Lecture
Purpose of the topic: to examine the possibilities of applying psychodiagnostics in the recruitment and selection of personnel.
Outline of the topic:
4.1 Assessing the individual personality characteristics of candidates in order to solve the tasks of selecting and recruiting employees for vacant positions, when conducting personnel competitions, and when rotating staff, taking into account employees' compliance with specific position-related and professional requirements.
4.2 The professiogram as a criterion for evaluating a candidate for a position. The psychogram as the most important part of the professiogram from the standpoint of the requirements that a profession (specialty) places on a person's psychological qualities. Job profiling (professiography). The scheme for describing a profession and the modular approach to job profiling (M.A. Dmitrieva).
4.3 The evaluative interview in hiring employees. Preparation, organization, conduct. The structure and objectives of each stage of the interview. The use of stress techniques: objectives and conditions of application. The use of role-playing and simulation games in diagnosing a candidate's professionally important qualities.
4.4 Expert appraisal of professionally important properties. Diagnosis of professionally important qualities (the Self-Assessment of Professional Suitability and Abilities technique, T.A. Ratanova, modified by O.B. Polyakova).
4.5 The problem of professional suitability and the ways a person adapts to the requirements of a profession (the «Questionnaire for Assessing the Level of Socio-Psychological Adaptation of an Enterprise Employee», R.Kh. Ismailov; the «Questionnaire for Assessing Manifestations of Maladaptation», O.N. Rodina). Aggressiveness as a manifestation of maladaptation and the diagnosis of aggressiveness (the technique of A. Buss and A. Durkee).
Discussion on the topic: What are the ways a person adapts to the requirements of a profession.
4.1 Assessing the individual personality characteristics of candidates in order to solve the tasks of selecting and recruiting employees for vacant positions, when conducting personnel competitions, and when rotating staff, taking into account employees' compliance with specific position-related and professional requirements
Overall control over personnel management policy and ultimate responsibility for its success rest with senior management. The methods and effectiveness of recruitment and selection are influenced by management's policy toward staff, employee training and development, and an understanding of the importance of maintaining a good moral climate in the organization.
Recruitment and selection procedures should be considered in the context of the work of the organization as a whole.
The main prerequisites determining the effectiveness of recruitment and selection work are:
setting clear organizational goals;
developing an effective organizational management structure that makes it possible to achieve these goals;
the existence of personnel planning, which serves as the connecting link between the organization's goals and its organizational management structure.
Recruitment and selection are linked to personnel planning, job analysis, performance appraisal, the incentive system, induction into the position, staff training and development, and the organization's established culture.
The search for employees to fill vacant positions can be carried out both through the organization's internal resources and through external sources.
The selection of employees cannot be carried out by relying on just one criterion or the solution of just one task.
A comprehensive approach to hiring and selecting personnel consists of at least five main tasks:
finding out what the position to be filled actually involves.
determining the personal and business qualities necessary for effective performance of this work
finding possible sources and methods for attracting suitable candidates
determining which methods will best assess candidates' suitability for work in this position
ensuring the induction of the new employee into the position and into the organization.
Job analysis is the central point of the planned comprehensive approach. Job analysis makes it possible to obtain:
job descriptions;
a definition of the requirements for the position.
Job descriptions define the basic content of the work that must be performed by the employee holding a given position: what the work actually involves, what activities and duties it includes, its responsibilities and powers, and its place in the organization's formal structure.
Position requirements , in addition to the job description, indicate what qualities a person must possess in order to perform this work successfully: experience, technical knowledge and skills, physical characteristics, health status and appearance, motivation, intellectual abilities, formal characteristics, personal and business qualities, as well as other special requirements such as, for example, the ability to relocate to another city or frequent business trips.
Of course, it is unlikely that an ideal or absolutely suitable candidate can be found. Therefore, position requirements should be realistic and allow for a certain degree of flexibility.
