Recruitment & Selection

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GCSE Business GCSE Business StudiesStudiesRevision Presentations 2004Revision Presentations 2004

Recruitment & Selection


GCSE Business GCSE Business StudiesStudies

The Recruitment Process



Reasons to Recruit Staff

Business is expanding due to: Increasing sales of existing products Developing new products Entering new markets

Existing employees leave: To work with competitors or other local employers Due to factors such as retirement, sick leave, maternity leave

Business needs employees with new skills

Business is relocating – and not all of existing workforce want to move to new location



Workforce Planning

Workforce Planning involves deciding how many and what types of workers are required

The workforce plan establishes what vacancies exist and managers then need to draw up a job description and job specification for each post.

A job description is a detailed explanation of the roles and responsibilities of the post advertised. Most applicants will ask for this before applying for the job. It refers to the post available rather than the person.

A job specification is drawn up by the business and sets out the kind of qualifications, skills, experience and personal attributes a successful candidate should possess. It is a vital tool in assessing the suitability of job applicants and refers to the person rather than the post.



Changes in Employment Patterns Affecting Recruitment

The way we work is changing rapidly: Increase in part-time working Increases in numbers of single-parent families More women seeking work Ageing population Greater emphasis on flexible working hours Technology allows employees to communicate more effectively

whilst apart (“teleworking”) People rarely stay in the same job for life

Businesses need to understand and respond to these changes if they are to recruit staff of the right standard – and keep them!



Part-time Staff

Increased numbers of people in the UK are working part-time

Advantages Cheaper to employ as entitled to less benefits More flexible workforce (easier to reduce labour hours when sales

fall or add hours when demand increases) Wide range of potential recruits (e.g. working mothers who want to

restrict the number of hours they work)

Disadvantages Employees feel less loyal to business and therefore less motivated Harder for managers to control and coordinate workforce



Recruitment Methods

Internal recruitment Positions are filled from people already employed by a business Involves promotion and reorganisation

External recruitment Job centres Job advertisements Recruitment agency Personal recommendation



Internal Recruitment

Advantages Cheaper and quicker to recruit People already familiar with business and how it operates Provides opportunities for promotion with in business

Disadvantages Business already knows strengths and weaknesses of candidates Limits number of potential applicants No new ideas can be introduced from outside May cause resentment amongst candidates not appointed Creates another vacancy which needs to be filled



External Recruitment

Advantages Outside people bring in new ideas Larger pool of workers from which to find best candidate People have a wider range of experience

Disadvantages Longer process More expensive process due to advertisements and interviews

required Selection process may not be effective enough to reveal best

candidate



Stages of Recruitment Process

Preparation Identifying what jobs need filling and what role and specification of

job is

Finding possible candidates Various methods (e.g. advertising) to encourage potential

candidates to apply for job

Selection Interviews and other selection processes to choose best person for

job Completing contractual employment of that person

Induction Introducing selected candidate to business



Job Description and Specification

Job description Detailed explanation of roles and responsibilities of post advertised Most applicants will ask for this before applying for job Refers to post available rather than person

Job specification Drawn up by business Sets out qualifications, skills, experience and personal attributes a

successful candidate should possess Vital tool in assessing suitability of job applicants Refers to person rather than post



Contents of a Job Description

Job Title: this indicates the role/function that the job plays within an organisation, and the level of job within that function (e.g. Finance Director would be a more senior position than Financial Accountant - although both jobs are in the "finance department")

Reporting responsibilities: who is the immediate boss of the job holder?

Subordinates; who reports directly TO the job holder?

Main purpose - who is involved in the job overall

Main tasks and accountabilities: description of the main activities to be undertaken and what the job holder is expected to achieve

Employment conditions (e.g. basis of payment; amount of benefits, holiday etc, period of notice)



Objectives of Recruitment Advertising

Inform audience of potential candidates about opportunity

Provide enough information to both inform and interest possible applicants

Help “screen” or dissuade unsuitable applicants

Obtain most number of suitably qualified applicants for post advertised

Note – recruitment adverts can be published internally and externally



Placing a Job Advertisement

Internal recruitment Notice boards Staff magazines & newsletters Email

External recruitment Newspapers and magazines Job centres Employment agencies and “Head-hunters” Direct contacts (e.g. with employees in a competitor business) Internet recruitment websites



Role of a Recruitment Agency

A recruitment agency works to provide a link between the employer and employee Potential employees register with the agency and provide personal

details Employers approach the agency for shortlists of potential

candidates

Recruitment agencies charge a fee for the service Main fee is to the employer Usually a percentage of the employees wages and salary in the

first 6-12 months Often an expensive option

Some agencies specialise in particular employment areas E.g. nursing, financial services, teacher recruitment



Factors to Consider When Advertising a Job

Type of job Senior management jobs merit adverts in the national newspapers

and/or specialist management magazines Many semi-skilled jobs need only be advertised locally to attract

sufficient good quality candidates

Cost of advertising National newspapers and television cost significantly more than

local newspapers etc

Readership and circulation How many relevant people does the medium reach? How

frequently (e.g. weekly, monthly, annually!. Is the target audience actually only a small fraction of the total readership or Viewer ship?

