| Good morning. |
| So, we've looked at various aspects of staff selection this term and... |
| I think by now you should be beginning to see |
| how much more there is to it than just putting applicants through a short interview |
| or asking the 'right' questions. |
| So I think you should be ready for today's tutorial on 'matching the person to the job'. |
| We're going to talk today about the importance of choosing that all round 'right' person. |
| Right. So we have to put ourselves into the role of the manager or supervisor? |
| Yes. |
| And then we're going to imagine how different applicants would fit into the team or group they have to work with... |
| we'll look at some examples later. |
| It's just theoretical at the moment... |
| Yes. |
| The point is, you can select someone - even a friend - |
| who has all the right qualifications, degrees, certificates, whatever. |
| You can also check that they have a lot of experience... |
| that they've done the sort of tasks that you want them to do in your office already, |
| in a similar environment. |
| But if they start work |
| and you realise that they just don't get along with everybody else, that... |
| say, they've got sharply contrasting views on how something will work... |
| well, with the best will in the world, you may be backing a loser. |
| Wouldn't it be just a question of company training, though? |
| Not always. |
| Particularly in a team situation, |
| and I think it's important to think in terms of that type of working environment. |
| People have to have faith in each other's ability to carry out the task their boss has set them. |
| They have to trust that everyone will do their part of the job, |
| and you can't necessarily train people for this. |
| But it's like trying to find out what someone's personality is like in a job interview... |
| I mean... you just can't do that. |
| Even if you try, you won't find out what they're really like until they actually start work. |
| Well, in most interviews you usually ask candidates questions about their hobbies and... |
| what they like doing in their spare time... |
| that sort of thing... |
| so, employers are already involved in the practice of... |
| well, doing part of the task. |
| But it doesn't tell you anything. |
| It doesn't tell you if they're easy-going or hate smokers or whatever. |
| Well, arguably it does give you a bit of information about an applicant's character, |
| but also more and more employers around the world are making use of what are called 'personality questionnaires' |
| to help them select new staff and... |
| What's it called? |
| A Personality Questionnaire. |
| They have to be filled out by the candidates some time during the selection procedure, |
| often just before an interview. |
| The idea is actually quite old. |
| Apparently they were used by the ancient Chinese for picking out clerks and civil servants, |
| and then later they were used by the military to put people in appropriate areas of work. |
| They've gained a lot of ground since then |
| and there are about 80,000 different tests available now |
| and almost two thirds of the large employers use them. |
| Which makes you think that there must be something in them. |
| That's right. |
| They ask the sort of questions that you might expect, |
| like do you like working under pressure or... |
| are you good at keeping deadlines. |
| And what if people can see through them and just write what they think the employer wants to see? |
| Well that's always a possibility. |
| I mean, it's human nature to lie, isn't it? |
| Well, that's the point. |
| Apparently it isn't. |
| These tests are compiled by experts |
| and they believe that the answers can provide a few simple indicators |
| as to roughly the type of person that you are... |
| that people will generally be truthful in that situation. |
| And then you can go some way towards finding out whether someone's, say, forward-looking... |
| a go-ahead type of person... or resistant to change. |
| And there are all kinds of... |