Methods of personnel selection and their characteristics. Recruitment: how to find the right methodology
Any modern organization sooner or later needs to find new employees. At the moment, experts offer a lot various options selection of personnel and the choice of one or another approach depends on many factors, ranging from the total number of employees to the professionalism of the manager who is responsible for recruiting. What modern recruitment methods are used and how to select them?
Intraorganizational recruitment methods
All these methods can be conditionally divided into two categories: internal and external. The first option implies a way to search and select employees using an internal reserve of personnel. At the moment when a new vacancy appears in the organization (for example, when expanding the enterprise or when introducing a new position), the management team directs its attention to those people who are already on the staff.
The traditional way selection of employees is quite effective and differs from the rest in that it does not require any funding. Also a positive feature of this choice is the fact that the employee does not have to spend his time getting used to the new society, as he will continue his labor activity in familiar surroundings. However, the internal recruitment method has its disadvantage - limited choice and the lack of the possibility of attracting fresh forces to the company.
The internal recruitment system may consist of personal assistance from employees of the organization. This solution is rarely used in commercial enterprises, but it is no less popular in modern world. This method consists in the fact that the employee can recommend to the management to appoint his friend or relative to the vacant position. Those who decide to listen to the opinion of a subordinate can thus successfully fill the vacant positions of ordinary specialists (this mainly concerns unskilled workers, for example, cleaners, helpers). In this case, the firm does not spend cash on the search for personnel and ensures the necessary level of compatibility of new personnel with the company through their close relationship with already working people.
Despite the fact that listening to the advice of the wards and hiring their loved ones is good decision, any manager should know that there are many disadvantages.
- First, it is bad to promote the development of "nepotism" within the company.
- Secondly, this option does not make it possible to find a valuable and irreplaceable employee, since the search and selection of working personnel “by acquaintance” is based on the personal self-interest of the adviser, and not on the professionalism of the hired personnel.
External search and selection of personnel
For those who do not want to use the method of internal selection of staff, experts recommend turning their attention to recruiting agencies. First positive trait This method lies in the fact that firms whose activities are aimed at recruiting take on all the work associated with this process. The employer simply dictates personal conditions and looks through the candidates offered by the recruiting agency.
The success of such a search for personnel depends only on how correctly the employer was able to compose the image of the necessary employee. However, a significant role in this is played by how accurately the manager of the recruiting agency understood the formulated requirements of the customer. Often, leaders of any organization are advised to contact firms that specialize in finding employees of a certain level, for example, directors, junior staff, management, and so on. But before making such a decision, you should know that the services of this agency are paid and cost a considerable amount.
Another external method search and selection of personnel has become the Internet. At the moment, there are a sufficient number of sites on the World Wide Web that have a function to search for employees or post job advertisements. In this case, you can use the Internet resource that covers domestic market labor, the site of any print publication or recruiting agency. This method is quite effective, but at the same time, one should immediately prepare for the fact that it can take a very long time to select and select personnel who will meet all the established requirements.
Non-standard methods of recruitment
Over time, all standard and traditional approaches gradually lose their value and authority. They are replaced by fresh ideas, new and non-standard methods. This trend could not bypass the labor market, due to which many managers of modern firms began to use not quite the usual methods of searching and recruiting personnel.
Non-standard methods of finding employees include:
- search at conferences of a thematic nature and at professional exhibition events;
- advertising mailing emails on the Internet (spam);
- subscription to any thematic web resource that specializes in providing a service for posting job seekers and employers;
- attracting a personal staff of employees with the provision of bonuses for the search for specialists;
- attracting personnel of various specialties from provincial regions with a low standard of living.
Along with such unusual approaches to finding employees, there is quite a demand for and non-standard methods staff assessments:
- computer diagnostics;
- assessment by the applicant's voice;
- careful analysis of the resume of the candidate for the position;
- assessment of the applicant by his photograph;
- Candidate evaluation for:
- behavior in an informal setting;
- the results of the medical examination;
- references from a previous job;
- results of psychological tests.
