Recruitment & Selection

Recruitment & Selection

Recruitment

Recruitment means finding suitable people for a job vacancy in the business and persuading them to apply.

Selection

Selection means choosing the best applicant for the vacancy from all those who applied.

Stages in Recruitment and Selection

Step 1: Prepare a Job Description

This is a document that describes the duties and responsibilities of the job.

Step 2: Prepare a Person Specification

This is a document that describes the type of person needed to carry out the work described in the job description.

Step 3: Encourage Suitable Candidates to Apply

There are two main types of recruitment

·         Internal

·         External

Internal Recruitment

This involves finding someone from among those who already work in the business. These may come from the following sources:

·         Promotion.

·         Demotion.

·         Transfer.

Advantages of Internal recruitment:

·         Existing employees know the business; therefore there will be less settling in time.

·         The manager has seen the employee’s previous work.

·         Provides motivation for existing staff.

·         Cheaper and quicker then external recruitment.

External Recruitment

This involves finding someone from outside the business.  These may come from the following sources:

·         Media advertising.

·         Recruitment Agencies.

·         FAS.

·         Headhunting.

Advantages of External recruitment:

·         New fresh ideas come to the company.

·         May cause less jealousy and resentment among current staff.

·         Business can get best qualified person for the job.

Curriculum Vitae (CV)

This is a document prepared by an applicant for a job in which they summarise their qualifications and work experience.

Application Form

This is a document printed by an employer asking a series of perxonal questions regarding education, experience, hobbies from applicants for a job.

Step 4: Screening

The selection process now begins.  The Human Resources manager examines all the applications received.  They must then reject those applicants who do not meet the requirements of the job description and person specification.  Those who have not been screened out in this way are ‘shortlisted’ for the next stage of the selection procedure.

Step 5: Selection Tests

The shortlisted applicants undergo a series of tests to assess their abilities and suitability for the vacancy.  The following are examples of tests that may be used:

·         Intelligence tests.

·         Aptitude tests.

·         Personality tests.

Step 6: Interview

An interview is a face-to face conversation between the candidate and the business.  The interview is the most common selection technique used in Ireland but it has many potential flaws, including interviewer bias and the fact that interview performance is no guarantee of actual job performance.  To overcome interviewer bias many business use a panel interview.

Step 7: Check References

The HRM checks the references of those who did best at the interview to confirm the information already obtained about the candidates and to hear first-hand what they were really like in their previous jobs.

Step 8: Offer the Job

The HRM offers the job in writing to the best candidate.  If they decline the offer, it is then made to the next applicant.  When an applicant accepts the job, a contract of employment is drawn up.  It sets out the duties and behaviours expected from the new employee.  The employers and the new employee sign it.  The Human Resources department keeps a record of it and the employee is given a copy of it.

Importance of Recruitment

·         Drawing up a job description and person specification in advance helps the business to find the right person to do the work needed.

·         Good recruitment discourages unsuitable people from applying.  This saves the business time and money.

Importance of Selection

·         Choosing a company who the business knows shares its beliefs will lead to less industrial action in the future.

·         Choosing the right person is essential to make sure that the job is done well.  This helps the business to succeed.

(Information from William Murphy, 21^st Century Business: Business for Leaving Certificate, CJ Fallon.)

Recruitment & Selection notes link

Interview Tips

CVPreparation

Recruitment & Selection Powerpoint link