Position requirements can serve as the basis for preparing a plan for interviewing candidates for the vacant position. Each interview question should be linked to the position requirements and aimed at determining whether the candidate possesses the qualities necessary for successful performance.
Thus, position requirements are the basis of the recruitment and selection process. They provide guidelines for evaluating candidates and for making hiring decisions.
The job analysis process is not only a necessary prerequisite for effective personnel selection; it also serves as the basis for decision-making on most personnel matters. Job analysis is the basis for performance appraisal, for the training programs developed within the organization, for the system of incentives, development and career advancement, and for the development of work methods and procedures. Any significant changes in position requirements can be used as a basis for revising pay rates, advancement prospects, or training needs. Once these changes have been agreed upon with the employee, they can be formalized and included in a new version of the position requirements.
Organization of the personnel selection process
Based on its objectives, the selection process should be sufficiently well formalized and supported by appropriate regulations, instructions, standard forms, and so on.
The procedures on the basis of which selection is carried out should be well developed, and the personnel conducting the selection should have the necessary qualifications and experience.
Each stage solves its own tasks and is distinguished by specific procedures, methods, and techniques of work.
In practice, the content of the selection process, the presence or absence of individual stages, and their sequence may vary depending on the nature of the organization's activity, the specifics of the vacant position, the capabilities of the personnel department, and so on.
For example, employees applying for relatively simple jobs that do not require special training (for example, a loader, a general laborer) are usually not subjected to testing, nor, conversely, are those applying for work that requires a high level of professionalism (a lawyer, a telecommunications specialist). The personnel department (HR department) generally requests a health certificate for professions requiring a certain level of physical fitness (a security guard, a municipal police officer), or for professions dealing with food products (a salesperson, a cook, a waiter).
Reference checks are of greater importance for professions involving high material or financial responsibility.
Planning the selection process. People involved in selection must plan their work so as to allocate enough time to each candidate without being distracted by other tasks. There must be enough time to carefully review all the information provided about the candidate (résumé, references, documents, standard application form, etc.). A special room meeting the necessary requirements should be allocated for conducting the selection: good ventilation and lighting, an adequate number of desks, chairs, office equipment, and so on.
During selection it is important to create a favorable psychological atmosphere, bearing in mind that for most candidates this is their first contact with the organization. Candidates often tend to judge an organization by how the selection process is organized, and their desire to work for the organization will largely depend on the impressions they received during their first contacts with it.
Information about the employee collected using the standard form provides guidelines for structuring the interview with the candidate. For example, the interviewer may want to clarify the reasons for the candidate's resignation from a previous job or find out more about particular areas of his or her professional activity.
Personnel selection methods. Selection of candidates usually relies not on a single method but on a whole complex of different methods aimed at a comprehensive assessment of candidates.
A comprehensive selection system may include the following methods:
Preliminary selection (analysis of information about the candidate contained in the standard form and the results of the preliminary interview).
Collection of information about the candidate (from other people).
Personality questionnaires.
Tests: intelligence, special abilities, interests, etc.
Group selection methods.
Problem-solving method.
Interview.
Preliminary selection (analysis of information about the candidate contained in the standard form and the results of the preliminary interview).
The preliminary interview is an exchange of information between an HR employee (a secretary, personnel department inspector, or HR manager) and the job applicant. The information is used to determine whether the candidate's skills, abilities, and attitude toward work meet the requirements of the vacant position. This interview usually takes a few minutes.
Collection of information about the candidate. Candidates fill out a specially designed standard form. In some cases, candidates are asked to submit a résumé and write an autobiography. Analysis of the information provided in the standard form and its comparison with the job requirements makes it possible to carry out a preliminary screening-out of candidates who do not meet the formal criteria for working in the organization.
It is often necessary to verify the information provided by candidates.
3. Personality questionnaires. When assessing candidates during the selection process, it is often necessary to determine to what extent their personal qualities meet the requirements of the job (position). Personality questionnaires measure such personality traits as sociability, level of personal maturity, emotional stability, leadership tendency, etc. Among the most frequently used personality assessment methods are Cattell's 16-factor personality questionnaire (16PF), the MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory), Eysenck's personality questionnaire, and the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.
