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Southwood School: A Case Study in Recruitment and Selection By Fiona L. Robson STAFFING MANAGEMENT STUDENT WORKBOOK Project team Author: Fiona L. Robson SHR M project contributors: Bill Schaefer, SPHR Nancy A. Woolever, SPHR External contributor: Sharon H. Leonard Editor: Courtney J. Cornelius, copy editor Design: Terry Biddle, graphic designer © 2008 Society for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson Note to H r faculty and instructors: SHR M cases and modules are intended for use in HR classrooms at universities. Teaching notes are included with each. While our current intent is to make the materials available without charge, we reser ve the right to impose charges should we deem it necessary to support the program. However, currently, these resources are available free of charge to all. Please duplicate only the number of copies needed, one for each student in the class.

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SHR M Academic Initiatives 1800 Duke Street, A lexandria, VA 22314, USA Phone: (800) 283-7476 Fax: (703) 535-6432 Web: w w w.shrm.org/hreducation 08-0768 © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson 1 Southwood School: A Case Study in Recruitment and Selection Purpose This case helps you understand the complexities involved in effective recruitment and selection.

This ﬁ ctionalized case study is based on a real organization. The case is set in a school, but many of the issues are the same across different countries and sectors.

The author of this case was the HR manager in the organization.

Setting Industr y: UK public sector, education (a mixed comprehensive secondary school).

Size: The annual revenue of the organization is more than £1 million, but it is a government-funded, nonproﬁ t organization.

Staff Size: 120 employees (80 teaching and 40 non-teaching).

Student Body: More than 800 students aged 13-18.

Learning Objectives By the end of this case, you will learn to:A rticulate why recruitment and selection is important to organizations.

 Explain the importance of equal opportunity and how this should be emphasized  throughout training for employees involved in recruitment and selection.

Appreciate the need for appropriate selection activities and how to design programs  accordingly.

Recognize the importance of reviewing recruitment and selection processes.

 Overview Southwood School experienced increased employee turnover, and as a result, a higher level of recruitment activity. This case explores the recruitment and selection strategies used by the school. The ﬁ rst part of the case study introduces the system that was initially used and concludes by identif ying some of the system’s weaknesses. 2 © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson The second part of the case study discusses the improvements that were made following a system review by the HR manager.

Part I Recruitment For many years, Southwood relied on a single recruitment method: to advertise all teaching positions in a specialist newspaper publication called TES (Times Educational Supplement). Basic advertisements were placed in this publication one time, and interested candidates were instructed to contact the school to request an application package.

The application package included the following information:A letter detailing how to apply for the job.

 A brochure about the school.

 A n application form.

 Additional information was sometimes enclosed, but this depended on the department head advertising the vacancy. Additional information could include:

Information about the current staff in the department.

 Examples of departmental projects (e.g., the head of the French department  included information about student exchanges and visits to France that students and faculty had taken).

A copy of the school development plan for the next three years.

 Other schools in the area also used TES for recruitment, but in addition, they placed advertisements in a local newspaper and on a web site for teaching vacancies.

Some schools even launched a page on their school web site to enable candidates to download all of the application information.

Selecting the Right Candidates Candidates submitted an application form along with contact information for two people who could provide references, and returned the information to the appropriate department head. Once the closing date had passed, three staff members reviewed the applications independently and graded them A, B or C (where A is the highest mark and C is the lowest) based on the candidate’s ability to meet the selection criteria. The panel would then convene to discuss the A-rated application forms and agree on a list of candidates who would be invited to attend a selection day. The staff members assessing the applications were usually teachers from the relevant subject area. Training was not offered to panel members to help them to select the best candidates.

Before selection day, references would be requested for all candidates (see the Reference Request Letter). Copies of the references would be provided to interview panel members; employment offers were contingent on the receipt of satisfactory references. © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson 3 Selection days usually involved four to ﬁ ve candidates, depending on how many applications had been received. The days normally followed the following agenda: 9: 00Welcome from the principal.

