Approaching the modelling of a human resources selection information system from the perspective of its users.

Mazilescu, Crisanta Alina ; Mihartescu, Ana Andreea ; Banciu, Felicia 等

1. INTRODUCTION

In the present economic environment, the study and elaboration of a personnel selection program, as well as its application within an organization, is a means of stimulating the performances and the efficiency of organizations, and also a basic tool for their change and development.

An information system (IS) is a work system made of people, materials, technology and information, which is based on information processing (selection, storage, analysis and communication) in order to achieve the organization's objectives. Porter and Weick were the first to discuss the issue of developing information systems correlated with the organization's needs (Porter, 1985). Henry C. Lucas has emphasized the importance of the personal parameters and of the users' attitude when it came to achieving the performances of an information system, and R.W. Zmud has studied the level of the success of implementing an IS in organizations, setting the bases for the studies regarding the impact of an IS on the user human resource (Dumoulin, 1986).

In what regards the I.S. typology, Alter (1999) has identified 8 categories (office, communication, processing transaction-related information, etc.), while R. Reix (2002) suggests another classification of the IS, based on their functionality (trade management, production, accounting and financial management, and human resources). J.M. Peretti (1994), as a result of a study conducted in France, has identified 5-6 information applications in the human resource field. Although the computerization has had a rapid evolution within organizations, the functional applications in human resources management focuses on budget control (Weiss, 2003).

The elaboration of a model implies the simplification of reality, allowing a better understanding of the system that is to be developed, visualizing the system as it is or as it should be, specifying the data and behaviour structures and supplying a guide for building the system. The modelling of an I.S. may be approached from several perspectives: either by appealing to the designated scientific methods and following a strict succession of stages, either by appealing to empirical methods which explore new techniques with the purpose of modelling the system (Reix, 2002).

The objective of this study is the modeling of a human resources selection information system from the perspective of its users, employing UML (Unified Modelling Language) as the modelling language.

2. MODELING AN I.S. WITH THE HELP OF UML

UML is not a method, but an object-oriented modeling language, used mostly in the banking field and for financial services, in the field of telecommunications, transportation, but also for information systems within enterprises. UML-based modelling means to approach the system from several perspectives (4+1 Kruchten views), the use case perspective being the starting point and the direction we shall approach in this study. UML-based modelling, from the perspective of the activities it entails, is based on the cooperation between two specialists: a specialist in the activity field for which the information system is designed (in our case, the human resources management specialist), who must build the exterior image of the system, from the users' point of view, and a computer specialist, who must design and implement the system.

This paper shall approach the modeling of an information system for personnel selection from the perspective of the human resources specialist who translates the models resulted from the user's expressed needs in a language similar to that of the computer scientist's, but maintaining, at the same time, a language understandable by the clients and users of the system.

A use case is a means of representing the various possibilities to use the system and to emphasize one of its functionalities, usable by an actor. A diagram of use cases defines the system, the actors, the use cases and the connections between the actors and the use cases. A model of the use cases is defined by means of use cases diagrams, by textual description of the use scenarios and by describing these scenarios through sequence and collaboration diagrams.

The actors are persons or peripherals fulfilling a role or occupying a position in the functioning of the system. In the case of the selection system, the persons benefiting from the functioning of the system, who supply data to the system or who use the information system, are: the personnel and the manager of the human resources department, the enterprise manager, the candidates taking part in the selection, and even the personnel of the enterprise;

Identifying the use cases within the selection system

A use case is an action sequence, when the actor interacts with the system in order to achieve an aim. In what regards the selection system, we have identified the following use cases:

1. the case of the job analysis, when the purpose is to establish the aptitudes, skills, capacities and knowledge needed by the job holder. The job analysis aims at collecting, structuring and checking the information connected to a job position in order to identify the job requirements and specifications.

2. the case of establishing the performance criteria and choosing the prediction tools, when aiming to identify the professional efficiency criteria and choosing those test based on which one can predict the future job performance of the candidate. Based on the information obtained after analysing the job position, one chooses those tests based on which predictions regarding the future job performance of the candidate can be made. The predictors are the psychological tests chosen and used for assessing the capacities of the persons investigated. This stage, when the performance criteria are identified and the predictors are chosen, is necessary for the further validation of the selection program.

3. the case of the recruitment, when the aim is to sort candidacies based on biographical data. Sorting candidacies aims to achieve an initial selection of the candidates, based on the analysis of their biographical information, of their letters of intent and their letters of recommendation.

4. the case of the assessment--aims at assessing the candidates' capacities and knowledge. Assessing field knowledge and measuring the candidates' capacities is a stage that aims at investigating the candidates' personality in order to identify the aptitudes and capacities needed to fulfil their job tasks. In order to increase the objectivity of the assessment results, the personality investigation is conducted by means of several psychological tests, which either supplement one another, either jointly confirm the results obtained.

