Recruitment, Selection and Training of Employees (Chapter 8).

Question 1

Define recruitment.

Answer 1

Recruitment is the process from identifying that the business needs to employ someone up to the point at which applications have arrived at the business.

Question 2

Define employee selection.

Answer 2

Employee selection is the process of evaluating candidates for a specific job and selecting an individual for employment based on the needs of the organisation.

Question 3

What are the 6 responsibilities of the Human Resources department?

Answer 3

• Recruitment and selection.
• Wages and salaries.
• Industrial relations.
• Training programs.
• Health and safety.
• Redundancy (retrenchment) and dismissal.

Question 4

When do business need to start the process of recruitment and selection?

Answer 4

• An employee leaves their job and needs to be replaced.
• It is a new business starting up and needs employees.
• It is a successful business and wants to expand by employing more people.

Question 5

What are the 8 levels of the recuitment process?

Answer 5

1. Vacancy arises.
2. Job analysis.
3. Job description.
4. Job specification.
5. Job advertised in appropriate media.
6. Application forms and shortlisting.
7. Interviews and selection.
8. Vacancy filled.

Question 6

What is a job analysis?

Answer 6

A job analysis identifies and records the responsibilities and tasks relating to a job.

Question 7

What is a job description?

Answer 7

A job description outlines the responsibilities and duties to be carried out by someone employed to do a specific job.

Question 8

What is a job specification?

Answer 8

A job specification is a document that outlines the requirements, qualifications, expertise, physical characteristics, etc., for a specified job,

Question 9

Once the job has been analysed, a job description will be produced. A job description has several functions:

Answer 9

• It is given to the applicants for the job so they know exactly what it entails.
• It will allow a job specification to be drawn up.
• Once someone has been employed, it can show whether they are carrying out the job effectively.

Question 10

Job descriptions often also contains information about:

Answer 10

• The conditions of employment - salary, hours of work, pension scheme, and staff welfare.
• training that will be offered.
• opportunities for promotion.

Question 11

The requirements stated on a job specification will usually include:

Answer 11

• The level of educational qualifications.
• The amount of experience and type of experience.
• Special skills, knowledge, or particular aptitude.
• Personal characteristics, such as type of personality.

Question 12

Define internal recruitment.

Answer 12

Internal recruitment is when a vacancy is filled by someone who is an existing employee of the business.

Question 13

What are the four advantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 13

• It is quicker and cheaper than external recruitment.
• The person is already known to the business and their reliability, ability, and potential are known.
• The person also knows how the organization works, its structure and what is expected from its employees.
• It can be very motivating for employees to see their fellow workers being promoted.

Question 14

What are three disadvantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 14

• The quality of internal candidates might be low.
• There may be rivalry among existing employees and jealousy towards the worker who gains promotion.
• No new ideas or experience come into the business.

Question 15

Define external recruitment.

Answer 15

External recruitment is when a vacancy is filled by someone who is not an existing employee and will be new to the business.

Question 16

What are the six ways a business could externally advertise a job vacancy?

Answer 16

• Local newspapers.
• National newspapers.
• Specialist magazines.
• Online recruitment sites.
• Recruitment agencies.
• Centres run by the government.

Question 17

What three questions will a business need to ask itself when drawing up a job advertisement?

Answer 17

• What should be included in the advert?
• Where should the advertisement be placed?
• How much will the advertising cost and is it within the budget of the Human Resouces department?

Question 18

A job advertisement will require the applicant to apply in writing. How could this be done?

Answer 18

This can either be by filling in an application form, or by writing a letter of application and enclosing a curriculum vitae (CV) and resume.

Question 19

What is a CV (curriculum vitae)?

Answer 19

A CV is a summary of a persons qualifications, experience and qualities and is written in standard format.

Question 20

A curriculum vitae should be well laid out and clear. It should usually contain the following details:

Answer 20

• Name.
• Address.
• Telephone number.
• Email address.
• Nationality.
• Education and qualifications.
• Work experience.
• Positions of responsibility.
• Interests.
• Names and addresses for referees (for references).

