Issues and Challenges in the Recruitment and Selection of ...

as either a basis for determining eligibility or a basis for shortlisting. We cannotdiscount the possibility however, that some employers may refer to this whengiving feedback to unsuccessful foreign job applicants as a way of avoiding a morecomplex interaction.Interviewing: Both immigrant workers and employers recognize the difficultiesthat interviews can present for non-Irish job applicants. Immigrants howeverperceive that employers are not fully aware of all of the difficulties or makesufficient efforts to address them. Employers emphasise verbal communicationskills at interview and recognise that this can be a difficulty for immigrants, eventhose who have a good command of English. Awareness of cultural differences innon-verbal communication and presentation also exists – although it appears tobe less likely to cause difficulties for employers. From the immigrant’s perspective,verbal communication is also seen as challenging at interview, given the greaterformality of language and so on. But immigrant job seekers place a greateremphasis on the difficulties resulting from cultural practices and norms in termsof non-verbal communication. In general, immigrants believed that it was muchharder for them to convince an employer at interview stage that they were theright person for the job.Testing: A minority of employers use tests, but when they are used they assumea high level of significance in determining the outcome of the recruitmentand selection process. This is one instance in which employers and foreign jobapplicants are agreed: both groups see the use of tests that require writtenor spoken English to be a specific challenge for those whose first language isnot English. A small number of employers have tried to address this, but theyare prepared to accept that their efforts have been limited and that the morecomprehensive approach of translating tests into the language of candidateswould be too difficult and costly. In general, there is a view that tests are meantto introduce an element of scientific objectivity into the recruitment process andconsequently there is a reluctance to tamper with them.Vetting: It is at this stage of the process that employers encounter the externalreality of immigration when they are required to assess qualifications, ensureentitlement to work, check references, and on occasion seek police clearance.Here, most employers will acknowledge challenges that are outside of theircontrol. That said, employers indicate that they are well equipped in terms ofinformation on issues such as the legal entitlements of different categories ofimmigrant, on the provisions of the NQF system and on the existence of agenciesthat can provide assistance with the vetting process. For their part, immigrantjob applicants are fully aware of the difficulties deriving from the externalenvironment, particularly in relation to qualifications and entitlement to work, butalso believe that employers are poorly informed on these issues and will tend to70Issues and Challenges in the Recruitment and Selection of Immigrant Workers in Ireland