Chapter 44- Recruitment, selection and training

Question 1

Why is the recruitment process vitally important?

Answer 1

• To ensure staff levels are correct

Question 2

Job description

Answer 2

• First part of the process
• Usually produced by the human resources department
• Sets out the job requirements

Question 3

Person specification

Answer 3

• Ideal characteristics of the person to undertake the job

Question 4

Examples of ideal characteristics on a person specification

Answer 4

• Qualifications
• Previous experience
• Ability to work with a team
• Able to work under supervision or independently

Question 5

Internal or external appointment

Answer 5

• Recruiter needs to decide whether to recruit internally or externally
• Decision will depend on the nature of the job
• Whether or not there are already suitable candidates within the business

Question 6

Benefits of appointing an internal candidate

Answer 6

• Recruitment will take less time as the candidate is already known to the business
• Less need for induction training
• No need to spend money on advertisements
• The ways in which the business works will already be known to the candidate

Question 7

Benefits of appointing an external candidate

Answer 7

• They are likely to bring new ideas and enthusiasm to the job
• Field of applicants will be bigger

Question 8

Advertising

Answer 8

• Happens when a business decides to advertise a job externally

Question 9

Important factors taken into account when advertising

Answer 9

• Must contain enough information to attract suitable applicants and deter unsuitable ones
• Must be put in the right place to attract suitable applicants
• Certain vital information should be included like the title of the job, required qualifications

Question 10

Applications

Answer 10

• Businesses use these application forms so that the process of comparison between applicants and choosing who to interview is easier.
• Forms ask for basic information on experience and qualifications (initial stage)
• Information about past experience (complex form)

Question 11

What is a CV?

Answer 11

• Curriculum vitae
• They give an overview in brief of an individuals experience
• Qualifications
• Job history
• Interests

Question 12

How is an application used?

Answer 12

• Business will use it to draw up a list of candidates to be looked at more closely.

Question 13

Interviews

Answer 13

• Businesses perform a telephone interview first to reduce costs.
• Candidates to be interviewed
  face-face will be selected after the telephone interview.
• Regarded as the most successful method of finding the right person for a job.
• Some people feel the process is flawed and that decisions are made on first impressions rather than on facts.

Question 14

Why are telephone interviews done before face to face interviews?

Answer 14

They help reduce the number of candidates for interview.

Question 15

What will be the judgement on who gets the job be based on?

Answer 15

• Confidence
• Handshake
• Appearance
• Ability to make conversation in the initial stages

Question 16

Factors important for the business in the interview process

Answer 16

• Having the right number of people on the interview panel
• Allowing adequate time for the interview to take place
• Giving the interviewee the opportunity to ask questions

Question 17

What other tasks will businesses conduct in the recruitment process?

Answer 17

• Team tasks and activities
• Presentations on a requested topic
• Personality test
• Work task/ trial

Question 18

Training

Answer 18

• Begins as soon as they are starting work for a business
• became increasingly important due to government incentives, initiatives and legislation.
• Benefits employees (better motivation and performance) - maslow
• Gives business access to new markets

Question 19

ISO

Answer 19

An internationally accepted standard for quality and ensures businesses have effective processes and effective employees so that they can deliver an effective product.

Question 20

Factors included in induction training

Answer 20

• Salary/ wages information
• Finding way around
• Basic rules and regulating
• Meeting colleagues
• Health and safety requirements

Question 22

On the job training advantages

Answer 22

• Cheaper especially if it’s provided by the businesses staff
• Can be tailored into the specific requirements of the business

Question 23

Disadvantages of on the job training

Answer 23

• Regarded as less valuable especially if it’s delivered by people who work within the business
• Can be regarded as waste of time, tedious and unimportant

Question 24

Off the job training advantages

Answer 24

• Being away from workplace may encourage employees to think more seriously about training issues
• Opportunity to spend more time with colleagues in a different environment which may break down barriers between managers and other workers

Question 25

Off the job training disadvantages

Answer 25

• More expensive
• Regarded as a waste of time and money by employees

Question 26

Training methods

Answer 26

• ‘Sitting next to Nellie’- Learning by watching or doing. (experienced members of staff deliver it)
• Apprenticehships- Involve training both on the job and in college
• Distance and E-learning- Individuals take responsibility for their own work under the supervision of a tutor who will give feedback and assistance
• Courses

Question 27

How is training analysis done?

Answer 27

• Business will collect information from workers, customers, managers and suppliers as well as observing the way in which jobs are performed in different areas.

Question 28

Why is getting induction right important?

Answer 28

Crucial for the business if it wants its recruits to stay.

Question 29

What training initiatives is the government involved in?

Answer 29

Investors in people- involves developing skills in the workforce to meet government criteria e.g. customer service
skills funding agency- government organisation that provides £4 billion of support for colleagues, private trainers and employers

Question 30

TNA role in a business

Answer 30

• There may be skill shortages in a particular area due to a lack of training so TNA should help to resolve the problem by highlighting the problems in a particular area of a business.
• Feedback will be collated and analysed to make sure training is appropriate and not a waste of money/time.
• End result should be a better trained workforce.

Question 31

Factors considered as part of TNA

Answer 31

• Firm must decide what it wants to achieve for the future
  e.g. sales, productivity
• decisions must be made on who is to be trained and how
• Important to involve the people who are to be trained in the process so they can have an input in the type of training they need.
• Cost of training needs to be considered
• Number of people who needs training.

Question 32

What is a cost benefit analysis?

Answer 32

• Businesses need to do this on any training provided to enable better decision making in this area in the future and avoid wasting money.