Question 21

The letter of application should outline briefly:

Answer 21

• Why the applicant wants the job?
• Why the applicant feels he/she would be suitable?

Question 22

The main purposes of an interview are to assess, in the shortest possible time:

Answer 22

• the applicant’s ability to do the job.
• any personal qualities that are an advantage or disadvantage.
• the general character and personality of the applicant.

Question 23

Some businesses include tests in their selection process, for example:

Answer 23

• Skills tests.
• Aptitude tests.
• Personality tests.
• Group situation tests.

Question 24

The final decision of which workers to employ depends on several factors:

Answer 24

• Work experience.
• Education and other qualifications.
• Age.
• Internal.
• External.

Question 25

What is part-time?

Answer 25

Part-time employment is often considered to be between 1 and 30-35 hours a week.

Question 26

What is full-time employment?

Answer 26

Full-time employees will usually work 35 hours or more a week.

Question 27

The 6 benefits to a business of employing part-time employees are:

Answer 27

• more flexible in the hours of work.
• easier to ask employees just to work at busy times.
• easier to extend business opening/operating hours by working evenings or at weekends.
• fits in with looking after children and therefore the employee is willing to accept lower pay.
• reduces business costs compared to employing and paying a full-time employee.
• in some countries, it is easier to make part-time workers redundant.

NOTE - The advantages of part-time employees are the disadvantages of full-time employees.

Question 28

The 5 limitations to a business of part-time employees are:

Answer 28

• takes long to recruit two part-time workers than one full-time employee.
• less likely to seek training because the employees may see the job as temporary.
• more difficult to communicate with part-time employees when they are not at work.
• less likely to be promoted because they will not have gained the same skills and experience as full-time employees.
• part-time employees can be less committed to the business and may be more likely to leave to get another job.

NOTE - The disadvantages of part-time employees are the advantages of full-time employees.

Question 29

Training is important to a business as it may be used to: 6 reasons.

Answer 29

• introduce a new process or new equipment.
• improve the efficiency of the workforce.
• provide training for unskilled workers to make them more valuable to the company.
• decrease the supervision needed.
• improve the opportunity for internal promotion.
• decrease the chances of accidents.

Question 30

Training is usually trying to achieve one or more of the following:

Answer 30

• to increase skills.
• to increase knowledge.
• to improve employees’ attitudes.

Question 31

There are three main types of training:

Answer 31

• induction training.
• on-the-job training.
• off-the-job training.

Question 32

Define induction training.

Answer 32

Is an introduction given to a new employee, explaining the business’s activities, customs, and procedures and introducing them to their fellow workers.

Question 33

Define on-the-job training.

Answer 33

Occurs by watching a more experienced worker doing the job.

Question 34

Define off-the-job training.

Answer 34

Involves being trained away from the workplace, usually by specialist trainers.

Question 35

The 3 advantages of induction training are that it.

Answer 35

• helps new employees to settle into their job quickly.
• may be a legal requirement to give health and safety training at the start of a job.
• this means workers are less likely to make mistakes.

Question 36

The 3 disadvantages of induction training are that it.

Answer 36

• is time-consuming.
• means wages are paid but no work is being done by the worker.
• delays the start of the employee commencing their job.

Question 37

The 4 advantages of on-the-job training are that it.

Answer 37

• individual tuition is given.
• it ensures there is some production from the worker while they are training.
• it usually costs less than off-the-job training.
• it is training tailored to the specific needs of the business.

Question 38

The 3 disadvantages of on-the-job training are that it.

Answer 38

• the trainer will not be as productive as usual.
• the trainer may have bad habits and they may pass these on to the trainee.
• it may not lead to training qualifications recognised outside the business.

Question 39

The 5 advantages of off-the-job training are that it.

Answer 39

• a broad range of techniques can be taught using these techniques.
• if these courses are taught in the evening after work, they are cheaper for the business.
• the business will only need to pay for the course and it will not also lose the output of the employee.
• employees may be taught a variety of skills.
• it often uses expert trainers.

