RECRUITMENT GUIDE

This document was produced with the financial assistance of the European Union and the
South African National Department of Housing through the Support Programme for Social
Housing

The views expressed herein are those of Social Housing Institutions and can therefore in no
way be taken to reflect the official opinion of the European Commission, the South African
National Department of Housing or the Support Programme for Social Housing

© 2005 National Association of Social Housing Organisations

Consultant Team
This Remuneration Manual was developed by:

Acknowledgements
The development of this manual would not have been possible without the support of many in
the social housing sector

We would like to extend our sincere thanks to all those organisations who contributed so
generously, in particular:

LTF Consulting
The Support Programme for Social Housing
The Johannesburg Housing Company
 Contents

1. Recruitment Policy .................................................................................119

2. Recruitment Process ..............................................................................119

3. Selection Process...................................................................................124

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 117

 Recruitment and Selection

The process of sourcing candidates and identifying appropriate people

for an organisation is called recruitment and selection. Recruitment
and selection is a critical component of the human resources function.

The requirements as laid down by the Labour Relations Act (LRA)

ensure that recruitment and selection practices are sound and non
discriminatory. Failure to adhere to fair recruitment procedures may
expose an organisation to legal pressures from job applicants.

It is also not easy to dismiss an unsuitable employee within the

stringent South African Labour Law environment. It is, therefore, crucial
to follow a thorough process that results in the selection of the “right”
candidate for the job.

Key definitions in recruitment and selection include: -

Term Definition
Recruitment is the process of seeking out suitable
Recruitment
candidates to fill vacancies within the organisation

Selection is the process of choosing a candidate to fill the

Selection
vacant position

Interview is the process of asking job applicants a series of

Interview technical and behaviour questions to determine their ability
to meet the requirements of the position.

Psychometric assessment is the process of assessing a

Psychometric
person’s personality and competency profile, through the
assessment
administration of various tests.

Competencies are the knowledge, skills and abilities that a

Competencies
person has to effectively undertake a task.

Job evaluation is the process of determining the level of a

Job evaluation position in terms of key parameters such as decision-
making responsibilities, strategic and operational inputs etc.

Job profile is the description of the work, relationships,

Job profile responsibility levels and required outputs contained in a
role.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 118

 1. Recruitment Policy

Given the various factors that influence recruitment in the South African context, it is
advisable to develop a recruitment and selection policy for your organisation. This policy
outlines the philosophy, principles, approach and procedures that your organisation will
adopt when recruiting and selecting a new staff member.

Core components of a recruitment and selection policy:

The organisation’s position on non discriminatory practices;

The criteria used for selection i.e. ability, employment equity targets etc;

The process and methodology that will be undertaken to recruit staff;

2. Recruitment Process
The recruitment process covers the steps that are taken from the time a vacancy is
identified to the point where applications are received from candidates who feel they
meet the requirements for the position.

Methods of recruitment include:

A recruitment process which is coordinated by the organisation “in-house”;

Appointment of a recruitment agency to source appropriate candidates; or

A formal search process, which involves the headhunting of suitable candidates.

The following guideline defines the standard process for effective recruitment:

Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:

Identify the Vacancy Define the Job Define the Job Level

Step 4: Step 5: Step 6:

Develop the Advertise the Receive Applications
Advertisement Vacancy

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 119

 Identify the Vacancy
The first step in recruitment is the identification of a vacancy. A vacancy typically exists
due to one of the following:

A resignation
A promotion, which has left a vacant job
Growth and expansion
Always start the recruitment process with a check on whether a vacancy actually exists,
and whether there are other solutions as opposed to recruiting a new person.

If the vacancy arises out of expansion and increased work demands, it is important to
confirm that the budget exists for the appointment of a new employee. It is also important
to establish whether or not a new employee is required permanently or whether the
increased workload will only be for a fixed period of time.

The decision on what skills are required and how many staff to employ must be carefully
considered. The goal is to have enough of the right people, doing the right job, at the
right time to ensure the success and productivity of the organisation.

