Mr. Anuraag Maini, Sr. VP(HR), DLF Pramerica, explained the importance of selecting the right candidate and the cost (direct & indirect) involved in the same which can be 8-10 times the salary paid. He shared his rich experiences on competency based selection and the dearth of trained people across industries. He further explained how a non-fit recruitment adversely affects the organization’s performance and stressed the importance of planning before conducting the interview by using the STAR concept i.e.

1. AMEE
Competency based Selection
Aug 27, 2009
Anuraag Maini
.

2. AMEE
Staffing & Selection - Background
.

3. Staffing & Selection – Background
AMEE
Managers’ Feedback Exit Interview
• Poor Performance • Unable to adapt to the
• Culturally unfit REASONS culture
• Mis-match between job
• Slow on Uptake
responsibility and own
• Not Adaptable expectations
Core Issue
Difficulty in objectively measuring skills and attitudes during selection
 Job specific skill sets not defined clearly
 Un-structured selection system
 Most Hiring Managers not trained in interviewing skills
.

4. Staffing & Selection – Background
AMEE
Key fundamentals of an effective Selection system -
 Accuracy
– Validly predict the applicant’s job performance
 Equity
– Ensures that every qualified applicant has a fair and equal chance
to be selected
 Buy-in
– People involved in the selection process must perceive its worth
.

5. AMEE What is Targeted Selection?
Targeted Selection works by honing in on the three
processes crucial to successful hiring and promotion -
1. Identifying the right selection criteria through job
analysis
2. Gathering pertinent candidate information
3. Evaluating the information gathered and making an
accurate decision
.

6. AMEE Common Selection Problems
Interviewers
 miss important information
 overlook job motivation and organizational fit
 ask illegal, non-job-related questions
 have not organized selection elements into a system
 take insufficient notes
 misinterpret applicant information
 make snap decisions about applicants
 allow one characteristic to influence their judgement
 organizations rely exclusively on interviews
 interviewers’ hiring discussions are not systematic
 pressure to fill the position affects judgement
 candidates are turned off by the selection process
 biases and stereotypes affect judgement
.

7. AMEE Characteristics of an Effective
Selection System
 Uses all relevant sources of data
 Involves data gathering and data giving
 Decision points clearly specified
 Used throughout organization
 Users trained in their roles
.

8. AMEE Effective Selection System
50 applicants
Application screen
Technical screen
24
In-depth interviews and
8 simulations
Reference check
2
1
Offer .

9. AMEE What is a Competency?
 Competencies are the requirements for a job - the
knowledge, skills, motivations and behaviors that
relate to job success
 Competencies are the targets in our selection
process
.

10. AMEE
Behavioral Competencies
Core competencies Required in every job or role in
an organization or large part of
an organization
Job Specific Related to success in specific
jobs, roles, and particular levels
competencies
.

11. Competency based “Targeted Selection System”
AMEE
COMPETENCIES Adaptability
JOB PROFILE
• Adaptability • Adjusts approach to match
KRAs • Communication varied tasks
• Adjusts behaviour to style
• Drive for Results of others
Qualification/ • Decision Making • Change priorities to meet
Experience • Planning & Organising changing demands
• Sales Ability • Adjusts quickly to new
responsibilities and tasks
Competencies • …………..
Motivation Fit
factors
.

12. AMEE
.

13. AMEE Types of candidate information
 Work/Education History/Certifications/ Skills - experience
and general qualifications to do the job. Example -
– School/College attended by a candidate
– Number of years of service with a company
– Number of job changes
– Familiarity with industry procedures
– Ability to use specific computer software
– Certifications
 Specific experiences - specific things that the candidate has
done in his jobs or other relevant history. Example –
– The time that the candidate led a team on a new task
– A major sale the candidate closed
– The time the candidate resolved a complaint from an important customer
.

14. AMEE Types of candidate information
 Interests/Desires - What candidate is looking for in a job,
organization and location. Example –
– Information about a candidate’s likes and dislikes is a good starting point for
determining their motivations to do a job.
.

15. AMEE Using behavior in TS
 The key to predicting how someone will perform in a job
is to collect and examine behavioural examples of how
he has performed in similar situations in the past.
– Helps understand work history, experience,
knowledge and motivation
– Helps analyze these areas to predict how he or she
will perform in the target job.
– Help prevent false impressions and
misunderstandings about a candidate’s background.
.

