In this assignment, I am going to develop, design and discuss the selection strategy for the make-up artist role. I will then identify any potential constraints that may make my chosen selection strategy less effective. I will discuss different perspectives of the selection strategy and explore the different components of my chosen selection process and determine which is the most effective method of selection.
A selection strategy is the way in which a person or organisation goes about selecting a candidate for a job. According to King and Lawley (2016, p. 261) selection is “the process of selecting the most appropriate candidate from a pool of applicants for a particular vacancy.” The psychometric approach to selection is a process which measures the individual differences between candidates to find the best suited person for the job. It is a way to predict how an individual will fit into the workplace by using methods that will give them the highest validity to give the best results (Arthur 2012). The social exchange perspective is when the applicant’s perspective is recognised in the selection process. This means the selection process is done by both sides of the party. A job analysis needs to be developed as it considers all aspects of the job before conducting the actual selection of candidates.
The job analysis for the makeup artist role that is currently undergoing a selection process from a shortlist of candidates, requires considerable experience in the theatre and movie industry is essential. A job analysis refers to a broad array of activities used to discover and document the nature of work (Schmitt 2012). The job is for an indie feature film ‘The HRM House of Horror’ and is not a permanent role. Potential candidates need to be made aware of this prior to the selection process as this role will not automatically lead to others within this industry once the feature film is completed. This may affect the applications received as some candidates may be pursuing permanent positions. Despite the temporary nature of this role, the selection process still needs to be thorough as the role requires a highly skilled person to contribute to the success of the feature film.
For the selection process to be successful, the employer needs to know what they are looking for, which includes the specific knowledge, motivations and behaviours the ideal candidate should have (Wellins 2001). The job description for the role needs to outline the purpose and key tasks of the job, as well as the conditions such as pay and hours of work required (Hackett 1995). Key tasks for the makeup artist role include; the ability to analyse scripts and create, design and plan for the different scenes; the ability to evaluate the environmental characteristics to determine the makeup requirements; the ability to design and create prostheses and the ability to create special effects with makeup such as scars; a good knowledge and understanding of skin types and skin care, and the correct cleansing of the skin.
For the purpose of this task, the selection strategy designed for the role will have already filtered out the candidates without the relevant experience in the industry. Prior to preparing for interviews with the remaining candidates an assessment plan needs to be created to act as a guideline for interviewers. A well thought out assessment plan will enable those interviewing to pick up on relevant and positive responses from candidates. According to Hackett (1995, p. 7) the “primary concern is to assess the candidate. A close second is the need to make sure the candidate can assess the job and the organisation is right for them.”
An interview is defined as a “meeting between two or more people for the purpose of exchanging information about a job or a series of jobs” (Nikolauo and Oostrom 2015, p. 14) and is part of the psychometric approach and also the social exchange approach. The interview itself should be structured and undertaken by a member of the human resources department with relevant experience and the director of the film and a member of staff currently working within the makeup department to ensure a variety of input, feedback and opinions about each candidate. An in-depth evaluation should take place in the interview which will assess the suitability of the candidate for the role (Brennan 2017). Providing a portfolio at this stage will help the decision process as the interviewers will be able to see the type of work and experience that the candidate has to offer (Edenborough 2005). Interviews are very effective in obtaining a more in-depth understanding of candidate’s ability and character than a CV can reveal.
However, a constraint of interviews is that they can be subject to information not being valid or reliable (Iles 1997). Validity is the extent to which a selection technique actually measures what it sets out to measure (Bratton and Gold 2017). Reliability is the extent to which you can trust the results. The candidate may depict themselves to be more experienced and skilled than they actually are which would mean the selection process is invalid. The candidate may give untrue information, giving responses that will improve the way they come across and appear better suited for the job than the other candidates (King and Lawley 2016). The interviewers should remain the same during all candidates’ interviews, this will allow the assessors to make a comparison between all the candidates and variance can be distinguished (Campion, Palmer and Campion 1997). To increase reliability my next stage in the selection process will be a psychometric method which will test the candidates on their skills and knowledge.
