Recruitment, training and selection of workers

Question 1

What is internal recruitment?

Answer 1

Where a business seeks to fill a vacancy from its currently existing workforce.

Question 2

What is external recruitment?

Answer 2

Where a business seeks to fill a vacancy with an applicant from outside the business.

Question 3

What is recruitment?

Answer 3

Where new employees are hired by a business.

Question 4

Why is recruitment needed?

Answer 4

To replace place employees who have left the business. When a business is expanding it may hire new workers.

Question 5

What is selection?

Answer 5

The process through which employers interview and evaluate the suitability of candidates for a job and select an individual for employment.

Question 6

What are the advantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 6

1. Vacancy can be filled quickly and cheaply.

2. Applicants already know how the business works.

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of internal recruitment?

Answer 7

1. A better candidate may be available from outside the business.
2. The job of the person promoted has to be filled.

Question 8

What are the advantages of external recruitment?

Answer 8

1. External applicants may bring new ideas to the business.

2. Wider choice of applicants with better and different skills and experience.

Question 9

What are the disadvantages of external recruitment?

Answer 9

1. Takes a long time to fill the vacancy.

2. More expensive as the job usually needs to be advertised.

Question 10

What are the main stages in the recruitment and selection of staff through external recruitment?

Answer 10

1. The business identifies the need for a new worker and carries out job analysis
2. A job description is produced
3. A person specification is produced
4. The job is advertised
5. Send out application forms and job details
6. Receive completed applications
7. Select a shortlist from all of the applicants
8. Interview shortlisted candidates
9. Select the right candidate

Question 11

What is a job analysis?

Answer 11

Where the details and requirements (things like skills needed) of a particular job are identified and determined.

Question 12

What is a job description?

Answer 12

A job description is a broad description of a job, including the job title and the key duties, responsibilities and working conditions of that job.

Question 13

What is a person/job description?

Answer 13

A list of the list of the qualifications, skills, experience and personal qualities that a business is looking for in applicants for a particular job.

Question 14

What are the benefits of part-time workers?

Answer 14

1. Provides greater flexibility, if some workers are sick, part-time workers can potentially cover their duties.
2. Sometimes they are more productive than full-time workers due to…

Question 15

What are the disadvantages of part-time workers?

Answer 15

1. Can increase training costs potentially.
2. Sometimes part-time workers are less efficient and productive as full-time workers.
3. May take time and money to recruit a new worker, even if they are only part-time.

Question 16

What are the benefits of full-time workers?

Answer 16

1. They can be more experienced and know the business better than part-time workers usually so can be potentially more efficient and productive.
2. They can be more loyal to the business than part-time workers as they may work there more often.

Question 17

What are the disadvantages of full-time workers?

Answer 17

1. Workers may be less motivated than part-time workers because…
2. They are more expensive than part-time workers.

Question 18

What is the importance of training to a business?

Answer 18

Training helps to increase efficiency, quality, productivity and overall success of the business. Training is a essential factor to a business’ success because without it, running the business may be difficult and it can lead to poor service and failure of the business.

Question 19

What is induction training?

Answer 19

A training programme that helps new recruits become familiar with their workplace, the people they will work with and the procedures they need to follow. It takes place at the place of business.

Question 20

What are the benefits of induction training?

Answer 20

1. Helps to familiarise new employees with the business and the other people there.
2. The workers can feel like they are apart of the business which makes them more motivated.

Question 21

What are the disadvantages of induction training?

Answer 21

1. Increases business costs.

2. Induction training workers usually receive pay but don’t contribute to the output of the business.

Question 22

What is on-the-job training?

Answer 22

Training which takes place while working at the place of work.

Question 23

What are the benefits of on-the-job training?

Answer 23

1. Relatively cheap.

2. Workers learn the way that the business wants the job done.

Question 24

What are the disadvantages of on-the-job training?

Answer 24

1. Workers may not learn the most up to date methods.

2. Experienced workers’ output is usually decreased during training.

Question 25

What is off-the-job training?

Answer 25

Training that takes place away from the workplace.

Question 26

What are the benefits of off-the-job training?

Answer 26

1. Workers usually learn the most up to date methods.

2. It does not disrupt the production of other workers.

Question 27

What are the disadvantages of off-the-job training?

Answer 27

1. Usually expensive

2. Worker does not produce much or any output during training usually.

Question 28

What is dismissal?

Answer 28

Where an employees contract of employment is ended by the employer because they have broken their contract of employment, the worker may have done something like breaking company rules or is not performing work to the required standard. For example, the employee may have been acting incompetently.

Question 29

What is redundancy?

Answer 29

Where the contract of employment of an employee is ended by the employer because the job is no longer needed. The employee being made redundant usually receives monetary compensation. Examples include, people being replaced by machines, relocation to another country or when the business closes.

Question 30

What is downsizing?

Answer 30

Where a business reduces the size of its workforce usually due to the automation of the production process or falling profits normally due to a decrease in demand for its products.

Question 31

What is workforce planning?

Answer 31

Where a business determines the size, skills and composition of a workforce that the business will need in order to fulfil its objectives.

Question 32

What is disciplinary procedure?

Answer 32

The formal rules and actions followed in an organisation when an employee breaks their contract of employment.

Question 33

What is voluntary redundancy?

Answer 33

Where employees volunteer to be made redundant. This is usually due to older employees wanting to retire or employees wanting to to get a job elsewhere. They receive monetary compensation usually.

Question 34

What is resignation?

Answer 34

Where an employee leaves their job voluntarily.

Question 35

What are employment laws?

Answer 35

Laws that regulate the relationship between employers and the people they employ to ensure that they treat each other fairly.

Question 36

What is indirect discrimination?

Answer 36

Where a practice, policy or rule in a workplace which applies to everyone has a worse affect on some than others.

Question 37

What is direct discrimination?

Answer 37

Where employees are discriminated against based on their characteristics.

Question 38

What is unfair dismissal?

Answer 38

Where employers must have a good reason to dismiss employees. If an employee feels that they has been unfairly dismissed, they can take legal action against the employer

Question 39

What is a legal minimum wage?

Answer 39

Where the government makes it mandatory for employers to pay their employees a minimum amount of money per period of time. This prevent employers exploiting workers by paying low wages.

Question 40

What are health and safety laws?

Answer 40

Laws that ensure that a business environment is healthy and safe. They are designed to reduce the risk of illness or injury in a workplace.

Question 41

What is an employment tribunal?

Answer 41

A public organisation that has the power to hear and settle employment disputes.

Question 42

Why may downsizing the workforce be necessary?

Answer 42

1. If the business switches to more automated methods of production.
2. If there is a reduced demand for business products.