9: 30 Tour of the campus.

10 : 00 Informal interviews lasting approximately 20 minutes per candidate.

11 : 3 0 Lunch in the staff canteen.

12 : 30 Formal interviews lasting approximately 30 minutes per candidate.

2: 30 Panel convenes to make decision.

3: 00 Panel contacts the successful candidate and offers him or her the position. The agenda shows that the organization relied on two selection methods for all of their teaching vacancies—an informal and formal interview. The ﬁ rst (informal) interview was led by the principal and an administrator; this was used to learn basic information about the candidate and to review the information on the application form. The second interview was more detailed and explored a wide range of issues with the candidates.

The panel consisted of the following staff members:

Principal  HR manager  Department head  Senior teacher  Due to time constraints, panel members were usually unable to meet in advance, so they developed their interview questions independently.

A lthough the principal chaired the interviews, they were rarely carried out in the same manner and there was not a high level of consistency with the questions. No formal scoring system was used. At the end of the interviews, there was a panel vote to see which candidate should be offered the job. This often led to a heated debate about candidate strengths and weaknesses.

Candidates usually remained at the school until a decision was reached so they could be informed personally of the outcome. If they were unable to wait for the outcome, they were phoned later that day with the decision. Unsuccessful candidates received some brief verbal feedback, but were not asked for comments on their interview experience. Unsuccessful candidates would sometimes contact the school and ask for further written feedback; this was usually provided by the principal.

HR Manager’s Review of the School’s Recruitment and Selection Methods The HR manager reviewed the school’s recruitment and selection methods because there was concern that best-practice methods were not being used. In addition, the principal thought that some inappropriate candidates had been hired which 4 © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson could have been avoided if better methods had been used. A number of areas for improvement were identiﬁ ed:Using one recruitment method was insufﬁ cient and was not making the most out  of the available recruitment resources (in particular, the Internet). The existing method may have resulted in some unsuitable hires who left the organization after a short time. A wider candidate search might attract different types of people.

Other schools in the area were using more varied recruitment methods, which may  mean they are accessing a larger (and potentially better) pool of candidates.

The materials in the recruitment package were basic and not professionally  designed, which may have failed to impress potential applicants.

The selection methods used were limited, and had not kept up with trends used in  other organizations.

Candidates were being hired on the basis of a good interview. Their teaching style  and ability was unknown.

Staff on the interview panels had not been trained, and in the past had asked  potentially discriminatory questions.

There was little chance of internal promotions because career progression was not a  focus within the school or encouraged within the recruitment and selection policy.

Lack of an objective scoring system resulted in complaints from unsuccessful  candidates who did not understand why they did not get the job.

Part II Improving the Recruitment Methods The HR manager continued to advertise teaching jobs in TES in line with local and national competitors, but re-designed the standard layout and content of advertisements to be more engaging and informative. In the future, advertisements for all teaching jobs will also be placed in the local newspaper which has a weekly jobs supplement and high readership in the area.

The school had a strong IT team, and they were consulted about the best ways to use technology as a recruitment method. They designed a simple web site that could be accessed through the school’s home page. It contained relevant information about the organization and the actual vacancy. Candidates could complete and submit the application form online, or print and mail the completed application form. The page was being monitored to gauge the success of this method.

The HR manager agreed with the principal that a greater emphasis should be placed on internal recruitment, particularly for positions with management responsibilities.

This would encourage talented staff to remain with the school as part of an overall retention strategy.

The HR manager also reviewed the quality of the information provided to prospective employees, so that candidates would have a more realistic picture of © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson 5 what the job entailed and the character of the school (see “Information Provided to Candidates”).

The changes to the recruitment approach were evaluated after six months. Positive outcomes were identiﬁ ed:More candidates were accessing the information provided on the vacancies from  the school’s web site and through e-mailed requests for application packages.

Candidate diversity was higher than in previous recruitment campaigns.

 The number of people who applied for a job after requesting information had  increased.

There was positive feedback about the quality and quantity of the information  provided to candidates.

