process is somewhat like a funnel； narrowing down until you have your
ideal candidate appointed。
Selecting a candidate
You need to find at least two and ideally three people who could fill
your vacancy to a standard that you would be happy with； this gives you
contrast； which is always helpful in clarifying your ideas on the job； and a
reserve in case the first candidate drops by the wayside or turns you down。
The stages in making your selection are as follows：
。 Make a shortlist of the three or four candidates that best suit the criteria
set out in your job definition。
。 Interview each candidate； ideally on the same day so all the information
is fresh in your mind。 Plan your questions in advance but be sure
to let them do most of the talking。 Use your questions to plug any
gaps in your knowledge about the candidate。 Monster （monster。
co。uk 》 Employers 》 Recruitment Centre 》 Monster Guides 》 Guide to
interview technique） has a useful set of interview questions to ask； with
some guidance on how to get the best out of the process。
。 Use tests to assess aptitude and knowledge if the job is a senior one such
as accountant or sales manager。 You can find a test to measure almost
any aspect of a candidate’s skills； a。。itude； aptitude and almost anything
else you care to name。 Thousands of the most successful panies use
them and claim to get be。。er candidates and higher staff retention than
they would otherwise achieve。 Tests cost from ￡10 a candidate from
panies such as Central Test （centraltest。uk）； the British
Psychological Society （bps。uk） and The Chartered Institute
of Personnel and Development （cipd。uk） list various types of
test； their purpose and how to use them and interpret results。
Two tests most MBAs will e across both at business school and in
job and promotion interviews that can be used in staff selection are the
following：
The 16PF （Personality Factor） Questionnaire （16pfworld）
Developed in 1949 by Raymond Ca。。ell who set out to measure the whole
of human personality using a structure questionnaire assessed against a
normative sample reflecting current census statistics on sex； age and race。
The scores enable employers； among others； to predict human behaviour。
The 16PF Questionnaire measures levels of： Warmth； Reasoning；
Emotional stability； Dominance； Liveliness； Rule consciousness； Social
boldness； Sensitivity； Vigilance； Abstractedness； Privateness； Apprehensiveness；
Openness to change； Self…reliance； Perfectionism and Tension。
138 The Thirty…Day MBA
The Myers…Briggs Type Indicator （myersbriggs）
This is a personality inventory； based on the psychological types； described
by C G Jung； explaining how seemingly random variations in behaviour
are actually normal； and due to basic differences in the ways people choose
to use their perception and judgment。 Developed by Katharine Briggs and
her daughter； Isabel Myers； who initially created the indicator during the
Second World War to help women working in industry for the first time
find the sort of wartime jobs where they would best fit in。
The Indicator uses a ba。。ery of questions to identify how a person fits in
with the 16 distinctive personality types that result from the interactions
among preferences in these four areas：
。 The world： Do you prefer to focus on the outer world （Extraversion – E）
or on your own inner world （Introversion – I）？
。 Information： Do you prefer to focus on the basic information you take in
（Sensing – S） or do you prefer to interpret and add meaning （Intuition
– N）？
。 Decisions： When making decisions； do you prefer to look first at logic
and consistency （Thinking – T） or look first at the people and circumstances
（Feeling – F）？
。 Structure： In dealing with events； do you prefer to get things decided
（Judging – J） or do you like to keep an open mind to new information
（Perceiving – P）？
The Indicator； once applied； shows a person’s propensity towards each of
16 types summarized very briefly below：
。 ISTJ： Quiet； serious； dependable； practical； ma。。er…of…fact； realistic； and
responsible。 Orderly and organized and value traditions and loyalty。
。 ISFJ： Quiet； friendly； responsible； and painstakingly accurate。 mi
。。ed to meeting their obligations。
。 INFJ： Want to understand what motivates people and are insightful
about others。 mi。。ed to serve the mon good。
。 INTJ： Sceptical and independent； with high standards and original
minds。 Have great drive for implementing their ideas and achieving
their goals。
。 ISTP： Tolerant； flexible； patient and quietly analytical but act quickly
once they find workable solutions。
。 ISFP： Quiet； friendly； sensitive and kind； and dislike disagreements and
conflicts。 Like their own space and to work at their own pace。
。 INFP： Adaptable； flexible； idealistic； loyal to their values and quick to
see possibilities。 Try to understand people and to help them fulfil their
potential。
Organizational Behaviour 139
。 INTP： Self…contained； logical； theoretical and abstract； interested more
in ideas than in people。
。 ESTP： Flexible； pragmatic； and theories bore them – they want to act
energetically and spontaneously to solve the problem。
。 ESFP： Outgoing； friendly and accepting – they bring both fun and
mon sense and a realistic approach to their work。
。 ENFP： Warmly enthusiastic and imaginative。 Need affirmation from
others； and readily give appreciation and support。
。 ENTP： Quick； ingenious； stimulating； alert； outspoken and bored by
routine。
。 ESTJ： Practical； realistic； logical and decisive。 Good organizer and quick
to implement decisions。
。 ESFJ： Warm…hearted； conscientious； and cooperative team worker who
wants harmony in their environment。
。 ENFJ： Warm； empathetic； responsive； and responsible facilitator who
wants to help others fulfil their potential。
。 ENTJ： Frank； forceful； decisive； assumes leadership readily； likes longterm
planning and goal se。。ing。
Making job offers
Having found the ideal candidate； the next step is to get them hired and
happy to work for you。 However well the interview may have gone； resist
making a job offer on the spot。 Both you and the candidate need to sleep on
it； giving you both the chance to discuss with your partners and consider
what has e out of the interviews。
Take up references
Always take up references before offering the job。 Use both the telephone
and a wri。。en reference and check that any necessary qualifications are
valid。 This may take a li。。le time and effort； but is essential as a protection
against unsuitable or dishonest applicants。
Put the offer in writing
While you may make the job offer on the telephone； face…to…face or in an
e…mail； always follow up with a wri。。en offer。 The offer should contain all
the important conditions of the job； salary； location； hours； holiday； work；
responsibilities； targets and the all…important start date。 This in effect will
be the backbone of the contract of employment you will have to provide
shortly a。。er they start working for you。
Make them wele
When a new employee joins you； be on hand to meet them； show them the
ropes and introduce them to anyone else they are likely to e into contact
140 The Thirty…Day MBA
with。 This is crucial if they are going to work in your home alongside you；
and these introductions should extend to your spouse； even if they don’t
work in the business； your children； pets； the postman and neighbours。
They also need to know about the practical aspects of working for you；
where they can eat inside and out； coffee making and any equipment they
will be working with。 If they will be in your home when it is otherwise
empty then they need to know where the fuses are and whom to contact if；
say； the internet or telephone goes down。
Dealing with unsuccessful candidates
By the very nature of the recruitment task； the person appointed is just
the tip of a big iceberg of applicants and interviewees。 These people have
to be responded to； advising them that they do not have the job。 For your
first reserve list； those who you may call on if the appointment goes wrong