Part One Introduction to Human Resources ManagementHuman
resources have increasingly become the crucial resource for the
organizations, as it plays a vital role in determining the success
of the organization.
IntroductionEffective management of the human resources
available in the organization helps the organization to develop a
pool of skilled and motivated employees.
DEFINITION OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENTHuman resources of any
country refers to the total population of that country except those
who are above 60 years of old and below 16 (in some countries 18),
also those who are in prisons or hospitals, and the higher
education students, plus the house wives. Human Resources
management -formerly known as personnel management- basically deal
with people who work in an organization. Human Resources are not
replaced in an organization as they have specific skills, knowledge
and capabilities that can enhance the organizational efficiency and
effectiveness. Newly recruited employees may not have the same
experience and skills compared with the existing employees. In
other words, human resources management (HRM) could be defined as
(the utilization of individuals to achieve organizational
objectives).
Among the issue of the HRM include;Employee placement, Job and
team design, Compensation of the employees, etc. In today's
technological era, HRM has become increasingly important in all
organizations. This is crucial as the manager is aware of the
limitations of technological inputs despite the rapid evolution of
the technology. Since the cutting edge of technologies are readily
available in almost all parts of the world, technological ownership
does not guarantee the success of the organization. In general, it
is actually the human capital of that organization who determine
the success or failure of the organization. Now, employees of many
organizations come from various cultural, race, education
backgrounds. To be able to work effectively with another worker,
you have to understand the Human Behavior.1
You have to know about the existing policies, systems, and
practices that will help in building a group of trained and
motivated workers. A manager's job does not only involve recruiting
workers to fill up available job positions, but a manager's
responsible to assure that the worker achieves his job
satisfaction.
FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT;Basically there are FOUR
functional areas which are associated with effective human
resources management: Staffing; the staffing process is an
essential one that can contribute to the success of the
organization, An organization needs to have employees who are
capable, have the necessary skills and are qualified to perform
their respective jobs. To get this type of workers, the HR planning
that involve recruitment and selection need to be mapped out
carefully. The organization must insure that there is a continuous
supply of productive employees both in short term and long term
period of its HR planning. The most effective selection of
employees will determine whether the organization can be successful
or not.
Staffing consists of three important components; 1- HR planning;
before an organization actually conducts the recruitmentand
selection process, it must first develop its own HR plan. HR
planning is a systematic process that analyses the human resource
requirements to ensure that the number of employees with necessary
qualifications is matched to the job which is being advertised. A
crucial; instrument used in HR planning as job analysis. Job
analysis is used by most employers to plan on the human resources
supply in their organizations. Job analysis is a process that
develops a detailed job description which includes the list of work
responsibility in the job position, the inter-relationship of that
particular job with other related job positions; and the required
knowledge, skill and qualification for the job position. This is
critical to ensure that the recruited employee manages to perform
the job efficiency.
2- Recruitment; is a process of attracting qualified individuals
andencouraging them to apply for work in the organization. Before
the organization can scout for potential capable employees. It has
to know the job specifications well for the vacant job position.
Job Specification is a statement that outlines the required
knowledge, skill and capabilities in order to perform the job.
Besides, job specification, managers and supervisors need the job
description of the job position to select the potential candidate
and tally him or her with the job. Job description is an account of
the job tasks and responsibilities.
3- Selection; is the process through which the organization
chooses the bestcandidates from a group of applicants to fill in
the job vacancy. The objective of having an effective selection
process is to match the individual2
characteristics and traits of the candidate like capabilities,
knowledge and academic qualifications with the recruitment of the
job itself. If the management is failing to do the appropriate
matching process, it will affect the performance and job
satisfaction of the recruited candidate. Selection is seen as the
most difficult process for a manager. Try to look at the
recruitment and selection process in your organization. What can
you deduce from the process?
HR Development; HR development aids individuals and work teams
to be moreeffective. In the light of the changing nature of the
organization, work, technology and work systems, HR development is
the necessary tool to train and develop the employees so that they
can keep up with the evolutionary technologies that will lead to
increased productivity. HR development also prepares those
individuals so that they can hold higher positions as they gain
more experience with the company. The main components in HR
development are orientation, staff training, and development and
performance appraisal
Orientation; is a formal process that aims to get the new
employees to become morefamiliar with the organization specially
the tasks involve rules and regulations, organization objectives
and other co-workers. Each newly recruited employee is required to
attend orientation program conducted by the organization. This is
important for the employees to adjust the new work environment in
the organization
Training and Development; all employees in the organization must
undergo continuousorganizational training and development so that
they can maintain their effective work performance and adapt the
newly emerged work practices.
Staff training and development is defined as a series of
activities designed to giveample opportunities to the employees to
improve their work competencies. Through training, the organization
can encourage healthy and productive work practices in the work
environment. Every thing is possible by training
Performance Appraisal; the manager must assess his staff's
performance based on thetasks assigned to them. The manager can do
that by using performance appraisal. In performance appraisal
process, the manager needs to use the appropriate forms and3
appraisal systems that are designed by the human resources
department. Performance appraisal encompasses the process of
identifying, evaluating and managing the performance of the
individuals in the organization. By using the performance
appraisal, a typical employee can be appraised to see how far he
has accomplished the job as assigned by his superiors.
Performance Evaluation comes handy for the new employees to
learn about how theycan improve their own productivity to meet the
organization's need for quality. In your opinion, when can the
organization conduct the orientation program? When it is suitable
for the organization to arrange for the employee training and
development.
Compensation, Human Resources Health and Safety; Compensation
and employeeshealth and safety are among the critical mechanism
that can be used by the companies and managers to attract, maintain
and motivate high-performing employees so that they can
continuously contribute to the realization of organization
objectives
Compensation; is the benefits given by the organization to the
employees as tokens ofappreciation for their hard work for the
organization. Examples include gratuity, pension and services
rendered benefits. All these will be given to employees to agree to
work in the organization. The benefits are rewards could be a
combination of the following :-
-Salary; money received by the worker for the work rendered for
a period oftime (weekly, monthly etc.) -Allowance; additional
financial and non-financial rewards beside the basic salary such as
annual leaves, sick leaves and medical insurance. -Incentives;
additional financial reward given to the employees to motivate
them. For example, sales incentives may include the sales
commission and holiday vouchers. Other incentives can be
performance bonuses, attendance bonus and excellent performance
awards -Health and safety of workers; the organization is
responsible for the health and safety of its employees at the
office. The organization also has to ensure that the job offered is
safe and happy. In this context, health refers to the overall
physical and mental well-being of the workers, and safety is
associated with the organization's actions to protect the workers
from possible injuries that could be caused by hazards at the
workplace -Industrial relations; an organization consists of
workers with diverse backgrounds who collaborate together to
achieve the common organizational goals. Sometimes, the personal
needs of these individuals are not parallel with the organization
objectives or their work styles do not fit into the organization
system. These discrepancies can create conflict. Industrial
relations refers to the developed systems and approved regulations
that are embedded in organization policies to provide a conducive
work environment. They are components in the industrial relations;
namely Relationship between the employer and the employee; to
maintain a pleasant working4
environment, the organization must focus on the relationship
between the employer and the employees. A stressful working
environment in which there are numerous conflicts between the
employee and employees would affect the workers' performance and,
eventually the organizational performance.
Discipline of the employees; industrial relations also involves
taking disciplinary actionon the employees that fail to adhere to
the organizational rules and regulations.
Relationship between the functions of HRMAll the functions of HR
are inter-related with each other. The manager must be sensitive
that each decision that he makes using one of the functions would
affect the other functions as well To illustrate further, let us
say, the organization focuses on recruiting quality candidates only
but ignores to look into the compensation packages for these
candidates then the whole human resources process would not be
cost-effective to the organization. Skilled and productive
employees will be de-motivated if they are not enlisted for
appropriate training and development programs that would add value
to their competencies. Besides that, benefits and compensation are
not enough, the employees also have the right to work in a
comfortable conducive work environment.