Non-standard recruitment methods imply an unusual interview with the applicant (interview). Such interviews are divided into several types:
- case-interview (assessment of the sociability and resourcefulness of the applicant);
- projective interview (assessment of individual perception of a specific task assigned to a candidate for a position);
- structured interview (receiving answers from the applicant to strictly sequential questions);
- provocative interview (based on a preliminary refusal to the applicant for work and an assessment of his further behavior);
- brainteaser-interview (the candidate for the position must decide logical task or to answer an intricate question);
- stressful interview (conducted in an unusual place or during the interview, the applicant is asked unexpected questions).
The success of any company largely depends on the talent, competence and commitment of its employees. That is why the search for personnel for any leader is very important issue. However, this task requires A complex approach, taking into account those features that a particular area of activity of the organization has.
Personnel policy
This concept is relevant in any organization, even if its main provisions are not set out on paper. Personnel policy is a certain set of rules and principles that predetermine the effectiveness of personnel management. Moreover, its main features directly indicate how attractive the company is in the labor market for potential employees.
The main goal of any personnel policy is to provide all structures of the enterprise with the workers they need with a certain qualification. At the same time, such activities include the following areas, which include:
Hiring employees;
- selection and further promotion of personnel;
- training of qualified workers and their continuous education;
- placement of personnel in accordance with the existing production system;
- analysis of the labor potential of employees.
Recruitment
One of the most important directions of the personnel policy pursued by the enterprise is the formation of the necessary personnel. The first step in this process is hiring staff. It can be described as a series of activities aimed at attracting certain candidates whose qualities the organization needs to achieve its goals.
Recruitment is a whole complex of organizational activities, which include such stages as recruitment and evaluation of personnel, selection of applicants, as well as their further admission to the staff of the enterprise.
List of necessary procedures
Organizational activities involving staffing activities consist of:
1. Set. This process is the creation of a database of candidates most suitable for vacant positions. In other words, he is mass attraction applicants.
2. Selection. Yes, at this stage, the most suitable candidates are selected from the reserve created during the recruitment. Selection is part of the recruitment process and is the selection of a certain number of candidates from a large number people who want to take this place. The goal pursued by the personnel departments at this stage is to assess the compliance of the candidate's personal and professional suitability with the requirements put forward by this vacant position. Solve such a problem in the most as soon as possible possible by using legally, ethically and economically justifiable means.
3. Selection. This stage represents the choice of a position or activity that contributes to the fullest realization of all the capabilities of the employee. When selecting personnel, the identity of the characteristics of the candidate and the requirements of the position, as well as the organization as a whole, is established.
4. Choice. This stage involves the adoption of a commission decision on the preference of a certain candidate, based on the results of public procedures.
Recruitment
This stage is the most responsible in the work. personnel services. After all, the mistakes made today will cost the organization dearly tomorrow. In order to hire the right people for the enterprise, the person involved in the selection of personnel must have a certain talent. Indeed, when hiring worthy employees, the company will certainly work well, and bad ones, in addition to their unsatisfactory work, will negatively affect others.
That is why the selection of personnel is a continuous and painstaking work that will require special character traits and abilities, skills and knowledge. The high professionalism of an employee involved in hiring personnel requires deep knowledge in the field of economics and law, psychology and sociology. In this case, certain methods of recruitment should be used. Which one to choose, the organization decides for itself. However, as a rule, personnel services use the most common recruitment methods. Let's consider them in more detail.
Intraorganizational search
Sometimes, with the successful operation of the organization, it expands or there is a certain movement of employees within the company itself. What recruitment methods can be used in such cases? One of them is intraorganizational search. Its main goal is to recruit employees for the positions of top managers as well as middle managers.
In such cases, management appoints those employees who are already working in the organization to the vacant places. This method has a number of advantages. It helps to increase the level of loyalty to the organization, and is also attractive because candidates do not have to go through the path of integration into the team. Among the shortcomings of the intra-organizational method, one can distinguish restrictions in the choice of applicants, the lack of the possibility of the arrival of new forces, as well as the encouragement of parochialism among the heads of structural divisions.
Help workers
Often, organizations require employees for ordinary positions, as well as unskilled personnel. What recruitment methods can be used in such cases? At the same time, personnel services can use the help of employees. The advantages of this method include a high degree of compatibility. Among the shortcomings, the ignorance of the employees who offered their help, the specifics of the vacancy, as well as their lack of experience in the selection of personnel, stands out.
