The selection process consists of various barriers or stages. Selection aims at generating full information regarding the candidates in order to determine whether they are appropriate for the job or not. The selection process varies from organization to organization and from job to job. Therefore, an ideal process of selection includes the following steps as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1: Selection Process.

1) Screening of Applicants (Application Forms): Screening of applicants includes filing up the application forms by the candidates. These application forms contain information about the applicants such as personal bio-data, achievements, experience, etc. This kind of information is utilized in order to get the right candidate, who is eligible for the vacant position. It can also be used for maintaining a permanent record of the candidates who are selected. After screening all the applicants, only those candidates are allowed for further selection process, who are meeting the job requirements and the standards set by the organization. In case, the candidates matching the job requirement are more than the vacant positions, organization goes only for few chosen candidates for further selection process.

2) Selection Tests: Every organization has its own rules for the selection process, to generate the required information about the candidate, or to reject the candidates who are not qualified for the interview. Generally, selection tests support the information provided by the applicants in the application forms. A selection test may provide useful information in terms of their aptitude, hobbies, personality, etc., which is not possible to get through an application form.

3) Selection Interviews: Selection tests are followed by a personal interview with the candidate. The main purpose of a personal interview is to fully evaluate the candidate for the job. It also gives a chance to the candidate to gain all the information about the organization. Sometimes, a preliminary interview takes place before conducting the tests.

4) Medical Examination: Medical examination is performed in order to observe the candidate’s endurance or tolerance level under pressure, as there are several jobs which require a lot of patience. Medical examination evaluates whether the candidate possesses these traits or not. It identifies the deficiencies of selective and qualitative placement for a positive cause and not for rejection only. It also indicates the suitability of a candidate for a job, and prevents his transfer to other job positions. A medical examination is performed to place the right candidates at the right jobs, where they can function without any kind of ill -effect or loss to their health. It is generally performed by the organization’s own physician or a medical officer authorized by the organization.

5) Reference Check and Background Verification: Selection procedure includes this step of a reference check and background verification for the purpose of bringing out more information regarding the candidate. Organizations request candidates for some references from whom they can gain some more information.

This information may be concerned with their background, character, working, etc. These references may include ex-employers of the candidate, people from educational institutions of the candidate, or some other important people who know the candidate’s attitude and skills. In general, references are not supposed to be of much importance due to their subjectivity, but they are an important source of valuable information, which cannot be obtained from any other source.

6) Hiring Decisions or Approval by Appropriate Authority: Finally, based on the above steps, the appropriate candidates are recommended for selection by the personnel department or selection committee. However, the personnel department or selection committee may hold the responsibility of finalizing the candidates for the job; sometimes organizations have their own staff to recommend the candidates for final selection by the top management. Generally, organizations assign different authorities to approve the final selection of candidates. On receiving the approval, the candidates are told about their selection in the organization and are requested to report to the concerned personnel.

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Thus, placement is the procedure of placing the right person on the right job and the aim of the placement is to place the hired candidates in the jobs for which they have the needed skills.

Principles of Placement

In the placement of employees following principles are followed:

1) Principle of Job First, Man Next: The principle of “Job First, Man Next” means a person should be placed in accordance with job requirements instead of adjusting the job according to the need and credentials of the person.

2) Principle of Qualifications: Employees should be placed on such a job for which they are qualified. They should not be placed in a very high or very low job position.

3) Principle of Timely Preparation: All the arrangements which are needed for placement should be done before the joining date of the newly hired employee.

4) Principle of Working Conditions: The employee should be made aware of all the information regarding working conditions existing in the company. He should also be provided information about punishments if he commits any mistakes.

5) Principle of Loyalty and Cooperation: Employees should be made to feel a sense of commitment and cooperation in their new job so that they can understand their responsibilities better towards the job and the organization.

6) Principle of Transfer: Initially, placement can be temporary as variations may occur after the training is completed. Transfer of the employee to other jobs may occur where he can perform as expected.

