A large, global Chemical manufacturer is implementing a global Job Announcement System for positions from non-exempt through upper-middle level management positions. The system is part of a new competency-based Employee Development Process that emphasizes more employee self-sufficiency and access to information. A globally applicable and accessible approach was needed to help managers and work teams make selection decisions once candidates have self-nominated for announced jobs. The implemented solution is competency-based, behavioral experiences interview guides, scoring templates, and training materials made available globally via the company’s Intranet.

Background:

A global, Fortune 50 Chemical Company has implemented a significant reorganization from a geography driven matrix organization to a matrix driven by fifteen global businesses and leveraged, core functions. Simultaneously, there has been extensive re-engineering of all major functions and delayering of the organization leading to supervisory spans of control often in excess of 50 or more employees. The global restructuring has compounded the challenge by creating many situations where supervisors of exempt personnel may well be located in a different site or even continent. This organizational restructuring and new, benchmark based performance targets for the Human Resources function has necessitated design and implementation of a re-engineered package of Human Resources programs and policies. These new programs and policies are based around internally derived global competencies and an unprecedented level of employee self-sufficiency, empowerment, and access to information. As part of the transition, employees are being told that they are responsible for and must take a more central role in their own employee development and career management. The Company’s responsibility is to provide extensive tools and resources to help them take this responsibility.

A critical component of the new empowerment of employees is a transition from supervisor controlled career information and consequently supervisor driven career movement to processes and systems that give employees access to a wide range of career information. In addition to Intranet access to competency profiles for most jobs and aligned compensation structures, a common, global system for announcing all open jobs, from non-exempt to upper-middle management and high-end individual contributor/ technical specialist roles (covering approximately 35,000 full and reduced schedule employees) will be implemented between June and September of 1997.

An important feature of the organization’s evolution over the past three years has been the emphasis on creating common global processes for most major work activities. Local modifications are expected only where required by law or where documented, unique value can be demonstrated. Therefore one of the challenges in implementing the global Job Announcement System (JAS) is to design a global, common process for making selection decisions once candidates have self-nominated for an announced position.

The rest of the paper will deal with some of the issues addressed, a description of the technology selected, and some comments about future opportunities and research needs.

Issues and Answers:

What selection technology could possibly be both efficient and effective across so large a domain of jobs? Structured, behavioral experience interviewing was judged to be the only technology with the flexibility and efficacy to cover so many roles and languages. Fortunately, we have been advocating such approaches since around 1977 and have tried to expose all campus recruiters and most hiring managers, worldwide, to some sort of training on this technology. To facilitate use of this technology, master interview guides have been developed that assess the Global Competencies across the development levels covered by most hiring decisions. The guides provide sample questions and matrices describing what to look for in answers. The expectation is that a master interview guide for a given Job Family would be downloaded to the user’s hard-drive and easily edited into a structured interview form.

How can you deliver a common global approach without extensive infrastructure costs? This is possible through the power and flexibility of the Intranet, and a common, global computer architecture based on client server technology, common software and common workstations. This allows us to provide on-line training materials and master interview guides with document management/control to every supervisor or interview team anywhere in the world, any time of day, with no full-time people dedicated to supporting the system.

Key to making this happen is a commitment to simplicity in system design. By limiting ourselves to "read only" document delivery rather than more elaborate, interactive designs, we eliminated all demands on our Information Systems architecture and programmers, hence minimizing development time and cost.

How will you encourage hiring managers and teams to use the technology? By emphasizing convenience, ease of use, and through consultation provided by trained Human Resources personnel in the field. The templates used by mangers when announcing openings through JAS and the templates employees use to self-nominate for open jobs are all designed to facilitate communication of behavioral expectations and experience requirements based on the Global Competencies and unique requirements of the job. The Selection Support System (SSS) is readily accessible from the JAS sites on the Intranet as well as from other HR based sites. Every step of the process is designed to make answering the questions "how do I select someone for this job" and "what do I ask in the interview" as user friendly as possible. Finally, HR professionals in key consulting and transactional roles will receive training on how both JAS and SSS work and how to consult and facilitate managers’ use of the systems.

What kind of training materials will accompany the interview guides? The core component of the Selection Support System (SSS) is the ProSelect^® software described in the section on The Technology. An internally developed "front end" steps the user through a sixteen step process for doing selection. Each step is a stand-alone module or modules which link to the SSS menu and where appropriate, to each other or to ProSelect®. Key tools such an EXCEL based evaluation matrix and the WORD based interview guides can be readily downloaded from the Intranet to the user’s hard drive for tailoring and use.