Appeal to the media
Methods of search and selection of personnel sometimes involve the use of media space. This provides the maximum possible coverage of the audience of potential applicants. Moreover, when using this method, the organization will require small financial costs. The success of such an event, as a rule, depends on the frequency of release, circulation, ease of registration on the site, ease of use, etc. But be that as it may, when placing an ad in the media, personnel services must be prepared for the appearance of a large number of candidates.
Technologies of search and selection of personnel do not stand still. Methods that worked well a few years ago, today do not give the desired result. There are many reasons for this: demographic situation, a "difficult" labor market, changes in the motivation of young professionals, and so on. The essence remains the same. Finding the right candidate is getting harder and harder.
In my article I want to dwell on two components of the recruitment process - this is the search (methods of attracting) and the selection (assessment) of personnel.
I note that detailed description The "work" of all methods (who/how/why/when to apply them and how much it costs) is not my task.
The article turned out to be voluminous, so I will not bore you with a long preface.
Personnel search
4 main recruitment technologies:
- Mass recruiting (massrecruiting) - used to recruit a large number of employees. Basically, these are line-level specialists with fairly well-defined professional skills and experience;
- Recruiting (recruiting) - search and selection of qualified specialists. As a rule, it is carried out among candidates who are already in search of a job;
- Direct search (executive search - search for rare specialists and/or middle managers. It is carried out both among freelancers and those still working;
- Headhunting - enticement of a specific working specialist.
Methods of attracting personnel (search sources):
Speaking about the methods and sources of personnel search, it is worth noting that some of them are used only by direct employers (due to certain restrictions), while others are more often used by recruitment agencies.
- Personnel reserve- nomination of a candidate from among the employees of the organization for an open vacancy;
- Referral recruiting There are two types of referral recruiting: internal and external. Recommendation recruiting within the company - employees recommend candidates from among their acquaintances; outside the company - the candidate is sought on the recommendation former colleagues, acquaintances, etc.;
- Targeted training in universities- the company "grows" future employees by offering employment after passing targeted training;
- Employment centers at universities - attracting young professionals for the period industrial practice with subsequent employment, especially relevant for workers and technical specialties;
- Open days - this is an acquaintance of candidates with the organization “from the inside”, an opportunity to assess working conditions with their own eyes and communicate with managers. The main disadvantage of this method is the lack of guarantees of attracting interesting candidates and the very laborious process of organizing an event;
- Job fairs- the most interesting are industry, good opportunity make a presentation of the company and collect contacts of candidates interested in the work;
- State employment centers - this method works well when attracting personnel with low wage requirements;
- Targeted retraining of specialists in training centers - training of promising employees of the organization with their subsequent promotion;
- Placement of vacancy announcements near the organization- one of the "guerrilla" methods, works well for retail and workers, industrial specialties;
- Recruitment agencies- by contacting the agency, the employer receives a guarantee of attracting a certain number of candidates that meet his requirements, from which he can choose the most suitable one;
- Posting vacancies on specialized job sites- one of the most common passive ways attraction of personnel, from the minuses I will note the low activity of candidates and the inconsistency of the received responses with the stated requirements;
- Search for resumes on specialized job sites- one of the most common active ways recruitment of personnel, often costly and extremely time-consuming;
- Placement of vacancy announcements in specialized printed publications - well suited for finding workers, technical and industrial specialties;
- Placement of vacancy announcements in non-core print media– allows you to reach candidates that are not currently open to the market;
- Placement of vacancy announcements in public transport - the main advantage of this method is a large coverage area and the ability to interest candidates who are not open to the market;
- Placement of job advertisements on radio and television- perfect for small town, but for a metropolis this method is too expensive.
If we talk specifically about modern methods of personnel search, we can distinguish the following:
- Search for candidates in in social networks - a relevant, inexpensive, but time-consuming method of attracting staff. Well suited for finding young professionals and mid-level professionals.
- Search for candidates on the Internet (forums, specialized communities) — inexpensive, but rather laborious method. Allows you to contact a narrow circle of specialists, as well as get recommendations for interesting candidates.
