SELECTING THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB

Considering the information
What happens if none of the applicants are suitable?
What to do once you have made a decision?

Considering the information

Your recruiting process should provide you with a lot of information about the applicants including

Details from application forms
Information and impressions from formal face to face or telephone interviews
Impressions formed whilst showing the applicants around the farm
The impression formed by other employees or family members
Information from functionality and aptitude tests
Evidence of qualifications
Reports from referees
Your gut feeling!!

To select the most appropriate person for the job you need to:

Refer back to your job specification and duty and accountability statements, and your thoughts on the type of person you are looking for
Consider all the information that has been gathered about the applicants in the light of the job vacancy
Be conscious of prejudices which may cloud your judgement

Consider the following:

Has the applicant previously been dependable and productive, and has their attitudes towards work, fellow workers, and supervision been OK?
Have you got enough information to reasonably predict how things will go with the applicant, based on their past records? Does it look OK?
Has the applicant had similar levels of responsibility in the past or can they adapt to the position in question?
Does the applicant have the skills and knowledge needed for the job? Are they over-qualified? Would they be satisfied with this job?
What are the applicant’s strengths? Are they adaptable?
What are the applicant’s weaknesses? Would they be a big problem? Could training help them overcome these weaknesses?
Is the applicant likely to get on with other workers?

You are looking for a person who….

Meets the requirements of the job specification
Shows evidence that they can fulfil the requirements of the duty and accountability statement
Has the right temperament for the job
Has the physical attributes required to do the job
Has the experience required to do the job
Has the qualifications required to do the job
Looks like they would fit in
Has references which reassure you about their suitability

What happens if none of the applicants are suitable?

At this point it may be very obvious who you should employ. Alternatively you may be in a quandary!!! Consider the following:

	Problem		Response


	I didn’t get anyone who fitted the bill or who I felt comfortable about employing		Then don’t put anyone on. Don’t employ the wrong person and end up in all sorts of trouble. Consider other options such as looking at contractors, trainees and apprentices, or advertising for recruits in different places to attract a different sort of person.


	The applicant I liked best doesn’t have the qualifications or experience I was looking for		In some ways personality and fitting in are the most important issues. Skills and knowledge can be learned but attitude and personality are pretty fixed. Consider whether the applicant you prefer could learn the skills required. What would it take to get them up to speed? Is the applicant interested and able to learn new skills? You may be able to take them on under the New Apprenticeship Scheme and get subsidies and help whilst they train!


	There was one applicant I really liked but he’s really not up to the job		Don’t employ someone if they don’t have the capacity to do the job. It will be stressful for you and them. Consider the farm overall. Could anyone of your existing workers cover the vacancy? Can you reorganise things so you can take the applicant on for a different kind of role, which they could do. Discuss this with your existing workers before making an offer to the applicant. You may need to reconsider pay and conditions of this ‘new job’ with the applicant.


	One applicant was well qualified and experienced but I don’t have a good feeling about her		It is important that you employ someone you can get on with. Your gut instincts are important. If you have reservations about someone consider very carefully your own motives. Did you have a man in mind when a woman seems to be the best applicant? Your concerns may be a product of prejudice? What do other people on the farm feel? What did the referees say? You can put the applicant on for a probationary period or on a fixed term contract in the first instance to give yourself a chance to try them out.


	I had several really good applicants. I wish I could employ them all		Ask the applicants if they mind you keeping hold of their details. You may be looking for someone else some time and they may be interested to hear about other jobs. Or you may hear of other farmers looking for workers and may be able to pass on the applicants’ contact details.

What to do when you have made a decision?

Make a short list
Informing successful applicants
Informing Unsuccessful Applicants

Make a short list

Make a short list of the top two or three applicants for the job. You should feel that you’d be happy with any one of them to varying degrees. If your first choice turns down your offer of the job you can then contact your second or third choice.

Informing successful applicants

Employers often telephone the successful applicant with an offer of work. But, don’t presume the applicant will accept. They may have decided that they are not interested in the job. Or they may be interested if they can negotiate on terms and conditions, or start dates etc. Heres an example of what to say

"I would like to offer you the job of farm manager subject to us agreeing on terms and conditions."

Terms and conditions should have been discussed at interview but should now be put in writing. Click here to see an example of a letter making an offer of employment.

If the applicant wants to negotiate with you, that’s fine. Don’t feel rushed into making a decision. You need time to consider their suggestion. Ring them back when you have had time to think about how their suggestions would impact upon your whole farm. You may have another suggestion which might be mutually acceptable. Hammering out these issues at the start is important. It prevents these sorts of things causing concern after the person has started the job.

Informing Unsuccessful Applicants

You should reply to all applicants.

If you have people you definitely don’t want to employ you can inform them immediately that their application was unsuccessful. Notify each applicant, by confidential letter.

Click here to see a sample letter for unsuccessful applicants.

Do not inform your short listed applicants of the outcome of the interviews until you are sure you have someone for the job. You need to keep them ‘as insurance’. If your first choice turns the job down you will need to make your offer to the next on the list.

Sometimes unsuccessful applicants will phone you for feedback on their application. They may want to know why they didn’t get the job. Don’t be threatened by this. Often people find it difficult to understand where they are going wrong with their applications. Honest, but sensitive feedback can be very helpful. You might say:

‘Your application was good, but you seemed to lack the experience that some other applicants had.’