12th Standard Commerce — Employee Selection Process Online Test
Chapter 11 of 12th Commerce explains the employee selection process: definitions by David and Robbins and Dale Yoder, six steps from application blank to contract of employment, ability and personality tests, ten types of interview, factors influencing selection, its importance, differences from recruitment, and the significance and principles of placement.
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About Employee Selection Process
Medium ~45 min study
Employee Selection Process is the eleventh chapter of the Tamil Nadu State Board Class 12 Commerce book and the second lesson of Unit 4, Human Resource Management. It opens with Thirukkural couplet 518 on employing a man in the work he is fit for, and explains that there is no single selection process followed by every organisation.
The lesson walks through the steps of selection, the selection tests and interviews used, the factors that shape the process, the importance of selection, how selection differs from recruitment, and finally placement, its significance and its principles.
This page gives the five printed one mark questions of the book exercise with answers checked against the lesson and the book's key, followed by additional questions on definitions, tests, interview types, IQ calculation and placement, each with a short explanation.
What you'll learn
- Define selection and placement and name who gave each definition.
- List the steps of the employee selection process in order.
- Describe the kinds of ability and personality tests and calculate IQ.
- Explain the main types of interview.
- State the factors influencing selection and its importance.
- Distinguish recruitment from selection and state the principles of placement.
Before you start
- Chapter 10 on recruitment methods.
- The idea of a job vacancy and an application form.
- Basic ratio and percentage for the IQ formula.
Topics covered in this chapter
Employee Selection Process explained
What this lesson covers
Meaning and definition
Selection is the process of choosing the most suitable person for a vacant position. David and Robbins call it a managerial decision making process to predict which applicants will succeed if hired.
Steps in selection
Application blank, scrutiny of applications and selection tests; interview; physical examination and reference check; approval by higher authority; final selection; and contract of employment.
Selection tests
Ability tests (aptitude, achievement, intelligence, judgment) and personality tests (interest, personality inventory, projective, attitude). IQ = mental age divided by actual age, multiplied by 100.
Interviews
Telephone, in-depth, video conferencing, group, panel, preliminary, stress, structured, unstructured and online interviews.
Factors, importance and recruitment vs selection
Nature of post, number of candidates, selection policy, cost and qualifications shape the process. Good selection brings talent, efficiency, lower training cost, lower turnover and motivation. Recruitment is positive and economical; selection is negative and expensive.
Placement
Placing the right person on the right job, defined by Dale Yoder, with seven points of significance and five principles beginning with job first, man next.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Calling selection a positive process. Recruitment is positive; selection is negative because it eliminates candidates.
- Taking the English answer key's (a) Test for the job first, man next question. The lesson makes it a principle of placement.
- Confusing the panel interview, where many interviewers face one candidate, with the group interview, where many candidates are interviewed together.
- Mixing up the definitions: Dale Yoder defined placement, Scott defined interview, David and Robbins defined selection.
- Writing IQ as actual age divided by mental age. The formula is mental age divided by actual age, multiplied by 100.
Test yourself on these with the practice test, then check the worked reasoning in the solved MCQs.
Frequently asked questions
What is selection?
Selection is the process of differentiating between applicants to identify and hire those with a greater likelihood of success in a job. It is the process of choosing the most suitable person for the vacant position in the organisation.
What is an interview?
An interview is a face to face interaction between the interviewer and the interviewee. According to Scott, it is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and communication between two or more persons.
What is an intelligence test?
It is a psychological test designed to measure a variety of mental abilities and the individual capacity of a candidate, to obtain an idea of the person's intellectual potential. It is measured as IQ, mental age divided by actual age multiplied by 100.
What do you mean by placement?
Placement is placing the right person on the right job. Dale Yoder defines it as the determination of the job to which an accepted candidate is to be assigned, and his assignment to that job.
What is a stress interview?
It is an interview in which the interviewer deliberately creates stressful situations to test the temperament and emotional balance of the candidate. It is mostly used for sales representatives and for defence and law enforcement staff.
What is a structured interview?
In a structured, guided or planned interview the questions are prepared in advance and only those questions are asked. Candidates are ranked on the basis of the scores they earn.
What do you mean by an achievement test?
It measures a candidate's level of skill, accomplishment and knowledge in a particular field. Examples are asking a driver to drive a vehicle, a music student to play an instrument or a teacher to give a demonstration.
Last updated 16 October 2026