Following are the criteria for hiring an HR Administrator. The applicant must:…
2025
Following are the criteria for hiring an HR Administrator. The applicant must:
Be a graduate from any field of arts, commerce, or science with a minimum of 70% marks.
Be above 28 years and below 32 years of age.
Have a post-graduation degree in the Human Resource field.
Have experience with HR software, like HRMS.
Have 2 years or more of experience as an HR.
However, in case an applicant satisfies all the above criteria except one:
Except (a), but secured 80% marks in HSC and has good in-person communication skills — to be referred to the senior General Manager of the company.
Except (d), but has 5 years or more of working experience as an HR administrator — to be referred to the Director.
Shreyansh is a science graduate with 72.5% marks. He is 33 years old and has completed his post-graduation in HR. He has 3 years of working experience as an HR manager and has used different HR software during his 3-year HR career. What decision should be taken about Shreyansh's candidature?
- A.
The candidate is to be selected.
- B.
The candidate is to be referred to the General Manager.
- C.
The candidate is to be referred to the Director.
- D.
The candidate is not to be selected.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: D
A selection decision table requires every stated criterion to be satisfied before a candidate can be selected outright. When exactly one criterion is not met, the case is rejected by default UNLESS an exception clause names that exact criterion as its only allowed substitute — an exception is a narrow, criterion-specific override, and it does not extend to any criterion it does not explicitly name.
Criterion | Requirement | Shreyansh's status |
|---|---|---|
(a) Graduation | Any of arts/commerce/science, minimum 70% marks | Met — science graduate with 72.5% marks |
(b) Age | Above 28 and below 32 years | Not met — 33 years old, above the upper bound |
(c) Post-graduation | Post-graduation degree in the HR field | Met — completed post-graduation in HR |
(d) HR software | Experience with HR software such as HRMS | Met — used different HR software during his HR career |
(e) HR experience | 2 years or more of experience as an HR | Met — 3 years as an HR manager |
Checking the two exception clauses against the one criterion Shreyansh fails:
The first exception applies only when criterion (a) — graduation marks — is the unmet one, provided the candidate has 80%+ in HSC and good communication skills. Shreyansh meets criterion (a), so this exception is not in play, and even if it were, it does not cover an age shortfall.
The second exception applies only when criterion (d) — HR software experience — is the unmet one, provided the candidate has 5+ years as an HR administrator. Shreyansh meets criterion (d), so this exception is not in play either, and it too does not cover an age shortfall.
Neither exception clause names criterion (b) — the age criterion — as its permitted substitute path. Since age is the one criterion Shreyansh fails and no exception covers it, there is no route to selection or to a referral; the decision defaults to rejection.