“Sound staff selection procedure is a vital element of human resource planning.” Selection procedures formulated by the organization should essentially culminate in matching the right candidate with a particular position in the organization. For this to
happen, the organization must decide at the onset to make attractive offers for its positions. This will attract qualified and capable individuals.
Tests carried out to gauge employee suitability should be:
i) reliable-provide consistent results if a person takes the same test a number of times
ii) valid-measure what they are designed to measure.
iii) objective-when different raters interpret the results of the same test, they should arrive at similar results/conclusions
iv) standardized-administered under standard conditions to a large group of persons to whom it is intended
For many positions, particularly in management, the in-depth interview should be given considerable weighting, since this is an important factor in management’s decision to make a job offer and in the individual’s decision to accept or decline the offer.
The most effective interviews-those that are best able to predict the eventual performance of applicants-are usually planned carefully. Ideally, all candidates for the same position should be asked the same questions.
Sound procedures should employ the realistic job preview (RJP) technique, in which case candidates are exposed to the unattractive as well as the attractive aspects of the job, and using a structured and focused approach to acquire a more accurate picture of each interviewee’s likely job performance.
Only questions that have job relevant data should be included in the application forms. This ensures that focus is kept on the strengths of the individual vis-à-vis the requirements of the job.