The main purpose of a proper procedure of recruitment and selection being to find the right man for each job, the exact procedure will depend upon the job for which appointment is to be made.
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For ordinary workers in a factory, the procedure would be rather simple. The old practice of entrusting the task of selection to the foreman or some other official who is not well versed in the techniques of scientific vocational selection is now being gradually replaced by a more efficient system of selection by a central employment department. The employment department should be manned by psychologists and technical experts and should select workers and employees for all departments.
(a) Requisition:
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The first step in the direction of employing people is requisitioning of workers by the supervisor in whose department vacancies arise. A requisition should state clearly the number of workers required and should be accompanied by the relevant job specification.
(b) Recruitment:
The next step will be for the employment department to write to the employment exchange or advertise the vacancy in the newspapers asking the candidates to send applications giving their qualifications or tap some other source of labour. On receipt of applications from candidates or names from the employment exchange, the recruitment office should eliminate the candidates who are obviously unqualified for the job and prepare a list of candidates who are eligible for the job.
(c) Application Blanks:
The selection of workers is the next step involving a more careful screening of the potential candidates from the lists already prepared. For this purpose, a form is sent to the candidates who are qualified. The form must be designed to elicit full information about the candidate particularly with regard to his educational qualifications, his experience, his interests, etc.
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It should ask for definite information. A candidate should be asked to state how he has been employed during the past five or ten years with reasons for any change of jobs. This will show whether this candidate is of a type who sticks to one job or is one likely to give up a job on a flimsy ground.
Some concerns have the practice of asking candidates to come for interview and fill up ‘blanks’ then and there. When forms are filled up in this way, they have one important advantage. The candidate may give information which is contrary to what he gave in his original application.
An explanation of the discrepancy will probably throw some light on his character and personality. Filling up the application blank provides fair opportunity to those who do not feel at ease in the interview but ca n write down their answers without any hesitation. A few candidates are generally invited for a personal interview.
(d) Trade Tests:
In case of jobs which involve technical work, a trade test is generally required. For recruitment of a stenographer in an office, a test can be given to check up his speed both at dictation and typing. Workers for a factory can be given similar tests (i.e. trade tests) to find out their capabilities for the type of job for which they are being considered.
(e) Psychological Tests:
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Acting on the principle that individuals differ from one another by degree though not in kind, industrial psychologists have devised certain tests which seek to measure the psychological characteristics of individual applicants for a position.
A psychological test is an objective and standard measure of a sample of human behaviour. It consists in giving to the applicant a task which is representative of the job for which he is being considered.
His performance on the task is evaluated relative to that of the other candidates. There are different types of tests standardized for jobs at different levels. Some of the important tests used in industry are:
(i) Intelligence Tests, i.e. tests which measure the mental capacity of a person to graph and put together the elements of a novel or abstract situation.
(ii) Aptitude Tests, i.e., tests to measure the aptitude of applicants which is their capacity to learn the skills required on a particular job.
(iii) Interests Tests, i.e. tests to determine the preferences of an applicant for occupations of different kinds.
(iv) Exterity tests, i.e. to determine an individual’s capacity to use his fingers and hands in industrial work.
(v) Achievement Tests, i.e. tests of the level of knowledge and proficiency in certain skills a 1 rea dy a ch ieved by the a ppl ica nts.
(vi) Personality test, i.e. tests designed to judge the emotional balance, maturity and temperamental qualities of a person.
(f) Interview:
The purpose of the employment interview is to find out the candidate’s mental and social make-up and to know whether the qualities possessed by him make him suitable for a job in the concern. The purpose of the interview is definitely not to confuse the candidate. Therefore, it must be conducted in a friendly atmosphere and the candidate must be made to feel at ease.
At the interview, questions should better be asked on the basis of job specifications, although questions arising out of the candidate’s answers should not be ruled out. Matters like hours of work, rest period, work on holidays and overtime should be carefully explained.
So far, the employment interview is considered to be the most satisfactory way of judging temperamental qualities of the candidates. In fact, in some concerns, it is the only tool of selection.
(g) Medical Test:
No worker should be selected without a medical test. This is important because a person of poor health may generally be absent and the training given to him may go waste. A person suffering from any diseases may spread it amongst other workers.
In any case even if a person does not suffer from any disease, the requirements of a job may be so exacting that a person of poor physique may not be able to handle it properly. For example, if a worker is required to handle heavy materials, he must possess sufficient physical strength to do that.
(h) On-the-job Test and Selection:
It is one the basis of the results of these various tests that the candidate would be finally selected but before he is given a job on permanent basis it would be better to try him out for a few weeks in the factory itself. This is because no procedure of selection can find out the whole reality about the personality of the selected candidates.
It is only by observing workers actually at work that one can find out how they behave with their fellow-workers and supervisors. By observing a candidate at work it will be known whether he can do his job properly or not.
Therefore, it is only after a trial for a few weeks that the person concerned should be treated as finally selected. If a person is not found suitable, the management may transfer him to some other job.
If an unsuitable person is made permanent, it will be a cause of dissatisfaction both to the management and to the employee all time to come. The management will be dissatisfied because the person cannot do his job well and the employee will be dissatisfied because he will not get any further promotion.