Q. Explain Recent trends in selection ?

Recent trends in selection: new trends have been emerging in the selection techniques along with other areas of human resource management. The recent trends in selection include: (1) selection by invitation (2) leasing and (3) 360 degree selection programme.

1. Selection by invitation: management observes the performance of the key executives of competitors. If the performance of the key executives is excellent or the key executives are change agents, the management invites such executives to join the organization by offering attractive salary and benefits. Thus, the significant performance of the executives forms basis for selecting them by invitation.

2. Leasing: presently, the organizations need to employ specialists to take up the highly skilled jobs. In fact, the changes in the technology demand highly skilled employees. It would be very difficult to small organizations to employ the skilled employees as they demand high pay. Added to such employees may not be enough work. These workers factors enabled the consultant's organizations to employ experts and depute these employees to the needy companies on lease. These consultancy organizations are principal employees and the needy organizations draw the required employees from the pool on the lease and pay the agreed fee to the consultancy firms. The consultancy firms pay the salary to the employees. This type of arrangement is beneficial to the consultants, employees on lease and the industrial organizations. This business organization can utilize the services of the experts with less cost. The employees get high pay and benefits. The leasing company derives surplus from its charges and fees.

3. 360 degree selection programme: normally superiors administer the selection tests and interviews. They judge the fit between the job and the candidate. But the employee skills, knowledge and performance affect not only superiors but also subordinates and the employees of the same level. Hence, the organizations started involving the subordinates and the employees of the some level in administering the employment tests and interviews. This type of selection programme is called 360 degree selection programme.