1. Acquisition

Define

Acquisition is the process of identifying staffing needs, attracting and selecting the right talent to the organisation at the right time to fulfil organisational goals.

Describe

There are three features of acquisition, including:

  1. Determining staffing needs: identifying gaps in the organisation

  2. Recruitment: attracting potential employees to the organisation

  3. Selection: deciding on the best appropriate candidate for a position within the organisation

Explain

1) Staffing Needs Analysis

Define

This is the process of analysing and identifying staffing gaps and surpluses to predict future short and long term labour needs

Describe

Human resource planning focuses on staffing the organization with the right number of personnel with the required skills when needed to meet business objectives in the short and long term. Calculating staffing needs is part of human resource planning.

Features of a staffing needs analysis include:

  • Collection of data

  • Analysis of data

  • Skills/knowledge gap analysis - job analysis

  • Job description

Explain:

(a) Collecting and Analysis of Staffing Data

Various formulas are used to estimate and predict staffing needs, based on the business historical and or organisational structure.

  • Historical Data - This is the use of past performance data such as sales and production numbers. Human resource planning focuses on staffing the organisation with the right number of personnel wit the required skills when needed to meet business objectives in the short and long term. This method uses the Productivity Ration where estimates of units produced per employee is used and applied to sales forecasts for hiring needs. A company that sells 2 million widgets per year and employs 25 production workers needs to hire more production workers of an increase in sales is expected or must at least maintain a staff of 25 production workers to meet current sales.

  • Organisational Structure - Staffing ratios are used to predict hiring need based on established organisational form. For example, if the company has an administrative pool of five secretaries for every 20 senior managers, that ratio is used to estimate recruiting for secretaries.

    Using the current organisational structure and span of control to calculate staffing. For example, if the organisation has set up its structure to have one operations manager per five line supervisors, then short term staffing will include keeping the same number of supervisors when there is turnover. Long term staffing will include planning five supervisors for every manager added. The rule of thumb calculation is not exacting or based on in-depth analysis, but on maintaining the organisational structure and does not take into consideration organisational growth.

(b) Job Analysis

Job analysis is a process to identify gaps in the tasks that need to be performed and the skills/knowledge required to complete the task. When completing a job analysis, the organisation may determine that multiple new positions may need to be formed.

(c) Job Description

Based on the Job Analysis the business will determine the number of positions that need to be filled to fill the gaps within the organisation. For each new position a job description will be written.

A job description informs the employee or potential employee the parameters of the position. It sets out the purpose of a job, where the job fits into the organisational structure, the main accountabilities and responsibilities of the job and the key tasks to be performed.

2) Recruitment

Define

Process of actively seeking out and attracting candidates for a specific position or job within the organisation

Describe

Recruitment is a positive process - attracting candidates to your organisation. It creates a pool of applicants (personnel data). Recruitment can either from:

  • Internal: already working within the organisation (e.g. promotion)

  • External: from outside the organisation.

A business can complete the acquisition process themselves if they have a Human Resource Manager or department, however, in many small businesses this may not be the case. Businesses can engage a recruitment agency that will complete the process for the organisation the choose from.

Explain

External recruitment is when the business looks to fill the vacancy from any suitable applicant outside the business.

When using an external recruitment process the following recruitment practices could be used depending on the position being filled:

  1. Advertising the position

  2. Use personal/business networks to “headhunt”

  3. Or engage a recruitment agency that specialises.

There are many online job sites to choose from. Some are nationally based and others focus on WA or particular industries. Likewise you can advertise in a state-wide or community newspaper, or advertise in trade and industry publications. Make sure that your advertisement clearly outlines the job you are offering and attracts the right person with the required skills/knowledge you are looking for (without discriminating – Equal Employment Opportunity requirements). Job advertisements must provide a method of application and a time frame.

Engaging an employment agency

Some agencies specialise in certain industries or professions whilst others are more general. Recruitment agencies are specialists and understand all the legal requirements including:

(i) National Employment Standards (award wages and conditions including minimum pay)

(ii) Ensure job advertisement and processes fulfil Equal Employment Opportunities and do not discriminate.

3) Selection

Define: the process of evaluating and choosing the most suitable candidates from a pool of applicants.

DESCRIBE:
This process typically includes reviewing applications or resumes, interviewing candidates, testing and making a final decision.

Reject Candidates - Selection is a negative process as the inappropriate candidates are rejected here. Selection involves choosing the best candidate with best abilities, skills and knowledge for the required job.

Employee selection is the procedure of matching the best candidate to the position available.

EXPLAIN:

WHY: Importance of Selection

By selecting best candidate for the required job, the organization will

·        get quality performance of employees.

·        will face less of absenteeism and employee turnover problems.

·        save time and money from repeating recruitment and selection process.

 

HOW: Selection Methods

There are many different methods used in the selection process. Process will depend on the level of skill an employee needs to carry out the job on offer. This will start after the applications information has been received.

  • Screening: Review resumes and match each candidate's background to the job requirements. Companies sometimes receive hundreds of resumes for an ad.

  • Screening: The employment selection process may actually include a screening interview, especially if a job candidate lives out of town. Screening interviews can help narrow the field of candidates. A telephone interview also helps a company determine if the candidate has the necessary qualifications to warrant flying him in for an interview.

  • Interviewing: One of the most important facets of the employment selection process is the face-to-face interview. Companies have different procedures for personal interviews.

    • Meet and Greet: where job candidates meet with a different person each hour. During this time, companies may have the candidates meet with human resources, the hiring manager and other employees.

    • One hour interview with panel (consisting of management and key personnel that will be working with new recruit)

    • Individual

    • Task orientated

    • Group interviews

  • Testing: The employee selection process can also include testing before a candidate is actually hired. Some companies require drug screening to make sure candidates do not have a drug addiction. Employees who work in the insurance industry may need to take a psychological test to determine if insurance is the appropriate career choice for them. Subsequently, after the drug or personality test, the company makes an offer to the chosen candidate.

  • Final selection: When making the final selection decisions, the person doing so must be able to justify their decisions as applicants that did not successfully get the position may ask for feedback on why. These decisions must be justified without referring to the applicants personal characteristics such as age, ethnicity, gender etc as per Equal Employment Opportunity.