How to attract, recruit, and hire a new workforce

1. Key Elements of Human
Resource Strategy
Recruiting & Retaining Personnel
Johanna P. Bishop
Behavioral Science Program Coordinator/ Professor
Wilmington University, Delaware USA
Doctoral Candidate
The George Washington University
Washington DC, USA

2. Organizations Requiring Human
Nuclear Facilities
Resources Nuclear Energy Program
(including NPPs, fuel cycle, Implementation
waste management) Government Agencies Organizations (NEPIO),
(e.g. Ministries, Atomic Agencies)
Owners, Operating
Technical Support Organizations, Corporations
Organizations
Human Regulators
(including nuclear)
Educational Resources for
Institutions
the Nuclear Research &
Specialized Field Development
Training Organizations
Organizations
International and Equipment,
Organizations Involved In Activities Vendors, Suppliers,
Professional
With Nuclear or radioactive Construction
Organizations
Materials (e.g. transport, security, Organizations
organizations using resources for ionizing radiation)

3. “ Our resources are our people”
• Unique demands of nuclear power
– Complexity of technology
– Potential safety and proliferation consequences
– Defense in depth strategy
– Ethics and values consistent with the unique requirements
of the industry
– “need to know” aspects of safeguarding nuclear
technology
– Awareness of the role of human error
– Continuous personnel performance assessment
– Need for comprehensive monitoring of nuclear systems

4. Management of Human Resources in
Nuclear Power
• Four interrelated objectives:
– Ensuring the competence of nuclear power
industry personnel is developed and maintained
– Effectively organizing work activities
– Anticipating HR needs
– Monitoring and continually improving
performance
• Achievement of each objective is dependent
upon the others

5. HR Management Cycle
Process of recruiting and retaining employees

6. Recruiting As A Strategic Activity
• Must think strategically about recruiting
• Always working on developing a pool of
candidates
– If only few candidates apply you may need to hire
both of them
– If many candidates apply then you can be
selective in hiring and hire only the best
• Recruiting is an on-going process

7. Effective Recruiting
Organizing the Recruiting Measuring Recruiting
Function Effectiveness
• Centralized or decentralized • Recruiting is expensive and
recruiting? organizations need to place
– Advantages to centralized
recruiting is that it is easier for recruiting efforts
companies to be strategic in strategically
anticipating needs
– Builds a team of recruitment
• Measure recruiting costs by
experts evaluating the source(s) of
– Makes it easier to see which high quality candidates vs
recruitment efforts are going
well (or poorly)
lower quality candidates
• Line & staff cooperation (includes high yield/ low
necessary yield sources)

8. Before You Recruit New
Employees…
Defining the Job

9. Integration of Training & Nuclear
Facility Performance Improvement
Training Needs
Analysis Data
Subject Matter Experts
Design
Development
Trainees
Implementation
More Competent Personnel
Integrated Process to Evaluate
& Improve Performance
Evaluation of Data for Training Evaluation Evaluation of
Training Performance
Recommendations to Improve

10. Describing the Job
Matching the right human characteristics to the job
Job Description Job Analysis
• A detailed description of job • The systematic study of the
tasks, procedures, and tasks, duties, and
responsibilities; the tools responsibilities of a job and
and equipment used, and the qualities needed to
the end product or service perform it
• Helps to outline the
performance criteria, which
are the means for
appraising worker success
in performing a job

11. Sample Job Posting
Maintenance Training Supervisor
• Business Unit Overview XXXXXX Nuclear operates the largest nuclear fleet in
the nation and the third largest fleet in the world, which represents
approximately 20 percent of the U.S. nuclear industry's power capacity.
We currently are seeking a Supervisor Maintenance I&C for our XXXX location:
Job Description PRIMARY PURPOSE OF POSITION
Directly responsible for the supervision, assignment and coordination of
Maintenance Division activities to ensure a productive workforce that
supports all divisional, departmental, site and corporate goals while in
accordance with all company policies and local, state and federal regulations.
Interfaces with the department schedulers and planners to plan and execute
work. Provides recommendations on training, procedure changes, and other
needs to support safe and efficient execution of work activities. Participates
as an Emergency Plan team member.