Factors that influence the HRMHow the environmental factors
influence the management of human resources. These factors are
divided into the external environmental factors and internal
environmental factors.
External Environment FactorsLabor m et ark econom y H an um
resources m anag ent em technolog y
Leg al requirem ents
Labor unions
shareholders
com petition
custom ers
External factors include economy, technology, customers,
competition, share holders, labor unions, labor market and legal
requirements. Each respective factor, either by itself or by a
combination of other factors, can influence human recourse
management recession
1- The Economy of the nation is a major environmental factor
that affects human5
resources management. In general, an economic boom or recession
can determine the level of demand and supply of the workforce. In
the recession period, more potential candidates would be looking
for jobs and organization could have more choices to consider from
a larger pool of human resources. The state of economy can also
affect the career development of the employee. When the economy is
booming, the organization tends to reduce the training and
development activities for its staff as compared to when the
economy faces recession. For example, companies contributing to the
human resources development fund (HRMF) are allowed to use some of
the contributions for the training and development of its staff.
Another function of human resources management that is affected by
the economy is the compensation and rewards for the staff. When the
economy is stable , the organization would give out lucrative
bonuses and promotions.. The organization might put the bonus or
salary increment on hold or it could come up with salary cut among
its workers if necessary. In your opinion, how far is the effect of
the 2009 economic recession on the management of human resources in
your organization?
2- Technology; the rate of change in technology accelerates at
an amazing pace. The mostchallenging aspect for the HR managers is
to train and develop their employees so that they can keep up with
the evolving technology With various changes in technology, certain
competencies become obsolete, and eventually employees need to
re-learn new skills like the skill to use the latest models of
computers (PC tablet, etc.), utilize the latest method in
information technology and adopt the more advanced communication
technology (teleconferencing) (videoconferencing) etc Technological
advancement has also enabled the process of recruiting candidates
to be done over the internet (e.g. online recruitment). Job
vacancies in certain organizations would be advertised in the
organization's web-site or a special recruitment web-site that
scouts for possible candidates There are also some organizations
which conduct computer based training. Another common use of
technology in human resource management is the organization's human
resources information system. The human resources information
system can be used to produce accurate and current reports that
could help the management to make decisions related to the needs of
human resources, the career planning and promotion; policy
assessment and human resources6
practices.
3- Customers; customers are the people who actually use a firm's
goods and services, andthey also are part of the firm's external
environment. Since sales is crucially important for the survival of
an organization, management needs to insure that its human
resources practices are customer- friendly Customers constantly
demand high quality products and after purchase service. If the
longer look forward to continue buying products from the firm.
Therefore, the employees capable of providing top quality goods and
services. These scenarios are correlated with the skills,
qualifications, at motivation of the employees
4- Marketplace, and the Labor Market: there will always be other
firms that producethe similar products or services. Thus, a firm
must maintain a supply of competent employees if it aims to
succeed, grow and prosper in the competitive business environment.
the firm's task is to ensure that it obtains a retains a sufficient
number of employees in various careers to maintain its competitive
advantage Employees have high mobility. Employees changing jobs
from company to another. To encourage the high-performers to
continue working with the organization, the management must have
excellent human resources policies, attractive compensation package
(even better than what the competitors are offering), safe working
environment and continuous training and development programs for
staff so that they equip themselves with new skills.
5- Shareholders; As the owners of a corporation, shareholders or
stockholders invest theircapital in the corporation. At time, they
may challenge the decisions made by the management. On the other
side, management needs to stand by their decisions by providing
rational justifications regarding the viability of the programs
that could affect cost, income, and the revenue of the organization
Shareholders deserve to know if the cost spent on these programs
would generate income or reduce costs. Thus, management must be
prepared to justify the advantages of the programs in term of its
benefits and economical costs
6- Labor Unions; types of compensation, work benefits, salary
level and workingconditions reflect the joint decisions made by the
labor union and the management of the organization. A union is
established by a group of employees who aims to improve their
working conditions. Usually, labor unions will negotiate with the
management in the organization that has labor unions. Labor union
can influence the management decision on the compensation and
benefits received by the employees Normally, the main issues by the
union include compensation packages and work place
surroundings.
7- The Labor Supply Market; an organization gets its supply of
human resources fromthe labor supply market. Labor supply market is
viewed as an external environmental factor7
since newly recruited employees are taken from this labor
market. The labor supply market changes periodically and these
changes directly affect the organization's manpower The
organization has a group of employees who originate from different
races, religions and ethnic groups. The multifarious backgrounds of
employees have wide impact on managing human resources in the
organization. Managers must ensure that they are sensitive to the
different needs of these groups and practice fair judgment in their
course of action The labor market provides organizations with
employees of diverse backgrounds and qualifications, different job
positions within the organization require the organization to hire
people with combination of multiple skills Conducting the training
and development programs will accommodate these changes in the
human resources management in the organization. If the human
diversity in the organization is not well-managed, then the
organization has to face high turnover, difficult communication and
interpersonal conflicts between the employees and the
organizations.
8- Legal Requirement; human resources is also shaped by the
federallaws, state laws, local laws and court verdicts. Those laws
include (labor laws, social insurance laws, health and safety laws,
etc.) those laws should be considered in designing and adopting
company policies Most of the successful human resources management
practices depend on the effective enforcement of those laws. To
operate in the domain of law, an organization needs to develop its
internal system that comply with these laws.
The Internal Environment;Internal environment consists of
factors that can be controlled by an organization. The factors
encompass organization strategies, organizational objectives,
leadership styles and corporate culture. These factors will create
more positive working conditions that will increase the employee
productivityOrg anizational strateg y
Org anizational objectives
H umanresources manag ent em
L eadershipstyle
Corporateculture
8
1- Organizational Strategy; organizational strategy is important
as it is an action planthat gives a clear direction for the top
management and the staff, so that they will be working towards one
common goal. Through strategic planning, the top management will
determine the overall objectives and mission to be achieved and how
they will be achieved.
2- Organizational Objectives; the organizational objectives will
influence themanager's decisions. The extent to which organization
focuses on the job promotion or budget for training and development
rely on the organization objectives. Thus, organizational objective
actually reflects the success or failure of the organizational
planning.
3- Senior Management; senior management plays a big role to
generate success andincome for the organization, and the management
needs the back-up support from the staff. Focus should be given to
human resources and its respective functions.
4- Corporate Culture; corporate culture is the system of shared
values, habits within anorganization that ties the members of the
organization together. For example, an organization needs to
encourage its staff to build on their skills, and support human
resources policies such as informal recruitment, flexible
compensation schemes or generic work plan
Part Two JOB ANALYSIS Definition;Job analysis is a basic tool
for HRM; it is often described as the basis for human resources
management as the information gathered in this process is very
useful to the major functions of HRM. job analysis is a systematic
process to identify the skills, duties and knowledge required for
performing a job in an organization in effective manner. It
basically answers the following important questions; What physical
and mental tasks must the worker accomplish towards the completion
of the job? Does the work require the use of special machine or
specific tools? What are the qualifications, skills, and abilities
needed by the job holder to perform the job? What kind of
environment and work place needed to finish the job? What is the
estimated job performance for this kind of job? Why is the job
done? When should the job analysis be conducted? Actually, job
analysis is carried out in three occasions. First, job analysis is
crucial when the organization is fairly new, and a job analysis
program is initiated for the first time. Second, it is used to
examine the new scope of new jobs created in the organization.9
Third, when jobs are changed significantly as results of new
technologies, methods, procedures, or systems. Job analysis will
have to be carried out to take into account the current changes.
The information gathered in job analysis is used to prepare both
job description and job specifications. A job description is a
written statement that provides information regarding the tasks,
duties, and responsibilities for the job Besides, describing the
nature of the job, it also points out what is expected to be done
by the job holder. On the other hand, a job specification outlines
the minimum acceptable qualifications a person should possess to
perform a particular job. The following chart illustrates how job
analysis is conducted and its various uses
IMPORTANCE OF THE JOB ANALYSIS;Data derived from job analysis,
is actually inter-connected between one another. Recruitment;
recruiting workers needs to be done in a systematic way. The
selection would be topsy-turvy if the recruiter did not know the
qualifications needed to perform the various jobs Since jobs
analysis, especially job description and job specification,
contains information on the types of skills, knowledge and
capabilities needed to perform a certain job, then it can be used
to determine which category the individual would belong to when he
is hired for the job.
