1.4.2 - Recruitment Flashcards
What is recruitment
- Recruitment is the process of finding people to work for a company or become a new member of an organisation
What are the stages of the recruitment process
Stage 1: Identify the vacancy
* Stage 2: Write a job description
* Stage 3: Write a person specification
* Stage 4: Advertise the vacancy
* Stage 5: Candidates apply
* Stage 6: Candidates shortlisted
* Stage 7: Shortlisted candidates interviewed
* Stage 8: Other recruitment activities
* Stage 9: Successful candidate is offered the job
What is the Recruitment process stage 1 (identify the vacancy)
- Stage 1 – identify the vacancy
- At the start of the recruitment process the business will identify a need to fill a vacancy; perhaps a new department or new product; perhaps someone is leaving and needs to be replaced due to:
- Retiring
- Moving to a different job
- Promoted
- Moved to another department
- Maternity leave
What is the recruitment process stage 2 (write a job description)
- Stage 2 – Write a job description
- Now that the vacancy has been identified the business will need to write a job description
- This will include all the responsibilities of the job so that any potential candidates can see if it will be a good fit with their work skills
- For example a business teacher job description might say:
- “To ensure that all students undertake independent learning and are given support where necessary to improve their skills and technique”
What is the recruitment process stage 3 (write a person specification)
- Stage 3 – write a person specification
- After the job description comes the personal specification and the human resource department would be responsible for writing it.
- A Person specification will outlines the:
- Personal qualities
- Qualifications
- Work Experience
- Skills
- This is a wish list of qualities that the business would like the new member of staff to have
- For example a business teacher might have; a degree in business and a PGCE in secondary business education
What is the recruitment process stage 4 (advertise the vacancy)
- Stage 4 – advertise the vacancy
- The business may advertise the vacancy inside the company; in the company newsletter, on a noticeboard, via e-mail, or it be announced in meetings
- The business may advertise outside the company to expand the pool of candidates to choose from; newspaper, speciality magazines, online, jobsite, job centre etc
What is the recruitment stage 5 (candidates apply)
- Stage 5 – Candidates apply
- Once the advert is live then candidates will be able to start to respond to it.
- Candidates may have to send off an application form and covering letter to support the application
- The advert will usually have a closing date to spur candidates into action
- A business may also ask job applicants to send in their CVs so they can be attached to their application forms
- A CV is a summary of the applicant’s working life to date
- Some businesses now ask for video CVs
What is the recruitment process stage 6 (candidates are shortlisted)
- Stage 6 – candidates are
shortlisted - Many jobs will attract more candidates than can be possibly interviewed in the time
- Candidates are shortlisted according to how well their application fit the person specification and the job description
What is the recruitment process stage 7 (Shortlisted candidates are interviewed)
- Stage 7 – Shortlisted candidates are interviewed
- This may include a face-to-face interview with a panel or just one person
- This may be a telephone interview, or if the job is in another country the interview may be carried out via skype
- It is quite common for candidates to be called for more than one interview
What is the recruitment process stage 8 (Candidates may participate in another recruitment activity)
- Stage 8 – candidates may participate in another recruitment activity
- Assessment centres where candidates will take part in a series of team building exercises
- In tray exercises, candidates may have to complete a task in a certain time
- Psychometric testing, candidates may have to complete a test to see if they are a cultural fit with the business
- Some business may require their shortlisted candidates for the job vacancies to participate in some group activities
- This may involve a role play game, a debate, a discussion or solving a problem as a team
- This helps the business to identify potential leaders and managers, and who works well in a team
- The business may require the shortlisted candidates for the job vacancy to complete a personality test
- These can be applied in a
straightforward way at the early stages of recruitment to screen-out candidates who are likely to be unsuitable for the job. - Aptitude and ability tests are designed to assess their intellectual performance
What is the recruitment process stage 9 (successful candidate is offered the job)
- Stage 9 – Successful candidate is offered the job
- At the end of the process hopefully the business has found a suitable candidate to fill the vacancy
- They then need to let the candidates know who were unsuccessful – usually via post and the successful candidate might get a phone call and further instructions about a start date and paper work to sign
What is the cost of advertising
- The recruitment of new employees can work out quite expensive for a business
- This will add to the business costs which can mean that the business is less competitive
- The ideal is to find the cheapest way of attracting the largest pool for candidates to a vacancy and so this may mean a mixture of internal and external advertising
What is the cost of agency fees
- If the human resources department is small or the business does not have one at all – perhaps it’s just one person, they may decide to use an agency instead.
- A business may decide to use agency staff or an agency to advertise their job vacancy for them
- For example – A full time permanent employee can cost as much as £2,000 to recruit from an agency
- Agencies can specialise e.g. supply teachers for schools, IT staff, HGV drivers
What is induction training
- Induction training happens when an employee starts working for a new business
- It may involve training on how to use fire extinguishers, or shown round the building, or introduced to colleagues
- What is involved in the training will vary depending on the business and the job role
- New workers are given training to ensure they are:
- Familiar with the workplace
- Able to do their job
- Feel part of the organisation
- Quickly become productive for the business
- Induction training includes: Company policies, health & safety, introduction to colleagues & job specific training
What are the advantages of induction training
- Many employees make their mind up if they are staying – the first week of employment
- Induction training will help to inspire the employees and integrate them with the company culture – called “onboarding”
- Good induction training will help reduce the numbers of employees that leave – thus increasing retention numbers
What are the disadvantages of induction training
- Induction training can cause information overload for an employee trying to find their feet in a new organisation
What is on the job training
- Coaching or mentoring while doing the job.
- Assistance and advice is provided by those more experienced to those less experienced.
- May include work shadowing or learning to use a specific machine
What are the advantages of on the job training
✓ Specific training needed for the job (a full time trainer may not know all jobs methods to an up to date standard)
✓ Less expensive than off-the-job training
✓ Learning can be put in to practise immediately
✓ Trainees can see relevance to job more clearly when skills are taught in the workplace
What are the disadvantages of on the job training
Taking time away from employees job to be trained
Reduces efficiency of both teaching worker and new employee
Some workers have bad habits they could pass on to the trainee
The new worker may not pick up the skills straight away/misunderstand/not ask for help
Workers which are badly trained may make expensive mistakes or be a safety hazard
What is off the job training
- Involves work at home or courses at company training centres/colleges.
- Learning through demonstrations
talks, and lectures. - May also be practical courses to
learn ICT or machinery
What are the advantages of off-the-job training
- More focused environment with less distractions
- Increases a workers motivation as they feel valued by the company to have money spent on their improvement
- Less stressful compared with on the job (don’t have to learn skills and do tasks as going along)
- Individuals teaching the courses are trained to train
- More chance to gather specialist skills
What are the disadvantages of off-the-job training
- More expensive than on-the-job training
- Employees may fail to see link between training and workplace
- Employees are taken away from production so the business loses their productivity for that day
