Describe the Different Employee Selection Methods and Specify Which Work Best for Different Jobs

Organisations who wish to recruit new employees must first clearly define the criteria against which it can measure and assess potential employees for the job. The process of selecting employees is a crucial part of Human Resource Management. Selection is done to choose the best applicants to fill existing or projective job vacancy. The best applicants are chosen from among those who meet the required criteria.

There are two main outcomes that should result from the selection process. First, it should ensure that good applicants are accepted. These applicants are the ones who are able to demonstrate good job performances now, as well as in the future. The other outcome that should result is the rejection of employees who are likely to project poor job performances in the future. Reject error and accept error should be avoided at all costs. This is important as bad selection decisions result in extreme costs to the organisation. This includes costs like the selection process, future costs of hiring and training new staff, and the cost of labour turnover if new staffs do not stay in the long-term (Bratton and Gold, 2003). The selection methods that are adopted by organisations must result in these outcomes in the best possible way. Selection can be done by using several methods, depending on the type of the organisation and the job description. Each method of selection contains certain advantages and disadvantages. The validity and reliability of the selection method must also be taken into consideration.

Organisations choose the best selection method depending on the qualities that are needed to be shown by the candidates. Criteria that are used by organisation are now increasingly set in the form of competencies composed of behavioural characteristics and attitudes, which cannot be easily measured (Bratton and Gold, 2003). Organisations are therefore implementing more sophisticated and complex selection techniques. Some of the more common selection methods are in the forms of application forms, written tests, performance-simulation tests, interviews, background investigations and physical examinations. Some of these methods are more valid for certain types of jobs.

Application forms are widely used by a large number of organisations. These forms range from simple types of forms, asking for common things such as name and address, to more complex ones which require candidates to fill in detailed information on things such as their skills, activities and qualifications. Most major employers use this method of selection, and this is easily seen while browsing websites for employment opportunities. Companies with their own websites usually have recruitment section in it, where application forms can be completed and submitted online by applicants. However, application forms on its own are not that reliable, as applicants are able to complete the forms in any way they want, and provide any information they want. The combination

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