Blog Post: The Case for Recruitment & Selection

Although it is one of the more recent topics we have learned about, I still think the most important thing I’ve learned this term was the 9 implications for job seekers. This list of tips and advice for those looking for a job, currently in the interview process, etc., will serve as a guideline for me as I continue my job search post college and post quarantine. One of the tips, “understand the changing world you live in”, made me think about how I can take advantage of the change in the world happening around me in my interview process. Is there something I can say or do pertaining to current events that would make myself more attractive as an applicant?

Another one of the tips reads, “read the job description”. I know it seems like a simple tip, but I had not ever done that while applying. Now, I actually looked at a job description for a job I recently applied for, tailored my resume to include some details from the job description, and now I am waiting to hear back from them. I felt a lot more confident submitting my resume and application online when I had tailored it to include some things from the job description itself. Like I said, it is a simple tip, but I will never not look at the job description before applying ever again.

The last tip I wanted to note was the eighth one, “learn to negotiate”. This ties into another tip which is “knowledge is power”. These two ideas are ones I’ve tried to enact on myself throughout my life, but hearing Professor Hardy talk about it at length and provide examples of how important it is to be prepared in a negotiation reiterated the importance of these ideals. Overall, the whole class was full of valuable information, and I am glad the online format still worked out for us.

1. What am I good at?

• I am good at many things. For one, I am good at staying organized and planning ahead. I always write-out my day or week so I do not miss anything important. I am also good at fostering relationships with people. Whether it is someone I already know or a stranger, I know I am great at making a conversation and connecting with people.

2. What do I value?

• The non-tangible asset of mine that I value the most is my work-ethic. I value being able to buckle down and get necessary work done, even when you don’t want to. A tangible asset of mine that I value most is probably my phone. I spent a lot of time researching what would be a good fit for my needs, and spent a lot of money on the phone itself. I am extremely happy with the purchase.

3. How did I get here?

• I got to where I am by being persistent and disciplined. I also had to adjust my attitude and adopt a more positive outlook on my life, which has created a lot more happiness for me. I also got here with the help of my friends and family members. The support and love they have offered me throughout my life has been an amazing foundation for me to build my life.

4. Where am I going?

• Although I can’t be 100% certain, I would say I am going somewhere I can grow my career, as well as somewhere I can grow my family. I have been looking for jobs in Colorado, Washington, Montana, and Oregon, which are all places I would love to start a career and family of my own. I am going somewhere that the climate is not too warm, and there must be mountains that I can snowboard.

The results of my personality test revealed that I scored highly in extraversion with a score of 82, and low in neuroticism with a score of 21. The highest scores in the extraversion section came from my friendliness (82), excitement-seeking (82), and cheerfulness (96). The lowest scores in my neuroticism section were from anger (20), depression (22), and immoderation (12). My scores for agreeableness varied from a range of 69 in altruism, to a 26 in modesty. My total score for agreeableness was a 43. For the consciousness section, I scored a total of 72, with my highest category being self discipline (86) and my lowest being self-efficacy (29). For my final section of the big five personality traits, I scored a 51 in openness to experience. My lowest score in that section was adventourness (29), and my highest was emotionality (91). 

A potential employer may see these results and find a few different strengths and weaknesses. One strength that stands out is my score in extraversion, particularly cheerfulness. Having a positive attitude and being a cheerful person has helped me be a happier person who brings positive energy to my environment. As an employee, this is a valuable strength that can help bring the best out in other employees alongside myself.  Another strength an employer may note is my self-discipline. Having scored highly here, I am someone who can buckle down and get my work done when I need to. I try not to get distracted easily and I value having discipline in my actions. As a new employee, having self-discipline is important in order to build a good reputation among colleagues. The first big weakness a employer might notice is my low score in self-efficacy. Before taking this test, I would have thought I’d score highly here, but I guess not. I do have an innate sense that I can accomplish whatever I put my mind to, but I also understand that the rest of the world has a huge influence on your life whether you want it or not. The other weakness a potential employer might note is my score in adventurousness, which was a 29. Overall, I thought my scores boasted more strengths than weaknesses, and I enjoyed reviewing the results of the test.

If I were in the business owners’ shoes, I would likely decide to hire Jamie, the more consistent employee. While I like the idea of hiring Avery who has a much higher ceiling, I was turned off by the fact that she/he is known as a slacker. I understand that Avery can perform her job immaculately when she/he has to, but I personally prefer consistency in an essential job position like the one they applied for. 

A job that someone might consider hiring Avery over Jamie is any job within a well-established company with a solid training and mentoring program. Someone with high potential like Avery might just need a little training or guidance for them to reach that full potential and no longer be a slacker. If a company hired Avery and invested some time and effort into her development as an employee, she would be a much better employee than Jamie, although maybe still not as consistent. Avery is more valuable to an organization than Jamie because the organization knows what the potential is with Avery, and they likely believe they can unlock that potential through training and other aid. 

On the other hand, a job where it might be better to hire Jamie over Avery would be a job that does not take much skill or critical thinking. Maybe a job like a librarian, where you just have to be consistent and are not expected to go above-and-beyond your call of duty. Someone like Jamie would be more valuable for this job because as a librarian, consistency is more important than potential.

As an employee, my brand is a combination of being a hard worker and being an extrovert. I anticipate having big projects or work ahead of time, and I try and start on them early if I can. I have also always been one of the teammates who steps up and takes over a part of the project nobody else wanted to do. I put my name to my work, and I try to put my best effort into everything I do, big and small. My brand would also highlight my personality and social skills. I really enjoy talking with people, whether I know them on a personal level or not. I always say good morning and start light conversations with random people who came into my work before Covid-19. 