From these interviews, an assessment centre should take place which is when “candidates go through a series of individual and group tests and exercises in one concentrated period while being evaluated by a group of assessors” (Howard 1974, p. 115). For the makeup artist role, the candidates should be asked to perform tasks such as analysing scripts, creating prostheses and duplicating characters makeup; all elements of the job description. A knowledge test on skin type and makeup for the skin types should also be carried out. The assessors should be looking for skills such as teamwork as well as independence and using initiative as well as working well under pressure. One particular task which I think would be very beneficial to give evidence of the candidate’s abilities and competency would be to undertake an individual task. This task would be where the candidate must create a makeup look with prostheses and then give a presentation to the assessors and they could then explain the processes they used and the reasonings behind it (Howard 1974). This will allow the assessors to analyse the knowledge and ability of the candidate. Another element of this psychometric approach could be to undertake a personality test, which assess the candidate’s skills in a variety of scenarios and environments (Johnson and Kleiner 2000). The assessment centre is the most thorough section of the selection process and is best way to obtain reliable results as there is little room for the candidate to be dishonest about their skills as they will be tested on them.
The assessment centre stage of the selection process is the most time consuming, as it can take many days to complete, depending on the number of tasks and activities that need to be undertaken (Roberts 2005). To save time at this stage of the selection process, the assessment centre could be condensed into one day, and although intense for those involved it will be time efficient and realistic to the work environment. An assessment centre can also be expensive to undertake and thorough planning of activities and tests is required. Any organisation is constrained by its funding and resources that can be put into the selection process. People may also not be willing to go through the intense assessment centre process. This is a constraint as it may give a lower quality or less choice of candidates. Although, those with good experience will have the confidence and will be used to this sort of selection process as it is very common in the theatre and film industry.
The candidates that showed the most potential should then be chosen to attend the set where the film is being produced and take part in a working interview. This will allow the applicants to demonstrate their job-related skills (Ericksen and Twigg 2003). This is part of the social exchange perspective in the selection process as it is allowing the candidate to interact and get a real idea of what it will be like to work at the organisation. When discussing the working interview “the time spent is primarily for the benefit of the applicant, rather than the employer” according to Ericksen and Twigg (2003). This is beneficial for the candidate as they can see the real work setting rather than it being simulated in the assessment centre. This is similar to the assessment centre, as candidates will be asked to undertake tasks such as applying makeup and conferring with stage or motion picture officials and performers. However, it is still a vital stage in the selection process as it shows how well the candidate will fit into the current team and whether they are going to work well in the organisation. The candidates will shadow the other staff in the makeup department to see the work setting on a typical day.
A working interview is the perfect time for the assessors of the candidate to see how candidates would fit into the organisation, and whether this would cause any conflict or distress to the other workers. The working interview can encourage current employees to become familiar, friendly and possibly bias towards one candidate and if this is the case, the interviewers have to be careful this doesn’t influence their decision on who would be the best candidate for the job.
After all the interviews and assessment centre have taken place, the final stage of the selection process should be to conduct background checks and pre-employment screening on the shortlisted candidates (Suder 2014). This would mean possibly contacting those references directly to discuss performance, personality and work ethic. Additional checks should be made of social media platforms used by the candidate such as Facebook (Millard 2007). If the employers see or read anything inappropriate or distasteful then the employer may resist from offering that candidate the job.
A constraint of searching through social media is that it can be seen as discriminating or biased, as the employer is judging the candidate without permission or explanation from the candidate. It is an invasion of a person’s privacy and personal life, that they may want to keep separate from their work life, so some legal issues may arise from this (Smith and Kidder 2010). Checking references can be a good way to get an insight into the type of worker the candidate will be if they were offered the job.
From my research, evidence suggests that the psychometric perspective is the most important and in conjunction with the other methods it will increase the validity and reliability of the overall selection process. The most vital stage of the process is the assessment centre particularly as the role of make-up artist is creative and practical, as it is when the candidate can show their true potential and the results are reliable. The main constraint for every aspect of the selection process is the time and money involved in finding the right candidate for the job. Although employing someone needs to be seen as an investment as employing the wrong person due to inadequate processes means time and money are wasted. Employers need to be clear on what the candidate needs to be and the selection process needs to be well thought out and should use all opportunities to find a candidate that will fit the job description and also fit into the workplace.