Every organization needs to be staffed with knowledgeable personnel. When evaluating applicants, there are two major concerns: hiring the right person for the available position and being sure that the applicant is right for the company. The person-job fit evaluates whether the applicant has the appropriate knowledge, skills, abilities, and other requirements to perform the job. Factors such as education, experience, and the applicant’s desire to perform the job duties are also included in the evaluation. The person-company fit looks beyond the applicant’s immediate capacity to perform the current open position and evaluates such factors as the long-term potential of the applicant with the company. Important questions to be answered include: Is the applicant capable of assuming greater responsibilities that are inherent with promotions? Will the applicant fit in with the CORPORATE CULTURE and appreciate the organization’s guiding beliefs and values? The employment process typically consists of three phases: EMPLOYEE RECRUITING, selection, and socializing. Recruiting assures a supply of qualified applicants from which the appropriate selection(s) of new hire(s) can be made. While recruiting and selection are the two steps in employment that receive the most attention, the process of socializing—acclimating the new employee into the organization— should also be an integral part of the employment process. Socialization reduces the potential of psychological shock that the new employee may experience during the first few weeks or months of employment. Applicants can be recruited from either within or outside the organization. Many companies emphasize developing and promoting their own employees, so these firms conduct an internal search before looking elsewhere. There are several techniques for notifying employees that a position is open and will be filled. Job-posting and jobbidding systems allow the individual employee to tell the company that he/she is interested in the position. Other internal recruiting techniques include data and skills banks that the company may maintain. This information may have been encapsulated from career discussions the employee had with his/her supervisor. The company typically has many applicants for only one opening, so another valuable technique is to maintain information from earlier applicants for previous jobs. Regardless of whether the position is to be filled with an internal or external candidate, knowledge of the position’s availability is crucial. Many applicants are drawn to apply because other individuals already employed by the company have told their friends and family members about the position. Current employees are an effective source of applicants because the referring employee often believes if his/her recommendation results in an unsatisfactory hire, it could negatively reflect on him- or herself. More common external-recruiting methods include ADVERTISING available positions in newspapers and technical journals, on radio stations, and on the INTERNET. Public and private employment agencies are frequent sources of candidates. State employment security commissions are the primary public employment agencies; their services are provided without fees since they are publicly funded. Private employment agencies are paid for their services either by the applicant or the potential employer. Finally, many candidates simply walk into the office and ask if the company is hiring individuals with their qualifications. Evaluating the applicant’s qualifications and determining to whom the employment offer will be made is the purpose of the selection phase. Selection usually involves multiple steps including (1) a series of interviews with the HUMAN RESOURCES representative, the supervisor and/or manager with the opening, and other knowledgeable individuals; (2) verbal and written comprehension and ability tests; and (3) a physical examination that may include a screen for illegal drug use. A unique type of interview is the realistic job preview (RJP). This interview technique involves the employee in performing actual job duties on the job site. The applicant sees where the work is done and is encouraged to ask questions of current employees whom he/she will be working alongside. RJPs give the applicant more information about the job than would be otherwise obtained. Companies vary widely, however, in their use of these specific techniques. “Job relatedness” is a critical concern in determining which selection techniques will be used. The ultimate purpose of interviews, tests, and other screening techniques is to predict the potential on-the-job success of the applicant. If a specific question or technique does not predict success, then it should not be used. Employment techniques must be both reliable and valid. Reliability is concerned with the consistency of results if the test or technique is used multiple times. Validity asks the question, “Did the test measure what it was supposed to measure?” Employment specialists must be careful that the employment process conforms to the requirements of the AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT. This federal law was passed to help applicants with physical or emotional limitations find meaningful employment. The applicant, after reviewing an up-to-date job description based on a thorough job analysis, is asked whether he/she can perform the essential job duties. At this time the candidate can ask the company to make reasonable accommodations in the job to enable him/her to perform the duties. The company must then evaluate the applicant’s request(s) and decide whether it can implement the requested accommodation. Duties that are not essential to the position may be reassigned to other positions. John Abbott