- Posting job ads on the Internet in video format - one of the most popular methods today. The cost of creating a video about a company/vacancy is comparable to the cost of traditional recruitment methods. The efficiency of this method is quite high. Thanks to distribution on the Internet, the maximum number of views is ensured.
The active use of these methods of attracting personnel is associated with the development of the global web. Recruiters followed the candidates into the Internet.
Recently, methods such as:
- Personnel leasing- use of temporary labor resource provided by recruitment agencies for a long time to solve the production problems of the organization;
- Outsourcing– transfer to a third-party organization of some business processes that are non-core for the organization;
- Temporary staff- unlike leasing, it is used in cases where an organization needs additional employees for a short period (from one day to several months);
- Outstaffing- registration in the staff of a specialized agency of employees working in a company that, for one reason or another, no longer wants to keep this staff at home.
Of course, these methods are not methods of attracting personnel to the organization, but they solve the problem of its shortage no less effectively.
Personnel selection
Speaking about the selection of candidates, namely all sorts of different tests, we can no longer make distinctions between direct employers and agencies. All selection methods are used by them in equally, and their choice depends on the knowledge and experience of a particular recruiter.
So, the main methods of selection of candidates:
- Analysis of resumes and other documents- dropout on formal grounds;
- Phone interview- screening according to formal requirements, determining the level of expected salary;
- Interview- in addition to the necessary competencies, the appearance and behavior of the candidate are also evaluated;
- stress interview- the level of stress resistance, the scheme of behavior in a stressful situation;
- Questionnaire— compliance with procedures, willingness to make contact;
- Testing- psychological, level of intelligence, etc .;
- Essay- the ability to express their thoughts in writing;
- Solution of business cases— model of behavior in a given situation;
- Logical and associative tasks- behavior, reaction to questions, ability to think logically;
- Infusion into working groups— assessment of communications, work proposals;
- Collection of recommendations— recommendations from employers, colleagues from previous jobs;
- Collection of information in social networks.
I would also like to note some non-traditional and in many ways controversial selection methods:
Anthropological selection method
Anthropological- the candidate's abilities, his intellectual and creative abilities are evaluated on the basis of the structure of his skull: the size of the superciliary arches, the position of the lips and ears, etc.
Graphological selection method
graphological– the applicant’s handwriting is analyzed, based on this analysis, conclusions are drawn about the individual characteristics of the candidate. According to graphologists, graphological examination allows assessing the personal and business qualities of a person. I must say that this method is used mainly in Europe. In Russia, it is poorly distributed, and graphology itself is often referred to as pseudoscience.
Astrological selection method
Astrological- the candidate's zodiac sign is analyzed. It is believed that by the sign of the zodiac one can determine the personal and business qualities of the candidate, the success of his entry into the team, predisposition to certain types of work, professions and positions. In Russia, again, this selection method is not common.
It is rarely used by professional recruiters (well, except for female curiosity). But a male leader can resort to it at the most unexpected moment and make a choice in favor of a candidate based on his zodiac sign.
Numerological selection method
Numerological- the same story with numerology. The candidate is evaluated by date of birth (the numbers themselves, their order, combination, etc.).
Palmistry
Palmistry- palmists evaluate a person's abilities by the parameters of the palm. They even say that palmists can appreciate professional qualities.
The boom in attracting palmists, magicians, psychics and other people of outstanding abilities fell on the "dashing" 90s. Turning to such “specialists” removes the responsibility for making a decision on the choice of a candidate, but it is difficult to assess the quality of the evaluation of candidates.
Polygraph
Polygraph (lie detector)- the least exotic method, has a real scientific justification. Used for over 100 years. The average level of reliability of the lie detector is 95%. It has become more and more popular lately.
Summing up the non-traditional methods of personnel selection, I will say that I have a rather entertaining image of a recruiter-astrologer-numerologist-chiromancer with a polygraph at the ready. Do I need to say that such a specialist is not familiar to me? And you? 🙂
Of all the above non-traditional methods there is not a single one that would guarantee 100% correctness of the choice (with the exception of perhaps a lie detector). But also traditional methods do not provide such a guarantee.
Conclusion
The choice of ways to attract and select personnel depends on many factors: the state of the labor market, the profile of the vacancy, the corporate culture of the organization, and its financial capabilities. At the same time, recruiters, as a rule, do not stop at any one method, but use them in combination.