Define the Job

Once there is agreement that a vacancy does exist, the job needs to be defined as
precisely as possible, focusing on the following:

The key functions that needs to be fulfilled

The key competencies required by the employee in order to fulfil the role?

Other factors to decide upon include:

To what extent is the organisation prepared to train? How urgent is it that the new
employee starts with all the required skills and experience? Does the organisation
have the time and resources to allow for the new employee to be trained?

The nature of employment. Is it a short-term project or a permanent function?

Refer to Defining Roles and Establishing Role Clarity

3
At this point, the job has been defined and the required competencies have been
identified which will guide the selection of a suitable applicant.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 120

 Define the Job Level

Once the job profile has been developed, it must then be ranked or graded in relation to
other job roles in the organisation. This process is called job evaluation. There are a
number of different formal job evaluation systems available. In addition, many
organisations design their own grading or evaluation system.

One of the most widely used systems in South Africa is the Paterson Grading System.
This system categorises jobs according to the level of “decision making” involved in the
execution of tasks.

The table below describes the job categories or “bands” in more details:

Paterson
Band Characteristics - types of decisions made
Band
Defined decisions;
All actions required in the job are defined by the tool,
implement or documents used, or the procedures specified in
the job;
A Band Jobs can be learnt quickly;
Only limited training is needed;
The employee can only choose to act, and decide “when” and
“how fast” to execute the action. Such actions are usually
elements of an operation.
Operative/automatic decisions;
Involve work in which the processes are defined and freedom
of choice is restricted to the operations;
There is a narrow range of possibilities to choose from, and a
set of procedures for each possible choice;
B Band
Within the “established operating procedures” the employee
can decide “where” and “when” to do the action;
Experience is necessary to deal with unforeseen situations; a
full understanding of the theory and/or systems behind the job
is not required.
Process/systems/deterministic decisions;
Decisions involve the choice of the best method to execute
“what has to be done” out of a number of options;
Decisions are based on knowledge acquired through
C Band qualifications, experience, established practices, systems,
rules and regulations, i.e. “how”, “where” and “when”.
An understanding of the theory and/or the systems behind
what has to be done is necessary;
The outcome is deterministic in nature.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 121

 Paterson
Band Characteristics - types of decisions made
Band
Interpretative/ probabilistic decisions;
Implementation of overall plans/programmes &/or budgets
achieved by interpreting directives and choosing the best
option out of a number of different possible courses of action or
decisions. i.e. “what to do”;
D Band Involves optimisation of resources to achieve objectives;
Also includes decisions on process, organisation procedures,
systems, rules/regulations, manuals and interpretations of
situations not covered by existing rules.
Some decisions will be probabilistic decisions and the planning
horizon will be at least one year ahead (in detail).
Programming decisions;
Takes the strategic/policy decisions made by top management
and prepares the overall plans, programmes and budgets
E Band which will give life to strategy and policy;
Co-ordination across major functions is a key activity;
Feature of decisions taken at this level is long-term planning
(at least 5 years ahead).

Job grades or levels correspond to pay scales or remuneration ranges. Defining the
level of the job therefore guides the decision on what to pay for the position.

Refer to Remuneration and Benefits

5

Develop the Advertisement

If the selected recruitment approach is to advertise and coordinate the recruitment
process internally, it is necessary to develop an appropriate advert. This advertisement
must have at least the following:

The job title;

A high level outline of the job profile;
The key performance areas of the job;
A description of the minimum educational and experience
requirements necessary;
Any preferential appointment policies that are applied by the
organisation;
The proposed remuneration package including any company benefit
structures if this is applicable;
The closing date for applications;
How the applications should be received (fax, email, post etc.);
The person to whom applications should be forwarded.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 122

 Advertise the Vacancy

Most organisations advertise vacancies internally in the first instance. This is in

compliance with both the Employment Equity Act as well as the Labour Relations Act.
This does not mean that an internal employee will automatically be successful in
securing the position but that internal employees must be considered and given an equal
opportunity to apply for the new position.