Process of Placement

There are four steps in the procedure of employee placement which are as follows:

Step 1: Data Collection: In the employee placement procedure, the first step is to collect data about the employee for the purpose of identifying the qualifications, skills, and abilities of present employees.

Step 2: Evaluation: After completing the first step of collecting employee data, the next step is to evaluate the capability of an employee in order to analyze the type of job that best suits to the employee.

Step 3: AllocationfPlacing: In this step, the company places the employee on the job which is best suitable for him.

Step 4: Control: The final step in this procedure is control. This step involves measuring and observing the employee performance in that particular job.

Benefits of Placement

The benefits of proper placement are as follows:

1) Raise Employee Morale: Proper placement makes it easier for the employee to adjust himself to the work and helps him to give a standard performance. This helps to raise the morale of the employee.

2) Keep Employees Motivated: Employees are motivated if they are properly placed by matching their skills and job requirements. If they are motivated they produce better output.

3) Reduce Labour Turnover and Absenteeism: If employees are properly placed in their jobs then absenteeism and employee turnover is reduced. This results in effective utilization of machines, equipments and materials.

4) Increase Employee Efficiency: Proper placement helps to improve employees’ efficiency as he is able to produce better results, communicate with people effortlessly, feel motivated, become punctual, and avoid committing errors.

5) Keep Employees Satisfied: Placement aims to keep employees satisfied. If an employee is properly placed in his job he works with zeal and his work performance is high.

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It is a scientific and standard method which is used to measure the behaviour and mental capacity of an individual. These are designed for measuring the suitability of a person for a specific role. It identifies that the mental ability and of an individual are matched with required abilities or skills for performing a job or not. Employer uses this type of test for measuring the hidden skills and qualities of employee which are difficult to find out during an interview.

Various job applicants believed that psychometric test is not a good measure for assessing their real capabilities and personalities. Moreover, these tests are unbiased and are statistically designed. It is performed by using a standard method of assessment for every individual so that everyone is treated equally. These tests are reliable in measuring an individual’s performance. The report of this test provides an accurate evaluation of the applicants. However, it does not mean that an individual can improve their performance without improving their actions and skills.

In psychometric test, there is a strong relationship between job performance and test scores. For example, when an individual’s test score is high then the chances that he/she performs well in job is also high The predictive qualities of employees makes psychometric test attractive.

Thus, the psychometric test is term which covers both personality profiling and ability testing. The types of psychometric tests are as follows:

1. Verbal reasoning.
2. Inductive reasoning.
3. Logical reasoning.
4. Situational reasoning.
5. Deductive reasoning.
6. Mechanical reasoning.
7. Critical thinking.
8. Diagrammatic reasoning.
9. Numerical reasoning.

Uses of Psychometric Tests

Uses of psychometric tests are as follow:

1) Selection of Personnel: This test is used by the recruiter for the purpose of selection of personnel It includes personality test, knowledge test and aptitude test.

2) Individual Development and Training: An individual can improve his performance and skill with the help of this test. For example, when an organization introduces a new technology then it might be helpful for people to assess their interests and motivations about the new technology. California Measure of Mental Motivation and Business Attitude Inventory are the examples of psychometric tests. It can also use aptitude test and skills test for examining an individual‘s capability.

3) Team Building and Development: Psychometric tests are also used for team building and development. When people understand others then they may build positive and strong relationships with others. Myers -Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and California Personality Inventory (CPI) are the general personality assessment tools which are helpful in team building.

4) Career Development and Progression: This test is helpful for career development of employees. People may uncover its interest and values that are important for their overall career satisfaction.

Significance of Psychometric Tests

The significance of psychometric tests is as follows:

1) Objectivity: Psychometric testing is objective in nature. Hiring people based on CV’s and interviews might be biased in some conditions. Psychometric testing removes this biasness as it provides a standardized test for all employees of the organization.

2) Accuracy: It allows a recruiting firm to assess the capability of individuals, analyzing information, solve problems, and for making judgments. This data is helpful for making a comparison between candidates.

