e .g. M r. Ray, p lease te ll us

ab out yourself after you re g rad uate d from high sc hoo l.

The idea is to g ive the c andida te c om plete freed om to sell himself, without the

enc umb ranc es of the interview ers que stion.

Dep th Interview :

It is designed to intensely examine the candidates background and thinking and to go

into considerable detail on particular subjects of an important nature and of special

interest to the candidates. For example, if the candidate says that he is interested in

tennis, a series of q uestions ma y be asked to te st the d ep th of und erstand ing and interest

of the ca ndida te.

Stress Interview:

It is designed to test the candidate and his conduct and behavior by him under

cond itions of stress and strain. The interview er ma y sta rt w ith Mr. Josep h, we do not think

your qualifications and experience are adequate for this position, and watch the

reaction of the candidates. A good candidates will not yield, on the contrary he may

substantiate w hy he is qua lified to hand le the job .

What INFOSYS prac tice is tha t if inte rview is p lanne d a t 5pm , it w ill sta rt c and ida te s

interview at 6.30pm a nd w a tc h the c and ida te s be havior and stress level.


47/63

Panel Interview :

A p anel or interview ing bo a rd or selec tion com mittee interview s the c and ida te, usually in

the c ase o f supervisory and ma nageria l positions.

Mixed Interview:

In practice, the interviewer while interviewing the job seekers uses a blend of structured

and structu red and unstructu red questions. This approa ch is c a lled the M ixed interview .

The struc tured questions provide a ba se o f interview mo re c onventional and pe rmit

greate r insights into the unique differenc es be twe en a pplic ant s.

Sec ond Interviews:

Job seekers are invited back after they have passed the first initial interview. Middle or

senior management generally conducts the second interview, together or separately.

More in-depth questions are asked to the candidate and the employer expects a

greater level of prepa ration on the pa rt of the ca ndida tes.

5. Bac kground Informa tion:INFOSYS requests na mes, add resses, and te lep hone num bers of refe renc es for the

purpose of verifying information and perhaps, gaining additional background

informa tion on a n ap plic ant.

References are not usually checked until an applicant has successfully reached the

fourth sta ge of a seq uential selec tion p roc ess.

Previous employers are preferable because they are already aware of the applicants

performance.

It norma lly see ks lette rs of referenc e o r telep hone referenc es. The la tte r is adva nta ge ous

be c ause of its ac curac y and low c ost.

6. Physical Examination:After the selection decision and before the job offer is made, the candidate is required

to undergo a physical fitness test. A job offer is, often, depends upon the candidate

being d ec lared fit a fter the p hysica l examina tion. The results of the me d ica l fitness test

are reco rde d in a state me nt and are p reserved in the p ersonne l rec ords.


48/63

There a re seve ra l ob jec tives behind a physica l test:

One reason for a physical test is to detect if the individual carries any infectiousdisease.

Sec ond ly, the test a ssists in de termining w hether an a pp lic ant is physica lly fit toperform the w ork.

Third ly, the p hysica l exam ination informa tion c an be used to de termine if there a recertain physical capabilities, which differentiate successful and less successful

employees.

Fourth, medical check-up protects applicants with health defects from undertakingwo rk that c ould be de trimenta l to them o r might otherwise e nda nger the emp loyers

property.

Finally, such an examination will protect the employer from workers compensationclaims that are not valid because the injuries or illness were present when the

emp loyee wa s hired .

7. Final Emp loyme nt d ec ision:It is a fina l step . In this step c om pany ma kes a very imp ortant d ec ision.

After all these processes follow up is done i.e., the selected person is induced and

p lac ed a t the right job . Tra ining is p rovided on reg ular ba sis tha t is mo nthly, qua rterly.

These trainers have the experienc e o f ab out 15-20 yrs. In one b at ch there are 60

em ployee s who a re sent to Bang alore for training.


49/63

Case Study: Recruitment & Selection in Public Sector

Ind ian Oil Co rporation Ltd . is the a c knowledge d flag -bea rer of native corporate suc cess

in downstream petroleum business. Born from the vision of achieving self-reliance for the

nation, the com pany c am e into be ing o n 1st Sep tem be r 1964 with the merge r of Ind ian

Refineries Ltd. with Indian Oil Company Ltd., which was set up in 1959 for spearheading

pe troleum reta iling in Indian.

Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. is the largest National Oil Company in Asia Pacific with a sale

with a sa les turnover of Rs. 1,19,848 Crore a nd profits of Rs. 6,115 Crore for fisc a l 2004

Beginning with sales of 32,000 kiloliters of petroleum products in 1960-61, Indian Oil

marketed 47.56 million metric tones of petroleum products in 2002-03. From a humble

ma rketing share o f 2.2% in 1960, the c om pa ny has c arved out a ma rket partic ipat ion o f

about 52% in fisc a l 2004

Indian Oil is the only Indian corporate in the Fortune Global 500 listing of worlds mega

c orpo ra te w ith a ranking of 189 in 2004. The 17th la rge st petroleum com pany in the

world, Indian oil is ranked 325th and tops the list among the five Indian petroleum

companies in Forbes Global 2000 list, a newly introduced classification of the worlds

biggest enterprises in term of a composite ranking of sales, profits, assets and market

value. Indian Oil has been adjudged second in petroleum trading among the 15

national oil companies operating in the Asia-Pacific region.

Ind ian O il ow ns and op erate s 10 out of 18 Refineries a t Digb oi, Guwaha ti, Baruni, Gu jarat,

Haldia, Mathura, PANIPAT, Chennai, Nagapatt inam and Bogaigaon with a combined

refining c ap ac ity of ab out 50 million m ethe irric to nes pe r annum (MMTPA).

As a company, Indian Oil also respect all the steps and procedures of recruitment

recruitment & selection- pub & pvt_sector_mhrdm

Documents