16. AMEE
Coaching
Planning/ Organizing
Work/ Education/
Certification/ Skills Technical/Professional Knowledge
Customer focus
Specific
Experiences
Communication
Behavior Drive for Results
Interests/
Desires
Risk Taking
Motivational Fit
Types of Candidate Target Competencies
Information
.

17. AMEE Describe yourself
How would you describe yourself to an interviewer?
1. I am a people person
2. I am a hard worker
3. I am a quick learner
4. I am dependable
5. I am a team player
.

18. AMEE STAR
 Situation / task = Why
 Action = What done and
how done
 Result = Effect of action
.

19. AMEE Situation or Task
 Changes in the candidates job responsibilities or work
processes
 Demands made by a Manager or a Customer
 Challenges in meeting a deadline or in getting along with a
colleague
.

20. AMEE Actions
 The steps in completing a work assignment
 How someone laid out work for a particular project
 What a person did to meet a tough deadline or avoid
costly delays
 What a person said that made a colleague to
become angry
 Precautions someone should have taken but did’nt
.

21. AMEE Results
 Effects of candidates actions (behavior)
.

22. AMEE Planned behavioral Qs
Planning & Organizing
Q:………………..
Situation/Task Action Result
.

23. AMEE
Interviewing for Motivation Fit
.

24. AMEE Types of Information for selection
 Technical knowledge
– special knowledge required for the job
 Behavioral Competencies
– describe what a person can do
 Motivations
– determine whether a person will do a job
.

25. AMEE Motivational Fit
Motivation Fit is the extent to which …
- the activities and responsibilities,
- the organisation’s mode of operation and values,
- the environment in which the individual will work
and live are consistent with the type of environment
that provides personal satisfaction;
the degree to which the work itself is personally
satisfying.
.

26. AMEE Motivation Fit
 Job Fit
– Satisfaction with job activities
 Organization Fit
– Satisfaction with organization’s values and work culture
 Location Fit
– Satisfaction with the geographical location of the job
.

27. AMEE
Motivational Fit Factors
 Achievement  High Involvement - Leader
 Centre of Attention  High Involvement - Member
 Challenging Work  Independence
 Coaching Others  Interaction
 Commission  Interpersonal Support
 Compensation  Leading Others
 Complexity  Primacy of Work
 Continuous Learning  Promotion Opportunities
 Details  Routine
 Diverse Perspectives  Relationship Building
 Fast Work Pace  Task Variety
 Formal Recognition  Travel
.

28. AMEE Motivation Fit Grid
Many Opportunities
ANNOY MOTIVATE
(Facets that are present in (Facets that the candidate likes a
The job that the candidate and are present in the job)
Dislikes)
Candidate Candidate
Dislikes Likes
HAPPY TO WILL MISS
AVOID (Facets that are not present in the job
That the candidate likes a lot)
(Facets the candidate dislikes
And that are not present in the
Job)
Few or No Opportunities
.

29. Motivational Fit – collecting
AMEE
evidence
 When – begin by asking the candidate to identify a time when
he was most or least satisfied at work
 What – continue by asking the candidate to describe what he
was doing or experiencing that made him feel satisfied or
dissatisfied
 Why – complete the questioning by asking why the situation
was satisfying or dissatisfying. Knowing why helps to prevent
you from assuming that the candidate’s motivations are the
same as yours.
.

30. AMEE Benefits of Motivational Fit
 Focuses attention on job-specific motivational factors
 Prevents interviewer from projecting his or her
motivations on candidate
 Helps to ensure selection of candidates who will like
their work and organisation
.

31. AMEE
Interview Techniques
.

32. AMEE
Skill # 1 = Preparing for an interview
Resume Screening
- Factors to Consider :
.

33. AMEE
Skill # 1 = Preparing for an interview
Resume Screening
- Factors to Consider :
• Frequent Job Changes
• Gaps in Employment History
• Years of Experience
• Qualifications
• Achievements and Awards
• Topical Resumes
• ..............
.

34. AMEE Competency Coverage Grid
Exec. Assistant
Recruiter BUP GM
Phone Interview Interview Interview Simulation Reference
Screen Check
Adaptability X X X
Customer Focus X X
Communication X X X X
Initiating Action
X X
Managing Work X X
Quality Orientation X X
Motivation Fit X X X X X
Tech knowledge/skills
X X X X X
.

35. AMEE
Skill # 2 = Using Behavioural Questions
• Heart of the TS technique
• Competency definition & key actions
• Negative questions
.