Information obtained using personality questionnaires is fairly complex, and its interpretation requires qualified psychologist specialists. The predictive validity of personality questionnaires, i.e. their ability to predict candidates' future professional success, is not high. This has led to their decreasing use in selection in recent years. However, personality questionnaires prove quite useful in cases where it is necessary to screen out applicants who are clearly unsuited for a given job: for example, unsociable people for work requiring a large number of social contacts, or highly anxious people for work requiring high emotional stability.
4. Tests are currently the most widely used. When assessing candidates' abilities, tests are used for both unidimensional and multifactor ability assessment.
Multifactor methods represent a set of tests that assess candidates' abilities according to a range of indicators potentially related to the job. However, it should be borne in mind that these multifactor methods do not reveal all the abilities important for the job. Recently, tests have come to be treated with some caution; their use for professional selection purposes often draws serious criticism, since in a number of cases they fail to perform their primary function – predicting a candidate's future level of success.
5. Group selection methods are used when it is possible to bring a number of candidates together, and the specialist conducting the selection evaluates them in the course of a series of procedures. These may include group discussions, business games, and problem-solving exercises.
6. The problem-solving method. The basket method (from the English "basket"). This method is designed to simulate a real work situation. Typically, the candidate is presented with a series of tasks to solve, for which he or she is given a set of materials: letters, memos, reports, requests, complaints, etc. Within the allotted time, the candidate must arrange the problems in the "basket" by order of importance, organize the available material, plan his or her actions, delegate authority, and find the necessary information.
What is assessed: the logic of the analysis of the proposed problems, the quality of the candidate's decisions, the ability to separate essential information from non-essential, to determine the priority of problems, etc.
7. Interview.
4.2 The job profile (professiogram) as a criterion for evaluating a job applicant. The psychogram as the most important part of the professiogram from the standpoint of the requirements a profession (occupation) places on a person's psychological qualities. Job analysis (professiography). A scheme for describing a profession and a modular approach to job analysis (M.A. Dmitrieva)
The methodology and technique for obtaining and processing work characteristics that are significant from a psychological standpoint is denoted by the concept of psychological job analysis.
The concept of psychological job analysis refers to the entire complex of methods and technical means used to identify all factors exerting a psychological influence (besides purely psychological ones, such factors may also include certain physiological, social, organizational, technical, economic, and other factors) that directly or indirectly affect a person's work activity and labor productivity.
Job profiles (professiograms) can be divided into partial and comprehensive ones.
Partial job profiles give only a partial picture of the work. (They reflect only physiological, or sanitary-hygienic, or sociological, or technological-economic indicators). The use of such job profiles is limited to the field associated with the corresponding science, or related fields.
A comprehensive job profile is a thorough description of the work, bringing together the job-analysis results of all ergonomics disciplines and the corresponding specialized disciplines (engineering, organization, economics). The information included in the list of characteristics contained in the job profile is accessible to all specialists who took part in compiling it, and can be used by them in their practical work.
4.3 The evaluation interview when hiring employees. Preparation, organization, conduct. The structure and objectives of each stage of the interview. The use of stress techniques: objectives and conditions of application. The use of role-playing and simulation games in diagnosing an applicant's professionally important qualities
Among selection methods, the interview occupies a special place. This is because an interview with a candidate makes it possible to solve a wide range of tasks simultaneously.
The interview is often the central and principal element of selection. It is the most widely used selection method. Typically, 20-30% of the total number of candidates are admitted to the interview stage.
A whole range of factors influences the content and structure of the interview. When preparing to conduct an interview, three sources of these influences should be taken into account:
An interview with a candidate for a vacant position must be carefully planned.
The interview plan should include direct questions about previous work history, professional experience, education and qualifications, whether the candidate's state of health meets the requirements of the position, financial and family status, and so on. The purpose of preliminary planning is also to avoid asking questions already covered in the standard form.
