Recruitment and

Selection
Refresher

Sue Kellaway
 Agenda
• Why have a recruitment process?
• eRecruitment and its impact
• What makes a good Job Description and Person
Specification
• Selection methods
• Shortlisting
• Interviewing Skills – Refresher
• The Chairs Role
• Diversity and Legal Aspects
 Introductions

• Find a person in the room you don’t

know very well and take two to
three minutes each to ask what they
do, and find out about an unfulfilled
ambition or a surprising or unusual
thing about them.
 Why have a recruitment process?

• Shared expectations
• Best practice, modern, streamlined processes
• Best candidates possible
• Candidates feel positive
• You feel positive

• All underpinned by Legislation

 Future of Recruitment

• Dramatic changes due to Internet and eRecruitment

• System – on line applications, on-line review of
applications, killer questions
• Social Networking
• Specialist Advice Team
• Employer Brand
• Wider and on line use of Selection methods
 Job Descriptions

• Clear purpose, in 1 or 2 sentences

• Responsibilities/Key accountabilities in 6-8 main
points
• Not a list of all day to day duties or tasks
• Include important dimensions eg £, staff nos
• Relationships and customers
• Measures of success?
• KPI’s?
 Person Specifications
• Essential Education, Qualifications and
Training
• Essential Knowledge, Skills and Experience
Required
• Essential Personal Qualities and Behavioural
Requirements
• Desirable Criteria
• Behavioural competences – conduct, team skills,
attitude to work, attitude to authority, to colleagues
– Positive? Flexible? Adaptable?
 Competences - Communications
• Key competence we all use
• Means different things in different jobs
• What does it mean in your job?
• Write down exactly what “good communications”
means in your job?
• What would be an acceptable, poor or
• exceptional standard in a candidate?
 Competences – Team Player

• Key to success in teams

• What does it mean in your team?
• Write down exactly what “team player” means to
you and your team?
• What are positive indicators/negative indicators?
• What would be an acceptable, poor or
• exceptional standard in a candidate?
 Team Player
• Level 1-Actively participates in the team; maintains a
positive outlook and shows flexibility to new ideas and
approaches
• 2 -Contributes to improved team work by sharing
information, accepting and offering help on tasks and
responding positively to others’ points of view;
• 3 -Positively influences the way the team works together
• 4 - Understands the strengths and weaknesses of
members to build team work development
 How do we Source Applicants?
• Societies
• Local Press • Professional membership
• National press groups
• Notice boards • Buses and shelters
• Circulars • Doctors surgeries
• Specialist media • Fairs
• Niche web sites • Personal contacts
• Job boards • Our web site:
• Head hunters www.Qinetiq.com
 Measure Success?
• Good response – suitably qualified people
• Self-selection out of process
• Positive experience
• More effective and targeted recruitment
• More offers accepted
• Faster recruitment – time to offer
• TIME : COST : QUALITY
 Shortlisting
• Go back to slide 4 –
• Why follow a procedure?
• Why give reasons for non-selection?
• Why use a grid?
• Is it useful for you or is it to make sure you follow
rules/processes/law etc?

• (when it doesn’t work, it is usually because

• the person specification was not detailed
• enough or was not complete)
 Purpose of an Interview
• Does candidate meet person specification – knowledge, skills,
experience, personal qualities, behaviours?

• Does candidate know enough to decide this is right job and

organisation for them? (so they stay)

• Good impression of QinetiQ? (even if – especially if - not

successful)
 Criteria-Based Behavioural
Interviews
• Recruit for attitude, train for skills
• Best indicator of future behaviour is past behaviour
• Evidence-based approach
• Based on thorough person specification
• Relaxed but not informal format
• Candidate stretched not stressed
• Probing questions not personal
• Do not reveal personal views
 What makes a good Interview?
• In your group, take 10 minutes to discuss personal
experiences of good and bad interviews

• Summarise good practice from your collective experiences to

feedback to wider group

• Summarise bad practice from your collective experiences to

wider group
 What makes a good Interview?
• Good practice • Poor practice
• “friendly” • “they did most of talking”
• “stretching” • “no questions on my
presentation”
• “made me think”
• “read out a question”
• “covered a lot”
• “did not give an opportunity
• “really tested my skills”
• “thorough” for me to expand answers”
• “they listened to me” • “finished interview quickly”
• “open” • “looked out of window
when I talked”
 Communication in an Interview
• 60-80% of Communication is non-verbal
• Body language – posture, movement, fidgets, smiling,
frowning, laughing, writing notes/not writing notes, eye
contact, nodding, staring out of window, mirror actions,
sudden changes in posture, folded arms. Active listening is
the key.

Verbal communication
Not interrupting, letting finish answers, not tutting, reflect
back what they have said to show understood, clear
expressions, straight forward questions, one question at a
time, one person speaking at a time
 First Impressions?
• Your personal bias or tricks your mind can play:

• First impressions
• Stereotype
• Mirror image/clones
• Central tendency
 Hints and Tips – Do’s
• Prepare room for • Try to look interested!
candidates comfort eg light, • Maintain eye contact
heat • Notes - minimum & regular
• Prepare questions in • Offer opportunity to ask
advance questions
• Use pauses and silence • Tell them about the job and
sell benefits:
• Open questions to start • Terms and conditions
• Try to move smoothly from • Pay scales and increases!
topic to topic • Facilities
• Ask one question at a time • Why its good to work here
• Avoid jargon
 Hints and Tips – Don’t

