recruitment and selection

Question 1

what is recruitment?

Answer 1

the PROCESS OF FINDING PEOPLE TO WORK FOR A COMPANY, i.e. attracting applicants to apply for a job vacancy.

Question 2

what is selection?

Answer 2

THE METHODS USED TO CHOOSE THE BEST OR MOST SUITABLE CANDIDATE FOR THE VACANCY, some organisations may have a different selection process.

Question 3

what are the 6 stages of recruitment in order?

Answer 3

STAGE 1: identify a job vacancy
STAGE 2: carry out a job analysis
STAGE 3: prepare a job description
STAGE 4: prepare a person specification
STAGE 5: advertise the job
STAGE 6: distribute application forms or request CV’s

Question 4

why would stage 1 of recruitment occur?

Answer 4

stage 1 of recruitment could be because someone has left an organisation, for one of a variety of reasons, or during a period of high demand, and the business has to identify the places that they are understaffed or lacking in due to people leaving

Question 5

describe stage 2 of recruitment:

Answer 5

This is looking at the role of a job within an organisation, and the responsibilities and skills that required of an applicant.

Question 6

why is a job analysis important?

Answer 6

as it can be used to identify whether a vacancy needs to be filled or whether the tasks and duties can be redistributed to other staff. It is used to help write the job description and person specification.

Question 7

describe stage 3 of recruitment:

Answer 7

preparing a job description, which is a document that states the tasks and responsibilities of the job. It contains information on:
-Tasks and duties,
-Pay,
-Working hours,
-Contract type,
-Holiday entitlement,
-Company benefits, e.g. bike to work scheme

Question 8

describe stage 4 of recruitment:

Answer 8

preparing a person specification, which gives information about the personal criteria required for a job, for example:
-Skills,
-Qualities,
-Qualifications,
-Experience,

Question 9

how can personal criteria for a job be classified?

Answer 9

they can be classified as either:
-essential: an applicant has to have them,
-desirable: an applicant is not required to have them, but would be at an advantage if they did.

Question 10

describe stage 5 of recruitment:

Answer 10

An organisation will need to make applicants aware of a job either internally, within the organisation, or externally, out with the organisation

Question 11

what is internal recruitment?

Answer 11

when you promote or move a person who is already working for the company, e.g. company intranet

Question 12

what is external recruitment?

Answer 12

when you employ a person from outside the organisation, e.g. national press, local press, job centres

Question 13

what are the advantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 13

-less expensive than external recruitment,
-workers could be more motivated if they know they have a chance of being promoted,
-candidates will already be known in terms of skills and qualities that they possess,
-there is no need to follow as many processes when appointing someone, e.g. induction training

Question 14

what are the disadvantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 14

-a lack of new ideas or new systems of knowledge being brough in, e.g. efficiency improvements,
-there may not be anyone who is right for the job,
-there will still be a job vacancy to fill,

Question 15

what are the advantages of external recruitment?

Answer 15

-new employees can bring in new ideas or new systems of knowledge,
-more applicants to choose from,
-there is a no follow-on job vacancy to fill out as the person is coming from out with the business,

Question 16

what are the disadvantages of external recruitment?

Answer 16

-Can be expensive to advertise in job websites.
-Internal applicants may feel undervalued if they do not get the job.
-The person is not known to the organisation and may not be the correct person for the job.
-Can be a more time-consuming process to go through.

Question 17

describe stage 6 of recruitment:

Answer 17

Application forms are sent out to candidates who wish to apply for the position. Or alternatively a curriculum vitae (CV) will be requested.

Question 18

what do application forms consist of?

Answer 18

pre-prepared questions set by the organisation

Question 19

what do applications allow a business to do?

Answer 19

easily compare potential candidates, and ensure the organisations get all the information they require from the candidate.

Question 20

what are CV’s?

Answer 20

a summary of the person’s education, qualifications and previous employment history prepared by the applicant

Question 21

what does the selection process involve?

Answer 21

it involves choosing the correct person(s) for a job. Every organisation will have a different selection process which may involve the following:
-Reading application forms, CV’s and references.
-shortlisting candidates.
-Interviewing candidates.
-Testing candidates.
-Choosing the successful candidate(s).
-Notifying unsuccessful candidates.

Question 22

what is an application form?

Answer 22

it is a form created by an organisation and will require an applicant to answer the question asked by the organisation.

Question 23

what is a reference?

Answer 23

a recommendation written by a previous employer or teacher and will describe an applicants attendance, punctuality and suitability for a job.

Question 24

what can CV’s, application forms, and references be used to compare?

Answer 24

the candidates’ skills and qualities against those listed in the person specification. This will make it easier to shortlist candidates based on those whose skills best match those that are required to do the job

Question 25

what will organisations do after reading through CV’s, application forms, and refernces?

Answer 25

they will make a list of which candidates to include in the next stage of the selection process

Question 26

why is a shortlist made?

Answer 26

because it would be too time consuming and costly to interview every candidate that applied for the position

Question 27

how are shortlists created?

Answer 27

the application forms or CV’s are compared to the person specification and job description

Question 28

what happens if a candidate is shortlisted?

Answer 28

they will be invited to the interview

Question 29

what is an interview?

Answer 29

a meeting between a candidate and an organisation which allows the organisation to ask potential candidates a series of questions

Question 30

what type of interviews are there?

Answer 30

¬one-to-one: one person interviews the candidate,
¬panel: more than one person interviews the candidate,
¬telephone: the interview is not conducted in person but rather over the phone,
¬online: organisations may use online platforms to conduct interviews such as microsoft teams, or skype.

Question 31

what are the advantages of interviewing?

Answer 31

-can see how a candidate copes under pressure,
-can ask a candidate questions regarding items on their application form or CV,
-can put a face to the name, and see the body language and the personality of the candidate,
-the candidate has an opportunity to ask any questions about the job or organisation,

Question 32

what are the disadvantages of interviewing?

Answer 32

-can be a time consuming process for the organisation,
-some candidates may be nervous in an interview and not perform as well as they could,
-candidates may say the correct things in the interview but not be the correct person for the job,

Question 33

what does testing involve?

Answer 33

it involves assessing the skills and abilities of the candidate

Question 34

what can be tested in the selection process?

Answer 34

-attainment,
-numeracy,
-problem solving,
-intelligence,
-fitness, e.g. to join you must pass a fitness test,
-medical, e.g. to become a pilot you are required to pass a medical test which is carried out by a doctor or nurse,

Question 35

what can testing provide?

Answer 35

extra information on a candidates suitability through practical assessments.

Question 36

what may happen during the interview and testing stage?

Answer 36

candidates may be asked to go to an assessment centre to be tested and interviewed for a job

Question 37

what does testing allow an organisation to see?

Answer 37

how a candidate copes under pressure

Question 38

what will a new employee recieve?

Answer 38

a contract of employment within 12 weeks of starting a new job which they will have to sign to say that they agree to the terms and conditions of the job

Question 39

what happens to unsuccessful candidates?

Answer 39

they will be informed of the decision and may be provided with feedback about why they weren’t offered the job or what they should look at improving for another interview or test.