Many organizations have a standard interview scheme based on a template form containing a fixed set of questions for the candidate. However, it should be borne in mind that selecting employees for different positions may require developing new standard forms tailored to the requirements of the position (for example, an interview for selecting a sales clerk will differ significantly from an interview for selecting a store manager or the commercial director of a trading company).
On the other hand, the interview should not give the candidate the impression that he or she is being questioned according to a pre-prepared questionnaire. The candidate should be encouraged to talk more about himself or herself, his or her experience and knowledge, to ask questions, and to offer his or her own ideas.
Information on each item of the interview can be gathered without any predetermined order of questions, after which the information collected is entered into the standard form and analyzed.
Depending on the goals and objectives of the selection process, different types of interview may be used:
structured (based on a fixed set of questions);
unstructured (conducted in a free form);
interview in an emotionally tense setting (under conditions of a specially simulated stressful situation);
panel (conducted by a specially formed committee);
group (an interview with a group of candidates);
one-on-one.
Panel interview
This is an interview with a candidate conducted by a specially formed committee. The committee usually includes a representative of senior management, the head of the department for which the employee is being selected, the immediate supervisor, a representative of the HR department, and one or two specialists in the relevant field.
A panel interview can be organized on the basis of a division of responsibilities among the committee members.
The advantage of a panel interview is that a number of people interested in the given appointment can get to know the candidate at the same time, which ensures that the candidate's suitability for the position is considered from different angles. A panel interview makes it possible to assess not only the candidate's professional qualifications but also his or her fit with the organization's culture, its existing norms, traditions, and so on.
Disadvantages of a panel interview:
insufficient preparation of individual committee members for participating in the interview;
significant discrepancies in the opinions and interests of different committee members (this may manifest itself in the fact that committee members may assess the importance of filling the given vacancy differently, or may disagree about the requirements the job places on the candidate. This can result in discrepancies in the evaluations among committee members and a risk of error in making the final hiring decision);
excessively formal approach of committee members to conducting the interview (this does not allow a trusting and relaxed atmosphere to be created during the conversation with the candidate, preventing many candidates from fully revealing their potential);
socio-psychological factors (the committee's assessment may be influenced by well-known psychological phenomena, such as the halo effect, group pressure, conformity of individual committee members, etc.).
Types of interview questions
During the interview, in order to obtain reliable and as complete information about the candidate as possible, the interviewer must master the technique of gathering information. This implies the ability to ask questions correctly.
The interviewer should avoid the temptation to suggest possible answers to the candidate, as well as leading questions, i.e. questions that hint at what type of answer he or she expects to receive. When conducting an interview, a balance should be maintained between closed and open questions, and reflective remarks or reflective questions.
Examples of leading questions:
Accuracy is important for this job. Are you an accurate person?
I think you regret that now, don't you?
We have a great deal of work and often have to work under a heavy load. How do you feel about working under conditions of high workload?
Examples of open questions:
What made you decide to ... ?
Tell me about ...?
How did it happen that...?
Examples of direct or closed questions
What grades did you get in each subject?
How many people reported directly to you?
How many months did you work at ... ?
Examples of reflective remarks/questions
Such remarks or questions are needed to avoid misunderstanding or misinterpretation. In addition, they show the candidate that he or she is being listened to attentively.
• As I understand it, you prefer work with a high level of responsibility?
So, you enjoy playing sports?
It seemed to me that you react poorly to criticism directed at you?
Basic requirements for conducting an interview
The interview should be a kind of test for the candidate. The questions should be aimed at obtaining meaningful information, identifying the candidate's strengths and weaknesses, and revealing his or her potential as fully as possible.
Candidates should not be allowed to avoid answering certain questions. Attention should also be paid to how the candidate answers the questions (taking into account nonverbal characteristics: posture, gestures, facial expressions, etc.). This can often provide even more information than the content of the answer itself.