3) Speed: Psychometric test saves time. Although small organization receives a large number of applicants for open positions thus, it will take time to screen all the candidates. It allows organizations to reduce their applicant pools by choosing candidates according to the needs of the organization.

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1) Job Boards: These sites are searched by the probable job seekers and they find all the details related to the particular job of a particular company such as number of vacancies, etc. Certain job boards are designed to recruit specifically skilled candidates. Job boards get a large number of responses from job seekers.

2) Employer Websites: These are the sites developed either by a company or by recruiting managers of various companies.

3) Professional Websites: These sites cater to the need of skilled professionals and specify certain criteria related to their job.

4) Virtual Job Fair: This is an online recruiting method which is used by recruiting managers of different companies which may sometimes be a single person or a team of reciuiters. For example, an online job fair may be organized by a company interconnecting different schools and colleges through a computer network. Such a process enables students to send their resume online 24 hours and 7 days in a week. It makes available to them a plethora of opportunities for talented students. The recruiters also get an idea of skilled persons available to them and it helps them to select the best one quickly and easily. It benefits both the employers and the candidates in a cheap and time-saving way and thus helping each other.

5) Weblogs: Weblogs or blogs offer more online options while searching for some information and thus changing people’s preferences. In the view of some recruiters and recruiting companies, these blogs help jobseekers to find detailed and secret background information related to various companies and also help them in the same way. All types of information related to the age, status, cost of one’s house, educational qualifications and the silly mistakes committed by them in college, clothes or dresses, financial status, political preferences and the names and ages of one’s children is available on these blogs. As a person, himself or herself puts such information on these blogs so no disclosure is required.

6) General Employment Websites: Most companies use job websites for stating the nature of the job, required skills, experience as well as the location or the area of work. The option ‘Search Candidates’ presents a list of those applicants who matches the skills with those of job requirements. The number of sites appears to increase and decrease daily.

7) Career Websites: These professionally inclined websites are fully available online. It gives information of general nature and also certain pieces of advice but its main work is to store resumes of applicants online and thus making them available to recruiters for their easy scanning and selection. These websites charge certain fees from the recruiters for giving them access to such information as is needed by them. These websites also help a lot of those job seekers who want this website’s help by presenting job category, area of posting and the essential qualifications as well as age limits, etc.

8) Official Website of the Country: Some countries have official websites offering all types of information to help young men and women in getting the role of their choice.

9) Contract Workers’ Sites: Earlier, the workers of a company who were employed for a limited time only were also considered as an available option in place of new recruitments. There are certain websites which help this section of employees. For example, a freelance writer can search such websites which can provide him the required work and he can also post his own credentials and thus make himself marketable internally. Now a day such websites are also available which let a jobseeker to post his skills, expected salary, etc. and thus help them to choose a recruiter.

10) Niche Job Board: These job boards give opportunities to talented professionals on the basis of their profession, specialization, location, or a combination of two or more of these. Some of these boards are specially designed to draw a certain talent from society such as engineers, computer programmers, journalists, architects, etc., who can exchange their expertise, knowledge, experience, talent, etc., in an easy manner.

11) E-Recruiting Application Service Providers: These service providers expand and make available all the recruitment training software, recruitment process management, education and training and managerial skills to the employers. The fierce competitive labour market for IT professionals has forced many small and average companies to application service providers.

12) Hybrid Recruiting System: These are very old media and recruiting companies that make available services to both jobseekers and their recruiters. Now the usual advertisement of print media has suffered untold loss because recruiters prefer online recruiting process for its efficiency, time saving and energy saving approach.

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Thus, e-recruitment offers a scientific web solution through an internet facility and presents a step-by-step process from the beginning to the end. It notifies about available vacancies, online application forms, e-payment of fees, office processes, and a link between an employer and an employee which helps a lot in finding and recruiting a suitable pool of talent or potential candidates.

Advantages of E-recruitment

E-recruitment serves the following advantages:

1) Saves Money: The main benefit of it is that it helps the recruiters to save a lot of money through e-recruiting while other recruiting processes through print media, recruiting agencies and search companies are quite expensive.