5. the case of the interviewing--the case of the selection interview aims both at completing and verifying the information on the candidate obtained in the previous stages, as well as identifying the candidate's motivation level.

6. the case of the decision to employ, when it is decided whether to reject or hire the candidate. The selection of the candidates is the result of a decision made by the organization's manager according to the biographical information, according to the results of the capacity and knowledge assessment of the candidates and according to the information obtained during the selection interview.

7. the case of the selection procedure assessment, when the purpose is to validate the selection performed by correlating the results of the selection tests and the work performance after being hired

8. the case of the decision regarding the utility of the selection, when it is established to what extent has the selection reached its aims, in reference to, first of all, the costs implied, and the results of the persons selected.

9. the case of reassessing the selection program, which aims at the reassessment of the selection system in order to improve it from a functional point of view.

The description of a use case is carried out through scenarios which define the logical process of the interactions that form the case. We can define simple scenarios or detailed scenarios which also feature variants of the use case and even errors. The description is done in a simple manner, comprehensible to the persons in the field of application, and it mentions what the actor does and what the system does. Below you have the description of one of the use cases settled for the selection system, that is the case of the recruitment.

Use case: Sorting candidacies

Purpose: initial selection of the candidates

Actors: the company recruiter

Initial point: The candidate sends in the biographical data

Final point: The candidate is rejected or accepted for the stage of assessing their capacity and professional knowledge

Description of the process: As a result of the interest or willingness to occupy the job position for which the enterprise has made a recruitment add, the candidate informs himself/herself of the requirements the organization has regarding the submission of one's candidacy. The candidate has 3 possible ways of sending in the biographical data requested by the organization:

1. over the Internet, when they access a web page where they shall fill in a candidacy form with the data requested and shall then send the form directly to the company interested;

2. by mail, after having previously obtained the specific forms to fill in with their biographical data;

3. by personally submitting the candidacy file directly with the organization's head office.

The recruiter gathers all the biographical data of all the candidates in a data basis. In order to do so, they either access their e-mail (electronic mail), or enter the data on electronic support, the candidacies sent by mail, or those submitted directly at the company's head office. In order to carry out the pre-selection of the candidates based on the biographical data, the recruiter must consult the literature that deals with the assessment criteria and their share, identified as significant for the pre-selection stage. If the information wanted cannot be found, a human resources specialist shall conduct a research within the company, in order to identify the respective criteria. The recruiter shall enter into the system the data regarding these criteria and shall then sort the candidacies based on a hierarchy according to the biographical index calculated for each candidate. The biographical index is obtained by adding the values of the modality of the biographical criteria taken into account. After obtaining the candidates' hierarchy, the recruiter shall communicate the results, and shall send the rejection letters to the rejected candidates, and the letters programming the candidates for the next selection stage to those who have been accepted to continue with the selection process.

Based on textual descriptions, the scenarios may be illustrated through sequence diagrams which allow a visualization of the temporal aspect of the interactions and emphasize their meaning. The modeling process continues with the elaboration of the object classes, where the information analyst comes into play.

3. CONCLUSION

Study results are out in a theoretical proposal of an information system for selecting personnel. The findings of the study established the advantage of using UML in modeling of system information, because it was found necessary the collaboration of two specialists from two different fields: the computer scientist, who will design and implement the system, and the specialist in the field of application, who can build the exterior image of the system, from the perspective of its users.

In what regards the human resources selection, modeling an information system aims to increase the efficiency of the personnel-related activities by quickly solving certain administrative tasks related to the structuring of the information on the personnel hired and on the candidates, to increase the efficiency of the personnel-related decisions, to internationalize communication between employers and candidates, to reduce the costs implied by personnel recruitment and selection etc.

The theme discussed has aimed to personalize the research on the information systems in the personnel selection field, the paper focusing on the modelling of a personnel selection information system. This system may be just a module within a human resources information system, if the objective is to extend the system to all the personnel-related functions.

4. REFERENCES

Alter, S. (1999). Information Systems: Management perspective, Addison-Wesley, Indianapolis

Dumoulin, C. (1986). Management des systemes d'information, Editions d'organisation, Paris

Peretti, J.M. (1994). Ressources humaines, Ed. Vuibert, Paris

Porter, M. (1985). Competitive Advantage: Creating and Sustaining Superior Performance, Free Press, New York

Reix R., (2002). Systemes d'information et management des organisations, Librairie Vuibert, Paris

Weiss, D. (2003). Ressources humaines, Editions Organisation, Paris.