Selection; carrying out a selection process to obtain employees
for the organization needscareful planning. A complete and detailed
job analysis would assist the human resources manager to match the
individual with the most appropriate job position according to the
skills, knowledge and abilities that he has.
Training and development; job analysis plays an important role
in identifying the needfor employees training and development. Job
analysis information is used to develop training programs. Job
analysis and specification usually reflect the career development
path for employees. If the job specification suggests that the job
position requires certain knowledge, skills, or abilities and the
individual in that position does not possess the requirements
needed, then10
he needs to undergo training or development programs. Training
and development helps employees to perform the job as detailed in
the job description or to prepare them for higher posts in the
future
Performance evaluation; the performance standards that are used
to assess theemployee's performance for the purpose of job
promotion, gratuity, discipline or dismissal must be related to the
job. Information contained in the job analysis must be helpful to
the managers to make better human resources decisions
Compensation; job analysis information is also used to compare
the relative contributionvalue for every job to overall performance
of the organization. To be able to give out the compensation, the
relative value of a particular job in the organization must be
derived before the job can be estimated in its financial terms In
general, the more worthy the job and its responsibilities are the
more valuable the job's role to the organization. A job position
that requires better knowledge, skills, and abilities should be
worth more to firm
Safety and health; job analysis information is also very useful
to identify safety andhealth considerations. For example, an
employer needs to specify if a particular job is exposed to certain
hazards or otherwise. The job description/specification should
reflect this condition.
Employee-employer relationship; besides that, job analysis
information is imperative inthe employer-employee relationship.
When an employee is considered for a promotion, a transfer, or
demotion, the job description will become the skill comparative
standard. There is no doubt that job analysis information will
assist the manager to make a reliable and more objective decision.
Sometimes, the information also acts as supporting documents for
job promotion, job transfer and job demotion
Your idea;Think how job analysis can help in the human resources
management functions in your organization
ExerciseJob analysis is the most basic tool in human resources
management. Discuss.
TYPES OF INFORMATION NEEDEDJob analyst needs a huge amount of
information to do the job analysis process. In addition, job
analyst actually determines the set of tasks and responsibilities
related to the job position. Critical job functions are also
identified in this process. The job analyst also identifies the
work activities, worker-related activities, and the types of
machines, tools, equipments, and work aids used in the job11
There is also some job analysis process that determines the
level of accomplishment of the job position. Sometimes, job
measurement is also used to decide on the duration needed to
complete the task. Apart from that, the job analyst looks at the
job context like, the job schedule, financial and non financial
incentives and the physical work environment Since some of the job
positions require collaboration with other job positions, then the
organizational and social context need to be taken into account as
well. Educational qualifications, training and required work
experience related to the job should also be considered.
WHO ARE INVOLVED IN THE JOB ANALYSIS?The job analyst, involved
in the job analysis, needs to gather information that can answer
this question "What is needed to do the job?". The people involved
in the job analysis process must be; -The employees who conduct the
jobs. -Supervisors. -Top management. A large organization might
have more than one job analyst but in smaller organizations, the
supervisor can also be a job analyst. There are other organizations
which hire external job analysts to perform job analysis. Despite
the various methods used, a job analyst must first equip himself
with a good grasp of what the job function is all about. To get as
many information as possible, job analyst has to study the
organizational charts or interview the experienced and
knowledgeable individuals. Before conducting the job analysis, the
head of department or the supervisor has to introduce the job
analyst to their workers and inform them the reasons of conducting
job analysis It is crucial for the job analyst to gain the trust
and understanding of the workers to get their cooperation because,
if the job analyst fails to gather the correct information and get
full support from those people, there is a possibility that the job
analyst might produce an incomplete and inaccurate job
analysis.
MONITORING THE ACCURACY OF WORK INFORMATIONSince there are so
many potential uses for the job analysis information, thus, the
information gathered must be reliable and accurate. The job analyst
needs to ensure that all right and crucial information is placed in
the job analysis The job analyst also must be alert of any
discrepancy in analyzing the job that might originate from
employees who exaggerate the amount of responsibilities they have
to carry in order to perform the job just to get higher pay. During
the job survey, the job analyst has to examine whether the
information gathered from the individuals regarding the job12
function is supposed to be When collecting the information from
the employees, the job analyst should get information from a group
of employees instead of an individual worker only. If there is a
discrepancy in the information received, the job analyst should
obtain additional Information from the employees involved, his
manager or from other fellow workers who are doing the same job. It
is also a common practice for the managers and supervisors to
re-examine the job description produced
JOB ANALYSIS METHODSThere are various methods to gather
information on the task, responsibilities and job activities. The
selection of the appropriate method considers how the information
is used. It depends on whether the information is used assess the
job function, training, salary segment, increment, and career
development or any other method that can be used in the
organization Figure show the job analysis methods including,
interview, surveys, observation, employee notes, management
position description, job analysis surveys, critical event methods,
or a combination of various methods. In practice, we can use either
one or a combination of methods that would be most appropriate for
the needs.
surveys interviews observatio n
Employee notes Managem ent position descriptio n
Job analysis
Job analysis surveys
Combinati on
Critical incidents
1- Interviews;Job analysis data can be obtained through three
types of interviews; an individual interview (a one- to- one
interview), and team interview (an interview with a team of workers
with similar job positions) and an interview with supervisor/s. A
team interview is conducted when there is a large number of
employees are doing the same job. It is the most cost-effective and
the fastest way to learn about a particular job. Usually, the job
analyst interviews the employee first and assists him in describing
his job activities. Then, the job analyst contacts the supervisor
to obtain additional information, check the information accuracy,
and clarify13
certain points.
2- Surveys;Information also can obtained by structured
questionnaire to be filled by the workers and their supervisors.
The questionnaire is used to gain information on the job tasks and
responsibilities, job objectives, physical environment, other
requirements to perform the job (skills, education, physical and
mental needs, etc.), Other work tools that will be used, and issues
regarding the job health and safety. Even though this method is
fast and economical, but sometimes the worker's limited oral
communication ability might affect the effectiveness of this
method.
3- Observation;By using the observation method, the job analyst
watches the employee performing the job task and records his
observations This method is used to collect information on hard
labor work like the machine operators. It can also help the analyst
to identify the interrelationship between physical and mental tasks
However, observation alone is not sufficient to conduct job
analysis; specially the mental skills that would be a major part of
the job itself. For example, if we are observing an accountant at
work, there is no much information that we can collect on the
requirements of the job.
4- Employee Notes;The employees are asked to elaborate on their
daily work activities in a daily log book or diary. The activities
would be recorded in the log book at specific times (e.g. when
working shifts, and employee may need to record his activity every
hour or half an hour), Normally the employee will need to record
his daily activities for a period of time (e.g. a week period or a
two-week period). Still, the job analyst needs to be cautious of
any fabrication that could have been made by the employees.
5- Management Position Description Questionnaire;This method is
designed specifically for the management positions and is an
important method used to examine the top and middle level
management positions. It uses a check list to analyze the jobs The
check list has various factors like supervision, service
responsibilities, production and freedom to take action. Every
worker will be assessed based on a scale which is related to every
activity The method also considers the training needs of
individuals who are selected to hold future managerial positions.
