Executive Summary
Selection is finding the new best hire to fill a position. Johnsons Care Company are looking to select and recruit a new employee to join their team. Selection can be a tedious exercise if not well planned; hence this paper looks to utilize the available literature on employee selection theory to create an evidence-based solution on how the Johnson Care Company will select their new hire. The employee selection process will be based on three key aspects: each employee’s knowledge, skills, and attitudes. Interviews, letters of application, Curriculum Vitae (CV), application forms, tests, group tasking, and references are used to select the employees. Additionally, applied psychology in the workplace is also discussed in this paper, and it is characterized by five theories: Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, the Hawthorne effect, Herzberg’s motivation-hygiene theory, theory Z, and Adams’ equity theory. The paper concludes by stating that using psychological assessment tools to improve employee performance and evaluate them is good. Additionally, using a similar checklist that all members of the hiring team can follow is preferable to relying on a mental selection process. Lastly, the recommendation suggests that better hiring results can be achieved by implementing an employee selection procedure.
Introduction
Johnsons is a medium-sized public enterprise created initially by Kenneth Johnson, who is still the board’s chair. Johnson’s core business includes personal care supplies and services for numerous organizations. To select a new employee to fill the position, Johnsons care Company will have to follow the parameters provided in the following report to recruit a public relations and marketing assistant. Candidates will have to be evaluated based on their abilities, knowledge, attitudes, and other personality characteristics (Malinowski et al., 2008). This will help in determining whether they have met the standards.
Knowledge
Candidates will be screened on a diverse range of skills. They include prior experience in marketing and public relations, writing material for literature such as pamphlets, familiarity with social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter, the ability to proofread and edit publications, the ability to handle calls and inquiries from media and the managers, research abilities, and knowledge of procedures and office routines, including data protection and employee safety. Additionally, it would be advantageous if the applicant has experience communicating with local, national, and international media and has worked on high-profile events.
Skills
The candidate will be tested on their problem-solving abilities and ability to receive and direct phone calls to the appropriate staff. The applicant should pose a collaborative and inclusive approach to his problem-solving abilities. Administrative skills like writing abilities will also be examined, enabling the administrative assistant to take notes during meetings. It is also necessary to have good interpersonal and verbal communication abilities. In this way, the public relations and marketing assistant can communicate effectively with both the company’s customers and employees (Brody, 2010). Nonverbal as well as verbal communication skills should be included in these abilities. In addition, they should be IT literate and able to run a variety of Johnson’s firm platforms and company-owned software.
Attitudes
Candidates will also be judged on their attitudes, including how they treat clients, managers, customers, colleagues, and support staff in the workplace and how they treat themselves. Additionally, they will be judged on how excited they are about life, which can significantly impact their coworkers and the organization. They will also be considered how committed they are to the task, how imaginative they are, and how helpful they are in their work.
Methods Used
Interviews, letters of application, curriculum vitae, and application forms from Johnsons’ company will all be used in selecting the administrative assistant, tests, group activities, references, and questions about each applicant’s previous work experience and qualifications.
Interviews
Interviews are a way through which Johnsons invites several persons who have applied and observes how they answer some questions through a face-to-face meeting. Different types of interviews can be conducted, but in the Johnsons case, the types of interviews to be adopted include; (1) behavioral interviews, (2) case interviews, and (3) competence interviews. Behavioural interviews look at how a candidate handled a particular issue at a previous job and predict how well they will do in the future (Bozer & Jones, 2020). In order to better prepare for the job interview, candidates are requested to provide specific examples of how they handled situations similar to the one described. During a case interview, one will be presented with a problem and asked how to solve it. This will provide the organization with a better idea of how candidates can develop a solution to the problem (Al-Anizi, 2010). Competency interviews are the best way to do it when assessing one’s stress management. This type of interview determines how well or poorly a candidate can handle high-stress conditions.
Validity and Reliability
All candidates’ performances will be compared to see how they stack up. This strategy is appropriate when interview questions are based on a candidate’s competencies (Manuaba & Darma, 2021). Reliability is seen when the interviewer asks the same questions to all candidates, and the candidates respond to those questions, and the interviewer assesses and rates the answers posed similarly. Hence, the interview approach can be deemed dependable and fair.
Letters of Application
Instead of filling out a pre-made application form, applicants must write their own. With application letters, candidates outline why the company should hire them and what impact they would bring to the company. Additionally, some application letters request a reference from the applicant’s prior employer regarding the applicant’s skill set and work history.
Validity and Reliability
Johnsons Organization may rely on this approach because only qualified candidates will apply, making it easy for the company to select a candidate for the position. Additionally, fairness is portrayed when applicants express their enthusiasm for the firm or a specific position, which helps the interviewer decide whether or not to contact them for a follow-up interview (Brands & Fernandez, 2016). Hence, it is safe to say that the procedure is accurate, fair and reliable.
Curriculum vitae
CV is always included in the application packet that interested applicants submit. A candidate’s background, accomplishments, interests, and passions are detailed in this document. Johnsons Company can use it to determine if a candidate satisfies the qualifications of a public relations and marketing assistant.
Validity and Reliability
The strategy is dependable and genuine since the candidate offers his or her abilities to the employer. Fairness is demonstrated by the fact that employers can select a candidate based on his or her CV, which lists his or her strengths.
Forms of applications
The organization will be able to use this information to learn more about the individual by having them respond to the questions that have been provided. Candidates will be able to write more about themselves and why they think they are a good fit for the position.
Validity and Reliability
The format that candidates use when filling out such papers is the same every time. As a result of the meticulous preparation of application forms, the selection process is streamlined (Hamza et al., 2021). Applicants must provide detailed responses to why they are qualified and deserve the position. This proves the method’s validity, dependability, and fairness.
