Taking account of values during the recruitment and selection of people

Th is is a compelling and promising, yet a diffi cult issue from a substantive viewpoint. On the basis of personal experience and contacts, as well as sub-ject-related literature, we thought that values acknowledged by a candidate for work are rarely analysed profoundly in routine procedures. It is usual-ly the requirements of the work position that are taken into account, which are defi ned in the profi le of the position either in the professiogram or in more modest terms, in the analysis by the specialist of issues of personnel or “head-hunters” with the manager the one to commission such activity in search of an employee. In smaller organizations, the entrepreneur /employer

generally runs the interview with the candidate and asks him about profes-sional issues that he feels are signifi cant from the viewpoint of his own expec-tations. Likewise, he also takes account of the general impression and tries to imagine if the candidate would “fi t” into the organization, tasks and with other people. In terms of values, as we thought they are seldom touched on in detail both from the point of view of running direct talks on this issue, as well as the assumption that the candidate would rather say what he feels should be said in order to get the job than what is true.

Sometimes it is possible to encounter propositions of a diff erent approach.

Izabela Bartnicka, an independent expert with relation to the recruitment and selection of staff , claims that the model of recruitment has changed, in that the employers are not only viewing the hard competences now, but are increasingly trying to analyse the soft competences of a candidate for work, in terms of the values held by him and their compliance with the values promot-ed in the fi rm at hand. She emphasizes that such procpromot-edure is more diffi cult than the traditional one, in which the values are not paid attention to.²¹

Th e results of research on this issue give room for greater optimism. Th ey reveal that the values are the subject matter of interest for the majority of people who run the recruitment and selection of personnel, although only 23% of them feel that their organization has the appropriate methodics at its disposal.

Table 72. Taking account of values during the recruitment process according to the opinions of respondents – disaggregated data No. Taking account of values during the recruitment process and

selec-tion of people – evaluaselec-tion of practices Number %

1.

This takes place in the sphere that is dependent on individual knowledge, abilities and inquisitiveness of the particular personnel specialists and managers; we do not have the tools and procedures at our disposal that would facilitate the analysis of candidates for work in the context of values in a credible way and common within the company, which is comparable and routine by nature

208 40.6

2. As above, however with relation to some professional and qualifi ed

posi-tions and groups we have carried out a satisfactory operationalization 153 29.9 3. We take account of values with relation to the majority of candidates for

work and we have a system of methodics that may be deemed to be appropriate

120 23.4

4. Other responses 31 6.1

Total 512 100.0

Source: own research.

21 I. Bartnicka, Pracodawcy muszą walczyć o kandydatów do pracy, http://biznes.onet.pl/

video/pracodawcy-musza-walczyc-o-kandydatow-do-pracy.14910.w.html [15.01.2015].

129 13. Respecting values in the personnel policies of an organization

Chart 48. Taking account of values during the recruitment process according to the opinions of respond-ents – disaggregated data

Source: own research.

Other opinions (6% of the total, very critical and not completely on the subject matter):

• selection of people depends on one person – unfortunately;

• the Board searches for the cheapest people, even at the cost of knowl-edge, level of involvement or personal culture;

• paying attention to experience and choice according to self-discretion, lack of professionalism in recruitment;

• we constitute a closed environment, there is a small number of people who got work according to competences or values held; only favourit-ism counts;

• others in a similar tone.

40.6%

29.9%

23.4%

6.1%

takes placein the sphere of abilities and curiosity, depending on individual knowledge of particular personnel specialists and managers; we do not have tools and procedures at our disposal that would facilitate analysis of candidates for work

as above, although with relation to certain positions and professional and qualification groups we have carried out a satisfactory operationalization

we take account of values with relation to the majority of candidates for work and we have methodicsat our disposalthat may be acknowledged to be appropriate

other responses

Table 73. Taking account of values during the recruitment process according to the opinions of respondents – disaggregated data

No. Taking account of values in the recruitment and selection of people

Joint-stock

companies Other enterprises Public sector

number % number % number %

1.

This takes place in the sphere that is dependent on individual knowledge, abilities and inquisitiveness of the particular personnel specialists and managers; we do not have the tools and procedures at our disposal that would facilitate the analysis of candidates for work in the context of values in a credible way and common within the company, which is comparable and routine by nature

48 35.8 144 43.8 16 32.7

2.

As above, however with relation to some professional and qualifi ed positions and groups we have carried out a satisfactory operationali-zation and we are able to do this

41 30.6 95 28.9 17 34.7

3.

We take account of values with relation to the majority of candidates for work and we have a system of methodics that may be deemed to be appropriate

38 28.4 74 22.5 8 16.3

4. Other responses 7 5.2 16 4.9 8 16.3

Total 134 100.0 329 100.0 49 100.0

Source: own research.

Chart 49. Taking account of values during the recruitment process according to the opinions of respond-ents – disaggregated data

Source: own research.

takes place in the field ofabilies depending on individual

knowledge of the parcular personnel specialists and managers

as above, although with relaon to only certain posions professional and

qualificaon groups we have carried out

a sasfactory operaonalizaon and we are able to do so

we take account of values with relaon

to the majority work and we have methodics that may be

acknowledged to be appropriate

other responses

Joint-stock companies Other enterprises Public sector and curiosity,

of candidates for

131 13. Respecting values in the personnel policies of an organization