Towards Effective Recruitment
By Andrew Yeoh

The interview is probably the most common tool used in the recruitment process. It is, of course, not the only tool available and in fact, studies have shown that there are many other methods which are probably more effective in predicting future job performance.

For example, the use of psychometric tools has already gained wide acceptance and is now used by many companies as part of their selection process. Most psychometric tools from reputable companies have been rigorously tested and have been shown to be good predictors of future job performance. The most commonly used among them are aptitude tests (sometimes called reasoning tests) and personality questionnaires.

Reasoning or Aptitude tests usually provide users with a numerical score at the end of the test that indicate how the candidate performed compared to his/her peer group. This assists an employer to sift through a large number of candidates in a short space of time with a good degree of objectivity. The employer also has the advantage of lowering or increasing the "cut-off" score to suit its own requirements.

A personality questionnaire is different in that it is not a test. Such questionnaires are also not normally used in isolation during a recruitment process. Generally speaking, they normally give an indication of a candidate's typical style, inclination or likes / dislikes. It essentially helps us focus on how a candidate may approach a job rather than their ability to perform that job. That is why personality questionnaires are best used in conjunction with other methods like an interview, so that the areas of concern highlighted by the questionnaire may be adequately probed.

There are many other methods which can be used as part of a selection process like Group Discussions, Job Samples, In-basket tests and even Role Plays. The method(s) we choose to use depends on the criteria or behaviours we wish to assess. Alternatively, we could use a number of methods in one intensive assessment session usually called an Assessment Centre.

Logically speaking, the more methods we use, the more information on a candidate we will obtain, the more robust our process will be and the more effective our recruitment overall. However, practically speaking, we are all constrained by time and budgets. We should therefore select the method(s) which provide information on the most important of the criteria that the ideal candidate ought to have for the role that we need to fill.

With regard to interviews, it is an approach that is so commonly used that nearly everyone thinks they are able to conduct an effective interview. The problem is, research has shown that a poorly executed interview, that is, one without proper planning, objectives and structure, is a very poor predictor of future job performance. The other problem is that poor interviewers are seldom aware of it. Furthermore, graduates these days are much more savvy and educated and will have a good idea of how they need to answer basic interview questions.

So, how does one develop effective interview technique? Attend an interview skills course? Could you or your hiring manager interview confidently immediately after attending such a course? I would be surprised if you could. Do you learn to play badminton by listening to a coach in a classroom? Of course not! Interviewing, like most other skills, cannot be developed in a classroom. It is developed by practice, and coaching during the actual performance i.e., during a real interview. It is therefore not that simple to conduct a structured, well planned interview.

One effective way of structuring an interview is termed the competency or behavioural based interview method. In this approach, we first need to ascertain the behaviours that need to be assessed. We then develop our questions based on the philosophy that past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour. As such, we spend most of the interview trying to gather "evidence" on past actions and activities relating to the competency being assessed.

While the competency based interview is a method for assessing skills, an alternative and perhaps more effective approach is to measure interests and motivations. This is because it is far easier to help someone acquire and strengthen skills than to make that person feel enduring passion for his/her work. Consider this; a person may be good at a particular job (that is, possesses the perfect skills), but if the job doesn't let that individual express core interests, he/she won't be happy with the work for long.

In conclusion, the process you choose for selecting your "most important asset" is not only critical to the success of your business but is also not as straightforward as it may appear to be. It should therefore be given much more attention and be treated with far more seriousness than many companies are willing to do today.