12. Sample Job Posting- cont.
PRIMARY DUTIES AND ACCOUNTABILITIES
-Effectively supervise craft personnel to ensure that all assigned maintenance activities are
performed safely and effectively by qualified workers in accordance with plant procedures, NRC
regulations, and the site schedule. Ensures department personnel are properly supervised, trained,
and qualified to perform assignments, including emergency plan qualifications.
-Administer coaching, mentoring and performance management, including initiation of disciplinary
action, for assigned employees.
-Effectively communicating significant plant and personnel issues to Maintenance Manager and all
applicable levels of station management. Fostering open communications and collaboration
between all organization internal and external to the plant including INPO and regulatory agencies.
-Ensure effective communication of company programs, announcements, policies, etc. to assigned
employees and feedback to the company from assigned employees.
-Participate in various aspects of work control, coordination, scheduling, and engineering meetings
involving online, load reductions, forced outages and refuel outages activities, to ensure that
assigned work is properly assigned, planned and ready to work.
-Understands, supports and administers all Maintenance processes, such as the training program,
surveillance program, procedure revisions and CAP to ensure effective work practices. Identify and
support improvement opportunities, when applicable.
-Supervise vendor inspections and repair of plant equipment. Assure effective procurement and
use of material, parts, tools, equipment and M&TE.
-Participates in all aspects of Maintenance Department management to support safe and efficient
operation of the plant, including the development, implementation and performance monitoring of
all corporate, site and divisional business goals and objectives.

13. Sample Job Posting- cont.
• POSITION SPECIFICATIONS
Minimum:
-Individual must possess a two-year technical degree with 8 years
utility or related-industry experience of which 4 years are in the
craft he/she supervises
-Must have completed a positive Leadership Assessment (FLS)
-Meet ANSI requirements for site Maintenance Supervisor
-3 years minimum experience in nuclear power plant operations
-Excellent communication skills.
-Excellent problem solving, decision-making and planning skills
Preferred:
-Successful completion of core supervisory/management training
and development programs
-Ability to reach schematics, wiring diagrams, and P&IDs
-Fluent use of electronic work management system, Microsoft
Word, Excel Equal Employment Statement

14. Job Analysis Applications
Recruitment
Labor Relations Selection
Job Analysis
Safety & Health HR Planning
Job Descriptions & Training,
Compensation Qualification Qualifications &
Requirements Authorization
Performance Employee
Succession
Management Development
Planning &
Career
Development

15. Job Evaluation and Comparable Worth
Systematic way of determining appropriate compensation for
jobs; jobs of equal value should entail equal worth
• Compensable factors:
– the job elements that are used to determine
appropriate compensation for a job
• Examples:
– Physical demands
– Amount of training and experience required
– Working conditions associated with job
– Amount of responsibility a job carries
– Each job may be given a score and weighted on each factor

16. Ensuring Competencies Needed to
Perform Work
• Recruiting individuals with education and experience
• Selecting individuals with appropriate attitudes and values
with best qualifications
• Providing initial training based on job responsibilities
• Authorizing personnel to perform tasks contributing to safe
and reliable operations
• Developing personnel by providing continuing training to
enhance competencies or preparing them to take on
emerging tasks or advancement
• Ensuring human resources and facilities needed to sustain
training programs are available
• Ensuring that training provides value to the organization

17. Steps in the Recruitment & Selection
Process
Candidate
Recruiting: becomes
Employment
Build A Pool Employee
Planning &
of
Forecasting
Candidates
Supervisors
The recruitment and selection Use selection and others
Applicants
process is much like a series of tools to Interview
Complete
hurdles aimed at selecting the screen out Final
Application
best candidates for the job most candidates to
Forms
applicants Select New
Hires

18. Job Posting
• Brief description of the job designed to attract
applicants for the job
• Includes:
– Job title and classification
– Brief description of tasks, duties, skills and qualification or
educational requirements needed for the job
– Instructions for applying for the job; contact information
– Deadline date by which applications must be submitted
• Job posting is published so as to attract applicants

19. Recruiting Yield Pyramid
Some employers use this tool to calculate the number of applicants they must
generate to hire the required number of new employees
50 New Hires
100
Offers made (Ratio 2:1)
150
Candidates interviewed (Ratio 3:2)
200
Candidates invited (Ratio: 4:3)
1,200
Leads generated (Ratio: 6:1)

