
What this topic is about Need for workforce planning The recruitment and selection process Advantages and disadvantages of recruitment methods
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
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!
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
What is Workforce Planning? Workforce planning is about deciding how many and what types of workers are required
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
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
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 • 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)
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
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?
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)
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
Curriculum Vitae • A written document • Often on one or two sides of A4 • Designed by the job applicant • Covers similar ground as job application
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 • 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
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”
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
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