1. Recruitment and Selection

2. What this topic is about

Need for workforce planning

The recruitment and selection process

Advantages and disadvantages of recruitment methods

3. Reasons to Recruit Staff

Business expansion 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

4. Changes in Employment Patterns

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!

5. Part-time Staff + Flexible Working

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

6. What is Workforce Planning? Workforce planning is about deciding how many and what types of workers are required 7. Steps in Workforce Planning

The workforce plan establishes what vacancies exist

Managers produce a job description and job specification for each post

Job description

• Detailed explanation of the roles and responsibilities of the post advertised

• Most applicants will ask for this before applying for the job

• Refers to the post available rather than the person

Job specification

• Sets out the kind of qualifications, skills, experience and personal attributes a successful candidate should possess.

• A vital tool in assessing the suitability of job applicants

• Refers to the person rather than the post

8. Recruitment Methods

Internal recruitment

• Jobs given to staff already employed by business

• Involves promotion and reorganisation

External recruitment

• Job centres

• Job advertisements

• Recruitment agencies (offline and online)

• Headhunting

• Personal recommendation

9. 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

10. 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

11. The Recruitment Process 12. 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

13. 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

14. 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

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

Subordinates:who reports directly TO the job holder?

Main purpose:what is involved in the job overall

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

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

15. 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 internallyandexternally

16. 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

17. 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

18. What to Consider When Advertising

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 is the publication published?

Frequency

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

19. A Good Job 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) 20. Contents of a Job Advertisement

Details of the business (name, brand, location, business activities)

Outline details of the job (title, main duties)

Conditions (special factors affecting the job)

Experience / qualifications required

Rewards (financial and non-financial)

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

21. Contents of a job application form

Personal details (name, nationality etc)

Educational history & qualifications

Previous employment history (periods, positions, roles, achievements)

Suitability and reasons for applying for job

A chance for applicants to sell themselves

Names of referees

22. Curriculum Vitae

A written document

Often on one or two sides of A4

Designed by the job applicant

Covers similar ground as job application

23. Advantages of a job application versus a CV

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

CVs 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

24. 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

25. The Shortlist

Long list = total pool of applicants

Shortlist = small number of suitable applicants that meet the job criteria

Should ideally be drawn up by two people, acting independently

Important not to only include perfect or ideal candidates

26. 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!

27. 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

28. 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

29. 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 candidates past or particular traits that may have been missed

30. Test Your Understanding http://www.tutor2u.net/business/quiz/recruitmenttraining/quiz.html 31. Recruitment and Selection