1.4.2 Recruitment, Selection & Training

What is recruitment?

Recruitment is the process of attracting and identifying potential job candidates who are suitable for a particular role.

• Recruitment activities include job advertising, job fairs, social media outreach and referrals from current employees

• The goal of recruitment is to create a pool of qualified candidates who can be considered for the role

What is selection?

• Selection is the process of choosing the best candidate

• Selection activities often involve reviewing curricula vitae (CVs) and conducting interviews or assessment tasks

• The goal of selection is to hire the most suitable candidate for the job

What is the recruitment and selection process?

1. Define the role (businesses should determine exactly what is required, and part of that is developing a job description and a person/job specification)

2. Determine the best source of candidates (businesses can advertise the role internally, externally, or a combination of both, internal recruitment is the process of hiring employees from within the organisation, it can involve the promotion or redeployment of staff to fill a vacant post)

3. Advertise (businesses with a strong social media presence can use these platforms to advertise cost-effectively e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, depending on the nature of the business, there may be specialist recruitment portals through which they can advertise)

4. Receive applications (the application stage involves collecting information from potential candidates, a business may have its own application form, which should gather information such as personal details, qualifications and work experience, applications may be asked to submit their CV)

5. The secretion process (businesses must decide in the most appropriate method that will help the, identify the best candidate, the most commonly used methods include interviews and assessment tasks)

what is internal recruitment?

• Internal recruitment is the process of hiring employees from within the organisation

• It can involve the promotion or redeployment of staff to fill a vacant post

• Vacancies are advertised internally in staff notice boards, in newsletters or via in-house electronic communications

Advantages of internal recruitment

• Internal candidates are already familiar with business culture and processes, can adapt to the role quickly, little need for induction training

• The business has a good understanding of the candidate’s strengths, weaknesses, skills and aptitudes, less risky than employing an external candidate whose abilities are less well known

• Opportunities to progress can be motivating for existing employees, improves loyalty and commitment

• Cheaper and quicker to promote or redeploy existing staff rather than recruit externally

Disadvantages of internal recruitment

• Can lead to conflict or resentment, may affect motivation and working relationships between successful/rejected internal candidates

• A further vacancy is created when an employee is promoted/redeployed, external recruitment may be necessary to fill vacated jab roles

• A limited number of applicants may be available internally

• Missed opportunity to inject new ideas, experience or skills into the business

What is external recruitment?

External recruitment is the process of hiring employees from outside the organisation

Advantages of external recruitment

Can bring fresh ideas, experiences and perspectives to the organisation

Disadvantages of external recruitment

It is often more expensive than internal recruitment, there is also a greater degree of uncertainty, as external candidates are unknown to the business

What are referrals/personal recommendations?

• Current employees may recommend a suitable candidate for a vacancy

• Employees may be rewarded if a candidate is successfully appointed

What is online advertising?

• Vacancies can be advertised on a business’s own website or on a specialist recruitment website

• This method is relatively low-cost with a wide reach

What is newspaper advertising?

• Adverts to attract local candidates Can be placed in district or regional newspapers

• High profile vacancies, such as public sector roles may be advertised in national newspapers

• Although relatively expensive, these ads can be highly targeted

What are specialist trade publications?

• Roles are advertised in magazines or newsletters that are read by professionals in a particular industry

What are employment agencies?

• Specialist recruitment agents advertise roles on behalf of the business

• Some also conduct interviews or other selection activities

• A recruitment fee is charged when the business appoints a candidate

What is headhunting?

• A headhunting agency makes attractive approaches to highly qualified specialists in a particular industry/with desired skills, experience or knowledge

• A significant fee is payable once a candidate is appointed

What are job centres?

• Low level vacancies can be advertised free of charge in government-funded centres and, increasingly, online

What are career fairs?

• Events often hosted by universities or industry bodies to promote available opportunities

• Attracts significant numbers of highly qualified, interested candidates

What are interviews?

• Involves meeting and asking questions about the candidate’s skills, experience and knowledge

• It is important to prepare a set of relevant questions to ask all candidates and to ensure that the interview is conducted in a fair and consistent manner

What are assessment tasks?

• Provide shortlisted candidates with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and suitability for the job

• The assessment may include psychological tests, group exercises, presentations and interviews

What are recruitment costs?

• Recruitment costs refer to the expenses incurred in the process of hiring new employees

• These include advertising, recruiting, interviewing and screening candidates

• High labour turnover rates can significantly increase these costs

• When employees leave, the business has to spend money and time recruiting and training new employees to fill the vacant positions

What are training costs?

• Training costs refer to the expenses incurred in the process of providing training to new or existing employees

• These include the cost of trainers, training materials and facilities

• The effectiveness of training can impact these costs

• If the training is not effective, employees may require additional training or take longer to learn new skills, which can increase the cost of hiring

What are selection costs?

• Selection costs refer to the expenses incurred in the process of selecting candidates for employment

• These include background checks and visa costs

• High labour turnover rates can increase selection costs as the business has to spend more regularly

What are the three types of training?

• Induction training

• On the job training

• Off the job training

What is induction training?

• Induction training is a type of training that new employees receive when they start working for a company

• It introduced them to the company, its culture, policies and procedures, and their job roles and responsibilities

Advantages of induction training

• Helps new employees understand their job roles and responsibilities

• Introduces employees to the company culture, policies and procedures

• Improves employee confidence and motivation

• Reduces the time taken for new employees to become productive

Disadvantages of induction training

• Can be time-consuming and expensive to organise

• May not cover all aspects of the job role

• May not be effective in all cases, leading to employee dissatisfaction and higher turnover rates

What is on the job training?

• A type of training that takes place while employees are working on their job roles

• It allows employees to learn new skills and knowledge from colleagues while performing their job duties

Advantages of on the job training

• Employees learn new skills and knowledge while performing their job duties

• Training is tailored to the employee’s specific job role and responsibilities

• Training is often more practical and relevant to the employee’s job duties

• Can be cost effective as it takes place during working hours

Disadvantages of on the job training

• employees may make mistakes while learning, which can impact productivity and quality

• Can be disruptive to the workplace as it requires the trainer to devote time to training the employee’s specific job

• May not be effective in all cases, leading to employee dissatisfaction and higher turnover rates

What is off the job training?

• A type of training that takes place outside of the workplace

• It can be in the form of workshops, seminars, conferences or online courses

Advantages of off the job training

• Employees learn new skills and knowledge outside of the workplace, which can bring fresh ideas to the workplace

• Training can be tailored to the employee’s specific needs and interests

• Training can be used as a reward or incentive for high- performing employees

• Can be cost-effective is training is provided online or through webinars

Disadvantaged of off the job training

• Can be expensive to organise, especially if travel and accommodation are required

• Employees may miss work while attending training, which can impact productivity

• The training may not be directly applicable to the employee’s job role of the needs of the firm