Management position description questionnaire has also been used to
evaluate and set compensation rates for managerial jobs
Position Analysis Questionnaire;Position analysis questionnaire
is a structures job analysis questionnaire that has 194 different
items. By using a scale of five, this questionnaire returning how
far the items are different from each other or job elements
involved in doing the job. The whole 194 items are divided into six
parts 1- Information input- the source of information from which
the employee gain to do14
the job. 2- Mental process- cognitive activities,
decision-making, planning and processing information related in
performing the job. 3- Work output- physical activities and tools
used by the worker to do the job. 4- Job context- physical and
social context when performing the job. 5- Personal relationship-
interaction with other workers when doing the job. 6- Other
activities- situation and features related to the job. A completed
position analysis questionnaire will be analyzed by the computer to
produce a profile and its traits.JOBANAL S Y ISS OURCEOFINF ORMA
TION Work analysis, Workers, supervisors JOBD CRIPTION ES
Objectives, Task, Responsibilities, Required capabilities,
Relationship with other jobs, Work environment
WORKD T AA Task, performance quality responsibilities, ,
required knowledge, work context, tools used
F UNC ION OF H T UMAN RE OURC S MANAGE NT S E ME Recruitm , s
ent election, tra in a developm t, in g nd en perform nce appra a
com a is l, pens ation m g ent, ana em rela tions betweenem hip
ployer a em nd ployee, em ployee hea a s lth nd afety
INF ORMA TIONGA ERINGMETHOD TH S Interviews, questionnaires,
observations, worker notes, crucial event methods,
JOBS PECIF TION ICA Qualifications, experience, skills, physical
conditions
JOB DESCRIPTIONInformation obtained through job analysis is
crucial for development of the job description. A job description
is defined as " a document that states the tasks, duties, and
responsibilities of the job" It is important that job description
is appropriate and accurate. It should provide a concise statement
on what the employee is expected to do on the job, and indicate
what employee does, how he does it, and the work conditions. There
is no standard format for job description, so job description
varies from one organization to another. Position Human resources
officer Job station Department Job analyst Analysis date Salary
category Reporting to Job code Checked on Khartoum Human resources
management Mohamed Adam June 14th 2010 Executive Human resources
manager A-66 June 16th 201015
Job Introduction
Summary of Main Job Functions
Job Statement
1. Job holder is required to carry out human resources duties in
employee
recruitment and selection, testing, employee orientation,
employee transfer, updating and maintaining employee files. 2. Job
holder is also expected to administer employee welfare, give
training and analyze matters related to employee compensation,
benefits and incentives. 3. Job holder is also required to prepare
the human resources reports.
Critical Functions and Responsibilities
Crucial Job Functions
1. Conduct the recruitment process to fill in vacancies in the
organization. 2. Check and review the job advertisements. 3.
Examine the resume and application letters of the candidates to
select
the potential candidates. 4. Schedule and conduct interviews to
decide the candidate's suitability with the job advertised. 5.
Inform the employees on compensation and company policies through
training, memo, letters, meetings, and/or bulletin. 6. Carry out
orientation process for new employees
Job Requirement and Specifications
Job Specification 1. University graduate with a degree in human
resources management, business management, or psychology. Or
advanced diploma in human resources management with three years
work experience. Or combination of work experience, education and
training which are equivalent with university qualifications. 2.
Have experience in recruitment and selection of employees and
manpower allocation. 3. Knowledgeable in the labor laws. 4.
Independent and self-initiative. 5. Able to work with all levels of
employees. 6. Competent in Microsoft Office.
Job Title16
The first item in the job description is the job title which has
several uses. A correct job title reflects the features of the job
and differentiates the job from the other jobs in the organization,
job title such as "electronic engineer", "salesman", "food
inspector" can provide a clear picture of the job task.
Unfortunately, some job titles are confusing For example, a
"Marketing Executive" in one organization has to do the market
planning, but another marketing executive in another organization
might have to be salesperson as well. The job title is important to
attract potential employees in the organization. Today, an
individual's social position is closely related to the type of job
he holds. The job title carries a psychological effect in terms of
the position and status of the employee. For instance, "hygiene
control engineer" sounds better than "trash assistant". The job
title of certain position also has to reflect the employee's
position in the organization. Surely, a senior engineer highlights
that the person holding that position is far more experienced than
a mere engineer.
Job IntroductionJob title is always followed by a job
introduction. The job holder would need to report duty on the day
the analysis is done. The date of the analysis is included in the
job description to help assist in identifying the changes in the
nature of the job. By signifying the chain of command like who
reports to whom, then a clear picture on the job position in the
organizational hierarchy can be created.
Critical Functions/Responsibilities;Statement on the respective
job tasks will be arranged according to the importance of the
tasks. Job list statement has to focus on the job responsibilities
and decisions to be made. It is a common practice also to highlight
the tools used by the job holder in his job. This section provides
guidelines on the type of training provided. No doubt, a job
position experiences changes over the period of time. The job scope
will span over bigger areas and the task would become more
completed. Thus, the last task shown in the job description will
highlight; The job holder will also be required to perform other
tasks as stipulated by his supervisor Inserting the above phrase in
the job description would avoid future problems if the employees
refuse to perform other duties not mentioned in their job
descriptions. The tasks and responsibilities should be clearly
stated, otherwise, they cannot be used as the basis for performance
appraisal.
Job Specification;Job specification contains all the acceptable
qualifications that a person should possess in order to perform a
particular job. There are two components in the job specifications;
1) the needed skills, and 2) physical needs of the job17
The relevant skills include;-Level of Education, -Work
Experience, -Special Training, -Personal Characteristics or -Other
Competencies. Physical requirement refer to the physical activities
that an employee has to go through to accomplish the job. The
physical work environment and potential hazards also include in the
physical requirement of the job.
IMPORTANCE OF JOB DESCRIPTIONJob description is a basic process
in human resources management such as identifying the employee
training and development needs, performance appraisal and also the
compensation package. When the organization decides to do a
restructuring exercise, job description is useful to : -Identify
unnecessary job positions, -Overlapped job responsibilities and
-Functions not assigned to any job function. -Etc. Job description
is important to the employees. It helps them to learn about the job
and set the benchmark for them to produce the acceptable or
excellent performance as required by the management. For the
employers, job description can be the basis to reduce conflicts
between the supervisors and the employees regarding the allocation
of job responsibilities. When there is an even distribution of
compensation to the employees, job description can be used to
justify on why the compensation is different from one employee to
another. Job description also highlights the potential hazards that
the employees might face at the workplace. This is to ensure that
the potential candidate would know all the risks involved
beforehand when he attends the interview. A vague job description
that is written using too many technical jargons cannot be used as
a guideline for the workers. Job description that is not being
updated to reflect the changes in the nature of the job. Sometimes,
the job description contains elements that are against the law.
E.g. specification that does not ensure the accomplishment of the
job. Job description actually curbs the organizational flexibility
by limiting activities that should be done by the job holder.
Writing an Accurate Job Description18
-Writing an accurate job description -When writing a job
description, it is important to use clear and accurate statements.
-The manager might think that the job description is taxing as it
disturbs the responsibility and the task of other employees. -It is
interesting to note that there are some many software packages to
help this task. -These software can be obtained from HR magazines
and the internet. -Writing an accurate job description -As an
international standard It is advised to use the present continuous
tens. -Use direct words and statements that describe the task
specifically and precisely. -Arrange tasks in a way that represent
the importance of tasks compared to other tasks. -Use simple
language to be understood by all levels of workers.
Job SpecificationJob specification addresses issues like "what
are the needed features and experience that an individual should
have in order for him to do the job efficiently. Job specification
is a statement that lists the knowledge, skills, and abilities that
an individual should possess to do the job. It can be a different
section from a job description or it can be part of the job
description.
The normal items that can be found in a job specification
are;-Educational Needs, -Work Experience, -Behavior Features and
-Physical Abilities. In practice, job specification generally is
included in the job description. When the entire jobs have been
analyzed and the job descriptions have been developed, the
statements would be cross-checked by the employees and their
supervisors. This is to ensure that the job description is concise,
accurate and easy to understand.