2) Saves Time: Internet recruiting saves a lot of valuable time of both parties. Job seekers can quickly apply for a job available online by sending e-mails instead of using the traditional method of sending hard copy of the application form. In the same way recruiters can also give their response quickly regarding exams, interview dates, and they may also seek additional information from them.

3) Reduces Paper Work: E-recruitment has totally eliminated the need of any paperwork, and it saves a lot of paper as well as paperwork involved in the recruitment process. It saves time for managers of the HR department of a company which can be used for other fruitful work of the company.

4) Aids to Reach Large Numbers of Applicants: The reach of e-recruitment is much wider and it is available on a global platform; people across different continents can easily access job openings available on the websites. So internet recruiting helps in collecting a large pool of probable candidates.

5) Generates Talent Pool: E-recruitment enables companies to make a large pool of talented people for their future needs. It also helps them to have a database that can be used for any research, policy reviews, and formulation etc.

6) Improves Corporate Image: The E-recruitment process creates a high-tech image of the company in the mind of the job seekers and they make a positive image of the company in which they are trying to find a job.

Disadvantage of E-Recruitment

The disadvantages of e-recruitment are as follows:

1) Employers may get Unqualified Applicants: In this type of recruitment, all types of candidates are applied for the position whether they are qualified or not. Thus, it creates a pool of unsuitable candidates.

2) Creates Additional Work: It should be noted that Internet recruitment increases the workload for HR staff members as one has to go through a large number of resumes and handle a lot of emails. For all this process, expensive software is urgently needed because then only a large number of the Internet can handle applications received online through recruitment.

3) Limited Access: One of the major problems of e-recruitment is the limited accessibility of some applicants who have no internet access, as they are disadvantaged socioeconomic groups or a particular tribe or ethnic minority. So, consequently, some talented people may not get the facility provided by the employers f some companies, which can result in the loss of both, these people as well as companies.

4) Privacy: In the e-recruitment process, information related to biodata and other information is easily available on the website. Thus, the information related to the employees is easily available in the e-recruitment process.

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Figure 1: Process of E-Recruitment.

Step-1: Recognize the Need of Recruitment: There is a need for concise job description and qualifications at this step. This is done on the part of HR manager, but the consent of all the concerned parties is needed.

Step-2: Create an Attractive Job Advertisement: With the help of various expert advice the recruitment need is then converted into an attractive and impressive job advertisement.

Step-3: Select the Appropriate Online Space for Recruitment Advertising: Online advertisements could be given to carrier websites and job sites such as naukri.com, monster.com, discussion boards, social networking sites, etc. It does everything from the job seeker’s point of view, like Which steps he will take while searching for job vacancies in a company? What are the job requirements that are sought by the employer? How can the employer be satisfied about the efficacy of this method while the job seeker can have access to all types of information related to the company which is available to the recruitment manager? etc.

Step-4: Design the Application Process: Next step is to decide what will be the format of application form and which type of questions will be asked in it, e.g., who will do a particular task and who will be responsible for a certain task? Which stages are needed to be executed and what will be the outcome after every stage?

Step-5: Take Help of Recruitment Manager: The recruitment manager who directs the job board must ensure that his skills must be utilized to make sure that the job advertisement is posted at the correct job site with all the essential factors such as name of the post, location, salary, essential qualifications, etc.

Step-6: Consider the Methods of Applying: From the appointment,,s point of view, there are two methods of applying for a job. First is the applicant tracking system (ATS), having the option of ‘direct supply’ at the job site. Second is the email method of sending curriculum vitae. Now it is the duty of the HR manager to manage the responses and store these with vital details of candidates.

Step-7: Respond to all the Applicants: In this step, a recruitment manager has to make sure that he must have a proper tracking system for all the applications received at the site and the list of all successful and unsuccessful candidates. Moreover, he must give a response to all the applicants who have applied for the job. Failure to which might damage the reputation of the company and its brand.