After internal advertising of the post, the organisation must decide where they would like
to advertise the position:-

Local newspapers;

National newspapers

Electronic job databases

Radio

The level of position and nature of the job will influence the decision as to where to place
the advertisement.

Understanding the readership and listeners of the different media is important in making
an appropriate decision as to where to advertise.

Receive Applications

Once a vacancy has been advertised, candidate responses will be received.

Receipt of these responses must be acknowledged and all responses must be retained
in preparation for the screening process, and in compliance with legislation.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 123

 3. Selection Process

Selection is the process that starts when an application is received, and ends once a
candidate has been chosen to fill a vacancy. The selection process that is undertaken is
as follows:

Step 1: Step 3:
Step 2:
Review CVs & short list Review & develop
Conduct first interviews
candidates further shortlist

Step 5:
Step 4: Step 6:
Identify appropriate
Undertake second Make the offer of
candidate & complete
assessment process employment
reference checks

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 124

 Receive CVs and Short List

Short listing is the process of identifying specific applicants worthy of interviewing.

The shortlisting process is undertaken as follows:

Review All applications are checked against the minimum requirements that
Applications are outlined in the advertisement. Only applications that meet these
requirements should be considered. All unsuccessful applications
should be returned to the applicant with a “regret” letter.

First Level Short The first level short list includes those applicants that meet the
minimum requirements required for the position. This list may be
List
lengthy and so it is necessary to then undertake a second review
process.

The second level review of applications considers other factors

Second Level highlighted in the job profile and the advertisement. Factors that may
Review of be considered include preferences as opposed to essentials. This
Applications could include working in a similar field, length of experience,
demonstrated competencies or other tangible skills that the applicants
possess. A second list of appropriate candidates must be developed.

List of Interview Once the second list of candidates has been developed, candidates
need to be ranked in order of appropriateness. This ranking will then
Candidates
allow the top candidates to be identified. Top candidates are invited to
an interview. It is recommended that at least 3 to 5 candidates are
interviewed for a position. This allows for effective comparisons to be
made.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 125

 Interview Process
The type of interview and who will participate in the process
The one- on -one interview remains the most widely used and effective method of
selection. It is important, therefore, that the manager develops his/her interviewing skills.
Interviews can either be undertaken by an interview panel or by a single person. The
benefits and drawbacks of the different interview approaches are as follows:

Panel Interview One-on-One Interview

Benefits Drawbacks Benefits Drawbacks
Allows for more than Can be time Easily set up and co- Increases the risk if
one person to assess consuming ordinated there is only one
the candidates person reviewing
candidates
Allows for different Can be intimidating Less time consuming Can create unfair
competencies to be for the candidates in terms of the advantages or
tested through overall management disadvantages for
questions being time being invested candidates, as other
asked by people with in interviewing parties do not verify
different technical the decision.
backgrounds

Preparation and planning for the interview

Candidates must be given sufficient notice of the interview and details regarding panel
members, date, time and venue must be communicated.

Prior to the interview all those participating in the interview process must review the CV’s
and identify possible areas of concern or queries regarding the applicant/s. It is good
practice to prepare for the interview by planning the format and questions beforehand.
(This is particularly important in the case of a panel interview).

It is important to set aside sufficient time for the interview, bearing in mind that panel
interviews tend to take longer than one-on-one interviews.

Types of interview questions

According to labour legislation a person must be selected based on their ability or
competence to meet the “inherent requirements of the job”. This means that the
interview must test the candidate’s ability to perform the functions of the job. This is
done by asking competency based questions.

Competency based questions are questions that require the candidate to demonstrate
their ability in a particular context. They are often case-study based questions that map a
specific scenario and request a description of how the candidate would address the
situation.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 126

 For more information on competency based interviews
8

An example of competency based question…

Competency: Customer Service Orientation

The desire to help clients; focusing on the effort in identifying and meeting
their needs and providing a consistently high level of service.

