recruitment & selection - business projects and...

Recruitment & SelectionGCSE Business StudiesGCSE Business Studies

tutor2ututor2u™™ Revision Presentations 2004Revision Presentations 2004

tutor2ututor2u™™ GCSE Business StudiesGCSE Business Studies

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 vitaltool 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

AdvantagesCheaper 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)

DisadvantagesEmployees feel less loyal to business and therefore less motivated

Harder for managers to control and coordinate workforce


Recruitment Methods

Internal recruitmentPositions are filled from people already employed by a business

Involves promotion and reorganisation

External recruitmentJob centres

Job advertisements

Recruitment agency

Personal recommendation


Internal Recruitment

AdvantagesCheaper and quicker to recruit

People already familiar with business and how it operates

Provides opportunities for promotion with in business

DisadvantagesBusiness 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

AdvantagesOutside people bring in new ideas

Larger pool of workers from which to find best candidate

People have a wider range of experience

DisadvantagesLonger 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

PreparationIdentifying what jobs need filling and what role and specification of job is

Finding possible candidatesVarious methods (e.g. advertising) to encourage potential candidates to apply for job

SelectionInterviews and other selection processes to choose best person for job

Completing contractual employment of that person

InductionIntroducing selected candidate to business


Job Description and Specification

Job descriptionDetailed 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 specificationDrawn 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 andexternally


Placing a Job Advertisement

Internal recruitmentNotice boards

Staff magazines & newsletters

Email

External recruitmentNewspapers 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 serviceMain 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 areasE.g. nursing, financial services, teacher recruitment


Factors to Consider When Advertising a Job

Type of jobSenior management jobs merit adverts in the national newspapers and/or specialist management magazinesMany semi-skilled jobs need only be advertised locally to attract sufficient good quality candidates

Cost of advertisingNational newspapers and television cost significantly more than local newspapers etc

Readership and circulationHow 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 Viewership?

FrequencyHow 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 FormBusiness 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 specificationWrong qualifications

Insufficient experience

May not have completed application form to a satisfactory standard

May be unluckyEmployer 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 candidateObtain 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 employeeWhether 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

FormatsAptitude tests

Intelligence tests

Personality tests

Why usedBasic 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 staffRetirement / 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 staffOffer financial (e.g. bonus, salary rise)

Offer non-financial (e.g. promotion, more decision making power) incentives


Labour/staff turnover

What it meansProportion 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 turnoverIncreases 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

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