Step-8: Consistency in Process: In this step, the recruitment manager ensures transparency of the whole recruiting process. He makes sure that everybody involved in the recruitment press whether the officials or the applicants know the recruitment strategy and process of the company very well otherwise he will fail to promote the company’s brand name.

Step-9: Formulate a Response System: The recruitment manager must ensure at this step that the candidates, who after making 3 or more unsuccessful attempts be told about the reasons and certain solutions to their problems so that they can improve their performance in the next interview. This will help the candidates overcome their frustration due to wastage of their energy and time.

Step-10: Calculate ROI: This step involves reflection and pondering over the whole process of recruiting new candidates for the staff and the efforts made in this regard by the recruitment manager. He also thinks about the financial gains of the investment made by the company in its advertising process.

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Figure 1: Process of Succession Planning.

1) Pre-Planning: It is done by HR department managers in order to train such employees who have high level of potentiality, but are unable to utilize it in the right direction. This potentiality forms the basis for their selection to a high-level position that may become vacant in the future. It is a step-by-step process from the designing of the plan to its implementation. It includes informing the selected employees about the key roles they need to play in development of leadership and their accountability towards the organization Some managers avoid performing this task as they feel that they will be deprived of promotional opportunities, but they should understand that by identifying and developing good leaders, they provide benefit to the organization, which in turn rewards them for perfòrming their tasks effectively.

2) Assessment: The management should identify the suitable future leaders of the organization on the basis of their performance and potentiality considering the established leadership competencies. Rating and profiling are two ways by which managers develop a framework of performance and potential of an employee. Managers are required to maintain an employee profile that includes the entire career history of the employee, functions performed by him, his strengths, and his developmental needs. Further, managers are also required to develop a rating system to assess the potential of an employee. Finally, the best development programmes are conducted to improve the potential of the employee.

3) One-on-One and Group Meetings: The best way to identify the high potential of the organization and its developmental methods is one on one discussion, i.e., collecting information from variety of people of the organization. This method reduces any kind of biasness, as it is carried out between the HR personnel and the leaders of the organization. A person who is conducting this discussion not only reviews the potential profile and performance grid of the future leader but also prepares a replacement chart showing the vacant position, suitable employee and his current preparations for becoming future leader. Group session by organizational leaders is also a good way of reviewing the potential employees of the company. Discussing their findings with higher authorities can prove to be more beneficial. It not only helps in finding whether the employee selected for future vacancies is most appropriate or not, but also fills up any kind of gaps or issues that exist among the employees and higher authorities.

4) CEO Discussion: Regular discussions must take place between the business leaders and CEO on the high potential of the organization and the ways to develop their potential, so that they can be utilized in the future effectively. CEO must ensure that the needed resources such as time and money are available whenever required.

5) Ongoing Review: Succession planning is a continuous process that does not end even, if a pool of future leaders are selected and developed. Every time a higher position gets vacant, a new employee is given an opportunity to show his potential. Thus, it is the responsibility of the organization to identify the talent of various employees and retain those employees, who are capable of performing the role of future leaders and develop their skills accordingly. Any lacking on the part of an organization can deprive it of potential employees who can perform the role of future leaders effectively. Just because, their talent is not recognized appropriately in their organization but somewhere else, they may move towards better opportunities. Besides this, replacement charts should be updated and reassessment of succession planning should be done on either quarterly or semi-annual or annual basis.

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1) Sustain Performance of the Organization: Proper and systematic planning is required to motivate an organization in hard times. This function is performed by succession planning as it sustains the organization’s performance even during uncertain circumstances and helps to achieve the goals and objectives established by it.

2) Deal with Voluntary Separation: In the situation when the employees leave the company willingly or voluntarily, it becomes really difficult for the organization to handle such a situation as it is not prepared for it in advance. Thus, by implementing succession planning, organizations can train such employees who can suitably fill up the vacancies of the company. This prepares the organization to manage voluntary separation (individual or group) effortlessly.

