Selection Process

All of us have had to seek employment. We have approached the selection process from the applicant’s point of view. Part of that perspective is the tension we feel, particularly in situations where we are unemployed. We wonder just how many others are in our situation. We know that the more applicants applying for the same position, the less likely we are to even be noticed. Some of us remember the days where an applicant could walk into an employment office and seek an audience with the decision maker. In some cases that approach would work; but the 21^st century digital recruitment devices do not permit that option. Computer applications will often reject our application in a matter of seconds. There is seldom a second option.

Interestingly, most employers are no less nervous about the selection process. In the extreme cases they might spend thousands of dollars before finding the one “right” candidate for an executive position.

On the other hand, what every employer knows is that the process can never guarantee that the “right” candidate will be a great employee. Every tool an employer uses to make the decision – for example, background checks, interviews, drug tests -- is essentially a prediction that the employee will or will not be successful. In other words, the applicant’s performance on the job can never be assessed until after the selection decision is made, and in a percentage of cases the performance will be inadequate no matter what the prediction.

Having made this point, let’s not suggest that selection is a game of chance, at least from the employer’s point of view. The text will identify selection tools that are statistically more valid predictors of on-the-job performance than others. For example, in recent years research has demonstrated that structured interviews are much better predictors of a successful hire than unstructured interviews. Knowledgeable employers will understand this relationship and build more sophisticated interview processes to reduce the likelihood of error.

A Post-Hire Selection Tool

It may seem counter-intuitive from what was expressed above, but some industries – particularly the public sector – use an initial probationary or trial period for new hires. This device is particularly important in the public setting since immediately after the probationary period the employee is generally given protection from discharge except for just cause. Even in circumstances where there is no union, civil service employees have “permanent” status but for misconduct and/or incompetence. There are also quite complicated procedures associated with layoffs that protect the most senior employees from removal.

In these cases the probationary period is an opportunity to see the employee perform on-the-job before granting permanent status. It gives both the employee and employer a chance to determine if there is a “fit”. Generally such periods last anywhere from one to six months, and sometimes as long as a year.

From an employer’s perspective, managers and supervisors must provide the type of honest feedback that is important in making the longer term decision about allowing someone to “pass” the probationary test. Certainly we wouldn’t expect someone to perform at the highest levels if the learning curve for the job itself will take several years to master. In terms of competence, the employer would expect a person’s performance to be at an appropriate level consistent with the length of the evaluation period. On the other hand, employers should keenly assess behaviors that represent critical values that an employee might not share with the employer’s mission or culture. For example, an employee who constantly calls off on Fridays or is rude to customers is not likely to change those behaviors as time passes. In other words, if while under the “microscope” of close supervision the employee is not motivated to avoid such choices, it would be strange indeed that he or she would improve when given job protection beyond the traditional at-will status common in most other situations.

If your organization does not yet use the probationary period, and particularly if the organization is in the private or not-for-profit sector, you should consult with your attorneys before adapting the process to your own situation.