36. AMEE
Skill # 2 = Using Behavioural Questions
 Behavioural = It asks the candidate to provide specific
information about parts of a STAR.
– Tell me about a specific situation in which you used that approach
– How did you handle that customer?
– You say it worked out well. Specifically how did it work out?
 Theoretical = Asks candidates for theories, opinions,
or general actions-what they think about a topic or
situation, what they would do or usually do – not what
they actually did in a specific situation
– How do you typically plan your day?
– How would you handle a conflict with a team mate?
.

37. AMEE
Skill # 3 = Asking Follow-up Questions
 Leading = Prompt candidates to give the answer they
think you want to hear – worded in a way that hints at a
“correct response”
– So, it sounds like you closed the sale?
– I guess you found being a team leader very satisfying?
.

38. AMEE
Skill #4 : Managing the Interview
.

39. AMEE Process guidelines
 Control the pace of interview by managing the
amount of detail candidates provide
 Direct the discussion into and through areas you
want to cover
 Prevent confusion, misunderstandings, and the need
to go back and clarify details
 Manage time so that you can cover each section of
the interview completely
.

40. AMEE Process guidelines
 Make procedural suggestions
– Questions, suggestions or proposals
 Check for understanding
– Yours or Candidates
.

41. AMEE Managing time
 Opening - 2mins
 Key background interview - 6 mins
 Planned behavioral Qs
– Adaptability - 7 mins
– Quality Orientation - 7 mins
– Customer focus - 7 mins
– Work standards - 7 mins
– Decision making - 7 mins
– Motivation Fit - 7 mins
 Interview Close
– Additional information - 3 mins
– Job/Organization information - 6 mins
– Close - 1 min
60 mins
Time is allocated on the basis of competencies being covered
.

42. AMEE
Data Evaluation
.

43. AMEE Data evaluation
TS provides a systematic process for evaluating data
and making accurate hiring decisions by -
 Helping interviewers focus on all competencies for
the target job
 Ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly
 Controlling biases and stereotypes
 Maintaining hiring standards
.

44. AMEE
Evaluating interview data
 Similarity – The more the examples/data resembles the job
specific activities of the target job, the better it predicts how the
candidate will perform in the job
 Impact – Some situations will be more meaningful or significant
than others
 Recency – Recent behaviour should be given more weight than
behaviour in the distant past
.

45. AMEE Competency Rating Scale
 3 - acceptable
 4 - more than acceptable
 5 - much more than acceptable
 2 - less than acceptable
 1 - much less than acceptable
(relative to quantity and quality of behaviour
required)
.

46. AMEE
Competency rating scale
Acceptable
Range 5
4
3
2
1
.

47. AMEE
Data Integration
.

48. AMEE Data integration
 Interviewers share the information they have
collected and evaluate candidates on each
competency, using all information, not just their own
 Each interviewer may have unique information
.

49. AMEE Competency rating grid
Competency Recruiter BUP GM Conclusion
Adaptability 4 3 3
Initiating Action 4 2 4
Customer focus 2 4 3
Quality orientation 2 3 2
Work standards 3 4 3
Motivation fit 3 4 3 3
Tech/Prof. knowledge 3 3 3
Communication 3 3 4 3
.

50. AMEE
Making a hiring decision
Factors to be considered while making a hiring decision -
 Relative importance of competencies
– All competencies are not equally important
– Give higher weight to critical competencies - Eg. Sales
ability, Initiative
 Trainability of competencies
– Some competencies represent behaviors that are more
trainable than others
– Eg. Planning & Organizing Vs. Initiative
.

51. AMEE Making a hiring decision
 Interrelationship of competencies
– Some times a high rating in one dimension can compensate for a
low rating in another - Practical learning & Planning & Organizing
– A high/low rating in one competency can intensify the negative
aspects of a low rating in another competency - high Risk taking &
low Decision Making
.

52. AMEE
Legal Credibility
& Best Practice
 Objective and specific job-
related selection criteria
 Standardised and objective
hiring system practices
 Interviewers briefed / trained
in legal issues
.

53. AMEE
Benefits of a Competency based
Selection System
 All competencies are covered by at least
one interviewer (coverage overlap for most
important dimensions).
 Predetermined decision points are established.
 All candidates are treated the same up to each decision point.
 Less expensive, quicker tools (e.g., resume screening, phone
screening) are used up front.
 In-depth, time-consuming, and expensive steps are reserved for
the most qualified candidates.
 Demonstrates the organization’s professionalism.
.

54. AMEE
Accuracy
Efficiency
Enhanced Image
Flexibility
Legal Credibility
.