Tests
The employment of tests will be convenient in this case. Candidates will be asked to do a specific activity, such as making a phone call or receiving a phone call at the administrative assistant’s office, and this will allow Johnsons Company to see how a candidate responds under pressure or when given an unexpected duty. The tests utilized may include cognitive ability tests that assess the candidate’s mental capacity, integrity tests that measure how honest an applicant is, and job knowledge exams that examine a candidate’s expertise in terms of theory and technology (Schmitt, 2014). Additionally, there are other tests that the company can examine, including; personality tests – which measures the features and relationship among applicants and their future performance on the job; cognitive ability tests – which measure the intelligence of an applicant; and physical ability tests – which assesses the physique of the applicant.
Validity and Reliability
In general, those who do well on the tests are better at their jobs than those who fail them. This proves that the claim is valid. Another benefit of testing is that it helps ensure impartiality in the hiring process (Villegas & Bockorny, 2020). As a result, Johnsons Care company would establish a reputation for dependability, legitimacy, and equity in their selection process.
Group Tasking
Group tasking assigns applicants tasks that they are supposed to tackle in a group. Applicants for Johnson’s Company will be asked to work together to perform a particular task, and the company will observe them and assess how effectively each candidate works with the rest.
Validity and Reliability
Group tasking is a reliable method for selecting applicants because it draws a clear line among those who work best as individuals, those that are good team members, and those that act as team leaders. If the organization can pick from the pool of qualified candidates for the job and accurately assess whether the candidate deserves to work for the company, this demonstrates the selection process’s validity, dependability, and equity.
Importance of References
References, written by someone who knows the candidate well and maybe a past employer, will round out the process. The referee always provides recommendations as to whether or not the person is trustworthy, among other things. A good reference goes a long way in the selection process.
Validity and Reliability
A candidate’s information is verified using this technique to ascertain whether they are qualified for the offered position. This is because past performance is a significant factor in predicting future results (Delgadová et al., 2017). When it comes time to decide, one may be confident that they have a sound strategy. Hence, using references is a reliable and fair method of selection.
Applied Psychology in the Workplace
The psychological theory offers a framework for analyzing human behavior, emotions, and thoughts. It is vital in predicting how a person will act in the future and characterizes their current behavior (Froman, 2009). Like Johnsons Care Company, employers can use this in the workplace to better understand their employees’ behavior and help them improve in their workplace.
Hawthorne Effect. The Hawthorne effect states that being noticed or observed tends to boost productivity in most cases. Workers’ productivity levels will rise promptly if a modification is made to their working conditions, such as the number of hours or breaks (Sedgwick & Greenwood, 2015). Workers are always motivated to work harder when supervised or watched. Hence, organizational change is needed since any employer must watch his workers.
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. According to Poldma (2016), one must satisfy one’s needs before satisfying the next one. Physiological needs include paying employees a fair wage to cater to their basic needs. Similarly, employees also require a sense of belonging and security. The company can provide benefits like health insurance and an atmosphere of respect fostered when supervisors publicly acknowledge and praise their staff members and a sense of self-actualization, allowing workers to discover new ways to improve their performance (Hartmann et al., 2019). Additionally, their employers regularly coach and mentor employees to standardize and improve performance.
Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory. The theory states that job satisfaction and job discontent can be measured. Herzberg concluded that incentive variables, such as advancement in the organization, usually contribute to work satisfaction (Liu & Tang, 2011). Hygiene variables, such as remuneration and poor working conditions, are the most common causes of job discontent.
Adams’ Equity Theory Of Motivation. The theory states that workers are always motivated when treated fairly and paid what they consider fair for their efforts. Adam concluded that employee contributions are compared to the quality of benefits they receive and what others receive for the same input (Babalola et al., 2016). Promotions and bonuses in the workplace go a long way to improving an employee’s performance.
Theory Z. Dr. William Ouchi proposed a third theory, Idea Z, in reaction to theory X and theory Y. Notion of Dr. Ouchi focuses on creating workers’ loyalty to the organization by giving a permanent position and concentrating majorly on the employee’s well-being (Azumi & Ouchi, 1982). This helps promote group work and social contact to stimulate employees.
Challenges
Some of the challenges when dealing with employees may include, but are not limited to, dealing with stressed-out and drained staff, billing concerns, burnout, being ineffective at work, and workaholism, in which employees devote all of their attention to their professions and disregard their personal life outside of work. Similarly, bullying at work, disagreement with superiors, ambiguity in the job, a lack of effective communication, and a lack of development possibilities all lead to stress in the workplace.
Conclusion
We can conclude that almost all organizations can follow Johnson’s company’s process for selecting employees for specific tasks and never go wrong. Using psychological assessment tools to improve employee performance and evaluate them is also a good idea. Using a checklist that all members of the hiring team can follow is preferable to relying on a mental selection process. Better hiring results can be achieved by implementing an employee selection procedure, and it can also serve as a sound legal approach to safeguard Johnsons Care Company in the long run.
Recommendations
Interviews, biographical data, self-assessments, work samples, and evaluation centers are a few approaches utilized to hire new employees. The answers applicants provide to interview questions can predict how well they will perform on the job. Similarly, application forms and questionnaires can help choose applicants based on biographical data returns because they are close to the actual work. Furthermore, work samples have a high level of content validity. Cognitive ability tests are less expensive than personality tests and more reliable and valid when administered to many candidates. Employee absenteeism may be reduced due to lower insurance costs and the identification of individuals who cannot perform a particular task through physical ability tests. However, work samples have a high level of reliability, high validity in terms of content, and low impact, making it difficult to fake job proficiency.
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