Question: Customer Service Orientation

Describe some customer-focused actions you’ve taken or policies you’ve

implemented that have produced positive business results. Give specific
examples

!
The competency based interview guide, completed on each
person, should provide a clear indication on those
applicants who most closely meet the competency
requirements as stipulated in the job profile.

! All candidates should be asked the same questions to

ensure that the evaluation of skills and competencies is
fair.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 127

 Practical tips when conducting an interview:

Ask practical questions - create concrete, work-related examples to help the

applicant to answer competency based questions more specifically

Ask open ended questions, instead of yes or no questions - these are questions
that do not have an obvious right or wrong answer and will require an
explanation in answering

Listen - the panel should talk for 20% of the time and the applicant for the other
80%

Take notes - the notes will help the panel to recall each applicant when the time
comes to make a recommendation

Don’t judge a book by its cover - don’t allow preconceptions to cloud one’s
observations during an interview

Do not ask discriminatory questions - questions which, as a rule, can only be

directed to one group of people (like women, mothers, single fathers etc) are
discriminatory

Again, do not ask discriminatory questions - questions which require/evoke

information that is not relevant to the job requirements (home address, religion,
family set up etc) are discriminatory

Observe the applicant’s body language - if the applicant looks nervous it is best
to attempt to calm the applicant down before proceeding further

Give the applicant your full attention - look at the applicant and give him/her
your full attention

Restate what you understand the applicant to have said / implied, especially
following a long-winded or disjointed answer

It is important to remember that a candidate who is interviewed is entitled to receive

feedback on why they were not successful, if this is the case.

The notes that were taken in the interview provide proof that an objective and
appropriate evaluation was undertaken and that a comprehensive process was followed.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 128

 The following provides an example of the format of a panel
interview:

Open the interview and introduce members of the panel to the applicant.

Explain the purpose and process of the interview to the applicant. This would
include describing the way the interview will be run, the position that is being
interviewed for and the role that each panel member will play in the interview

Ask the candidate provide an overview of their background and experience

Describe the job requirements and expectations

Provide a description of the organisation

Ask specific competency-based questions

Ask the candidate about their salary expectations. Explain the organisation’s
salary and benefit structure.

Invite the candidate to ask any questions that he or she may have regarding
either the position or the organisation.

Explain the process and way forward. It is good practice to give timelines as to
when the candidate will be informed as to whether they have been successful or
not.

Close the interview

Review candidates and decide on successful candidate

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 129

 Review and Develop Final Shortlist

Following the interviews, the panel must consolidate their assessment on each
candidate and compile a final shortlist.

Consolidated Competency Assessment Grid is included

Unsuccessful applicants must be informed in writing. Importantly, the reasons for not
selecting a person is based solely on the concrete criteria as outlined in the job profile
and assessed during the interview.

As detailed in the Employment Equity Act, an applicant can only be unsuccessful on the
basis of:

Qualifications

Recognition of Prior Learning

Experience / Skills

Capacity to acquire the necessary skills

The Labour Relations Act (LRA) introduces the concept of residual unfair labour practice
in that an employee cannot be subject to unfair discrimination, directly, indirectly or on
any arbitrary ground. The LRA also states that the “burden of proof” rests with the
employer. This means that a candidate cannot be declined for a position unless it can
be demonstrated by the employer that they did not have the best set of competencies to
meet the inherent requirements of the job.

The final shortlist of candidates must then be contacted and asked to participate in the
second level of assessment.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 130

 Second Level Assessment

The second level of assessment can take a number of different forms. These include:

A further round of interviews with other panel members;

A psychometric assessment through an assessment centre;

A competency assessment through participating in a simulated work process.

The approach that is used is subject to the policy adopted by the organisation. Some of
the benefits of the different approaches are as follows:

Second Interviews
Allows an opportunity
for the first impression
to be confirmed or
changed
Allows additional staff
members to assess
the ability of the
candidates
Is cost effective
Psychometric Competency
Assessments Assessments
Allows the different Allows for the
competencies and assessment of the
personality type real-time skills of the
issues to be identified candidates
Can give insight into Assesses how the
the candidates candidates work
abilities to perform under pressure
and fit into the Can disadvantage
organisation candidates who do
Can be very not work well under
expensive “exam type”
conditions
Can be expensive

If the “second interview” approach is adopted a further round of interviews with other
panel members should be arranged.