More than 75 percent of unsuccessful candidates said they would apply for another  position at Southwood, indicating that the school had made a positive ﬁ rst impression. This also suggests that candidates thought that the selection methods were fair and transparent. Feedback also indicated that candidates enjoyed talking to both staff and students and that this, combined with the school’s plan for future development, had left positive impressions.

Enhancing Selection Methods The school had relied on interviews as their sole selection method. The HR manager and principal did not think that this method was sufﬁ cient. It was decided that all candidates for teaching vacancies should deliver a brief teaching session while being observed by a senior teacher. Teaching observation sessions enabled the senior teacher to assess the following knowledge and skills: Relationship with students.

 Delivery style.

 Innovation in teaching methods.

 Communication skills.

 Subject knowledge.  Ability to engage students.

 Candidates were informed in advance to prepare a 20-minute teaching session.

At the end of the sessions, the observer gave comments and ratings to the main interview panel. The ratings system involved the observer’s ratings in the six areas shown (1 being the minimum and 10 being the maximum number of points).

Observers were also asked to give examples (where possible) to justif y their score.

Following discussions with stakeholders (including the student council) it was decided that students should have input into the selection process. To achieve this, student interview panels were added to the selection process.

Students on the interview panels were selected by the relevant department head.

A fter training to ensure they did not ask inﬂ ammatory or discriminatory questions, 6 © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson they were asked to write their own questions to ask candidates. Student panel members provided feedback to the principal and main interview panel members.

These methods sent a message to candidates that the role and opinions of the students were valued by the school and that it was an important part of the school’s culture. A n overview of the newly revised selection day is in this case study.

Southwood continued the use of both formal and informal interview panels, but adopted a more structured approach. Panel members now meet in advance to organize questions and identif y any key issues to be highlighted. Training is also provided on an annual basis for staff members who may be involved in selection activities, though attendance is not mandatory. The approach to scoring candidates objectively does not yet take place consistently, but the quality of feedback to candidates is much improved and provides them with some constructive information.

Southwood has not adopted any of the more innovative selection methods such as psychometric testing, but the principal has promised to consider them in the future if a strong argument could be presented.

A necdotal feedback was gathered from successful candidates, who offered the following comments:“It was good to get to meet the students to ﬁ nd out what they really thought  about the school.” “I found the day quite intensive as there were lots of things to do, but it gave me a  good idea about how the school is run.” “The informal interview panel was a bit nerve–wracking, as I was not sure exactly  what the aim of it was—it seemed quite personal.” “The chance to meet lots of different people was good and I knew that this was the  type of school that I wanted to work in.” A limitation of this feedback is that it was gained from only successful candidates. It would have been interesting to hear the views of those who did not get the job.

There has been a 10 percent increase in the number of internal candidates applying for promotions and a small decline in the number of staff leaving the organization. © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson 7 Southwood Schooleastwest Street LondonUK [email protected] VACANCY FOR TEACHER OF FRENCH Southwood School is seeking a French teacher to join us in September. You should be a dedicated and enthusiastic teacher who has previous experience teaching students aged 11-18 years old. You will be joining our hardworking and committed team at this successful school.

You should possess the following skills: Excellent computer skills.  Ability to encourage students to achieve well.

 Ability to work as part of a team.

 The successful candidate will:

Be a quali ed teacher.

 Speak uent French.

 Application can be obtained through an e-mail request to the school e-mail address shown above. Recruitment Advertisement 8 © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson Introduction to Southwood SchoolHistory of the school.

 Age range of students and the type of school (mixed comprehensive).

 Number of staff and students.

 Management structure.

 The range of courses that are offered (and could be offered in the future).

 A ny awards or recognition that the school has earned.

 Introduction to the Department Organizational structure.

 Introduction to key staff with brief résumés.  Departmental development plan for the next three years.

 Overview of the curriculum, including details of the key textbooks that are used.

 Exam results (and targets for future years).

 Introduction to the Town of Southwood Geographical location.

