Lecture 4

Question 1

What is recruitment?

Question 2

State the five steps involved in the recruitment process.

Answer 2

• Decide what positions to fill, through workforce/personnel planning and forecasting.
• Build a pool of candidates for these jobs, by recruiting internal or external candidates.
• Have candidates complete application forms and perhaps undergo initial screening interviews.
• Use selection tools like tests, background investigations, and physical exams to identify viable candidates.
• Decide who to make an offer to suitable candidates by having the supervisor and perhaps others interview the candidates

Question 3

What are the outcomes of a Job Analysis?

Answer 3

Job Description - it involves identifying the chief objectives of a job by breaking it down into components.
Person specification - involves listing the key attributes required of the applicant to undertake a job.

Question 4

What are the aims of recruitment?

Answer 4

• Reach those who are looking for new employment

- Attract as many people as possible with the requisite skills and qualifications

Question 5

List the items needed to be present in a job advertisement.

Answer 5

• Name and brief details of employing organisation
• Job role and duties
• Training to be provided
• Key points of the personnel specification or competency profile
• Salary
• Instructions about how to apply

Question 6

State the advantages of internal recruitment

Answer 6

• Considering internal applicants first can keep recruitment costs down (Less expensive)
• Existing staff will also have some prior knowledge of business operations and culture, etc., and can take up posts more quickly
• Can provide motivation for existing staff
• Illustrates value organisation places on its current staff

Question 7

State the disadvantages of internal recruitment

Answer 7

• Can restrict pool of candidates. (Limited pool of talent)
• Internal recruitment sits uneasily with a commitment to equal opportunities and creation of diverse work force
• Can be difficult to manage employee expectations if not selected. (demotivation)

Question 8

State the advantages of external recruitment.

Answer 8

• Larger pool of talent

- Applications are sent quickly (online)

Question 9

State the disadvantages of external recruitment

Answer 9

• Expensive

- May have a lot of unqualified applicants applying

Question 10

What are the recruitment methods

Answer 10

• Internal

- External

Question 11

List the sources of internal recruitment

Answer 11

• Promotion and Transfer
• Personnel Records and Skills Banks
• Job Posting and Bidding
• Informal Methods
• Employee Referral

Question 12

List the sources of external recruitment

Answer 12

Professional or Trade Associations 
Media Advertisements 
Employment Agencies 
Executive Search Firms (Head Hunters)
Campus Recruiting 
E-Recruiting

Question 13

What are the two basic forms E-recruitment takes?

Answer 13

Centred on employers own web site

Use of cyber agencies

Question 14

State the advantages of E-recruitment

Answer 14

Jobs can be advertised inexpensively to potentially massive audience
Speed of response
Speed of shortlisting using CV matching software

Question 15

State the disadvantages of E-recruitment

Answer 15

Handling the volumes of applications e-recruitment generates
Problems with shortlisting software
Unreliability of on-line tests
Fears about security and confidentiality
Poor standards of ethicality by cyber-agencies

Question 16

State the general principles of recruitment in the Public Service

Answer 16

• Competence (so that Government will be served by intelligent and competent people).
• Equality of opportunity(so that all citizens have equal opportunities provided, they have the competence to serve the Government)
• Neutrality (so that the Civil Servant is able to serve Government of every political complexion with equal zeal and competence.