If I presented myself in a novel, I would depict myself as a bird in the desert. Maybe I would be a hawk that spends all day searching for food and trying to survive, but always keeps a positive attitude and loves chatting with other hawks.  I have always been someone who likes to operate day-to-day life by myself, but I really enjoy casual conversation and getting to know people better in places like work or a classroom.  The hawk depicted in the novel would have the task of trying to fly out of the desert and reach the mountains in the horizon, where he had always wanted to go. The hawk would work tirelessly, flying through the day and night and only stopping for rest and food. Whenever he would make a stop along the way, he would find a new desert animal to have a chat with. Along his trip to the mountains, he learned a lot of new life lessons and gained some insight from new animals he’d never spoken to before. By the time the hawk reached the mountains, he was full of new perspective and information he’d gathered along the way that he would use to help guide him through the rest of his hawk life. This story is a good representation of what I think my brand is today and what I hope it will be in the future.

The last job I had was a pizza delivery driver, so the job description itself was not very influential to me. I had experience delivering beforehand, so I wanted to find a part-time job that I could use my delivery experience in. After reading the job description online, I recall thinking that this sounds like a job I could manage while in school, so I applied as soon as I could.

I do not remember the finer details of the job description, but I remember it outlined multiple chores and tasks for delivery drivers that did not include delivering pizzas. Some specific ones were the emphasis on answering phones, cleaning the oven, washing dishes, and helping unload trucks. My experience I had on the job fit the job description very well. I cannot remember there being anything in the description that I thought was unfair, and I recall doing a lot of the work that was outlined in the description. One way the job was different than the description was the number of boxes that I had to fold in the facility. I do not remember there being any mention of this in the description, but any second that I wasn’t busy doing something else I would be instructed to fold boxes. One way the job reflected the job description was the emphasis on answering phone calls. We had a strict script that all workers had to recite when answering the phones, and we were told to not let the phones ring any longer than 2 rings. As I said before, the job description really did not influence me to apply, I was just looking for part-time work that I had prior experience in.

Upon reading that one of my favorite companies is in the midst of a public lawsuit in which they are accused of discriminating against Norwegians, I felt betrayed. I have been an avid supporter of this company for as long as I can remember, and I feel a personal connection to them and their brand. To find out that they were discriminating against a culture I associate with was saddening.

Finding out that your favorite company is discriminating against any type of culture or ethnicity is unfortunate, but it is especially painful when you are associated with that group. I understand that these are only claims at this point, and the company is innocent until proven guilty. But I can’t help but think that these claims are true. If these claims turn out to be true, my allegiance to this brand would slightly change. I’m not the type to throw out all of the products I own from that brand, but I would consider searching for another company I can support in the future. Being Norwegian is not a very relevant part of who I am, so the brand discriminating against them does not hurt me a lot. This public lawsuit would cause my attitude towards the company to shift from one of my favorite brands, to one that I may only use when I have to.

One thing this lawsuit would definitely affect is my decision to apply for work at that company in the future. If I knew they discriminated against Norwegian people in the past, then I would likely avoid applying to work their. I would not enjoy working somewhere I felt discriminated against, or somewhere I felt I wasn’t appreciated because of my ethnicity.

The last job I applied for was a delivery driver for Domino’s pizza in 2018. The hiring process was lenient and it all felt rushed. The first day I walked in with my application, and I was given an interview on the spot. I had already had experience as a pizza delivery driver so I felt that I would get the job for sure. After my extremely informal interview, I was notified within the hour that I was hired. The interview included the manager asking what my schedule for school was, how many hours I wanted to work, and whether or not I had been in any accidents in the last two years. The hiring manager barely even looked at me. They never cared about my personality and what else I could bring to the table other than my delivery expertise and experience. In my first week of working I was instructed to watch training videos every day for about two or three hours. They were terribly boring, outdated, and did not teach me much. By the time the hiring procedures were complete and I was ready to begin working, I felt very little motivation to work at Domino’s. 

This process transformed my attitude about working for another pizza delivery chain. The last place I had worked had a great environment and the hiring process felt a lot more personable. After completing the hiring practices for Domino’s I felt like a complete outsider and I basically just kept my head down and worked all day after classes. My coworkers were mostly nice, but the managers were not. My impression of the job only got worse since the hiring practices were complete. Had there been a better and more engaging hiring practice then maybe I would still be working there.

After reviewing the slides for this topic, I would say that Jay outlined his argument that recruitment and selection are the most important function extremely well, but I know there are other factors we must consider. One of the main functions I would argue can be more important than recruitment and selection is the company’s efficiency of accounting practices. It is obviously very important that the money of the company is being managed appropriately and legally, so I would consider accounting practices just as important as selection. 

Many organizations prefer to invest in marketing and product design rather than selection for a few reasons. A big reason is that they can see a tangible difference being made when they invest into the product or marketing schemes. But when companies invest in better recruitment and selection practices there isn’t always an immediate impact or one that can be seen visibly right away. I would argue investing in recruitment and selection will entail greater long-term success than investing in marketing or product design would. Although, there are benefits organizations can gain from deciding to invest in product design, marketing, or accounting practices rather than recruitment and selection. For companies investing in product design, a company can come up with a more innovative idea, or pay for a new design that is cheaper to produce but has the same market value. Those investing in marketing could find that their expensive marketing campaign led to a 20% increase in sales volume since last year. Or they could spend money creating an advertisement that highlights the ethics of the company and create good PR for that company.

Overall, every organization is different, and each will need to focus their attention on different factors of business according to what their current and future needs are.

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