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I approach this work in the knowledge that the recruitment and selection of staff is one of the most neglected areas of library management. I have been unable to trace any monograph devoted to the subject published during the past 10 years and few general books on library management spare more than a cursory glance in its direction.

Recruitment and selection in the construction industry is ad hoc – the search for workers to match immediate employment needs is unsystematic, usually conducted in a short‐termist manner, and often contributes to, rather than overcomes, persistent recruitment difficulties and skill shortages. The purpose of this paper is to explore the recruitment context and selection practice in the Scottish construction sector, and proposes a model of the selection decision process which may provide an explanation for this apparently unsystematic approach.

A survey based on a sample from the 1998 Scottish Chambers of Commerce Business Survey database was used to examine the pattern of recruitment, contextual influences on recruitment, the qualities sought by employers, and the extent of use of various recruitment and selection methods. Further qualitative data was gathered from a subset of construction and surveyors firms to explore the nature of selection processes.

The data highlighted the lack of rigour in recruitment and selection and the presence of formalised procedures only in the larger firms. Qualitative evidence shows an emphasis on the visual assessment of work, the importance of site managers in making decisions, and the presence of local industry networks.

The survey could provide only an indicative description of practice amongst Scottish firms and larger scale accounts of practice would be useful. Nevertheless, the contribution of the qualitative research was to explore the dynamics of selection for a rarely studied work context.

Construction firms are found to share many of the constraints in adopting formal HRM practices already identified in small firms in unpredictable environments.

This paper considers the nature of “best practice” recruitment and selection in the hotel sector. Data from a sample of Scottish hotels indicate a reliance on informal methods, particularly in smaller hotels. In larger and chain hotels, structured procedures, including references, application forms and panel interviews, are evident, but, here too, these methods seem inadequate for dealing with recruitment and quality problems, especially in meeting temporary staffing needs. Case study evidence contrasts two alternative strategies: a successful holistic strategy based on management of social processes important for selection, and a more conventional bureaucratic strategy. Each strategy depends on a complex interrelationship between business and labour market considerations, the ownership and management structure of the hotel, and the tenure and experience of those responsible for selection. This evidence indicates that, for the hotel industry, the holistic strategy is an alternative to conventional notions

It is obvious that when resources are insufficient to meet all legitimate demands, priorities should be established. During the last decade, funds available to academic institutions in English‐speaking countries have been reduced while the information sources on which they depend continue to increase and the changing technology of access provides new challenges for academics and librarians.

Despite a wide variety of institutional environments and management styles, collection development officers at major research libraries in the USA generally share the same major areas of concern for program administration. Strong support from central library administration is important, and the best environments place a high value on fostering communication and collegiality among staff. Other important elements of an effective program include: dedicated staff positions responsible for selection in major subject areas; an accurate and informative collection‐development policy; a detailed budget allocation system, where selection staff have accountability; regular appraisals of approval plan vendors and collection assessment studies; and articulated priorities for preservation. Cites examples of effective practices found at selected institutions.

Examines the role of the personnel function in the selection of doctors. Reveals a “clerk of works” role, marginal to the decision‐making process. Considers the implications of such a role for effective and fair selection practice. Develops a model of “weak” personnel management which illustrates the factors limiting the power and influence of personnel specialists, both in recruitment and in other areas. Considers the impact of an interface with professional staff on the nature of personnel roles.

South Korean multinational enterprises (MNEs) have developed rapidly since the late 1950s. This chapter investigates South Korean MNEs’ talent management, more specifically international recruitment and selection policies and practices in their Chinese operations.

Using the snowball method through Chinese and Korean networks we recruited ten Korean MNEs to participate in this research. We conducted semi-structured interviews with key individuals within the organisations.

It reveals that South Korean MNEs tend to adopt the polycentric approach or a mixed approach of being polycentric and ethnocentric to international staffing, with the number of expatriates reducing gradually over time. South Korean MNEs adopt ‘one-way selection’ in recruiting and selecting expatriates and localise recruitment procedures and selection criteria for host-country nationals.

South Korean MNEs have paid inadequate attention to: firstly, expatriates’ career development; and secondly, personal and family issues emerging from expatriation and repatriation. This study highlights these issues.

The importance of equal opportunities in recruitment and selection is assessed with particular reference to the way equal opportunities can improve recruitment and selection while at the same time maximising opportunities for groups who have previously suffered from discrimination.

Most managers would agree that the calibre of an organisation′s employees is vital to its business success. However, to many managers, selection is a headache: job descriptions have to be written, advertisements placed, a shortlist of candidates agreed, assessments of candidates carried out, and a final decision reached. The process is time‐consuming, costly and an unwanted interruption of critical business activities. Throughout the 1980s, many advances have been made in personnel selection by occupational psychologists in the US, Canada and Europe. Unfortunately, the substantial developments have not been taken up by many practising managers in Britain. This article attempts to review and summarise the critical trends and themes in the advances in systematic staff selection over recent years.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a “spotlight” on the literature relating the selection, recruitment and development of staff working in personality disorder (PD) services.

The paper reviews key documentation in the field of PD practice in relation to staff.

Despite the publication of guidelines for working with PD clients, a number of large scale enquiries suggest that some services have often failed to absorb and implement the recommendations made which has resulted in serious consequences.

A number of considerations relating to enhancing staff competency when working in PD units are presented.

The review outlines a number of good practice guidelines relating to the different stages of recruitment and employment for staff working with PD clients.