Human resources departments use various recruitment methods in their activities. For example, when selecting new employees in American firms, they use the method psychological analysis, for this, the following documents are required from the candidate: a questionnaire filled out at home; a letter of application written by hand (at least 15 lines); photographs (in full face and in profile). HR specialists analyze photographs using physiognomic tables containing 198 individual features. The questionnaire and the letter of application of the candidate for the position are primarily subject to graphological analysis, during which 238 features are identified to characterize the personal parameters of the applicant. The questionnaire contains 140 questions, the answers to which are analyzed not so much in terms of content, but in terms of the style and nature of the presentation, where the characteristics of the candidate's personality are involuntarily manifested. When selecting workers using this method, under a plausible pretext, entrepreneurs refuse up to 80% of applicants.
In most foreign companies, each candidate is comprehensively analyzed. The selection of one candidate in Japan takes up to 48 man-hours, in the USA - up to 16-18. A network of special assessment centers with qualified staff and modern equipment is widely developed, numerous psychological tests. When hiring, less attention is paid to the formal knowledge of the candidate, and more to his human and business qualities. The most serious inquiries are made about each candidate at his former place of work. In Japan, for example, when a university graduate is hired, company representatives talk to his former professors.
The most common methods for assessing personnel in Japanese corporations are as follows.
1. The study of biography, where the main aspects of the analysis are:
family relationships;
nature of education;
physical development;
main needs and interests;
features of intelligence;
sociability.
2. Data of a personal file, which is a kind of dossier where personal data and information obtained on the basis of annual assessments are entered. According to the personal file, the course of development of the employee's personality is traced, on the basis of which conclusions are drawn about his prospects.
3. Expert assessments to determine the abilities and personal qualities manager or candidate for promotion. They are carried out on the basis of the processing of special questionnaires that are filled in for the person being assessed by higher managers, subordinates and himself (tripartite assessment of personnel). The form usually contains the following information:
abilities (identifying professional qualities necessary to perform the main management functions: the ability to make decisions, plan, organize people, control the activities of subordinates);
work experience (correspondence or non-compliance with the position held; quality professional activity; aspiration for the future, a plan for career advancement);
development (to assess character traits and improve them).
The questionnaire contains 24 character traits: perseverance, optimism, rudeness, secrecy, talkativeness, diligence, etc.
4. Completion of written assignments: project development, preparation business letter, writing a report, etc. The subject either submits the completed task to the commission of experts for subsequent verification, or immediately after writing the work reports to the examiners about it.
5. Oral examinations, which usually take the form of interviews, interviews, group discussions. As a rule, their topics are production problems typical of the position occupied by the subject.
Recently, handwriting bureaus have become widespread in industrialized countries, which analyze the professional and personal qualities of workers in their handwriting. For example, there are already hundreds of such bureaus in the United States, and they have become a real branch of business. The most reputable companies and government agencies rely on graphologists to determine their aspirations, degree of self-control and initiative, and thereby the likelihood of success or the danger of an unsuccessful choice, based on literally a few lines handwritten by candidates for high positions. Graphological analysis is the simplest, cheapest and, most importantly, the most reliable way of selection for corporations and firms than traditional psychological tests.
In many Japanese and Western companies, when vacancies appear in the management apparatus, an internal competition is first announced for filling a position (among their employees) and only in case of negative results, outside specialists are invited to participate in the competition. This improves the moral climate in the team, strengthens faith in their organization. Much attention is paid to working with the reserve. In all large firms, there are so-called relocation matrices that reflect the current position of each manager, his possible relocations and the degree of readiness to take the next position (ready to take immediately; will be ready in a year; will be ready in two years, but for this it is necessary to improve qualifications in such areas, etc.).