Frequency How often does the business want to advertise the post?



What Makes a Good Job Advertisement?

Whilst there are no hard and fast rules about the contents of a job advert, the following features are likely to be in an effective advertisement:

Accurate - describes the job and its requirements accurately

Short - not too long-winded; covers just the important ground

Honest - does not make claims about the job or the business that will later prove false to applicants

Positive - gives the potential applicant a positive feel about joining the business

Relevant - provides details that prospective applicants need to know at the application stage (e.g. is shift-working required; are there any qualifications required)



Contents of a Job Advertisement

Most job adverts contain:

Details of the business/organisation (name, brand, location, type of business)

Outline details of the job (title, main duties)

Conditions (special factors affecting the job)

Experience / qualifications required (e.g. minimum qualifications, amount of experience)

Rewards (financial and non-financial; the financial rewards may be grouped together under a total valued "package2 - e.g. total package circa £50,000)

Application process (how should applicants apply, how to; deadlines)



Contents of a job application form

Personal details

Name, address, date of birth, nationality

Educational history

Including examination results, schools/universities attended, professional qualifications

Previous employment history

Names of employers, position held, main achievements, remuneration package, reasons for leaving

Suitability and reasons for applying for job

A chance for applicants to ‘sell themselves’

Names of referees



Curriculum Vitae

A written document

Often on one or two sides of A4

Designed by the job applicant

Covers similar ground as job application



Using a Job Application Form Rather than a CV

Advantages of a Job Application Form Business can tailor questions and format to exact needs An application form forces candidates to answer same questions

and provide information in a consistent format CV’s often come in many different formats, with key information

either missing or presented in different ways Encourages the applicant to consider the specific needs of the

employer – e.g. respond to questions relevant to the employer More likely to get up-to-date information from the applicant



Reasons for Rejecting Candidates at Application Form Stage

May not meet standards set out in job specification Wrong qualifications Insufficient experience

May not have completed application form to a satisfactory standard

May be unlucky Employer has set a limit on number of candidates who progress

through to interview stage



Recruitment Interview

Interview is a crucial part of the recruitment process

Chance for an employer to meet applicant face to face

Can obtain much more information on: What person is like Whether they are suitable for job Whether they will fit into the business

Interview is also an important for the candidate Obtain information about job Assess the working culture of a possible new employer

Recruitment interviewing is a hard skill – often it is done very poorly!



Information to Obtain During a Recruitment Interview

By the employer: Information that cannot be obtained on paper from a CV or

application form Conversational ability- often known as people skills Natural enthusiasm or manner of applicant See how applicant reacts under pressure Queries or extra details missing from CV or application form

By the employee Whether job or business is right for them What is culture of company like What are exact details of job that may be omitted from job

description



Selection Tests

Formats Aptitude tests Intelligence tests Personality tests

Why used Basic interview can be unreliable as applicants can perform well at

interview but not have qualities or skills needed for job Selection tests increase chances of choosing best applicant and

so minimise high costs of recruiting wrong people



References

What are references? Written character statements from people who know the applicant

well An important “safety check” A chance to learn more about the strengths and weaknesses of an

applicant

Final check that all information given by candidate is correct

Good honest reference from an independent source can also reveal good or bad incidences from candidate’s past or particular traits that may have been missed.



Employee Retention

All businesses lose staff Retirement / Maternity / Death / Long-term Illness Unsuitability Changes in strategy (e.g. closure of locations)

Staff turnover needs to be managed if the business is to succeed

Employee retention = the ability of a business to convince its employees to remain with business

How to keep staff Offer financial (e.g. bonus, salary rise) Offer non-financial (e.g. promotion, more decision making power)

incentives



Labour/staff turnover

What it means Proportion of a firm’s workforce that leaves during course of a year A business with a high staff turnover is said to have problems with

“staff retention”

Problems of high staff turnover Increases recruitment costs (e.g. advertising for replacement staff;

employing temporary staff whilst job vacancies are filled) Reflects poor morale in workforce Increases training costs of new workers Loss of productivity while new worker settles in

Recruitment & Selection

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