 Famous landmarks.

 Employment levels.

 Other schools.

 Transport infrastructure (local and national).

 Additional information would be provided to international candidates.

Information Provided to Candidates © 2008 Societ y for Human Resource Management. Fiona L. Robson 9 timeeventLocationParticipants 9 : 00 a.m. Welcome to the schoolPrincipal’s of cePrincipal, HR manager, department head 9 : 30 a.m. Tour of the school Students 10 : 00 – 11: 30 a.m. Teaching observations*Classroom 101Selected senior teachers 11: 30 – 11: 45 a.m. Refreshments and opportunity to meet with potential colleaguesStaff room All available staff 11: 45 a.m. – 12 : 45 p.m. Individual interviews with principalPrincipal’s of ce Principal and HR manager 12 : 45 – 1: 30 p.m. LunchSchool cafeteria 1: 30 – 3 : 00 p.m. Staff panel interviewsOf ce 201Deputy principal, department head, teacher from department, and HR manager 3 : 00 – 4 : 30 p.m. Student panel interviewsClassroom 104Four students 4 : 30 – 5: 00 p.m. Q & A sessionPrincipal’s of cePrincipal and HR manager *Candidates are required to deliver a 20-minute teaching session. Full details are provided to the candidate including the following information:

The age of students.

 The number of students who will be in the class.

 The topic areas covered in the previous teaching session.

 The topic of the session they will teach and the learning objectives that should be  met.

List of resources that are available (e.g., computers, projector).

 The names (and positions) of the staff that will be observing the session.

 Details of any students with special educational needs.

 Candidates can e-mail any other questions in advance of the session so they have all of the necessary information.

Questions asked by the principal and members of the management team:

Why did you apply for this job?

 What do you know about this school?

 Why did you decide to pursue a career in teaching?

 How do you think you can contribute to the school development plan?

 What are your strengths and weaknesses ?

 How do you think your present colleagues and managers would describe you?

 Questions asked by teachers on an interview panel:

What innovative teaching methods have you used successfully in the past?

 Which subjects do you enjoy teaching a) the most and b) the least?

 How would you deal with disruptive students in the classroom?

 Give an example of how you use technology to enhance your teaching.

 Questions asked by the HR manager:

What contributions would you make to this school?

 What training and development opportunities have you taken part in to date?

 What are your career plans for the next a) ﬁ ve years and b) ten years ?

 What support would you like Southwood to provide if your application is  successful?

Questions asked by students: What do you think the most important characteristics of an effective teacher are?

 How would you support students who ﬁ nd your subject difﬁ cult?

 How would you create a fun learning environment in the classroom?

 How would you build a good relationship with a new group of students ?

 Do you have any ideas for afterschool activities or clubs ? What are they?

Re: Name of job applicant The person named above has applied to join Southwood School as a French teacher and has provided your name as a reference. I would be grateful if you could complete the attached form and return it to me as soon as possible.

If you have any concerns about this person’s suitability to be a teacher, I would be grateful if you would contact me directly to discuss this further.

1. Please rate the candidate by checking the appropriate boxes and add a brief rationale for your rating. 1 2345 reason for rating Teaching ability Relationship with colleagues Relationship with students Ability to meet deadlines Use of IT Professionalism Examination results Attendance and punctuality 2. Would you re-employ this person in your organization in the future?

Yes ❑ No ❑ (If no, please provide details on a separate sheet.) 3. Do you have any doubts about this person’s suitability for the job?

Yes ❑ No ❑ (If yes, please provide details on a separate sheet.) 4. Please conﬁ rm your contact information and relationship with the candidate:

Your name:

Your position:

Your organization:

How do you know the candidate?

Please return this completed form by e-mail to [email protected] Reference Details SHrm members can download this case study and many others free of charge at www.shrm.org/hreducation/cases.as p.

If you are not a SH rm member and would like to become one, please visit www.shrm.org /join . 1800 Duke Street Alexandria, VA 22314-3499

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