People

An interview is the most common form of selection as it is relatively cheap to undertake and is the chance for an employer to meet the applicant face to face and so obtain much more information on what the person is like and how suitable they are for the job. Examples of information that can only be learnt from interview and not on paper from a CV or application form are:

• Conversational ability- often known as people skills
• Natural enthusiasm or manner of the applicant
• See how applicant reacts under pressure
• Queries on comments or details missing from CV or application form

Interviewers should also follow-up a candidate’s references, which can act as the final check that all the information given by the candidate is correct. An honest reference from an independent source can also reveal good or bad incidences from the candidate’s past or particular traits that may have been missed.

There are though other forms of selection tests that can be used in addition to an interview to help select the best applicant. The basic interview can be unreliable as applicants can perform well at interview but not have the qualities or skills needed for the job. Other selection tests can increase the chances of choosing the best applicant and so minimise the high costs of recruiting the wrong people. Examples of these tests are aptitude tests, intelligence tests and psychometric tests (to reveal the personality of a candidate).

Managers selecting candidates for a high level post in an organisation may even send applicants

to an assessment centre. In such centres candidates undergo a variety of tests, role-plays and simulations for a number of days.

Once the best candidate has been selected and agreed to take up the post, the new employee must be given an employment contract. This is an important legal document that describes the obligations of the employee and employer to each other (terms and conditions) as well as the initial remuneration package and a number of other important details.