It is hard to assume that the employees of an organization responsible for recruitment and selection initially possess all the skills necessary for conducting interviews. As in any endeavor, they need practice and training to successfully accomplish this task.
The interviewer should be trained in how to conduct interviews and should be familiar with the typical mistakes that most often prevent a correct decision from being made during the selection process.
The interviewer must be able to conduct interviews with any candidates, regardless of their level of qualification, education, or cultural background. He or she should bear in mind that the interview is also one of the means of public relations (Public Relations) .
When conducting the interview, the interviewer should have job descriptions and requirements for the position for each vacancy.
Candidate assessment system
The candidate assessment system should have the following characteristics:
it should be based on objective information and provide objective assessments of candidates
it should encourage those conducting the selection to justify their choice based on an agreed system of criteria
it should help the organization's employees involved in the selection process to reach mutual understanding more easily when evaluating candidates and should facilitate a balanced, well-founded decision.
it should be a continuation of the organization's established personnel management policy.
Example of a rating system.
5 Excellent candidate. There are no shortcomings either in terms of professional knowledge and skills or in terms of personal qualities. Can undoubtedly be hired.
4 Good candidate (above average level). Has many strong qualities and no serious shortcomings. Can be hired with a high degree of confidence.
3 Average candidate. Strengths outweigh the existing shortcomings. May be hired under certain conditions.
2 Below average. Has a number of serious shortcomings that call into question the advisability of hiring him or her. Such candidates are usually turned down, but hiring is possible under certain circumstances (for example, the absence of other applicants).
1 Absolutely unsuitable candidate. Shortcomings predominate. Such a candidate is turned down even if he or she is the only applicant for the vacant position.
The entire rating scale should be used when evaluating candidates. Specialists conducting the selection should try to avoid the temptation to give all candidates average ratings. Ratings with a plus or minus (3+ or 5-) should also not be given.
There is always a possibility that none of the candidates will meet the requirements of the given vacancy. However, in some cases pressure from certain circumstances can provoke a wrong decision: hiring an unsuitable candidate or the "best of the worst." Haste and the desire to find a simple solution are poor advisors. Despite the possibility of additional expenses and the expenditure of time and effort, the selection process should be continued until a candidate is found who truly suits the organization.
Possible errors in evaluating candidates
The interview is a process of interpersonal interaction, so the possibility of distortions and errors inherent in interpersonal perception must be kept in mind.
Central tendency error occurs when most candidates are rated with an average score (even though it can be expected that some candidates are better and some worse).
Leniency error - most candidates are given high ratings, which can lead to the hiring of unsuitable employees.
High demand error - most candidates receive low ratings. This error leads to the screening-out of candidates who are potentially suitable for the job.
Halo effect occurs when the interviewer rates a candidate as good or bad based on some single characteristic that, in his or her eyes, outweighs all the others.
Contrast error occurs when an average candidate is rated highly if he or she follows several weak candidates, or rated low if he or she follows several strong candidates.
• Stereotyping - this is the tendency to compare a candidate to a stereotype of the "ideal candidate." This stereotype can vary greatly among different interviewers and have little relation to the actual requirements of the job.
Decision on hiring the candidate
The decision to hire a candidate is the most important moment, the culmination of the selection process. It should be as objective as possible, and everything must be done to arrive at the right decision. Making such a decision is aided by job analysis, a clear interview plan and its competent execution, and a well-thought-out system for assessing the candidate's professional and personal qualities.
4.4 Expert appraisal of professionally important traits. Diagnosis of professionally important qualities (Self-assessment method for professional aptitude and abilities, T.A. Ratanova, modified by O.B. Polyakova)
Expert appraisal is a diagnostic measurement method by which the qualitative features of mental phenomena receive their numerical expression in the form of quantitative ratings. The essence of expert appraisal lies in the formalized expression of objective information about a person's behavior and qualities through a series of subjective opinions and assessments. This method can be widely used for assessing personal qualities when drawing up psychological profiles.
