Section A
What are the main considerations when organizations use the following three methods to evaluate candidates during selection processes: interviews, psychometric tests, and assessment centres?
Introduction
The primary differentiator between forward-moving organizations and lackluster companies is that fast-paced businesses hire for passion and intensity, unlike many stalling organizations. Employees constitute a company’s greatest asset and define the firm’s competitive advantage in the incredibly modest modern business environment. There is training for virtually everything, and workers can gain mastery of any relevant skill when they remain focused and dedicated to the course. However, sourcing for quality talents necessitates careful consideration of the applicant’s commitment levels in furthering the hiring organization’s sustainable agenda. For this reason, many organizations pay considerable attention to their selection processes. Notably, numerous Multinational corporations (MNCs) and other notable industry players in various sectors are keen on hiring character and later training skills. This fundamental employee selection criterion is evidenced in multiple hiring phases, including interviews, psychometric tests, and assessment centres designed to accommodate a seamless selection of exceptionally passionate staff. The selection processes are important determinants of a company’s sustainable development agenda, as hiring a committed and zealous workforce reduces employee turnover, maximizes productivity, and safeguards the organization’s longevity.
Interview Considerations
Character
Job interviews can be terrifying and exhilarating depending on the candidate’s level of preparation and mastery of confidence. Confucius – the renowned Chinese politician and philosopher – noted that if an individual chooses the job they love, they would never have to work a day. Undoubtedly, Confucius’s assertions were drawn from the old-age wisdom of tapping into one’s talents – considering everyone has one – and honoring one’s calling. Con (2009, p. 51) notes that recruiters in the increasingly globalized labour market emphasize the significance of character and passion in the selection process to supplement the applicant’s skill set and alleviate multiple turnover issues by increasing employee retention. The selection process is especially critical for organizations, and interviewers are first accustomed to the organization’s bare minimums to guarantee the selection of exceptional talents. Interviews, particularly physical ones, allow recruiters to consider multiple elements used to ascribe an interviewee’s worth. For instance, dressing the part, having good non-verbal behaviour, and being on time for the interview are important deal-breakers for many recruiters. Overly, interviews are an important part of any recruitment and selection process and require adequate preparation to check all the consultation considerations for the job.
Professionalism
The adage, fake till you make it is applicable in certain aspects of the contemporary world as it is potent in interviews when seeking employment. Often, people are encouraged to walk the talk as a strategic philosophy to attain most, if not all, of what one seeks to accomplish. Interviewers during the selection process are also constantly searching for candidates that double down on their appearance to appeal to the recruiters. Armstrong and Cummins (2008) mention that the outward appearance of a candidate mirrors their level of professionalism and provides a glimpse into the interviewee’s judgment skills. The unwritten rule when dressing for interviews is that the candidate must dress for success, including putting great effort into creating a lasting impression at first sight. Whether interviewing for corporate-level appointments that require ‘suiting up’ or a tech business that is flexible on official garments in the workplace, every candidate must put their best foot forward when dressing for interviews. Interestingly, many human resource practitioners gauge the compensation levels of each employee based on the level of professionalism displayed at the first instance. Increasingly, respect is equally earned or lost during the first meeting, with the chances for tremendous respect amplified when a candidate appears sharp and ready for the job at stake.
Experience
As experience is considered the best teacher, interviewers gauge a candidate’s qualitative familiarity with the position through the years spent working in a similar role. When utilizing interviews as a selection device, the aspect of experience cuts across the divide – significantly influencing both the interviewer and the respondent. Lunenburg (2010, p. 3) mentions that for companies that continue to do their hiring and recruitment, it is critical for managers to harbor significant expertise gained through years of experience in the field as they are the ones tasked with figuring out what the role requires and what details should be contained in the advertisements. However, much of the experience needed for a particular task must be honed by the presenting candidate. A candidate’s compensation level is often commensurate to the years of relevant experience acquired. A high-value talent pool harbors the most significant experience for a particular task. While recruiters and subcontractors may get incentives from the parent organization when they negotiate the compensation amount downwards, a candidate can only arrange for a fair wage when the argument is made from a knowledgeable standpoint. Therefore, experience is a critical consideration in the interview process as it directly impacts the compensation level, and the higher the experience garnered, the greater the chances for employment.
Psychometric Test Considerations
Reliability
Assessing a candidate’s personality and mental fortitude before considering them for a specific role is critical. Numerous Multinational Corporations and start-ups utilize psychometric tests to determine the satiety level of a job vacancy and the potential employee. Saha (2020, p. 268) asserts that modern-day companies keen on safeguarding their longevity measure a candidate’s suitability through psychometric tests, which assess multiple attributes, including the participant’s motivation, skill set, and talents. Saha (2020) further notes that the results obtained from psychometric examinations can inform numerous decision-making procedures when selecting the most suitable applicant. However, a psychometric test must prove reliable if the results obtained are to be used to inform future organizational decisions pertaining to the selection criteria. Overly, the behavioral traits and the intellectual capacities of job applicants assessed using a psychometric assessment tool can only be regarded as accurate if the results are consistent over a wide spectrum.