The most important element of work with personnel is the movement of managers. Proper, purposeful movement allows not only to ensure the employee's compliance with the position, but also to overcome stagnation and conservatism in thinking. In the managerial practice of developed countries, there are at least three types of movement of leaders: first, promotion (or demotion) in position with the expansion (or narrowing) of the circle official duties, an increase (decrease) in rights and an increase (decrease) in the level of activity; secondly, an increase in the level of qualification, accompanied by an assignment to the manager of more complex tasks and not entailing a promotion, but accompanied by an increase in salary; thirdly, a change in the range of tasks and responsibilities that is not caused by advanced training, which does not entail promotion and an increase in salary (rotation). This type of rotation leads to a broadening of horizons, an increase and expansion of managerial qualifications and, ultimately, to career growth. This type of movement is especially typical for Japan.
IN last years assessment procedures are changing significantly: employees themselves are increasingly involved in them. Research conducted at the General Electric Corporation revealed that about 90% of managers and 86% of subordinates believe that self-assessment must be taken into account as a mandatory component ratings in general. This, in the opinion of the respondents, will increase its effectiveness, involve employees in the management process, and the assessment itself will cease to be only an expression of the opinions of managers.
Methods for the selection of leadership personnel and their improvement are today in the focus of management theory and practice. A survey of executives of a number of corporations showed that the interview is universal remedy evaluation of business and personal qualities of a manager. Of considerable interest is also the appointment of leadership position based on feedback and recommendations. Increasingly, analysis of the results of the use of biographical data (obtained from responses reflecting the main stages life path future leader), which indicates a high degree of its reliability.
Considering wide use"verbal" methods of selection and placement of personnel, Western researchers pay great attention to the study common mistakes, which allow candidates for a position during an interview with employees of the personnel department or with managers. These errors include:
insufficient preparation for the interview (the candidate should have preliminary information about the future place of work and use it as actively as possible during the conversation);
lack of a conversation plan (the candidate must outline the main topics of the interview in advance and be ready to provide any necessary information);
inability to briefly and clearly (within three phrases) answer specific questions;
inability or unwillingness to ask questions (which indicates a lack of interest in the place of future work);
inability to listen to the interlocutor (which leads to misunderstandings, misunderstandings, confusion when answering questions);
inability or unwillingness to make a favorable first impression appearance(modesty and a certain conservatism in clothing, hairstyle, cosmetics, etc. are recommended).
In all cases of use various methods selection and placement of personnel, allowing to correctly determine what qualities of a person deserve special attention, Western experts recommend carefully studying functional responsibilities for each specific post.
Properly selected staff is the key to high productivity of the entire team. In the case of recruitment technology that has not been perfected to the smallest detail, you risk basing on work and reducing discipline among the rest of the staff. To create a successful one, we advise you to study the basic and non-traditional methods selection of personnel that will make life easier for the management of the enterprise, as well as save time and nerves of the recruiting manager.
Golden Rules for Selecting Candidates
The first impression of the applicant, of course, plays big role, but the basic rules for searching for candidates for a vacant position contain clear recruitment methods, which, first of all, it is useful to take into account the HR manager himself.
- Determine the number of vacancies that will meet the strategic requirements successful development your business.
- For each vacancy, designate a specific position and the degree of responsibility of the hired employee, duties, tasks, and prepare instructions for their implementation.
- Decide how you will search for candidates, use several methods, including non-standard ones.
- Choose which recruitment methods you are going to use and inform applicants about them: a preliminary interview with a candidate by phone, filling out a questionnaire, having a resume.
- Master the skill of secondary selection. After reviewing the questionnaires and resume, conduct a personal interview and testing of the applicant.
- This is followed by a decision to hire a new employee and sign an agreement with him.
- The last point is the development of a program for the adaptation of a newly hired employee and its successful implementation.
As you can see, the main recruitment methods imply careful preparation to an interview not only of the applicant, but also of the employer himself, but a carefully planned search for applicants significantly reduces the risk of hiring the wrong specialist.
Secret recruiting techniques
- Logician. A person who is able to think logically, subjects everything to an objective assessment and belongs to the thinking type. His task is to put everything in order, to eliminate chaos.
- Ethics. He is also able to objectively assess what is happening, but belongs to the "feeling" type. Tries to create a comfortable environment within the team.
- Sensorik. Concretely thinking type, "sensing", capable of producing specific things.
- Intuit. Possessing an intuitive, a person who generates ideas.
By learning to easily recognize these 4 personality types, the recruiting manager is able to create a team, each member of which is in his place, corresponding to his type of thinking.