19
Part Three Human Resources Planning Process; Definition.Human
resources planning is a systematic process that examines the human
resources needs to ensure that the number of people with the right
combination of skills is sufficient for the organization. In other
words, human resources planning is a process that determines how
many employees would be needed and from where the employees would
be hired. Labor supply refers to the readily available manpower
with the necessary requirements to meet the needs of the
organization
Human Resources Planning StepsS g et oalsand objectives
S upplyforecast
D andforecast em
balance Plan im plementation feedback
Human Resources Forecasting Techniques.20
-Quantitative methods; The quantitative methods include
Zero-Based Forecasting, Bottom-up Method and Trend Analysis.
Zero-Based Forecasting;The approach uses the organization's
current level of employment as the starting point for determining
future staffing needs. If an employee retires, fired, or leaves the
firm for any other reason, the position is not automatically
filled. Instead, an analysis is made to determine whether the firm
can justify filling it. It is concern for creating new positions
when they appear to be needed. An open position is analyzed before
a replacement is approved. The position is not filled and the work
spread out among remaining employees
Bottom-up Approach;A forecasting method that begins with the
lowest organization units and progresses upwards through an
organization, ultimately, to provide and aggregate forecast of
employment needs. It is based on the reasoning that the manager in
each respected unit is the most knowledgeable about employment
requirements. Human resources forecasting is often most effective
when managers periodically project the human resources needs,
comparing their current and anticipated levels, and giving the
human resources department adequate lead time to explore internal
and external source.
Trend Analysis;Is a quantitative method that uses the
organization index; like sales or production to forecast the human
resources need. This method based on the amount of the workers in
the organization, so the information must be accurate and recorded.
This method involves few steps 1- Choose one of the organization
index (sales) 2- Get the information of the trend history with the
index of the number of workers need. 3- Count the productivity of
the workers for five years. 4- The productivity is counted by
dividing the total sales by the worker; and. 5- Last, make forecast
about the human resource need.
Qualitative Methods;Management forecast; unlike quantitative
methods, qualitative method does not require statistical or
mathematical calculations to do the forecasting. A normally used
qualitative method is the management forecast in which it
highlights on the fact that the future needs for human resources in
an organization relay on the suggestions of the supervisors or the
department managers Human resource planners in the small and large
organization seek opinions from the experts that can assist them in
developing forecast that would determine the human resources needs
in the organization. In this method, each respective supervisor or
manager is responsible to estimate their human resources
needs.21
Methods to Forecast Labor Supply;When an organization has made a
forecast on its labor needs, the organization need to make sure
that the numbers of workers and types of work can fulfill the job
vacancies. The forecast would show if the workers needed to be
taken from inside the organization or outside the organization or a
combination of both sources.
Labor Supply in the Organization;The workers can be transferred
within the organization or promoted to satisfy the needs of the
organization. There are four methods to identify the supply of
human resources in the organization;
Skill Inventory System; the skill inventory system provides a
collection of informationon the non-management workers which
usually is stored in the computer. The information is listed as
below 1- The background of the workers 2- Experience 3- Skill and
knowledge. 4- Past time performance report. 5- Objectives and 6-
Training program the worker involved in. The system shows the
readiness level of non-management workers to hold a higher
position. And updated and well-prepared inventory system would
allow the organization to match the expected job vacancy with the
worker's background
Management Inventory; the management inventory stores the
information about themanagers. It retains the information from the
skill inventory system and extra information like -Development
needs. -The potential of promotion after undergoing advanced
training and development. -Job specification. -Type of work and
location. -Purpose and aspiration of work. -The retirement date.
-The worker's test results
Markov Analysis; Markov analysis is a method used to identify
the working pattern ofthe different types of work. This analysis
shows the percentage and number of workers who are still working in
the organization, workers who were promoted, changes in the
workplace, and layoff Replacement Chart; this chart shows the
Information about the post in the organization, including the name
holding the position and the names of the respective successors.
This chart is developed to identify the current worker position and
inform the higher management on the potential workers who will be
promoted, retired, replaced or retrenched.
Labor Supply From Outside The Organization22
Sometimes, the workers in the organization are unable to fulfill
the forecasted needs of the organization's human resources. The
reason why the organization has to depend on the outside supply may
include - Internal workers are not equipped with the necessary
qualifications and skills. or - The rapid expansion in the
organization results in insufficient number of workers to
accommodate the growth. or - None of the employees in the
organization is fit for promotion. - Management is seeking for
candidates to fulfill the senior management positions. When the
situation occurs, the organization needs to hire outside personnel.
Some organizations will recruit fresh graduates from universities,
institutes, vocational centers, or competitor companies. There are
many factors affecting the labor supply, among them; - Changes in
demography, and - Demand for skill workers, and - Economy, and -
Level of manpower, and others. - What else?????
Action Decisions With No Variance In Supply And DemandIt is
possible for the organization, after matching demand for employees
with the supply at hand, to find that previous planning has been
excellent that the demand is matched exactly with the supply. In
this case, employment planning has served its purpose well in
helping the organization to meet its objectives. An exact match is
rare if it is not impossible. More frequently the total supply is
correct, but there are variances in subgroups. These data become
inputs to facilitate decisions about training, promotion, and
similar decisions.
Action decisions with a shortage of employeesWhen employment
specialists comparing demand to supply find the supply of workers
is less than the demand, several possibilities are open to the
organization. If the shortage is small, and the employees are
willing to work overtime, it can be filled with present employees.
If there is a shortage of highly skilled employees, training and
promotion of present employees, together with the recruitment of
lower skilled employees, is a possibility.
This decision can also include- Recalling previously laid-off
employees. - Outside the organization, - Additional part-time or
full-time employees can be hired, - Or some of the work can be
contracted out to other organizations.
Action decisions in surplus conditionsWhen comparison of
employees demand and supply indicates a surplus, the23
alternative solutions include; - Early Retirements, - Demotions,
- Layoffs, - Terminations Surplus employees' decisions are some of
the most difficult decisions managers must make, because the
employees who are considered surplus are seldom responsible for the
conditions leading to the surplus. A shortage of a raw material
such as fuel, or poorly designed or marketed product can cause an
organization to have a surplus of employees.
Balancing HR Supply and Demand
1223
external
The relationship between Human resources planning and
recruitmentD eficit H an um resources planning results alternatives
balance No action
recruitm ent
internal
outsourcing conting ency leasing Overtim e
surplus
Earlyretirem ent
dem otions layoffs24
term ination
Part Four R E C R U I T M E N T;Recruitment is the process of
attracting individuals on a timely basis, in sufficient numbers,
and with appropriate qualifications, and encouraging them to apply
for jobs with the organization Finding the appropriate way of
encouraging the qualified candidates to apply for employment is
extremely important when a firm needs to hire employees. Tapping
productive source of applicants and using suitable recruitment
methods are essential to maximize the efficiency and effectiveness
of recruitment
Alternatives to recruitmentHuman resources planning indicates a
need for additional or replacement of employees. A firm may decide
against increasing the size of its database of workers. The cost of
recruitment and selection is expensive as the organization has to
consider; the25
search process, interviewing, agency fees, orientation and
training cost, and relocation and processing the new employees.
Therefore, a firm may consider its alternatives carefully before
engaging in recruitment Alternatives to recruitment commonly
include; outsourcing, use of contingent workers, employee leasing,
and overtime Outsourcing; a process of transferring responsibility
for an area of service and its objectives to an external provider.
Subcontracting various jobs to other firms has been a common
practice in industry for decades. This decision is usually made
when the subcontractor can perform with greater efficiency and
effectiveness
Contingent worker; also known as part-time, temporaries and
independent contractors.-Employee leasing; professional employer
organizations (PEOs) are essentially off-site human resources
departments that put a client firm's employees on their payroll,
then, lease the employees to the company, the organization handles
the company's payroll, benefits, human resources, and risk
management
Overtime; a method of meeting short-term fluctuations in work
volume is overtime.Overtime helps both employer and employee. The
employer benefits by avoiding recruitment, selection, and training
costs. The employer gains from an increased income during the
overtime period
THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS;Recruitment begins when a manager
initiates an employee requisition, a document that specifies job
title, department, the data the employee is needed for work, and
other details. Manager can refer to the appropriate job description
to determine whether the qualifications of the recruited person
meet the organizational requirements. Recruitment methods are the
specific means which potential employee can be attracted to the
firm. To maximize recruiting effectiveness, utilizing recruitment
sources and method tailored to a specific organization's needs is
vitally important. Recruitment sources can be obtained from two
sources; internal and external. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of both methods??? For discussion Source Advantages
Disadvantages
26
RECRUITING INTERNAL WORKERS
1.The organization can choose the right candidate based on the
performance record 2.The organization can cut down the cost and
time 3.The organization is able to motivate workers to perform well
4.The organization is able to increase loyalty of workers towards
the organization
5.Lack of new ideas 6.The recruitment process might be
influenced by some factors 7.Skills and knowledge needed by the
organization may not be met.
