Stress Interview

Such interviews are conducted for the jobs which are to be performed under stressful conditions. The objective of stress interview is to make deliberate attempts to create stressful or strained conditions for the interviewee to observe how the applicant behaves under stressful conditions. The common methods used to induce stress include frequency interruptions, keeping silent for an extended period of time, asking too many questions at a time, making derogatory remarks about the candidate, accusing him that he is lying and so on. The purpose is to observe how the candidate behaves under the successful conditions – whether he looses his temper, gets confused or frightened.

How to Make Interview Successful?

1. The interview should have a definite time schedule. This should be let known both to the interviewer and interviewee.

2. Interview should be conducted by the competent, trained and experienced interviewers.

3. The interviewers should be supplied with specific set of guidelines for conducting interview.

4. A resume for all the candidates to be interviewed should be prepared and the same be made available to the interviewers before the interview starts.

5. The interview should not end abruptly but it should come to close tactfully providing satisfaction to the interviewer.

6. The interviewers should show their sensitivity to the interviewees sentiments and also should be sympathetic towards him or her.

7. The interviewers should also evince emotional maturity and a stable personality during the interview session.

Reference Checks

In the selection process, the next step is verifying information or obtaining additional information through reference. The applicant is asked to give the names of one or two referees who know him personally.

Previous employers, University Professors, neighbours and friends are usually referees. However, references are treated as a mere formality and are hardly used to influence the selection decisions.

Physical Examination

The last tool used in the selection process is physical examination.

The main purpose of conducting physical or medical examination is to have proper matching of job requirement with the physical ability of the candidate. Among various objectives of physical test, the major ones are, to detect if the individual is carrying any infectious diseases, to identify health defects of an individual undertaking certain works determined to his or her health and to protect companies from employees filing compensation claim for injuries and accidents caused by pre-existing ailments.

Final Selection

Final selection follows the above procedures outlined. Selected candidates would be sent with appointment orders. Additional names than required vacancies may be kept in the waiting list.

Placement

Placement involves assigning a specific job to each one of the selected candidates. However, placement is not simple as it looks. It involves striking a balance between the requirements of a job and the qualifications of a candidate. Pigors and Myers has defined placement as, “the determination of the job to which an accepted candidate is to be assigned, and his assignment to that job. It is a matching of what the supervisor has reason to think he can do with the job demands and what he offers in the form of pay rolls, companionship” with others, promotional possibilities etc. The importance of placement is that it reduces employee turnover, absenteeism, accidents and dissatisfactions.

Induction

Induction is introducing the new employee to work surrounding and people already working there. In other words, induction is the process of receiving and welcoming an employee when he first joins a company, and giving him basic information he needs to settle down quickly and happily and start work. According to R.P. Billimoria, “induction is a technique by which a new employee is rehabilitated into the changed surroundings and introduced to the practices, policies and purposes of the organizations.”

Objectives of Induction

1. To reduce the initial anxiety which all new entrants feel, when they join a new job in a new organization.

2. To familiarize the new employees with the job, people, work-place, work environment and the organization.

3. To facilitate outsider – insider transition in an integrated manner.

4. To reduce the cultural shock faced in the new organization and

5. To reduce exploitation by the unscrupulous co-workers.

Formal Induction

Formal induction is a planned programme carried out to integrate the new entrant into the organization.

Following are the contents in a formal induction programme:

1. Brief history of the organization.

2. Organizational mission, vision, objectives and philosophies.

3. Policies and procedures of the organization.

4. Rules and regulations of the organization.

5. Organization structure and authority relationship.

6. Terms and conditions of the job including remuneration, working hours, holidays, promotional avenues etc.

7. Welfare measures like subsidized canteen, transport and recreation facilities.

8. Safety measures.

Information Induction

In this system, the immediate job supervisor conducts the induction programme for the new entrant. He briefs the new entrant about the job, the department, routine and introduces to the colleagues, and various sections.

Making induction programme successful

First impression is the best impression. The new employee should feel happy and proud about his company. This will create a lasting association and commitment.

Effective induction

needs-1. Good reception when receiving the new employee.

2. Finding the needs and doubts of new employee.

3. Proper and good presentation about the company and work culture.

4. Induction training by the right instructor.

5. Proper evaluation and follow-up measures.

Self Assessment Questions 1. What is recruitment?

2. What is the difference between selection and recruitment?

3. Explain different selection tests.

4. State the importance of induction.

Summary

Recruitment, selection, placement, induction, training and development are all the core functions of HRD. Recruitment is the process of locating, identifying and attracting capable applicants. Both internal and external factors influence recruitment. Internal factors are the size of the organization, policy of the organization, and the usage of the jobs.

External factors are demographic factors labour market, unemployment situation and labour laws.

In recruitment both internal and external sources can be made use of. Selection starts where recruitment ends. Selection is the process of differentiating between applicants in order to identify those with a greater likelihood of success in a job. The various selection processes are i) Preliminary interview, ii) Application blank, iii) Selection tests, iv) Selection interview, v) Reference checks,, vi) Physical examination and vii) Final selection.

The different selection tests are ability tests and personality tests. After the tests, interviews will be conducted. Reference checks physical examination and final selection follows.

The selected candidates are placed in suitable positions.

Placement involves assigning a specific job to each of the selected candidates. Then they are inducted. Induction is introducing the new employee to the work surrounding and the people who are already working there. There is formal induction and informal induction.

Answer Key

1. According to Dale Yoder, “Recruitment is a process to discover the source of manpower to meet the requirements of staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting that manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient working force.”

2. Note the differences tabulated in the text of this lesson.

3. Ability tests and personality tests. The different ability tests are i) Aptitudes tests, ii) Achievement tests, iii) Intelligence tests, and iv) Judgment tests. The personality tests are a) Interest tests b) personality inventory tests c) Projective tests and d) Attitude tests.

4. Induction is the process of receiving and welcoming an employee when he first joins a company, and giving him the basic information he needs to settle down quickly and happily and start work. There can be formal induction and informal induction.

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