Hiring in Malagasy companies: analysis of the subjective criteria prioritized by recruiters

Résumé

Recruitment is a process that includes a number of important steps in order to find the best profile among a large number of candidates. From the definition of the need to the integration of the new recruit, each step of the process must be objective to limit the risks of error. However, although a job description has been drawn up beforehand, subjective selection criteria overwhelm the selection process. Apart from the performance criteria sought in a candidate, other subjective factors influence the decision of the trade professionals. These subjective criteria are generated by social norms specific to each recruiter. They can be derived from observer-observed similarity, norms of internality or membership of a social group, etc.  This article prioritizes the subjective criteria that emerge when making the final choice of a job candidate using a qualitative analysis methodology. In order to explain the appearance of subjective factors that are difficult to accept in practice, the article relies on a comparative study of the literature on the subject and the result of processing the speeches collected from various recruitment professionals using the Nvivo software. The result of the data processing points to the primacy of the criterion of physical appearance reflecting at first sight the personality of a candidate since it is considered by all as being the first indicator of social judgment in the first seconds following the first meeting between the recruiter and the candidate. This phenomenon is known as the halo effect. But although it is seen as a cognitive bias, it plays a considerable role in selecting the best candidate for the job.

JEL Classification: M51

Paper type: Empirical research