20. Recruiting New Employees
The Process of Finding and Selecting
Candidates

21. Recruiting Techniques
• Advertisements
– Internet advertisement including industry-specific
job boards)
– Newspaper employment advertisements
– Employment agencies
– Temp agencies and alternative staffing
– Executive recruiters
– College recruiting
– Referrals and walk-ins

22. Attracting New Talent: Recruiting
Techniques
• Research has assessed variety of recruiting
techniques:
• Evidence that “walk-ins” yield higher caliber
applicants
– More likely to remain with the company
• Employee “referral” campaigns generate higher
quality applicants
• Different methods reach different types of
workers
– Lower levels- newspaper ads
– Higher levels- employment agencies, connections

23. Recruiting is a two-way process
• Characteristics of organization’s recruiting
programs and recruiters influences job
candidates
• Overselling is a problem
• RJP (realistic job preview) accurate description of
the duties and responsibilities of a particular job
– Oral interview with recruiter -Job site
visit
– Print materials -Videotape

24. Recruitment Research Findings
Research Findings Practical Applications
Recruitment sources affect the characteristics of Use sources such as referrals that yield applicants
applicants attracted less likely to turnover and more likely to be better
performers
Recruitment materials have a more positive impact Provide applicants with information on aspects of
if they contain more specific information the job that are important to them, such as salary,
location, and diversity
Organizational image influences applicants’ initial Ensure all communications about the organization
reactions to employers provide positive message regarding the corporate
image and the attractiveness of the organization as
a place to work
Applicants with a greater number of job Ensure initial recruitment activities are as
opportunities are more attentive to and more attractive to candidates as later activities
influenced by early recruitment activities
Source: Ryan, A. M. & Tippins, N. (2004). Attracting and selecting: What psychological research tells us. Human Resource
Management, 43(4), 311- 318.

25. Recruitment Research Findings
Research Findings Practical Applications
Recruiter demographics have a rather small effect Worry less about matching recruiter/ applicant
on applicants’ attraction to the organization demographics and more about the content of
recruiting messages and the organization’s overall
image
Realistic job previews (e.g. brochures, videos, Provide applicants with a realistic picture of the
group discussions that highlight both the job and organization, not just the positives
advantages/ disadvantages of the job) reduce
subsequent turnover
Applicants will infer job and organizational Provide, clear, specific, and complete information
information based on the organizational image in recruitment materials so that applicants do not
projected and their early interactions with the make erroneous inferences about the nature of
organization if the information is not clearly the job or the organization as an employer
provided by the organization
Recruiter warmth has a large and positive effect Individuals who have contact with applicants
on applicants’ decisions to accept a job should be chosen for their interpersonal skills
Applicants’ beliefs in a “good fit” between their Provide applicants with accurate information
values and the organization’s influence their job- about what the organization is like so that they
choice decisions can make accurate fit assessments

26. A Model for Employee Selection
Determine the most important variables candidates need to
possess in order to be successful in the job
Criteria
Predictor
A Elements of Job Success
Criterion
Predictor A
B
Criterion
B
Predictor
C
Criterion
C
Predictor
D

27. Selecting Candidates
Screen applications to select only those applicants who meet the job
criteria for further testing/ interviews
Screening Determine Whether Testing Is
Needed
• Process of reviewing
• Types of employee
information about job
screening tests:
applicants to select
– Test formats
individuals for jobs
• Individual vs group tests
– Resumes • Speed vs power tests
– Job applications • Paper-and-pencil vs
– Letter of recommendation performance tests
– Employment tests
– Hiring interviews

28. Employee screening
• Process of reviewing • Types of employee
information about job screening tests:
applicants to select – Test formats
individuals for jobs • Individual vs group tests
– Resumes • Speed vs power tests
• Paper-and-pencil vs
– Job applications performance tests
– Letter of
recommendation
– Employment tests
– Hiring interviews

29. Evaluation of Written Materials
• 1st step in screening applicants
– Evaluate written materials:
• Applications and resumes
• Impressions of qualifications from resumes influence
impressions of applicants in subsequent interviews
– Application form should collect information that
has been determined to be job related
– Weighted application forms:
• Assign different weights to each bit of information on
the form
• Weights determined through detailed research
conducted by the organization

