The selection of personnel is a process that tries to place the right people in the positions that best suit them.
Recruitment is a process that tries to place the right people in the positions that suit them best. This is beneficial for individuals and companies. People benefit because it is generally believed that people are happier and find more pleasure in jobs that suit them. Companies benefit because qualified and suitable employees tend to be more productive. Therefore, staff selection can involve a variety of things, including personality assessments, physical ability, and work history.
There are laws that discourage employers, landlords, and agencies from disqualifying applicants on the basis of ethnicity.
In some cases, recruiting is a simple matter, decided by reviewing a form or resume and then conducting an interview. The application process allows a person to submit information that they believe makes them seem more suitable for a position. A potential employer has the opportunity to evaluate this person and compare her potential with that of other candidates.
Application processes are sometimes more complex. Instead of one person evaluating a candidate, the candidate can interview multiple people whose goal is to find the best person for a position. The process may also include tests that are scored and thus suggest a candidate’s suitability for a job.
Personality tests are often used for jobs that require a lot of involvement with others, such as customer service or public relations. Many personality tests present a variety of questions. They may ask how a person sees himself. They also tend to ask what a person would do in certain situations. The potential employer will typically use the results to determine what type of personality a candidate has and then judge whether that is an advantage for the open position.
Some jobs require a certain level of intelligence or specialized knowledge. The person applying for this position may be required to take an aptitude test. In some cases, a standardized version developed by a third party may be issued. Potential employers may also be able to develop a special test for each available position.
Physical fitness can be a selection criteria for personnel for jobs that require physical labor. This may involve evaluation by a doctor. It may also involve physical tests, such as those administered by the military. In many cases, however, these are simply people stating that they can perform certain tasks, such as lifting objects that weigh a certain amount.
Some methods of personnel selection tend to be prohibited. Many governments make it illegal for organizations to decide that people are not suitable for jobs for certain reasons. When a person is considered unsuitable for a position because of their race, ethnicity, or religion, this is generally considered discrimination.