3) Facilitate Employees Realise their Future Career Plans: Every individual has certain future career plans that he desires to achieve as early as possible. Succession planning help employees to achieve their career goals by providing them with the opportunity of handling higher positions and responsibilities in future, and even prepares them to take up those responsibilities.

4) Boosts Morale of Employees: Succession planning can also be termed as morale booster as it inspires the employees to work hard so that they become eligible for higher positions after the training given by the company. In case of several available positions, company prefers its own employees to fill up those vacancies which give current employees a path of career development. In case when an organization needs less number of existing employees, it goes for job rotation method in different departments of the company thus, increasing their chances of promotion.

5) Develops Competency of Leadership: Interaction between superiors and subordinates is the best way of identifying the employees having the ability of being good and potential leaders. By using succession planning technique, the organization provides on-the-job training to the employees to build the leadership skills which may prove out to be beneficial for them in future.

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Characteristics of Succession Planning

The following are the characteristics of succession planning:

1) Maintains Equilibrium between Individual and Organizational Needs: Succession planning gives equal importance to the organization as well as individual requirements. Individuals working in any organization need to maintain the balance between their career and family. Thus, this method helps the employees to take a career decision by which they can easily fulfil the necessities of their family members, and also work according to the changing requirements of the company.

2) Increases Experience by Lateral Movement: Earlier, organizations were more hierarchical, having more management levels. Employees had chances of promotions alongwith heavy increments in salary as well as status, but today the organizations are absolutely opposite. In organizations, only job rotation takes place at the same level without any cash benefit. In such situation, succession planning plays a critical role, as it fulfils the expectation of the employees of moving to higher positions with increased status and wealth. It also assures the employees to secure their career and use best career opportunities.

3) Focused on Roles, Not Jobs: Succession planning creates both job opportunities and role opportunities. Previously, people were only promoted to become specialists, but now the main hunt is for those employees who can perform different roles with high potential. Thus, there is a need to cluster jobs by role, level, and function in order to identify the most capable and adjustable candidates who can play these roles efficiently. Since job is a combination of roles, tasks and rank, it develops the skills of the employees to perform any role. Besides focussing on short-period substitution, this planning also prepares the employees to stay with the organization for a long duration of time

4) Competencies: In order to evaluate the potentiality of an employee, several organizations have started developing competency-based frameworks, which help in assessing the technical as well as general competencies of the employees. Integration of succession plans with these competency-based frameworks can prove to be very useful for the organization as it determines the appropriateness of the behaviour and the skills possessed by the employee for the higher roles.

5) Associated with Business Planning: In succession planning, managers are considered as shapers of organization’s future and HR is considered as facilitators which shows a close relationship among them. Succession planning and business planning go hand in hand. Thus, while implementing succession planning main emphasis should be given on various aspects related to the organizational plans such as healthy future building of the organization, changes that may occur, effect of those changes on the organization as well as on the employees and skills required to handle such changes

Types of Succession Planning

Succession planning can be categorised in following ways:

1) Role-Based: Role-based succession planning deals with those positions of the organization that are very important for its success. It prepares the present employees to replace the positions of middle-level managers and upper-level managers. For example, if the management is searching for a suitable candidate for the post of CEO, it will first assess the performance of the managers working directly under the CEO and then move on to other managers. Thus, by following this path they are able to get the most suitable candidate having the qualities required for that particular position. Organizations can also opt for training programmes if needed.

2) Individual-Based: This succession planning is based on the potentialities of an individual. An employee who is having great knowledge and high potential is trained by the experts of the organization to enhance their skills and make them fit for upcoming opportunities. In order to increase his experience, he is also given various tasks to perform, so that he can use his skills. By this, organizations can easily retain their talented employees.

3) Pool-Based: Unlike individual-based succession planning, this method does not focus on the capabilities of an individual, but on the potentialities of the group of individuals, so that several positions can be filled simultaneously. Pool-based planning can be classified into two broad categories – internal pool planning and external pool planning.

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