30. References and Letters of
Recommendation
• Very little research on their validity
• Can provide 4 types of info:
Employment & education history
Evaluations of applicant’s character
Evaluations of applicant’s job performance
Recommender’s willingness to rehire
• Use of references and letters of
recommendation on the decline because:
– Applicants choose own sources

31. Employment Testing
• It is customary in many • The predictive validity of
industries, including nuclear paper-and-pencil tests has not
power, to conduct testing to been supported
check potential employee’s • However, organizations
suitability for the job and the continue to use various forms
organization of testing as a screening
• Some tests measure specific mechanism
skills and abilities to do a job
and may require a skill
demonstration
• Other test may assess
cognitive skills, such as an
intelligence test
• Other tests may measure
personality dimensions

32. Testing Program Guidelines
• Use tests as supplements: don’t make tests the only selection tool; use them to
supplement other tools like interviews and background checks
2. Validate the tests: validate tests in your own organization; or use tests that have
been validated in similar organizations
3. Monitor your testing/ selection program: ask questions such as “why am I using
this test?” or check on the proportions of applicants rejected at each stage of the
hiring process
4. Keep accurate records: record why each applicant was rejected; be specific and
document reasons why
5. Use a certified psychologist: developing, validating, and using selection standards
require a qualified psychologist
6. Manage test conditions: administer test in areas that are reasonably private, quiet,
well lighted, and ventilated; make sure all applicants take tests under the same
conditions
7. Revalidate periodically: employers’ needs and applicants’ aptitudes change over
time; have your testing program validated periodically
Source: Dessler, G. (2008). Human resource management eleventh edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.

33. Assessment Centers
• Offers detailed, structured employment
screening on a wide range of job-related skills,
abilities, and knowledge
• Measures:
– Specific managerial skills
– Oral and written communications
– Behavioral flexibility
– Creativity
– Tolerance to uncertainty
– Skills in organization, planning, and decision making

34. Employment Interview
• Most widely used screening and • Useful for determining if the
selection device applicant has requisite
– Not one of the most reliable and communicative or social skills
valid methods which may be necessary for the
• Situational interview job
• Behavior description interview or
structured behavioral interview • Can assess the applicant’s job
• Hiring interview should have 3 knowledge
objectives: • Can be used for selection among
1. Fill gaps in information from equally qualified candidates
written documents • Enables supervisors/ co-workers
2. Provide applicants with realistic to determine if there is
job previews compatibility between applicant
3. Serves as Public Relations function and the employees
for the company
• Allows applicant to ask questions
that may reveal additional
information for making selection
decisions

35. Interviewing Techniques & Cautions
• Single interviewer; • Often a subjective
interviewee evaluation
• Multiple interviewers (panel • People tend to make snap
interview); multiple decisions within the first
interviewees few minutes of the
• Structured interview with interview, and use the
open and closed ended remainder of the interview
questions to justify their opinion
• Realistic interviews • Interviewers form
– Important in increasing job stereotypes concerning
commitment and satisfaction characteristics required for
• Also decreases turnover in success on the job
new employees
• Not as reliable as tests

36. Purpose & Types of Interview
Questions
• Selection procedure designed to predict future job performance
based on applicant’s responses
• Situational Interview
– Series of job-related questions that focus on how the candidate would
behave in a given situation
• Behavioral Interviews
– Series of job-related questions that focus on how the candidate
reacted to actual situations in the past
• Job-related Interviews
– Series of job-related questions that focus on past job-related
behaviors
• Stress Interviews
– Interview which the applicant is made uncomfortable by a series of
often rude questions; technique helps to identify hypersensitive
applicants and those with low or high stress tolerance

37. Effective Interviews
Interviews are time consuming and labor intensive; prepare for the
interview so as to maximize information for making employment
decisions
• Prepare for the interview
– Focus questions to draw out information about the candidate’s
knowledge and experience; motivation; intellectual capacities;
and personality
• Specific Factors to probe in the interview
– Ask a combination of situational questions, plus open-ended
questions to probe the candidate’s suitability for the job
• Conducting the interview
– Devise a plan to guide the interview
• Match the candidate to the job
– Use an interview evaluation form to compile your impressions
of the applicant

