The study investigated the methods used by small businesses to select people under the age of 20. While over 88 per cent of all businesses employ fewer than 25 people (about a third of the total workforce), very little is known about how they recruit and select their staff A national sample of 498 small businesses, employing a total of 5612 people, were interviewed by a tram of about 50 interviewers. A structured face-to-face interview was used to explore each organization's most recent select-ion of one or more young people. The recruitment and selection procedures they followed and techniques they used were probed in derail. Data were analysed in terms of general trends and differences relating to four main variables: size of business; geographical location; industry sector; and type of occupation. The results raise questions about 'good' and 'fair' practice and are discussed in terms of difference in selection practice between small and larger businesses. The selection and recruitment procedures used by small businesses, especially those employing 10 or fewer people, differ markedly from those of large organizations, bring far more informal and unstructured. Among the major findings was a strong emphasis by employers on the importance of personality characteristics-such as honesty and integrity-and of interest in the job. All were rated as far more important than ability, aptitude or attainment.