There is a significant positive correlation between reliability and consistency. When utilizing psychometric tests as a selection tool for human resource management, the accuracy of the results obtained is critical as they are used in high-level decision-making. Scott et al. (2019, p. 1122) define reliability as the consistency of outcomes of a psychometric test, or any other examination, over a defined period and between multiple interview participants. Thus, interviewers must be able to accurately garner similar responses for a candidate when they complete the test severally and within a short time. The tests must satisfy various reliability forms, including internal consistency, test-retest similarity, and parallel form reliability. Overly, the reliability consideration for psychometric tests is especially critical in maintaining the organization’s status quo and enabling greater competitiveness for a more sustainable future.
Validity
Validity is an important consideration when using psychometric tests for employee selection. While reliability examinations assess the consistency and stability of outcomes, validity establishes the accuracy and appropriateness of the tests conducted. Contextually, validity considerations in psychometric tests determine how well the trials measured the intended initial measures. Truijens et al. (2019, p.1) note that while personality tests may be fun, choosing if they count has constituted the biggest challenge for organizations consultants worldwide. The authors mention that recruiters utilizing commercially oriented personality examinations endure significant difficulty trying to garner actionable insights on candidates to be considered for a particular role. As the modern business environment continues to become increasingly modest, determining the actual validity of psychometric tests becomes even more vital for organizations pursuing a sustainable future.
Numerous research has been conducted on the significance of establishing the validity of personality tests. In the age of globalization, a robust validity consideration for psychometric tests is the inclusion of a varied sample population. The sample set may encompass members of different cultures, languages, genders, and ages to foster inclusivity and amplify the positive validity outcomes. Truijens et al. (2019, p. 2) affirm that utilizing a broad range of participants is critical in psychometric tests to establish construct and criterion validity. While construct validity measures a specific paradigm rather than a particular ability or skill, criterion validity demonstrates how accurately the test corresponds to the outcome attained. Motivation, intelligence, and anxiety are constructs measured in construct validity. Excessively, psychometric tests are multifaceted and necessitate validity considerations to establish the accuracy and unity of outcomes that inform a decision-making process that guarantees the selection of the best set of talents to occupy a particular role.
Assessment Centre Considerations
Design
Assessment centres often comprise the final stage of the recruiter’s selection cycle. The centres are critical in screening multiple candidates to determine who harbors the most significant competencies for the job being applied for. Surviving the prevailing competitive business environment demands that organizations align their strategic aims to the market requirements to maintain a competitive edge and guarantee longevity. Pattnaik and Padhi (2021, p. 315) note that assessment centres have been incredibly helpful in helping candidates showcase their talents in a proper and more standardized format. One significant advantage of assessment centres is their capacity to provide objective, uniform data to recruiters concerning the managerial capabilities of their potential employees. While the centres have effectively advanced competency standards for companies, formulating appropriate and practical designs for the assessment centres has been a critical consideration for many organizations. Designing an assessment centre that can effectively eliminate unworthy candidates while simultaneously selecting the most viable ones can be challenging. The design is a significant consideration given the logistical hassles and high cost of setting up the premises. Overly, assessment centres are vital in the selection process and must be strategically designed as they help highlight a candidate’s competencies,
Conclusion
The selection process is incredibly multifaceted and incredibly influences the rate of employee retention, turnover, and productivity. Modern organizations employ varied strategies in the selection processes to enable hiring only the best talents. Interviews, psychometric tests, and assessment centres are helpful strategies utilized by organizations to determine a candidate’s competencies. Considerations such as experience in interviews, validity in personality tests, and design in assessment centres help simplify the decision-making process by highlighting the most significant competencies that help foster an organization’s sustainable agenda in the highly competitive modern business environment by enabling the selection of only the best talents.
Section B
What main factors lead to labour turnover, and what employee retention strategies can organizations adopt?
Introduction
Without labour, nothing prospers. This fundamental precept is potent in daily living as it is in human resource management. The contemporary business atmosphere is highly hyperactive, competitive, and rapidly evolving. For instance, technological advancements have enormously intensified in the past decade. The advent of social media and other innovations have increasingly made the world one big global village. Globalization has increased as resources have significantly become delocalized. Today, an employee worth their weight in gold can secure employment opportunities from any part of the world, regardless of their economic, political, geographical, gender, or ethnic affiliations. Concurrently, the age of internationalization has made retaining a talented workforce increasingly tricky for many multinational corporations, governments, and start-ups. Contemporary human resource management for many organizations has been forced to reconsider their traditional perceptions of employment to retain their talented workforce by reducing turnover. For example, the issue of inclusion has been extensively featured in many labour turnover and employee retention debates worldwide. Investigating the factors leading to increased labour turnover and devising strategies to amplify employee retention is critical in enhancing organizational sustainability and increasing competitiveness.
