When a business organisation wants
to hire superior employees who will be essential to its growth and prosperity, a systematic evaluation and hiring process
is required. This is the one area where bad decisions can lead to costly outcomes. Employee selection and retention are very
important functions. Here is a series of steps that make the process smooth and efficient: (About.Com, 2007).
1.
Determine the need for a new employee or a replacement.
2.
Are their any ways to do the job without a new employee or replacement?
3.
Determine the key requirements for the position including employee traits and any special requirements, characteristics
and necessary experience.
4.
Determine a job description for the position.
5.
Determine the salary range and if the company can afford it.
6.
Post the position on the company’s bulletin board under Job Positions for one week. After that, advertise the
position outside as well.
7.
Notify all staff about the opening via E-mail.
8.
Ask company internal employees to apply if applicable.
9.
Schedule an interview with any internal candidates and ask applicable department managers to attend.
10.
Have interviewers complete an employee selection interview evaluation form for each applicant.
11.
If no internal applicants were selected, be certain to inform them. Provide any feedback that is necessary. If one
is chosen, make an offer in writing and end the process when he accepts.
12.
If no internal candidate is chosen, begin looking outside the company. Develop a candidate pool from this search.
13.
Acknowledge the receipt of resumes and letters from all applicants by postcard, letter or e-mail.
14.
Screen applicant’s letters and resumes to weed out those that don’t fit your requirements. Set appointments
for interviews with applicants who do.
15.
Upon arrival, have each interviewee fill out a job application form and give them a copy of the position’s written
job description.
16.
After interviews are completed, select two or three candidates that fit and have them come in for a follow-up second
interview. This may be a luncheon meeting. It is where you will discuss salary, benefits, vacations, etc.
17.
Make a final employee selection based upon these second-level interviews and make an offer to your first choice. When
he or she accepts, send thank you letters to those not selected and inform them you will keep their resume on file for future
opportunities.
18.
Schedule a start date for your new employee and provide all necessary details.
These ‘steps’ are merely
a guideline for the employee selection interview and hire process in most companies. Keep in mind that the process may be
considerably abbreviated in very-small firms and considerably more detailed in very large and multi-national organisations.
In the latter, there may be additional steps in the process due to the involvement of human resources and other company departments
in the selection of employees.
Also, remember that a printed resume
is just a broad brush with the applicant’s background. It is not uncommon for some applicants to omit any work history
that might reflect on them unfavourably or to exaggerate responsibilities and salary histories. This is true because some
applicants assume prospective employers won’t check anything earlier than the last job they had. Skilled interviewers
and most human resources managers pay very close attention to these possibilities if any ‘red flags’ are raised
during the employee selection interview process. These ‘fudges’ and omissions are rarely a problem in job applications
for a position that clearly requires background or security checks. (Accel-Team, 2007).
References
Heathfield, S. (2007) “How to
Recruit and Hire the Best: A Checklist for Success in Hiring Employees” About.Com:
Human Resources
Available from:
http://humanresources.about.com/cs/ selectionstaffing/a/hiringchecklist/2.htm
Accessed: 10-25-07
Accel-Team (2007) “Employee Evaluation
and Selection”
Available from: http://www.accel-team.com/job _interviews/index.html
Accessed: 10-25-07