• Accept glib answers – probe

• Do most of the talking – you only collect evidence when the
candidate is talking
• React violently to anything said
• Criticise or argue
• Look for specific answers you have already determined
Probing Criteria/Skill = Able to do…
• What?
• How?
• When?
• With whom?
• How often?
• To what standard?
• How measure success/failure?
 Opening an Interview- the Chair’s
Role
• Introductions
• Establish rapport quickly, friendly informal questions re travel,
parking, finding QinetiQ
• Explain interview structure
• Explain make up of panel if necessary
• Explain note taking
• They can take notes if wish
 Outline Interview Plan
• Introduction
• Broad questions - gain understanding
of experience/ background
• Criteria-based questions from
Person Specification
• Follow up probing questions - not
scripted but from candidates
responses
• Each panel member to have assigned
 Question types
• Open
• Probing
• Bridging
• Keyword repetition
• Closed
• Theoretical
• Leading
• Multiple
 Working Through the Question
• Start with setting sceneFunnel
• Make sure you get a specific example
• Take that example through exactly what happened
• Make sure you find out exactly what their role was
• Who said what and when
• What the outcome was
• Reaction to their actions
• Was it successful?
• How can they prove that to you – show you evidence?
 The Question Funnel
OPEN
• What do you do? Tell me about your
job? What are your key
responsibilities?
What are your daily tasks?
What do you enjoy most? …Least?
Can you give me an example?
What happened? PROBING
PROBING
What did you do? What was
the outcome? What did you
learn? Was it successful ?
Evidence of Success?

CLOSED
 Interview Overview

Analytical skills/problem
solving

Interpersonal skills Management skills

A good Interview – the Chair’s role.

• Check there’s a good person specification – clear criteria

to assess candidates
• Preparation ? E.g. Question plan.
• Check Panel - Selected by chair/recruiting manager; Able
to assess candidates fully; Trained and able to make sound
judgements ; Mixed gender, age, ethnicity where possible
• Sensible timings/numbers of candidates
 Closing an Interview – the Chair’s
role
• Good, experienced Interviewer could explore reservations
• Opportunity for candidates questions/issues
• Explain the role, the structure, the rewards
• Next step in process
• Timescales
• Thanks for interest
 Assessment – using Interview grids
• Not just bureaucracy -use as a tool to help
discussion/decision
• Complete the person criteria before advertising, before
sifting, before the interview !
• Set standards for person criteria eg good communication
skills before you interview
• Share understanding with panel
• Assess each candidate separately and then in plenary
• Observe, Record, Classify, Evaluate
 Exercise- have go! (1)
• Prepare some criteria-based questions – use communication
skills or team skills as your criteria.

• Take 15 minutes to prepare some questions to have a go at

an interview.

• The interview will be 20 minutes.

• Working in a panel, try out your questions.

• Others to critique on: – rapport and NVC’s, open and close,

questions, probing, evidence
 Exercise- have go! (2)
• Others to critique on:
• Opening
• Rapport and body language/NVC
• Types of questions
• Probing to get evidence
• Evidence to assess? All criteria covered?
• Close
 Diversity – Is it important?
• Research - diverse organisations are more successful
• Increasingly diverse society – exclude one sector, miss good
candidates
• Employee perception and motivation
• Legislation
 Two Ticks Scheme
• to interview all disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria for a job
vacancy and consider them on their abilities

• to ensure there is a mechanism in place to discuss, at any time, but at least

once a year, with disabled employees what can be done to make sure they
can develop and use their abilities

• to make every effort when employees become disabled to make sure they
stay in employment

• to take action to ensure that all employees develop the appropriate level of
disability awareness needed to make these commitments work

• each year to review the five commitments and what has been achieved,
plan ways to improve on them and let employees and Jobcentre Plus know
about progress and future plans.
 Points to Consider

• Ensure you only ask for attributes / qualifications which are

necessary
• Act on information given to adjust the selection process and
seek advice from HR
• Consider reasonable adjustments for disability – even think
about when writing job description – how could this job be
done by a disabled person?
 Typical Issues(1)
• Gut feeling
• Often a poorly articulated reservation – get it out and
explore – be prepared to face your own prejudice or find that
you have a real reservation
• Attitude
• Do not ignore attitudinal/behavioural signals - remember
recruit for attitude, train for skills
• Accomplished Candidates
• Some people interview well - very polished/articulate. Ensure
through good questioning that they can do the job
• Candidate talks too much/too little?
• Use controlling techniques – silence for quiet candidate,
interrupt if necessary with talkative candidate– “that’s
interesting but can I bring you back to the question I asked?”
 Typical Issues (2)
• Disabled applicants
• Make reasonable adjustments in interview and in job
-consider what is possible before even advertising the post.
• Personal questions?
• Eg domestic arrangements – what is it you really need to
know?
• Hobbies/sports?
• Human Rights Act section 8
• References –
• when to take them up, how much reliance can be placed on
them?
• Personal recommendations
 Summary, Close and Evaluations
• Anything not covered that you wanted to cover?
• Objectives covered?
• Is there anything you will do, not do or do differently as a
result of today?
• Any questions you had that are unanswered and need to be
carried forward?
• Any feedback on the content or pace of the day? - Feedback
forms
• Thank you for your attention and involvement!
 Final Summary Tips on Interviewing
• Be nervous!
• Build rapport
• No sudden movements/questions
• Friendly
• 80% talking by candidate
• ACTIVE LISTENING and CURIOSITY
Questions?