SELECTING EMPLOYEES

One of the definitions of a supervisor is a person who gets things done through other people.
Viewed through this perspective, a supervisor must have well-qualified, or knowledgeable, skilled employees to accomplish his or her goals and objectives. Building a well-qualified employee team starts with selecting the right people.

 Selecting the right people for the job begins with knowing what the job is and what it takes to get the job done.
A job description specifies
the characteristics of each job, and a job specification indicates the desirable characteristics of the person performing each job.

It may be the responsibility of the supervisor to develop the job description and job specifications, or at least to make sure they are correct. These documents become the basis for the selection process.

 The selection process will be handled by the human resources department and the supervisor.
The first step is to identify sources for recruiting employees for a specific job.
Current employees may be promoted or transferred to fill job openings. Outside sources, such as help-wanted advertisements, employment agencies, and schools, may be used to find employees.

 Based on the employment applications or resumes, the staff of the human resources department screens out unqualified candidates.

 The next step is for the human resources department and/or the supervisor to interview candidates.
The organization may also administer employment tests to determine the suitability of the candidate. For candidates the organization is still interested in, background and reference checks are conducted. The supervisor makes a selection decision, after which the candidate may take a physical examination.

 The interview is an important part of the selection process.

It is where the supervisor has a chance to obtain additional information to determine if the candidate will meet the qualifications of the job. It is also an opportunity for the candidate to find out more about the organization.

 The supervisor must be knowledgeable about the law and what questions cannot be asked in the interview process.
There are antidiscrimination laws that require organizations to avoid asking for certain information. The organization, including the supervisor, must avoid actions that discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, and physical or mental disability, including pregnancy-related disabilities. These laws apply to recruiting, hiring, paying, firing, and laying off employees and to any other employment practices.

 The Americans with Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination on the basis of mental or physical disability against people who can perform the essential functions of a job.
Supervisors should avoid asking about disabilities and the candidates health history.
Employers must make accommodations handicapped employees if necessary and if it is readily achievable. To comply with the law, supervisors should review and revise job descriptions to make sure they indicate what functions of the job are essential.

Common Roles for Supervisors in the Selection Process

The supervisors role in the selection process can vary greatly from one organization to another.
In a small office or business, the supervisor may have great latitude in selecting employees to fill vacant positions. Larger organizations have formal procedures requiring the human resources department to do most of the work.

Job Descriptions and Job Specifications

Job Description: A listing of the charac-teristics of the job, including the
title, duties involved, and working conditions.

Job Specification: A listing of the characteristics desirable in the person performing the job such as
educational and work background, physical characteristics, and personal strengths.

 To select the right employees, the supervisor and the human resources department have to be clear about what jobs need to be filled and what kind of people can best fill those jobs.

 The supervisors role in the selection process will vary, depending on the organization.
Supervisors may complete most of the hiring procedure, or they may have one or more qualified applicants sent to them from the human resources department for final approval.

 The supervisors organization may or may not have adequate job descriptions, and job specifications.
The task of creating or modifying job descriptions and job specifications may be the responsibility of the supervisor. Because supervisors are closer to the positions in their area of control, they are in a good position to evaluate job and personnel requirements.

Possible Sources of Employees

Recruitment: Involves identifying persons who are interested in holding a particular job or working for the organization.

 Finding new employees may be as simple and informal as asking present employees if they know anyone who is looking for a job.
On the other hand, an organization may go through a national search utilizing agencies that specialize in finding specific types of personnel.

 Company policy will likely dictate the type of search required to meet company goals and applicable regulations such as those related to fair employment opportunities for specific classifications of people.
Some organizations prefer hiring
family members of present employees, people who are known and know the present employees, or local folks.

Other organizations specifically

refrain from hiring new personnel with close ties to present members, or prefer to draw new employees from a broad geographic area.

 As a matter of policy, some companies provide opportunities for advancement or lateral movement within the company as the preferred way of filling vacancies.
This method may have a positive effect on employee morale. Selecting internal personnel for a position may reduce the training and skill mastery time. On the other hand, these organizations may forfeit an opportunity for bringing in fresh ideas.

 Supervisors role in the internal recruitment process is to keep upper management and the human resources department informed about the skills and ability of their employees.
They can also recommend an employee in their department when a job is posted.

 A wide search for employees will likely increase the cost of hiring.
When potential employees are recruited from outside the local area, companies often pay for part or all of the costs incurred by the potential employee.

 Advertising in newspapers is a common way of letting the general public know about job openings. Placing an advertisement in association journals and magazines will target a specific audience.
This will limit the type of candidates to a specific background or interest in the relevant field.

 Employment agencies seek to match applicants with job requirements.

These agencies can be government run, such as state employment (unemployment) offices, or privately owned agencies.
There may be a charge for a private agency.

 If a specific requirement for a job is gained through formal education, an organization may contact a university, college, or technical school for applicants.

Steps in the Selection Process

Typically, there are many more candidates than are needed to fill the organizations vacant positions.
Most organizations have a formal procedure to select the best candidate for its purposes

 Candidates for a job respond to recruitment by filling out an employment application or sending in a resume.
These are reviewed to screen out candidates who are unqualified or who are less qualified than others. The pool of applicants may be narrowed down through various tests;
for example, if math skills are identified, a math test may be given.