RECRUITING EXTERNAL WORKERS
1. New candidates is the resource for new ideas 2. New candidate
might have new and wider skills and knowledge than the internal
worker 3. The external candidate might have the required experience
needed by the organization
4. The candidate who is not selected may leave the organization
5. Higher recruitment cost 6. The chances of selecting unsuitable
candidates will increase. 7. Additional cost of orientation and
training.
RECRUITMENT METHODSBy examining the recruitment source, a firm
determines the location of potential job applicants. It then seeks
to attract these applicants by specific recruitment methods.
Suitable recruitment for an organization includes; internal
recruitment method and external recruitment method;
Internal recruitment methods include;Organization uses the skill
inventory system and the management inventory system to determine
whether the current employee possesses the qualifications for
positions in the office27
The management inventory has detailed information on every
manager and can be used to identify potential individuals that can
move up to the senior positions. The skill inventory system has
recorded the readiness level of non management workers to either
move to higher positions or transfer to other department in the
organization. As recruitment devices, these tools are very useful
as it assist the management to identify whether the individual is
ready to be promoted or not Job posting and job bidding; job
posting is a procedure to inform employees that job opining exist.
Job bidding is a technique that permits employees who believe that
they possess the required qualifications to apply for an advertised
job The job posting and bidding procedures can help minimize the
common complaints that insiders are not aware of a job opening
until it has been filled. It also provides the freedom of choice
and encourages career growth. However, a job posting and bidding
system have some negative features. An effective system requires
the expenditure time and money.
External recruitment methods include;Advertising in the mass
media; a way of communicating the firm's employment needs to the
public through media such as radio, T.V., newspapers or industry
publication.
Private and public employment agency; an employment agency is
anorganization that helps firms recruit employees and at the same
time aids individuals in their attempt to locate jobs. These
agencies perform recruitment and selection functions that have
proven beneficial to many organizations. In some cases, the firm
doesn't have the time or enough experts to perform recruitment and
selection, in this case the organization might seek help of other
organization, like training institutions, to do this job on behalf
for some fees.
Employee referrals; some organizations have found that their
existingemployees can serve an important role in the recruitment
process by actively soliciting applications from their friends,
relatives and associates.
Unsolicited walk-in applicants; if an organization has the
reputation beinga conducive place to work, it may be able to
attract qualified prospects even without extensive recruitment
efforts. Unsolicited applicants apply for the job because they are
favorably impressed with the firm's good reputation.
Job fair; sometimes, a group of firms might have their own job
fairs to attractbigger numbers of potential candidates for their
firms. Also universities and28
colleges can be contacted for final year students to get
jobs.
Practical training in the organization; in most universities,
the final yearstudents are required to undergone practical training
in selected firms for specific period of time. These opportunities
would expose them to real practices in the firm. If the practical
students showed satisfactory performance, then the firm can
consider hiring them to fill in the vacancies available in
future.
Internet/online recruitment; posting job openings over the
internet hasbecome a common practice among today's organizations.
Recruitment officers usually post the job openings in the firm's
website or online recruitment portal like Jobstreet or jobDb.com.
the job openings are categorized according to the field of
specializations, location and job levels. Advertising over the
internet is more cost-effective than advertising through the
printed mass media. Interested candidates can send their
application letters and resume via e-mail.
29
Part Five SELECTION OF EMPOLOYEES; INDIVIDUAL MATCHING WITH THE
JOBSelection is a process in which the most qualified candidate is
selected from a group of candidates to fill in the position in an
organization. The process would narrow the selection of candidates
through instruments like selection test, background checks, and
reference check to decide on the candidate's suitability. The
recruitment and selection process is closely related. If the
recruitment process is unable to attract qualified candidates, then
the organization has no choice but to select the less qualified
candidates Selection process is the most crucial and difficult
process in the human resource management. If the firm hired a new
employee and after a short while, the employee resigns because he
is not suitable to do the job, then the firm has to bear additional
costs as it has to go through the recruitment and selection process
again and retrain another new employee.
SELECTION PROCESS;The process starts with a preliminary
screening, at which the applicant's resume is submitted to the
human resources department to determine the suitability of the
applicant. Generally, the human resource executive will use the job
description as a guideline to assist them in reviewing the
applicant's information. Besides identifying the required
competencies possessed by the applicant, job description also helps
to differentiate the suitable applicants from the rest of the
applicants.
SCREENING APPLICATIONUsually, applicants send their resume when
they apply for jobs in certain companies. Resumes are standard
documents used by the applicants to highlight their qualifications.
If the response towards the recruitment process is favorable, then
the company has a bigger pool of applicants that it can consider
The main purpose of having a screening application process is to
ensure that the applicant have the needed qualifications and
knowledge in order for them to be hired for the job. The human
resources executive will use the job description as a guide to
decide on the required skills, knowledge and abilities of the
particular job. Unsuitable applicants will be disregarded at this
stage.
PRELIMINARY INTERVIEWAfter the application forms have been
screened and enlisted, the potential applicants will called for
preliminary interviews. The preliminary interview gives an
opportunity for the applicant to see whether the organization and
the job vacancy meets his expectation in terms of salary, work
environment, location and career advancement opportunities During
this interview, the interviewer gets firsthand knowledge on the
applicant which cannot be obtained from the resume alone. This is
known as the visual screening. Though some applicants might have
sent detailed resumes, they still need to fill up the application
forms when they attend the preliminary interviews.30
SELECTION TESTEven though most employers use interviews to
assess the candidate's skills and capabilities, the assessment can
further be verified by using the selection test. Selection test is
a sample behavior measurement which is objective and constant and
it is used to measure knowledge, skills, abilities and other
individual traits Selection tests can range from simple test to ( a
typing test for the clerical position, driving test for the drivers
etc) to a combination of a few complex tests (cognitive tests for
management positions) to choose the most appropriate candidates for
the vacant position Since a selection test can be used to assist a
manager in making a selection, then it is crucial to ensure that
the test is well developed. Only a well designed test will be valid
and reliable to choose the most qualified candidates
TYPES OF SELECTION TESTS Cognitive ability test; cognitive
ability test measures an individual's competency toperform a job.
It tests on the general reasoning ability, vocabulary, verbal
ability and numerical skills. Examples of cognitive ability test is
intelligence test and specific cognitive test;
Intelligence test (IQ test) IQ test measures the general
intellectual ability ofa person; it doesn't only assess a single
intellectual trait but also it tests on memory, numerical ability
and vocabulary. IQ test is a good performance indicator for most
job functions.
Specific cognitive test; specific cognitive test evaluates the
mental capabilitylike deductive and inductive reasoning, oral
comprehension, memory and numerical ability. The test is also known
as the attitude test in which the test also checks how inclined the
candidate is towards his job.
Psychomotor ability test; this test measures finger
deftness,manual precision, speed of arm activity and response time.
This test is used for jobs that required worker's swiftness in
installing components in machinery department.
Job knowledge test; this test is designed to measure the level
of understanding of acandidate in the job he is applying for. Job
knowledge test can be specially developed for a certain job based
on the information gathered from job analysis.