What about multiple languages? Since competency with oral and written English is a requirement of all exempt employees, the initial implementation of SSS will be in English. However, it is expected that most interviews will actually be conducted in the language both parties are most comfortable with. If a local user wants to translate a tailored interview guide for a specific opening into the local language, this is of course welcomed. As demand dictates, we will translate the site into multiple languages in 1998.

Is this technology applicable to outside hiring? Yes. Each step in the SSS is written to address either internal selection (JAS) or hiring from outside the company. Where procedures need to be different, separate sections are devoted to each scenario. Some of the earliest Specialty Interview Guides added to a Guide Library will be designed to assess the competencies we select for when doing entry level hiring and campus recruiting.

What was the project timeline? The need for the project was defined in July of 1996 and an initial scope document framed by early August. Jack Loza of Sleepy Hollow Software Inc. was identified (through the Academy of Management HRNET) as a consultant with an already working technology in early September. Joint "proof of concept" work proceeded through fourth quarter and a formal contract signed in late December. Our first face to face meeting occurred during a site visit in January, 1997. The "proof of concept" version of ProSelect® * was loaded on our Intranet at that time and preliminary trials began. The SSS front-end was drafted in February and March and the system brought operational in early April. Global implementation and training for HR personnel will be completed by September of 1997.

How will you evaluate the efficacy of the system. The discrete nature of the hiring done with an internal placement system - most positions are hiring a single incumbent - makes traditional evaluation extremely difficult. Beyond the content referenced nature of defining the Job Announcements and Self-nominations in the context of the Company’s Global Competencies and the unique experience requirements of the job, the overall results of the JAS will be tracked administratively for compliance with the policies and practice guidelines and for Diversity outcomes. Overall satisfaction with the process will be measured through routine Global Employee Opinion and Action Surveys (on-going since 1992). Software now available for analyzing use of Web sites will be used to track use of SSS for guidance on future modifications.

The Technology:

Intranet based delivery systems for I/O endeavors

The Selection Support System discussed here is just one example of how an Intranet and World Wide Web technology can be used to enhance the delivery of the tools and materials developed by I/O psychologists. The benefits of this technology should apply to many training programs, management tools and other I/O endeavors. Following are some real and expected benefits of using an Intranet platform:

The technology is becoming ubiquitous. Intranets are clearly the rage in business these days. Most companies above medium size have already established or are considering the establishment of an Intranet. The technology is here to stay as a major business element.

Cross-platform capability. An Intranet has the unique capability of allowing access from various computer platforms; PC, Macintosh, UNIX and others. Many companies have a mix of computer platforms and employees often wish to use their own home computers to access the company Intranet. The ability to write one application that serves all computer platforms is especially efficient.

Universal interface. Intranets are accessed using an interface called a browser. Browsers are very easy to learn and they provide a great degree of standardization regarding how Intranet applications are accessed and navigated. A further benefit is that many employees are already familiar with Browsers because of experience at home or elsewhere. The universal nature of the interface means that the learning curve for new Intranet applications is minimal.

Rich content capabilities. One big difference between conventional printed material and Intranet based offerings is the use of "hypertext". Browsers accommodate the use of "hypertext" for easy navigation within or between documents and /or site locations on the Intranet or beyond to the Internet. Documents that are formatted for hypertext navigation have key words, phrases, or images highlighted. A simple point and click of the computer’s mouse on a highlighted item immediately accesses the information being represented. This feature allows users to quickly locate and access only that information which is relevant to their current interest.

Another obvious difference between traditional printed material and delivery of that same material over an Intranet is that color can be added, cost free, to the Internet version. This makes working with the material more pleasurable and provides the opportunity to "color code" information in various ways to provide clarity and understanding. Another benefit is that the addition of pictures and graphics becomes a relatively simple process.

Two additional features of an Intranet cannot be accomplished with printed material, audio and video. It is possible to use both sound and video clips in Intranet applications. One caveat is that both sound and video are in early stages of development and many business based computers do not have the multi-media features needed to take advantage of them. However, as technology improves and computers are upgraded these features are destined to become standard.

Intranets can be interactive. They can be configured to allow users to do such things as searching company databases or submitting information. For example, training quizzes can be filled out on-line with the results being automatically scored and returned to the user in seconds.

Just-in-time availability. Training and operational tools placed on an Intranet are conveniently available with a few clicks of the mouse. More importantly, they are available at the exact time they are needed. It is expected that this is also a time when user interest is at a peak which may enhance learning.

Replace face to face training? It is likely that Intranet based offerings can fully replace some kinds of training. Only time will tell the degree to which this can happen. Even where an Intranet based training program cannot fully replace traditional training, it can be an excellent source for employees to refresh that training without necessitating additional face-to-face contact.