38. Evaluating Candidates
Evaluating A Candidate Background Check
• Evaluate candidate’s • Employees need to be
qualifications screened with a background
• Skills check to see if anything
• Experience objectionable would
• Educational level prohibit them from working
• Attitude and personality
in the industry
• Drug testing needs to be
completed

39. Making Employee Selection Decisions
• Multiple regression model
– Combines separate predictors of job success in a
statistical procedure
• Multiple cutoff model
– Uses minimum cutoff score on each of the various
predictors of job performance
• Multiple hurdle model
– Requires an acceptance or rejection decision be made
at each of the several stages in the screening process

40. Incorporating the New Hire Into
the Organization
How to orient new hires into the
organization

41. New Employee Orientation
• Once the new employee has been hired the organization needs to
ensure that the employee knows what to do and how to do it
• New employee orientations helps with this
– New employee should be made to feel welcome and at ease
– He/she should understand the organization in a broad sense (its past,
present, culture, and future vision) as well as key policies and
procedures
– Be clear about expected work behavior
– Begin the process of being socialized into the organization’s ways of
acting and doing things
• In nuclear, new employees need to complete new employee
orientation quals such as procedures for entering the plant, safety
considerations, badge responsibilities, etc
• New employees also have to complete their job specific training
qualifications

42. Formal Annual Performance
Evaluations
Performance Management Performance Analysis
• Employees also need to • Process of identifying
know how their performance deficiencies and
determining if employer should
performance will be correct deficiency
evaluated • Evaluate employee performance
• Performance management using:
systems are based in annual – Job related performance data
performance reviews – Observations by other supervisors
– Interviews
– Goal oriented approach to
– Test of knowledge, skills,
assigning, training, assessing attendance
and rewarding employees’ – Attitude surveys
performance – Assessment center results

43. Line Supervisor’s Role in Performance
Management
Appraising Performance Potential Rating Scale Problems
• Appraising performance is an • Unclear standards
essential line supervisory skills
• Supervisor does the actual • Halo effect
appraising- not HR • Central tendency
• Supervisors who rate employees
too high, too low, or rates all • Leniency or strictness
employees as average is doing • Bias
them a disservice to the
employees and the organization
– Supervisors must be trained in
conducting performance appraisals
• HR serves as a policy-making and
advisory role

44. Retaining & Developing
Personnel
Keeping the good performers
Developing future leaders

45. Retaining Personnel
• Highly qualified people can usually find better
jobs more easily
• Challenge for organizations is how to keep highly
qualified good performers
• “Career” oriented personnel usually want to
move up the organization and/or better their
career options
• Organizations need to plan for attracting and
retaining highly qualified, good performers
• Develop career plans that provide opportunities
for professional and personal advancement

46. Employer Career Planning Practices
Matching individual strengths and weaknesses with
occupational opportunities
• Job postings • Training programs for managers
– Allows employees to participate in – Developing managers as leaders
other job opportunities – Training new supervisors on
• Formal education tuition management roles
reimbursement • Assessments of employee
• Performance appraisal for career strengths/ weaknesses
planning • Mentoring
– Manager trained to help guide – Mid-level managers help junior
employee determine potential employees by giving them career
career paths advice and helping them navigate
• Lateral moves/ job rotations political pitfalls
– Moving n employee through a • Succession planning
series of pre-planned series of – The on-going process of
positions in order to prepare the systematically identifying,
person for an enhanced role within assessing, and developing
the company organizational leadership to
enhance performance

47. Anticipating Personnel Needs
• Effective workforce planning, including
anticipating needs for new employees,
succession planning, and assessing demographic
and economic conditions
• Developing and maintaining relationships with
educational and professional organizations
• Identifying and planning for needed changes in
the organization’s processes, tools and
equipment, and related staff implications
• Monitoring situations external to the
organization for conditions that may impact the
HR function

48. Forecasting Personnel Needs
For All Organizations
• Managers need to think about projected
turnover (resignations or dismissals)
• Decisions to upgrade or downgrade programs
or sections of the organization
• Technological changes
• Financial resources

50. Summary
• Recruitment is the process of attracting potential
workers and is an on-going activity
• Screening is the process of reviewing information
about the job applicants
• Organizations should be concerned about retaining
good performers by providing job rotation and
leadership development opportunities
• Career development programs provide career
opportunities and challenges for high potential
employees
Johanna.p.bishop@wilmu.edu