Recruiting the Highly Sensitive Person: Considerations and Their Significance
Vänskä, Mariellen (2021)
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Lataukset:
Vänskä, Mariellen
2021
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Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202105189116
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-202105189116
Tiivistelmä
Diversity is extensively considered as an important principle in human resource management, especially in current times. A branch of diversity, cognitive diversity, is perhaps not as widely discussed, but is to be the central theme of this thesis. This research-based thesis aims to study the minority of the world’s population, who identify as being highly sensitive persons. In relation to the human resources context, this thesis discusses ideas connected to recruitment and selection as experienced by highly sensitive people, and how current processes and implementations can be improved to consider this minority. Based on statistical research, 15-20% of the world’s population identify as being highly sensitive (Aron 1996, xvi-xxii).
The thesis is divided into a theoretical and empirical section. The theoretical portion aims to look at mainly the following three topics and related concepts: cognitive diversity, its benefits and relation to a socially responsible organization, models of recruitment and selection that are of interest to the study as well as, of course, defining the characteristics of highly sensitive people and how those may appear in workplace situations.
The empirical portion of this research analyzed the perspectives of highly sensitive persons to current recruitment processes through the use of a structured survey with both qualitative and quantitative questions, including perspectives on the effectiveness of recruitment methods (i.e. interviews, job advertisements) and their elements, the aspects that draw highly sensitive persons to apply and also that which discourages [them] from applying, and why this is of notable significance to recruiters.
The main platform for collecting the survey results was through highly sensitive persons groups on Facebook. This was to try to keep the target audience as relevant as possible, and to through that, eliminate possible answers that may sway the truthfulness of the survey answers and thereby this research. However, personal social media platforms were also used to distribute the survey, highlighting of course the importance of the respondents being only highly sensitive. Some were also contacted directly when their interaction with highly sensitive social media platforms was noted. The answers were analyzed with the use Excel, where the information from Webporol was directly transferred. Interpretative verbal analysis was used for qualitative questions. The total number of respondents was 103.
The overall conclusion of the results was that highly sensitive people have very distinct preferences when it comes to recruitment and selection practices from the applicant’s perspective. Moreover, that the traits of highly sensitive persons could directly be linked to the results of the survey. In consideration of recommendations, the summarizing conclusion would be the personalization and effort in limiting stigmatization in processes of recruitment and selection, to make human resources processes more inclusive and expansive in attracting a cognitively diverse pool of talent, are of extreme importance. From the empirical results, it can also be said that a communicative research and selection process is not only valued by highly sensitive people but can be considered crucial. The minimizing of ‘guess work’ from the applicant’s perspective is also a significant consideration for recruiters and managers.
The thesis is divided into a theoretical and empirical section. The theoretical portion aims to look at mainly the following three topics and related concepts: cognitive diversity, its benefits and relation to a socially responsible organization, models of recruitment and selection that are of interest to the study as well as, of course, defining the characteristics of highly sensitive people and how those may appear in workplace situations.
The empirical portion of this research analyzed the perspectives of highly sensitive persons to current recruitment processes through the use of a structured survey with both qualitative and quantitative questions, including perspectives on the effectiveness of recruitment methods (i.e. interviews, job advertisements) and their elements, the aspects that draw highly sensitive persons to apply and also that which discourages [them] from applying, and why this is of notable significance to recruiters.
The main platform for collecting the survey results was through highly sensitive persons groups on Facebook. This was to try to keep the target audience as relevant as possible, and to through that, eliminate possible answers that may sway the truthfulness of the survey answers and thereby this research. However, personal social media platforms were also used to distribute the survey, highlighting of course the importance of the respondents being only highly sensitive. Some were also contacted directly when their interaction with highly sensitive social media platforms was noted. The answers were analyzed with the use Excel, where the information from Webporol was directly transferred. Interpretative verbal analysis was used for qualitative questions. The total number of respondents was 103.
The overall conclusion of the results was that highly sensitive people have very distinct preferences when it comes to recruitment and selection practices from the applicant’s perspective. Moreover, that the traits of highly sensitive persons could directly be linked to the results of the survey. In consideration of recommendations, the summarizing conclusion would be the personalization and effort in limiting stigmatization in processes of recruitment and selection, to make human resources processes more inclusive and expansive in attracting a cognitively diverse pool of talent, are of extreme importance. From the empirical results, it can also be said that a communicative research and selection process is not only valued by highly sensitive people but can be considered crucial. The minimizing of ‘guess work’ from the applicant’s perspective is also a significant consideration for recruiters and managers.