The method of expert appraisal is a formalized procedure for collecting, analyzing, and interpreting the independent judgments of a sufficient number of experts regarding the degree to which each of the employee's psychological qualities being assessed is expressed, provided by supervisors and colleagues who know the employee well.
The main advantage of this method is the ability to create an integrative psychological "portrait" of a specialist, describing his or her personal characteristics as a system of interconnected, interdependent, and mutually compensating qualities. This makes a higher-quality forecast of trainability realistic, allows the purposeful selection of means of influence taking into account the person's possible reaction to them, and opens up ways of determining the prospects for his or her psychological and professional formation and development.
The objectivity of the expert information gathered is ensured by involving a wide range of experts who observe the manifestation of the specialist's individual psychological characteristics over a sufficient period of time through direct interaction in various types of situations arising during his or her work.
The method makes it possible to promptly collect diagnostic information and quickly record the dynamics of personal development. Its use does not require lengthy preparation or the search for or development of complex research tools. This method is fairly flexible; it can be easily modified when new tasks arise, and it is also suitable for repeated use.
A whole range of professionally important personal qualities can be extremely difficult, and sometimes impossible, to identify and assess through psychological analysis of documents, questionnaires, personality inventories, and tests. In such cases, only the expert method makes it possible to obtain the necessary data.
4.5 The problem of professional aptitude and ways for a person to adapt to the demands of a profession («Questionnaire for assessing the level of an employee's socio-psychological adaptation», R.Kh. Ismailov; «Questionnaire for assessing manifestations of maladjustment», O.N. Rodina). Aggressiveness as a manifestation of maladjustment and the diagnosis of aggressiveness (the Buss-Durkee method)
Indicators of the quality of adaptation
Indicators of high adaptation include a short time required for effective integration into the work process, high performance of job duties, smooth integration into the team, and an active stance as one of its members. A low level of adaptation is manifested in the fact that the employee integrates into the work process slowly and inadequately and shows poor work performance (V.G. Podmarkov)
The success of personnel adaptation in an organization. At a high level of adaptation: the work does not cause feelings of tension, fear, or insecurity; - the necessary body of knowledge and skills required for the job has been mastered; - mastery of the professional role is observed; - the employee's work performance satisfies his or her supervisors; - the employee's behavior meets the requirements set by management; - the employee has a pronounced desire to improve in the profession and links his or her future to this job; - the employee's work contribution and its appraisal by the organization evoke a feeling of satisfaction; - achievements at work are associated with a sense of life success (I.M. Magura).
The criteria for socio-psychological adaptation have been developed in sufficient detail: in the sphere of social activity — participation in social work and satisfaction with this participation; in the sphere of interpersonal communication — sociometric status and satisfaction with relationships with peers (Georgieva, 1986), attitude toward the association (large group), attitude toward the collective (small group), satisfaction with oneself at work, attitude toward the supervisor (Ismagilov, 1981), adequacy of interaction with other participants in the activity (Berezin, 1988). The criteria for psychophysiological adaptation are considered to be state of health, mood, level of anxiety, degree of fatigue, and behavioral activity (Blazhene, 1986; Galygin, 1986; Berezin, 1988; Selin, 1990).
A general indicator of adaptation is the absence of signs of maladjustment.
Review questions
The role of assessing candidates' individual personal characteristics in solving the tasks of selecting and recruiting employees for vacant positions.
The role of assessing candidates' individual personal characteristics when conducting personnel competitions and rotating staff, taking into account employees' compliance with certain job and professional requirements.
The role of the job profile (professiogram) in evaluating a job applicant.
What is the significance of the psychogram as part of the job profile from the standpoint of the requirements a profession (occupation) places on a person's psychological qualities.
The structure and objectives of the stages of preparing, organizing, and conducting an evaluation interview when hiring employees.
Features of using role-playing and simulation games in diagnosing applicants' professionally important qualities.
What does expert appraisal of employees' professionally important traits consist of.
Solving the problem of professional aptitude and ways for a person to adapt to the demands of a profession.
Comments