Congruence Between the Optimal Selection

¶ … congruence between the optimal selection criteria and the selection process will lead to a poor field of candidates, often with skills unsuited to the role. Once the process has been set, there are generally four screening phases. The first phase screens out those who do not meet the basic qualifications. Phase two involves selecting the most highly qualified candidates. Phase three involves screening the finalists in person. Phase four confirms the qualifications of the candidate that has received the offer.

While in the past there were many different systems by which this process took place, today there are a number of highly flexible approaches that are used in order to make the process more effective. Whereas in the past the selection criteria often related to status of the individual or specific trait analysis, today's criteria often focus on the antecedents to success, either in personality or in training or in experience. Phase one typically involves weeding out those candidates that do not meet these basic criteria forms.

In recent years, for example, there has been increased emphasis on testing as a means of identifying those candidates with the basic qualifications. These tests can be aptitude-based or they can be based on specific performance tests depending on the position and the selection criteria that have been identified. There are also personality tests that can be used, in particular for leadership positions. Among the other steps in the process today are interviewing and references.

Interviewing gives the company the opportunity to interact with the candidate, which can help to verify some of the traits identified either in earlier testing or listed on the candidate's CV. Reference checks can be a useful source of third party verification of the candidate's capacity to meet the requirements of the position. It is essential that prior to the interview process, the objectives of the interview are understood and that the interview is constructed with these objectives in mind.

References, although always taken with a grain of salt, are another form of interview that requires specific objectives on the part of the interviewer in order to gain the insight needed to make a useful contribution to the candidate evaluation. Education and training can definitely help a candidate to move through the recruitment and hiring process, in a couple of ways. The first way is that that candidate can meet firm requirements for the position -- for example a specific educational background or industry training certificate.

Many positions consider such qualifications essential, so candidates must acquire the requisite education and training in order to pass the first phase of evaluation. Much of the early part of the selection process is based on quantitative scoring. This means that candidates with higher educational qualifications will receive a.