Work sample test (simulation); work sample test measures how the
candidate canactually perform parts of the job. Work sample test
simulates the real work environment and gives the employer an
opportunity to observe the candidate "in action". Work sample test
will give a real picture of the candidate's actual capabilities and
skills. These tests have high content and predictive validity. In
other words, work sample test is valid, cheap, reliable, and fair
and can be accepted by the candidate Personality test; if the
cognitive ability test measures the mental capability, then31
personality test assesses the personal traits and behavior of
the candidate. It also used to identify the candidate who is highly
motivated, flexible and excellent team player. Some companies use
personality test to classify the personality types Personality test
is the most difficult test to conduct. It is also very costly and
the assessment of the test can only be done by the qualified
experts. An expert must analyze the person's reaction and make a
conclusion based on the person's behavior. The use of this kind of
test depends on the assumption that there is a relationship between
the personality aspect of the candidate and the completion of the
job. Though, the predictive validity of this test is low, still, if
it is used together with the cognitive ability test, a better
prediction on the work performance can be attainedIndividual
recruitment yes yes yes yes yes yes yes Screeningapplication
Preliminaryinterview Selection test Job interview Background
investigation Selectionresults Medical check appointment No No No
No No No
JOB INTERVIEW PLANNINGTypes of interview; Structured interview
Structured interview consists of job-related questions, and each
question has its respective pre-determined answer. Interviewer will
ask each respective candidate the same series of questions and the
candidate's answer will be evaluated based on the pre-determined
answers and content suitability The same question will provide the
same basis to assess the candidate. Usually, there are three types
of questions used in the interview session;
Situational questions; questions that trigger the response of
thecandidate towards certain situations. A sample of situational
question can be like this "you are putting your luggage in your car
and preparing to go off for a holiday with your family when you
remember that you have an appointment with your client on the very
same day. What would you do?"
Job knowledge questions; to verify whether the candidate
has32
basic knowledge needed to perform the job. Example; "what
factors should you consider when developing a health awareness
program for the public?"
Worker need questions; questions that assess the
worker'sobligations to do the job in certain situations. Example of
this kind of question is " in our company, there are times when we
have extremely peak hours especially when we are having sales
exhibitions. How do you feel about working extra hours?" Other
features of structured interviews include questions that are based
on the job analysis, additional restricted questions (to ensure
that the interviewers only ask similar set of questions) and the
use of different types of questions. The candidate is also allowed
to ask any question at the end of the interview session Structured
interview can provide the necessary information for the human
resources officer to make a sound decision because it only involves
job-related questions. It also helps the interviewer who may be
uncomfortable to conduct interviews to ask effective questions and
conduct a fine interview session. Since, an interview is considered
a subjective process, a structured interview can reduce the
subjectivity and increase the consistency of assessing the
candidate. However, structured interview does not provide the
flexibility to the interviewer to interrogate the candidates on the
answers given by them. To avoid this problem, the organization will
also use unstructured interview.
Unstructured interview;In an unstructured interview, the
interviewer is free to ask any question that comes to his mind. In
contrast with the structured interview, the questions asked will
not follow a certain format or guidelines. Questions may differ for
each respective candidate. The interviewer will only ask additional
questions based on the answers provided by the candidate. This type
of interview gives the freedom to the candidate to determine the
direction of the session and the candidates are encouraged to speak
up as much as possible. The interviewer might ask open-ended
questions like "tell me about your experience in your previous
job". And usually, the interviewer will give the opportunity for
the candidate to speak without interruption. In general, in an
unstructured interview, the interviewer will be the passive party
by listening to the candidate's explanation, not arguing with him,
or change the topic of communication without warning. Additional
questions will be asked to allow the candidates to elaborate more
on the answers than structured interview.33
The freedom given to the candidate in an unstructured interview
is invaluable as it can highlight the actual traits, personality
and behavior of the candidate which cannot be observed in a
structured interview. Since the direction of the unstructured
interview is largely determined by the candidates and there are
different information gathered from different candidates, the
reliability and validity of an unstructured interview is very
low.
Behavioral specification interview;Behavioral specification
interview is structured interview that adopts questions to find out
about the past behaviors of the candidates in certain situations.
It focuses on the actual work events experienced by the candidate
in the past. In the behavioral specification interview, the
candidate will be asked on the actions that he taken in the past to
address the impending conflicts in specific conditions. The
questions are selected carefully so that they are closely related
to the job. For example, a candidate might be asked this kind of
question; "tell us how you make a critical decision without having
the necessary information". This method is based on the critical
incidents of the job analysis and assumptions that the previous
performance would be the best indicator for future performance; in
other words, how the candidate responds to critical issues in his
previous job would indicate how he would react to the emerging
issues in the new job.
Situational interview;Another structured interview that focuses
on questions on how the candidate would behave in a given
situation. Unlike the behavioral specification interview, questions
asked in the situational interview are based on assumed events
only. Situational interview emphasizes on a particular situation.
For instance, a candidate for the supervisory position will be
asked on how he will react if one of his subordinates is late for
work. The response given by the candidate will be appraised by
comparing it with the pre-determined feedback.
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEWThere are a few ways to conduct an
interview. Among them; 1- One-to-one interview 2- One-to-one
interview is commonly used in the selection process. In this type
of interview, the candidate will meet the interviewer and an oral
session will be conducted.
3- Panel interviewPanel interview means the candidate will be
interviewed by a panel of interviewers. In the panel interview, the
candidate will meet up with three or five persons who will take
turns to question him. At the end of the session, all34
interviewers will share their observations to achieve a
consensus on the suitability of the candidate. panel interview
normally is more reliable than a one-to-one interview because it
involves more than one person, allows for a better decision to be
made and reduces the decision-making time.
4- Group interview;In a group interview, a few candidates will
be interviewed simultaneously by a panel of interviewers.
Generally, in a group interview, the panel will give a problem to
the candidates to solve, and the candidates will respond to the
problem accordingly. This time-saving method is very useful for
busy officers.
5- Computerized interview;With the advent of information
technology, many organizations are now using computers and internet
to assist them in conducting interviews. In a computerized
interview, the candidate normally is required to answer a set of
multiple questions (may range between 75-125 questions). The
candidate's responses will be compared to the best answers from
other candidates. Computerized interview is used to reject
unqualified candidates and select the potential candidates for a
face-to-face interview. Through a computerized interview, making
judgment based on the person's personality will be eliminated.
However, some candidates might feel that the computerized interview
reflects that the employer-to-be is less interested to develop
personal contact with the employees.
6- Stress interview;Stress interview is an interview with a set
of harsh and probing questions that is specially developed to make
the candidate feel uncomfortable. This kind of interview attempts
to identify overly sensitive candidates and investigate whether the
candidate has a high or low stress resistance level. This is
important for jobs that require the candidate to have a very high
stress resistance level especially customer based positions.
FACTORS THAT HINDER THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE INTERVIEWComparison
effects Comparison effects results from a mistake in the judgment
made by the interviewer after having interviewed good or
incompetent candidates before he conducts the next session of
interview. For example, an interviewer who has interviewed a few
unsuitable candidates before he manages to interview an average
candidate projects an excellent person as compared to others. Halo
effects Halo effects occur when an interviewer allows one or more
personal characteristics affects the overall candidate personality.
The interviewer will assume that only one single factor is
sufficient to reflect the overall impression on the candidate. For
example, a meticulous and fussy interviewer would presume that the
candidate he interviews is clumsy based on the candidate's
appearance. Indirectly, the interviewer has led his personal
judgment interferes with the interview session and given low
appraisal points to the candidate Focused inclination effect This
effect occurs when the interviewer refuses to give very high or
very low points to the candidate. In this situation, he treats the
candidates as average performers. Because of this, he35
fails to distinguish between the potentially good candidates
from poor ones. VARIFICATION OF INFORMATION GIVEN BY CANDIDATES;
For the purpose of reference check and background investigations,
candidates are required to provide a few contact persons that could
provide extra information on them to the potential employer. Most
firms conduct reference and background investigations to
investigate more on the candidate's background. Reference check and
background investigations provide additional information. The
purpose of having reference checks and background investigations is
to check on the validity of the information given by the candidate
in his resume and to investigate whether the candidate has a
criminal record, traffic offences, etc. Reference check and
background investigations can be used as alternative screening
tools to reject candidates who provide false information about
their work experience. Besides that, these tools also help the
management to probe into the candidate's background to see whether
he has committed offences that would directly related to the job he
is applying for. Reference checks and background investigations can
be done either over the phone of via written correspondences.
