1. Recruitment and Selection for Sport Organizations
Chapter 4
Recruitment and Selection for Sport Organizations

2. Learning Objectives
Understand the strategic importance of recruitment, selection and placement to an organisation and arguments in support of judicious hiring
Understand the links between recruitment and selection and other HRM activities
Describe different sources and methods for generating a pool of job applicants
Describe current trends in recruitment
Describe a variety of selection techniques and the advantages and disadvantages of each
Understand sources of bias in selection decision making

3. Getting the right individuals for the sport organization
A critical SHRM decision
people are at the centre of all organisational processes
people can make a difference to the organisation’s culture
Importance of internal transformation processes
direct and indirect costs associated with sub-optimal hiring decisions provides compelling reasons to recruit and select carefully

4. Figure 4.1 An Overview of the Recruitment and Selection Process

5. Recruitment aims to:
Source a pool of appropriately qualified job applicants who are likely to stay with the organisation
Meet the organisation’s legal and social obligations of staffing
Identify potential job applicants
Evaluate techniques and locations for sourcing job applicants

6. Recruitment Methods Internal recruitment
accessing current staff who have the ‘right’ qualities
Intranet bulletin boards
searching the HR information system for qualified candidates
use succession or talent management processes

7. external recruitment Position organization as an ‘employer of choice’
advertisements
public employment agencies
internships and recruitment of graduates direct from universities
e-recruitment
use referrals and networking channels
outsource to a professional employment organisation

8. Recruiting volunteers
typically informal
through friends, family or individuals already involved in the sport or via a ‘tap on the shoulder’
board members may be elected or appointed on an ex-officio basis
mega sport events such as the Olympic Games recruit via advertisements, announcements, partnerships, volunteering associations, sporting organisations, professional groups, sponsors etc.
emphasise the benefits for volunteers

9. Selection Methods Selection technique Cost Validity Reliability
Behaviourally based interview
Low
Very good
High
Assessment centre
Cognitive ability test
Medium — low
Medium
Work sample test
Good
Aptitude test
Standard interview
Poor
Personality inventories
Poor— medium
Variable but average
overall

10. Cognitive ability tests
differentiate people on their mental capacity and can involve tests of verbal comprehension, numerical ability, abstract reasoning, inductive reasoning, pattern recognition and memory
typically used for middle- to senior-level positions such tests have shown high validity for jobs requiring these abilities

11. Work sample tests
attempt to simulate a job in the controlled conditions of a selection process or require candidates to provide samples of their actual work
Candidates tested via a simulation are asked to complete verbal or physical activities that closely mirror real work tasks
An issue is the possibility of less than optimum performance due to anxiety in the testing environment

12. Aptitude tests
attempt to simulate work sampling tests in situations where the candidate has not previously worked in the job for which she/he is being recruited
Tests can be used to cover a range of areas, with the most common relating to clerical and numerical aptitude and mechanical or physical dexterity tests

13. Personality Inventories
measure an individual’s personality traits or characteristics
comprise statements or questions relating to behaviour, attitudes or beliefs which subjects are asked to agree or disagree with
The ‘Big Five’ dimensions of personality are:
Extraversion (social, gregarious, assertive, talkative, expressive)
Adjustment (emotionally stable, non-depressed, secure, content)
Agreeableness (courteous, trusting, good-natured, tolerant, co-operative, forgiving)
Conscientiousness (dependable, organised, persevering, thorough, achievement oriented)
Inquisitiveness (curious, imaginative, artistically sensitive, broad minded, playful)

14. Assessment centres
employ a comprehensive approach to selection, and are usually used for management candidates
often used at entry to mid-manager level where the organisation is trying to assess potential beyond the immediate position
incorporate a range of techniques typically based on behaviour assessment
Candidates undertake a range of observed group-based and individual problem-solving exercises that simulate actual managerial tasks
performance is evaluated by multiple, professionally trained raters

15. Standard Interviews
the standard or traditional interview is the most commonly used selection technique
However - it is susceptible to error because of its inherent subjectivity.
common subjectivity problems - ``halo’’ and ``horn’’ effects, where interviewers either like or dislike one characteristic of a candidate and this biases all other judgments
bias in interviews can be minimised by keeping interviews standardised, structured and by having multiple, well trained staff for each interview

16. Behaviourally based interviewing
past behaviour and performance is the best predictor of future performance, and past behaviour can be closely examined via a structured interviews based on:
questions built around job-related information;
questions aimed at revealing in some detail how candidates have handled situations and tasks involving similar competencies to those of the job in question, and the results of those actions; and
questions that unearth the true nature of the candidate’s knowledge, behaviours, motivation and values.

17. The final steps check candidate references
check qualifications the candidates claim to hold
rank candidates by order of preference and make offers accordingly – or -
deem candidates ‘employable’ or ‘not employable’ and work through the employable list in order of preference

18. Summary
recruitment and selection is critical to a sport organisation’s success and judicious hiring a process requires much attention.
recruitment and selection should be strategically linked to other HRM activities
In choosing selection techniques it is important to be aware of their advantages and disadvantages as well as issues relating to reliability and validity.
while no single technique is without the possibility of error some are clearly better than others
Uncertainty in selection can best be reduced by the use multiple techniques providing the time and resources are available