Recruitment

Question 1

what is the definition of recruitment?

Answer 1

the process of identifying the need for a new employee, defining the job, defining the appropriate person for it and attracting several suitable candidates
selection is selecting the most appropriate person for the job

Question 2

what are the 6 steps of the recruitment and selection process and describe each one

Answer 2

1 - job analysis

using workforce planning, the business should identify the gap that needs filling and then identify and determine the requirements of the job

2 - job description

these documents define in detail the specific requirements of the job including details such as job title, place of work, responsibilities and employment conditions

3 - person specification

describe the skills, knowledge and experience an individual would need to complete the job

4 - job advert

advertise the vacancy internally/externally

5 - shortlisting

all potential candidates can’t be interviewed as it is costly and time-consuming so shortlisting matches applications and person specifications to narrow the field of applicants

6 - interview

through interviews, testing and other selection methods, the firm must choose the right candidate for the job

Question 3

give 4 reasons why a business recruit more staff

Answer 3

business expansion due to increasing sales of existing products/entering new markets

existing employees leave to work for competitors or other local employers due to factors such as retirement, sick leave, maternity leave etc

business needs new skills

business is relocating and not all workforce willing to move

Question 4

define job analysis in detail

Answer 4

a systematic process of determining skills, duties and knowledge required for performing a job
analysis is conducted of the job and not the person

purpose is to establish and document the job
relatedness of employment procedures such as training, selection, compensation and performance appraisal

there are 2 outcomes of a job analysis - job description and person specification

Question 5

define job description in detail

Answer 5

sets out the purpose of the job and would typically include the following 5 information:

job title - indicates the function the job plays within the organisation

main tasks - description of main activities to be undertaken and what the person would be expected to achieve

reporting responsibilities - who the person will report to

subordinates - details of subordinates who will report to the person

employment conditions - details of salary, fringe benefits, holidays and notice periods

Question 6

define person specification in detail

Answer 6

sets out details of the person required for the job role

some are desirable whereas others are essential

4 things a person specification typically include:
skills required
qualifications necessary
personal attributes
experience required

Question 7

what is internal recruitment?

Answer 7

finding someone already employed by the organisation to fill the vacancy
involves promotion, reorganisation and transfers
vacancies may be placed on a notice board, intranet or in-house magazine
if extra skills required then organisations ready to provide training

Question 8

what are 6 methods a business can use to find suitable candidates externally?

Answer 8

job centres
job advertisements
recruitment agencies
universities
headhunting
personal recommendation

Question 9

what can the methods used to find recruitment externally depend on?

Answer 9

type of vacancy
number of vacancies available

Question 10

when can recruitment agencies be used?

Answer 10

they specialise in finding specific workers for specific tasks and they look out for skilled and professional workers

Question 11

when can headhunter be used?

Answer 11

when very senior management positions arise
headhunters will use their knowledge of the employment market to find suitable candidates

Question 12

when can job advertisements and centres be used?

Answer 12

ad - to find semi-skilled workers

centre - administrative and unskilled workers

Question 13

when can universities be used to find recruitment?

Answer 13

when people are needed to enter management training programmes, universities are a good place to find the pool of candidates

Question 14

what are benefits of internal recruitment?

Answer 14

cheaper and quicker

people already familiar with the business and how it operates

opportunities for promotion which can be motivating

business knows strengths and weaknesses of candidate

cost of recruitment reduced

already known to management

Question 15

what are drawbacks of internal recruitment?

Answer 15

limits number of potential applicants

no new ideas introduced

may cause resentment amongst candidates not appointed

creates another vacancy that needs to be filled

Question 16

what are benefits of external recruitment?

Answer 16

new ideas brought

larger pool of workers

wider ranges of experience

Question 17

what are drawbacks to external recruitment?