Psychometric and competency assessments are normally conducted by external

Assessment Centres. Only registered Psychometrics or Psychologists may administer
many of the psychometric assessments. The timing and cost factors of these
approaches may make these options unaffordable.

A competency assessment process could be developed and administered by the

organisation. The assessments would need to be evaluated and discussed with the
participating candidates on completion.

Whichever approach is adopted for the second level of assessment, the outcome
enables the identification of the most appropriate candidate for the position.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 131

 Identify Candidate and Reference Check

Once the entire assessment process has been completed, it is now necessary to identify
the best candidate for the job,

It may happen that after the assessment process there are no suitable candidates. This
means that the recruitment and selection process may need to recommence. If possible,
never accept second best and always have the principle in mind - “if in doubt…out”.

Maintain consistency when making decisions. Once all the information has been
gathered, only those making the decision should be involved. Discourage outside
lobbying.

Once a candidate has been selected it is necessary to do a reference check before

making the offer of employment. For internal applicants, a reference check with one or
more of the employee’s previous managers / supervisors within the company can be
conducted if this is deemed necessary.

For external applicants the process of checks is much longer and more in-depth. The
following checks are advisable:

Reference check from a previous employer

Qualifications check

ITC (Credit) check.

These checks decrease the risk involved when employing an individual from outside the
company.

An acceptable referee is someone like a previous supervisor, manager, colleague or

customer. Written references will often portray the applicant in a favourable light, so it is
a good idea to contact the referee using a set of predetermined questions. The aim of
reference checking is based on the assumption that a person’s future performance is
linked to past performance.

It is not only necessary to check references, but it is also important to check more than
one reference. It is important to ask open ended, leading questions and not questions
that evoke a yes or no answer. Encourage the referee to go into as much detail as
possible.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 132

 Examples of questions that can be asked during reference checking:

1. When did the person work for your organisation?

2. What was the person’s position in the company?
3. How did management and staff regard the person?
4. What was the person’s performance in the organisation like?
5. How well did the person work when unsupervised?
6. Was the person dependable, e.g. punctual, were deadlines met etc.?
7. Did you ever have reason not to trust the person?
8. How did the person work in a team?
9. How did the person work when under pressure?
10. Why did the person leave?
11. Would you re-employ the person?
12. What are some of the person’s strengths and weaknesses?
13. How did the person get along with other staff?
14. How much initiative did the person show?

There are some cautions to bear in mind when conducting a reference check: -

! Before contacting a referee, one needs to obtain the consent of the

applicant.

! Try not to contact a referee on a mobile phone number. A mobile

phone number gives no guarantee that the person is who he or she

!
says he or she is;

! Phone the organisation reception directly;

! Confirm the employment and designation of the applicant and of the

referee first, then request to be transferred through to the referee;

! Due to the escalating number of fraudulent certificates it is essential

to contact universities or colleges to confirm that certificates,
diplomas or degrees are valid;

! The company can make use of the ITC credit check system to
conduct credit checks on every new employee. However, this may
only be done with the consent of the applicant. This assists in
assessing the risk that an individual might present. (Especially if the
individual is applying for a position in a financial department).

If the applicant is referred by an agency, all the above checks should be completed by
the agency and must be incorporated into the service level agreement.

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 133

 Offer of Employment

Once you have decided on the correct candidate for the position it is necessary to make
an offer of employment.

It is common practice to call the successful candidate and make a verbal offer.

There may be the need for some discussion around package, start date etc. Once the
finer details have been agreed, a contract of employment is drafted and signed by both
the future employee and the employer.

Contract of Employment Template is included

Human Resources Manual: Recruitment and Selection Page: 134