Generally, reference checks by phone are more popular as it saves
time, information can be obtained immediately and the answers given
are more honest and sincere. The supervisor is the best person who
would know the work performance and behaviors of the candidate very
well. Incomplete reference check will lead to high turnover, by
conducting the reference check, the organization can acquire
invaluable facts on the habits and behaviors of the candidate. In
some rare cases a firm can verify the information validity by
administering a polygraph test, the polygraph test or a lie
detector test measures the changes in blood pressure and heartbeat
of a person when he lies
SELECTION DECISION;The most essential step in the selection
process is the decision to accept the candidate. A final selection
will be made based on whether the candidate has succeeded in all
levels of the selection. This will be done after the interviewer
has evaluated the candidate's score in the selection test and the
interview session. Even though the human resources executive is
involved in almost every stage of the selection process, the final
decision will still fall upon the managers who are responsible for
the job performance of the new employee.
MEDICAL CHECK UPS;After the decision to offer employment is
made, the next phase in the selection process is to request the
candidate to undergo a medical examination. Usually, the offer of
employment depends on whether the candidate passes his medical
examination. There are a few reasons for the medical examination,
the medical examination is not only used to determine whether the
candidate's physical ability is compatible with the needs of the
job but also to discover if the candidate has other medical
limitations that the management should consider before taking him
into the organization.36
Medical examination also creates a personal health record for
the employee in order to make health claims in future from the
insurance companies. Besides that, medical examination will also
identify other health problems, reduce the possibility of tardiness
or not showing up for work, or detect other diseases not known by
the candidate.
NOTIFICATION OF RESULT TO THE CANDIDATES;In all organizations,
informing the selection results and issuing letter of employment to
the candidate will be done by the human resources department, if,
at that point of time, the medical examination results is still in
process, then a conditional offer will be issued in which if the
candidate passed the medical examination, he will be offered a
permanent position. It has been also common practice among the
firms, especially the smaller ones, to inform the unsuccessful
candidates of their performance in the selection test as a personal
gesture to maintain the good public image of the firm.
Part Six Training & development37
What is the difference between - Education. - Learning. -
Training. - Development. - Capacity building. Structure and
function in training and development. Human resources training and
development include the planned learning activities systematically
and continuously in the organization. It is meant to give
opportunity to all employees in the organization to equip
themselves with knowledge, skills, capabilities and attitude in
order to fulfill the job requirement currently and in the future.
McLagan (1989) suggested three approaches which can be utilized to
develop human resource and improve effectiveness and productivity
of employees, work groups and organization. Through (training and
development),( career development) and (organizational
development), employees will be equipped with required skills to
meet the standard work performance for now and for the future.
Training is a planned learning process implemented by organization
to provide knowledge, skills and required attitude in order to
carry out the work, and increase current performance. Training
provided to workers need to be related with the current work scope,
so the workers can practice immediately what they have learned as
soon as they get back to their work place. Development generally
can be seen as a learning process to upgrade employees, and not
necessary to be connected with current work scope. Normally
employees would like to improve their career, either with current
or other organization. The organization that sensitive towards
employees' career requirements will provide facilities and
opportunity for the employees to enroll in short term or long term
courses, within their interest and organizations value. For
principle functions human resources management, it can be seen that
training and development, career development and performance
management is part of the functions that need to be carried out by
the organization that want the employee to be efficient and
effective to help to achieve the organization's goals.
Training and development, role and importance.Training plays an
important role to assist the organization to increase the
competitiveness. The main objective in providing training and
development is to provide required efficiency to the workers so
that can upgrade the employees' work performance as well as the
organization. From an effective training, workers can obtain and
increase their knowledge, skills and capabilities and
responsibilities effectively and efficiently. This will increase
the productivity and the organization effectiveness. Training
should be given to the new employees in the organization. The
new38
employees need to know about the organization's policy and
regulations so there will be no problem in the future. They need to
know the system and work instruction so they can work properly.
Other than that, they need to know other employees in the
organization especially the managers, supervisors and colleagues,
and the employees who are from other departments who they need to
work as team. Therefore, the orientation program organized need to
take in the aspects relate to the organization, work scope and
employees. Through the well organized orientation program, new
employees can manage themselves with the organization, work scope,
leaders, other employees as well as the new work environment in a
short time. Training also needs to be given to the potential
employees in their career. In this situation, the identified worker
will be trained and be prepared in knowledge, skill, attitude and
capability when times for promotion. For example, an identified
officer with potentials to be promoted to a manager need to have
higher level of efficiency compared to current level because of the
different duties and responsibilities. Employees who transferred
from one department to another department also need to be trained
so they will understand the new job requirements. Training needs
will arise when there are changes in technology or changes in the
market request. These types of changes may influence and highly
demand in the output process and work system. To ensure customer
requests' are fulfill, organization need to re-evaluate and modify
the output process and existing work system. When the structure and
work system change, the workers who involve will need to be
re-trained. Training need to ensure each worker understands and can
do the work with the new work procedures correctly. Training also
need to be provided when there are other changes in the
organization such as re-structuring, changes in policy and
procedures, new management, implementation of quality management
system, new equipment, etc It is important to ensure the existing
knowledge and skill not outdated and always be improved according
to the individual needs, work requirement and organization
requirement. For example, the organization needs to implement ISO
9002 quality system. To ensure the implementation successful until
the certification, all employees, especially those who involve in
quality work process, need to be trained so they will understand
and support the organization's objective.
The management of training and development.Organization can only
achieve the objectives if the workers can carry out the duties and
responsibilities efficiently and effectively. Therefore, continuous
training and ability to meet requirements of the organization,
individual and work scope is very critical. The main objective for
training and development in the organization is to complete the
workers with efficiency so their work performance and
organizational efficiency can increase every time. For that, the
organization needs those who are knowledgeable, expert and capable
to manage the processes and many activities in39
training and development effectively. Training process involves
a few important steps. Each step need to manage carefully to get
the results expected. The following chart shows the important steps
to be taken in training process. It shows clearly that a trainer in
organization not only organize training programs, but also act as
an organizer, evaluator, designer and also as a counselor. Training
process begins with needs analysis to identify where and whom in
the organization that needs training. Not every problem or lacking
in the organization can be solved via training. Therefore, careful
in evaluation and prioritization for the training gaps need to
solve first After that, suitable programs can be selected to
achieve the objectives which have been set. Preparation for the
materials and required tools, as well as the selection of the
suitable location, selection of experts as facilitators is all
essentials for the implementation
Effective training will generate efficient workers, actually,
training is an investment that can give a positive return to the
organization, if it is organized properly; otherwise, it will
become a burden cost to the organization. If the workers do not
show any difference after the learning process, it will make the
training as a cost to the organization. However, if the workers are
able to utilize what have been learned to increase the quality of
the work, it will be a profitable return.
Knowledge and skills required to manage training
effectively;According to McLagan (1989) 35 types of efficiency was
identified in order to implement the roles as a trainer. These 35
efficiency grouped into four categories (technical- business-
individual skills- and intellectual)40
Technical efficiencies: requires 11 types of knowledge and skill
to manage training process. This efficiencies emphasize on
understanding of theory and adult learning principles, knowledge
and skills in order to identify individual efficiency to implement
their roles and tasks, and able to write the training objectives
and skills to carry out researches Those who play the roles as
researchers, program designers, training material developers,
facilitators, evaluators and advisors, really need these
efficiencies. Example, to be an efficient program designer, a
person need to know how the adult learn, what factor will encourage
them to learn and what are their needs, so the program design will
attract their attention and interests Only after they understand
the needs, they can set the program objectives and start to write
about the program using computer. To