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Selection (OCR GCSE Business)

Revision Note

Lisa Eades

Written by: Lisa Eades

Reviewed by: Steve Vorster

Methods of Selection

  • The goal of selection is to hire the most suitable candidate for the job

    • Selection activities often involve reviewing CVs and conducting interviews or assessment tasks

Receiving applications

  • Both internal and external candidates typically apply for advertised roles by submitting an application form

  • Alternatively, candidates are asked to submit a curriculum vitae (CV) with an accompanying letter of application

Application Form

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Letter of Application

  • A standardised form designed by the recruiter to collect the same details from each candidate

  • Responses are collected in a consistent format and comparison is straightforward

  • A large volume of candidates can be narrowed down for interview

  • A professional document compiled by the applicant

  • Details career experience, key skills and strengths

  • Includes qualifications and character/professional referees

  • Provides contact details for the recruiter to get in touch with the applicant

  • A letter that accompanies the candidate's application form or CV

  • Gives reasons for submitting an application

  • Draws attention to the applicant's particular suitability for the role

  • Allows recruiters to sift applications without having to compare detailed application forms/CVs

Shortlisting

  • Before selecting a new employee for an advertised role, a business identifies applicants whose qualifications, skills, personal qualities and experience best match the job description and person specification

  • The process of selecting prospective candidates for interview or other selection procedures is called shortlisting

  • A shortlist is a collection or list of the most well suited candidates for the role

    • A careful comparison of applications against the job description and person specification is made

  • Shortlists are essential for sorting through large volumes of applications

Selection methods

  • Business use a combination of methods to make a choice between job applicants on the shortlist

    • The methods of selection chosen differ according to the level of the role

      • For senior level vacancies, selection activities can take several weeks and involve very detailed assessments

      • Low-level roles may simply involve a short interview

Businesses can use interviews, testing reviews of portfolios and references to compare applicants for vacancies
Businesses commonly use interviews to select their chosen candidate along with testing, portfolios and gathering references  

Interview

Testing

  • A structured meeting between a candidate and a potential employer

  • It can be conducted in-person, by telephone or online

  • Its purpose is to assess the candidate's qualifications, skills, experience and suitability for a particular job or role within the business

  • Pre-employment assessments that can assess candidate integrity, suitability for the job, aptitude or specific skills

  • Can help a business gauge whether a candidate would be a good fit within the existing team

  • They can assess problem-solving and critical thinking skills, giving employers an idea of a candidate's potential

Portfolio

References

  • Candidates are required to submit a selection of their best work for recruiters to review

  • This is commonly used to select candidates for creative or artistic roles 

  • Businesses can identify whether a candidate's experience and style would be a good fit with its own approach

  • Referees vouch for a candidate's skills, work ethic and overall suitability for the position

  • Referees should know candidates in a professional capacity and be able to speak positively about their abilities

  • Referees are usually listed on the application form or CV

  • Businesses sometimes make use of assessment centres to evaluate applications for senior roles

    • Applicants are given a role play of a work situation and have to deal with it

      • Specialist assessors evaluate candidates based on their competency and their ability to cope up with the situation

    • Psychometric tests assess personality traits and identify candidates who are the best fit for the business

Examiner Tips and Tricks

In analysis questions, always consider the nature of the vacancy a business needs to fill. The most effective selection methods allow an applicant to demonstrate their skills and knowledge, and should help recruiters decide whether the applicant will be a good fit in the business.

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    Author
    Reviewer
    Lisa Eades

    Author: Lisa Eades

    Expertise: Business Content Creator

    Lisa has taught A Level, GCSE, BTEC and IBDP Business for over 20 years and is a senior Examiner for Edexcel. Lisa has been a successful Head of Department in Kent and has offered private Business tuition to students across the UK. Lisa loves to create imaginative and accessible resources which engage learners and build their passion for the subject.

    Steve Vorster

    Author: Steve Vorster

    Expertise: Economics & Business Subject Lead

    Steve has taught A Level, GCSE, IGCSE Business and Economics - as well as IBDP Economics and Business Management. He is an IBDP Examiner and IGCSE textbook author. His students regularly achieve 90-100% in their final exams. Steve has been the Assistant Head of Sixth Form for a school in Devon, and Head of Economics at the world's largest International school in Singapore. He loves to create resources which speed up student learning and are easily accessible by all.