Serious consideration should be given to the thought of using Intranet technology for delivering much of the content in face-to-face training programs. This can be done using a computer projection system linked to the Intranet. The approach would allow untrained people access to the material between training sessions and the material would be available for use as a refresher for those already trained. Moreover, many of us are aware that training programs are among the first items cut when budgets get tight. This approach would allow the elimination of face-to-face training without having a total loss.

Development of Intranet systems. Intranet based applications are much easier to develop than previous non-Intranet computer applications. Non-programmers can "publish" basic material to an Intranet after minimal training. The latest versions of word processors have built in support for converting documents to Intranet ready format and it is anticipated that the next generation of computer operating systems will have the same support built in. Developmental costs will drop as the tools for development continue to become easier to master.

While developing the Selection Support System we realized that an Internet/Intranet site could be used as our "workshop". A secure Internet site was established to allow company reviewers around the globe the opportunity to follow and review work in progress going on in Minneapolis, MN. This site was used to display the system for company review and to receive feedback on changes needed. The system was periodically updated throughout each stage of development. The process has worked very well and has the advantage of providing the company with first hand knowledge of the exact status of the project at any given time.

System maintenance. Established Intranet based systems have the powerful benefit of being easily updated. In the case of the Selection Support System we are able to make changes to the system that are instantly effective for all users of the 25,000 computers connected to the global Intranet. This features also allows the use of sophisticated document management systems never before feasible with paper based systems.

What is ProSelect®?

ProSelect is a complete Intranet based system for training and managing the job applicant processes of structured interviewing, evaluation, and selection. Each system is custom engineered to the client’s protocol. Based on the latest software technologies, it provides training and allows easy design and construction of structured interview guides, enabling managers to conduct professional quality job interviews.

ProSelect stores completed interview guides in its own "library". It is an easy task to retrieve a guide for later use and/or modification, thus eliminating "rework". ProSelect effortlessly adds company-wide structure, computerization, and standardization to your hiring protocols. With these critical features in place, it is finally possible to MANAGE the elusive applicant selection processes.

Future considerations. The existing Selection Support System makes only limited use of the available technical features for an Intranet application. We expect to learn a lot during the initial months of full scale operation and we have planned to make periodic updates and improvements as needed. Success of the system will lead us to consider adding additional features. Some of the future possibilities might include:

• Redecorate ---- make the current text based system more lively and pleasurable by adding additional color, graphic images, and photographs
• New features ---- exit interview templates, new employee orientation checklists, developmental resources, etc.
• Database connectivity ---- allow users to build interview guides automatically by providing answers to a series of questions
• Audio recordings ---- listen to interview segments and/or hear emphasis of important elements of the training materials
• Video vignettes ---- show both incorrect and correct interviewing techniques

Next Steps:

Further development in 1997: The rest of 1997 will be spent making needed editorial changes, developing Specialized Interview Guides for frequently used applications such as Campus Recruitment Interviews and other, frequently filled positions, and adding any caveats to the section on Legal Do’s & Don’ts specific to countries outside the United States. As supervisors and managers use the master guides to craft Behavioral Experience Interviews tailored to specific positions (Plant Engineer, Research Chemist, Operating Technician, Production Leader, etc.), we will ask them to copy the guides to a site on a file server to be resources for both quality assessment and more specialty guides for the Guide Library. During this time, we will determine the need for translation of SSS and whether supplemental, more traditional interview skills training will be necessary. We also plan to track and evaluate use of the site using the powerful tracking software now available for Web management.

Further developments in 1998: Program evaluation will be done in the context of supervisor and employee surveys relative to the entire JAS and Deployment Processes. Translations in to any of the 17 languages considered primary across the organization will be contracted out. The Guide Library will be expanded.

Research Needs:

The purpose of this paper was to describe an example where new technology was used to leverage the traditional domain of I/O Psychology in more powerful ways. Although the basic technology - structured, behavioral experience interviewing - has been extensively researched, there are some intriguing questions that this method of delivery presents to the active researcher:

1. Can simple, computer delivered training materials, when combined with well constructed interview guides, replace traditional classroom training with role play and videotaped demonstrations as preparation for first-time interviewers?
2. Does an Intranet (or Internet for that matter) based system such as this inadvertently disadvantage certain employee groups?
3. What non-obtrusive evaluation methodology can be designed to address scenarios such as this where the domain of jobs being selected for is so large?

Summary:

Bringing together the power of the Intranet and the flexibility of Behavioral Experience Interviewing allows common selection technology to be delivered to users globally with never before experienced convenience, ease of use, and even technical soundness.