Screening

The screening process provides information about an individual's skills, knowledge and attitudes, enabling a potential employer to determine whether that person is suited to, and qualified for, the position. Experience has shown that hiring an overqualified person can be as harmful as hiring an underqualified person. The application form is the place to begin screening candidates for a job. It provides information on the person's background and training and is the first means of comparing the applicant with the job description. This will ensure that you don't waste time on applicants who clearly do not meet the minimum requirements for the job.

Generally, the following information is asked on an employment application form: name, address, telephone number, social security number, kind of work desired, work experience, military service, education and references. See the sample application form in Box 2.

Box 2 -- Sample Application Form

Date _____________________
 

Name _________________________________________________
 

Social Security Number _________________________________________________
 

Address__________________________________________
 

Telephone Number_________________________________
 

Position desired____________________________________
 

EDUCATION
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
 

EMPLOYMENT RECORD:
Name and address of company, position, dates employed and reason for leaving:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
 

MILITARY SERVICE:
Branch________________________ from ______________ to ______________
Rank Achieved __________________ Type of discharge ___________________

 
REFERENCES:
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________
________________________________________________

The personal interview is the second step in the screening process. During the interview, the manager learns more about the applicant through face-to-face contact, including observation of personal appearance. The interview should be guided, but not dominated, by the manager as it is important to let the candidate speak freely. Whenever possible, the interviewer should ask questions that are directly related to the job. Devise a list of questions that will adequately assess the applicant's qualifications while meeting the specifications for the job. Three major errors often committed in the personal interview are

 

• Failure to analyze the requirements of the job in sufficient detail to generate valid questions.

• Failure to ask candidates the right questions to determine their strengths and weaknesses, and their fit with the job.

• Too much reliance on gut reaction instead of objective evaluation of candidates based on criteria established in the job specification.

 
Interviewing makes the selection process more personal and gives the interviewer an overall idea of whether the applicant is appropriate for the job. The following list of techniques in Box 3 will help you select the right applicant for the job.