Answer 17

longer process

more expensive

selection process may not be effective enough to reveal best candidate

Question 18

evaluate the use of external and internal recruitment (what does it depend on)

Answer 18

depends on structure and current situation of the business

Question 19

explain the method of using job centres to attract candidates

Answer 19

used by the unemployed and vacancies tend to pay less than the average wage
unlikely that senior high-skilled roles would be advertised
cheap way but not suitable for every vacancy

Question 20

explain the method of employment agencies to attract candidates

Answer 20

provide a link between employer and employee since employee register their details to the agency and employers will approach the agency for a short list of potential candidates

charge fee for the service and paid by the employer once they have employed an employee from it

often employees registered at agencies have specialised skills and in particular areas

Question 21

explain the method of advertising to attract candidates

Answer 21

adverts may be placed in newspapers

national newspaper more expensive but beneficial if business wishes to attract large number of applicants

if business seeking a specific profession then specialist magazines and journals may be useful

can also advertise on the internet and is cheaper but relies on people looking for their website so better to publish job on well-known recruitment websites

Question 22

what guidelines does an interview follow?

Answer 22

should seek to gather info that responds to the job description and person specification

business should give full detail of the job and organisation

should be fair and following discrimination legislation

Question 23

what are 2 advantages of interviews?

Answer 23

allows business to gather more info by asking candidate to expand on their applications and C.Vs

interviewer can assess a candidate’s interpersonal and communication skills

Question 24

what are 3 disadvantages of interviews?

Answer 24

can be biased based on an interviewer’s own opinion as opposed to evidence on who is the best candidate

tend to make up their mind about a candidate quite early on and then seldom change their initial impression

time consuming

Question 25

what are 3 types of selection method: testing?

Answer 25

psychometric - examines traits of a person

aptitude - examines how well a candidate can cope when given certain situation
can be numerical or verbal reasoning

attainment - examines a candidate’s ability to use the specific skills they have acquired

Question 26

what are 3 benefits of testing?

Answer 26

provides evidence that a candidate possesses skills and qualities required to do the job

quick and efficient way to shortlist from a large number of candidates

avoids danger of bias as all candidates sit the same test and judged the same way

Question 27

what are three drawbacks of testing?

Answer 27

no test can test all skills

skills tested may not be important for the job

some candidates don’t perform well under pressure but are still suited for the job

Question 28

what are 4 ways of selection exercises?

Answer 28

role plays

group exercises

presentations

assessment centres

Question 29

what are 2 benefits of selection exercises?

Answer 29

allow more info to be gathered

provides evidence of a candidate’s ability to work well with others and shows communication skills

Question 30

what are 2 drawbacks of selection exercises?

Answer 30

assessment centres can be very time-consuming

individual selection exercises will not test all skills

Question 31

what is a work trial?

Answer 31

a way of trying out a potential employee before offering them a job

Question 32

what are 4 positives of work trials?

Answer 32

risk free - can try the person out before making a decision

they’re committed because they volunteered for a work trial

no wage costs and people continue to get their benefits

little paperwork and fuss-free

Question 33

what are 3 drawbacks of work trials?

Answer 33

unfair to individual if they do the same job as others but not get paid for it

risk of exploitation - some businesses have no intention of hiring them and are only attracted to the opportunity of getting unpaid workers

risk that if businesses do not use unpaid workers will be at a competitive disadvantage and their workers’ jobs become insecure

Question 34

describe telephone interviews

Answer 34

real interviews held over the phone

usually given to candidates who have passed the online application/psychometric test stage and is used to sift out applicants to be invited to face-to-face interviews

Question 35

give 5 benefits of telephone interviews

Answer 35

time and cost-effective

test verbal communication skills and telephone technique

can refer quickly to your application form, take notes or hold onto your teddy bear for morale support

don’t need to smarten up

don’t need to spend time travelling to interview/wondering if employer will pay your expenses

Question 36

what are 3 drawbacks of telephone interviews?

Answer 36

can’t see the interviewer to gauge their response

tension - may never know when an employer may call you

go very quickly so have to be well-prepared