Question 40

The 3 disadvantages of off-the-job training are that it.

Answer 40

• costs are high.
  -it means wages are paid but no work is being done by the worker.
• the additional qualifications mean it is easier for the employee to leave and find another job.

Question 41

What is workforce planning?

Answer 41

Workforce planning is establishing the workforce needed by the business for the foreseeable future in terms of the number and skills of employees required.

Question 42

If a business needs to reduce the number of employees, this can be done in one way of two ways:

Answer 42

• dismissal.
• redundancy.

Question 43

Define dismissal.

Answer 43

Dismissal is when employment is ended against the will of the employee, usually for not working in accordance with the employment contract.

Question 44

Define redundancy.

Answer 44

Is when an employee is no longer needed and so loses their job. It is not due to any aspects of their work being unsatisfactory.

Question 45

Why else would a worker leave their job besides dismissal or redundancy?

Answer 45

• retire.
• resign.

Question 46

The following factors help a business to decide which workers to make redundant and which to retain:

Answer 46

• some workers may volunteer and be happy to be made redundant.
• length of time employed by the business.
• workers with essential skills that are needed.
• employment history of the worker.
• which departments of the business need to lose workers and which need to retain workers.

Question 47

the most important employment issues affected by legal controls are:

Answer 47

• employment contracts.
• unfair dismissal.
• discrimination.
• health and safety.
• legal minimum wage.

Question 48

What is a contract of employment?

Answer 48

A contract of employment is a legal agreement between an employer and employee listing the rights and responsibilities of workers.

Question 49

What is a contract of employment?

Answer 49

A contract of employment is a legal agreement between an employer and employee listing the rights and responsibilities of workers.

Question 50

What are the three impacts of employment contracts?

Answer 50

• both employers and employees know what is expected of them.
• it provides some security of employment to the employee.
• if the employee does not meet the conditions of the contract then legal dismissal is allowed.

Question 51

What is an industrial tribunal?

Answer 51

An industrial tribunal is a type of law court that makes judgements on disagreements between companies and their employees.

Question 52

What are the four impacts of unfair dismissal on employer and employee?

Answer 52

-employer must keep accurate records.
- employees have the security of employment.
- allows employees to take their employer to an industrial tribunal.
- makes the business less likely to treat employees unfairly.

Question 53

What are the five main examples of when workers are treated differently?

Answer 53

• are of a different race of color.
• belong to a different religion.
• are of the opposite sex.
• are considered too old/young for the job.
• are disabled in some way.

Question 54

What are the three impacts of discrimination on employers and employees?

Answer 54

• employees should be treated equally in the workplace regardless of gender or disability.
• employers have to be careful when wording an advertisement for a job.
• when selecting an employee for a job an employer must treat all applicants equally.

Question 55

In most countries, there are now five laws that make sure that all employers:

Answer 55

• protect workers from dangerous machinery.
• provide safety equipment and clothing.
• maintain reasonable workplace temperatures.
• provide hygenic conditions and washing facilities.
• do not insist on excessively long shifts and provide breaks in the work timetable.

Question 56

Impact of four health and safety on employers and employees:

Answer 56

• Cost to the employer of meeting the health and safety regulations.
• Time needs to be found to train workers in precautions.
• Workers feel ‘safer’ and more motivated at work.
• Reduces accident rate and cost of compensation for injured workers.

Question 57

Define ethical decision.

Answer 57

An ethical decision is a decision taken by a manager or a company because of the moral code observed by the firm.

Question 58

There should be a legal agreement between worker and employer (contract of employment) which will contain details not only of the hours of work and the nature of the job but also of:

Answer 58

• The wage rate to be paid.
• How frequently wages will be paid.
• What deductions will be made from wages.

Question 59

Impact of five legal minimum wage on employers and employees:

Answer 59

• It should prevent strong employers from exploiting unskilled workers.
• As many unskilled workers will now be receiving higher wages.
• It will encourage more people to seek work.
• It increases business costs.
• Some employers will not be able to afford these wage rates.