DEVELOPING A RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION STRATEGY A RAISE II EXERCISE Computer Simulation and Learning Theory, Volume 3, 1976 71 DEVELOPING A RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION STRATEGY A RAISE II EXERCISE James W. Schreier, Lakeshore Group Ltd. RAISE II, a Personnel Simulation is a simulation designed to present participants with the opportunity to practically apply personnel skills to a job. From the initial analysis of the job and the writing of a job description, the participants continually interact with the job and each other to complete the various parts of a personnel program. This can include any of the various functions of a personnel program, including equal employment, wage determination, training, employee evaluation, interviewing, and/or recruitment and selection. The different modules available with the simulation are shown in Figure 1. The following exercise was prepared to demonstrate the recruitment and selection phases of a personnel program in conjunction with RAISE II. Through the exercise, participants were able to familiarize themselves with various components of a recruitment and selection strategy and begin to develop a rationale for their own recruitment campaign. In this exercise, participants prepare a classified advertisement and/or a recruitment campaign based on a job description. This ad is then compared to ads prepared by other R A I S E I I A PERSONNEL SIMULATION JOB ANALYSIS MODULE JOB EVALUATION MODULE WAGE DETERMINATION MODULE TRAINING MODULE INTERVIEW MODULE RECRUITMENT MODULE CAREER DEVELOPMENT MODULE BUSINESS WRITING MODULE JOB APPLICATION MODULE TESTING MODULE RESUME MODULE EMPLOYEE EVALUATION MODULE OPTIONAL MODULE OPTIONAL MODULE Computer Simulation and Learning Theory, Volume 3, 1976 72 participants and to the actual advertisement prepared for the job. Participants are presented with Information about five candidates, first the background information, second the data about each candidate’s experience, and finally the references. For each of these steps, an individual and group ranking is made. During these steps, various comments are generated about changes in the ranking and the possible reasons for the shifts. Individual and group assumptions can also enter the discussion while some tension concerning the “correctness” of the final ranking is generated. When all the data has been evaluated, the correct answer is presented. Typically, no group or single person has correctly ranked the five candidates or picked the actual person hired. From this point a discussion occurs which includes the difficulties of reaching a selection decision, the process of evaluating different parts of information, and the impact of making, in the exercise, the wrong choice. The experience is concluded by leading the participants to the missing link in the selection, and the next subject in the course, interviewing. The following pages contain the introduction to the exercise and the setting. Further information can be obtained from the author. Computer Simulation and Learning Theory, Volume 3, 1976 73 DEVELOPING A RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION STRATEGY A RAISE II EXERCISE The following exercise considers several of the typical elements of a company’s recruitment and selection strategy. Presented with the need to fill a position, the company starts with the job description and position specifications and prepares a recruitment campaign. When responses to the campaign arrive, the company must use the information which it obtains to select the best candidate. This exercise provides an experience in these areas. OBJECTIVES 1. To familiarize participants with the basic components of a recruitment and selection strategy. 2. To demonstrate how a classified advertisement is prepared. 3. To demonstrate how the various components of a selection strategy affects the final decision. 4. To explore various components of communication and group decision-making. Time Needed: 50-60 minutes. Special Preparation: None. INTRODUCTION The Health Service Department of a large midwestern city has an opening in one of its departments for a Program Administrator. It is now March 1, 1975 and the position needs to be filled sometime in the next four months. Your task is to prepare a recruitment campaign for the position and then select the best qualified candidate from information supplied to you. At the end of the exercise, the candidate actually hired will be revealed to you. Computer Simulation and Learning Theory, Volume 3, 1976 74 JOB DESCRIPTION I. IDENTIFICATION Job Title: Program Administrator Department: Medicine/Hypertension Title of Immediate Supervisor: Program Coordinator II. DESCRIPTION A. General Function: To manage short term operations of high blood pressure screening program including staff, PR, screening and follow-up, and budget. B. Organizational Relationships: To develop and maintain the necessary local organizational relationships necessary to effective screening, follow-up, and treatment. Organizations involved include business and industry, hospitals, public health, County Medical Society, and community service agencies. C. Principle Duties 1. To supervise and schedule 10-member staff along with various part-time and loaned staff and volunteers. 2. To hire, discipline and reward, and terminate staff under administrator’s supervision. 3. To control expenditures. 4. To develop and maintain good public relations. 5. To assist Coordinator in program development activities. III. POSITION SPECIFICATIONS A. Education Requirements: Bachelor’s Degree in urban affairs, planning, administration, or health. B. Experience Requirements: One year experience in public health, administration, or planning. C. Physical Requirements: None. D. Special Requirements: (Knowledge-Skills-Personal) Effective interpersonal and organizational skills with strong motivation.