Factors Leading to Labour Turnover
Increased Globalization
Employee turnover is a vital concern for many companies globally. The problem is exacerbated by the increased competition that characterizes the modern business operational environment. Specifically, increased globalization has made labour turnover a permanent problem for organizations globally, given that competition between the industry players is only set to augment and not decline (Al-Suraihi et al., 2021, p. 3). As internationalization becomes widely embraced, multinational corporations continue to rise in different parts of the world. The growth of MNCs increases competition between industry players, with many talents opting to provide service to the more giant corporations instead of start-ups or venturing into the local labour market. Many employees in smaller companies who feel they have much more to offer quickly become less satisfied with working at the local level and seek employment in more giant multinational corporations that provide more excellent job perks.
Inequality
Enabling a healthy workplace environment anchored on cohesion is critical in increasing employee satisfaction. However, many work settings are characterized by numerous inequalities that trigger labour turnover. Unequal compensation is the leading cause of labour turnover worldwide (Al-Suraihi et al., 2021, p. 4). Globalization has dramatically diversified the work environment. Today, it is easier to find workers of different ethnicities, nationalities, genders, and ages working within the same radius with greater competence. Regardless, when some employees feel less appreciated than others, strife is bound to develop. Unequal pay between genders, ethnicities, or nationalities augments the risk of labour turnover, reduces productivity, and heightens an organization’s downfall.
Employee Retention Strategies
Enabling a Positive Work Environment
Enabling excellent employee retention is critical in advancing an organization’s competitiveness and guaranteeing longevity. Holdsworth (2010, p. 60) notes a significant positive correlation between fostering a healthy, positive work environment and reduced labour turnover. Employee satisfaction is incredibly bolstered when every worker feels valued. Managers may augment workplace positivity by creating incentives and rewarding good work done. When workers feel genuinely appreciated, their level of productivity increases significantly, and they are less likely to initially rescind their decision to be part of the organization.
Increasing Employee Effectiveness through Regular Training
Constant motivations and regular training are excellent ways to bolster employee effectiveness. Grabham (2003, p. 398) notes that organizations that have developed mechanisms to motivate their employees constantly endure reduced turnovers. Empowering the employees increases workplace unity and renews the staff’s vigor. Notably, these programs must run concurrently with inclusion initiatives to bolster effectiveness. Allocating resources to train the workers regularly helps align their values to the fundamental sustainable development agenda of the company and enhances employee retention.
Conclusion
Today’s labour market is incredibly diverse. Every organization’s manager must devise strategies to stay afloat in the increasingly modest operational environment by reducing labour turnover and fostering employee retention. Regularly training the workforce keeps them motivated and reduces turnover. Similarly, enabling a just and equal work atmosphere enhances employee retention. Managers must be aware of the ever-changing business environment to bolster competitiveness and guarantee longevity.
References
Al-Suraihi, W. A., Samikon, S. A., Al-Suraihi, A. H. A., & Ibrahim, I. (2021). Employee turnover: Causes, importance, and retention strategies. European Journal of Business and Management Research, 6(3), 1-10. http://dx.doi.org/10.24018/ejbmr.2021.6.3.893
Armstrong, M., & Cummins, A. (2008). Valuing roles: how to establish relative worth. Kogan Page Publishers.
Conn, S. (2009). Labour costs. Economic & Labour Market Review, 3(2), 47-53. https://doi.org/10.1057/elmr.2009.28.pdf
Grabham, A. (2003). Composition of pay. Labour Market Trends, 111(8), 397-406.
Holdsworth, C. (2010). Patterns of pay: results of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings 1997 to 2009. Economic & Labour Market Review, 4(3), 59-70. https://doi.org/10.1057/elmr.2010.38.pdf
Lunenburg, F. C. (2010). The interview as a selection device: Problems and possibilities. International Journal of Scholarly Academic Intellectual Diversity, 12(1), 1-7.
Pattnaik, S., & Padhi, M. (2021). Challenges in assessment centres: lessons from experience. Management and Labour Studies, 46(3), 313-336. http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0258042X211002503
Saha, B. (2020). The significance of psychometric tests in the recruitment process for an organization is to induce its effectiveness. International Journal of Research in Engineering, Science and Management, 3(8), 268-273. http://journals.resaim.com/ijresm/article/view/175
Scott, P. J., Brown, A. W., Adedeji, T., Wyatt, J. C., Georgiou, A., Eisenstein, E. L., & Friedman, C. P. (2019). A review of measurement practice in clinical decision support systems studies 1998–2017. Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, 26(10), 1120-1128. https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fjamia%2Focz035
Truijens, F. L., Cornelis, S., Desmet, M., De Smet, M. M., & Meganck, R. (2019). Validity beyond measurement: Why psychometric validity is insufficient for proper psychotherapy research. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 532. https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffpsyg.2019.00532
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