Recruitment, training and human resources for blog

Recruitment and selection is the most familiar role of the Human Resources Department (HR).

However they are responsible for a lot more. We will look at a few tasks of the HR department.

This involves making sure that your workers are well trained to do their job and that you check them every so after to make sure they are.

Training should be linked to the future plans of the business.

There are Health and Safety Laws a business must follow to avoid injury etc.. We will cover this later

In HR they must make sure that all of the laws are being followed.

This involves getting rid of staff because of changes in the business.

Redundancy is when a worker is told to leave their job because they are no longer required within the business.

A dismissal is when a worker loses their job because their work is not good enough for the business. (i.e. The worker is fired.)

HR must make sure that there is effective communication between the management and the workforces (trade unions).

If there is no such communication it could lead to disputes and grievances and also they may not be any opportunities for improvement.

These must attract and retain (keep) the correct staff in the business.

They must also be good enough so that workers will be motivated.

Involves attracting and selecting the best person for the job.

This takes place when a new business is starting up, expanding or somebody leaves their job.

Vacancy Arises Job Analysis Job

Descriptionperson

Specification

Job Advertised

Application Forms and

Short-listingInterviews

and SelectionVacancy

Filled

Very Jittery Diver Spends All Afternoon Sitting In Submarine

Once a vacancy has become available the HR Department will carry out a job analysis.

This is where they will find out what tasks and activities are needed to be carried out by that job.

Once all these details have been collected a Job Description is produced.

So a job descriptions includes all the information gathered from a job analysis.

For example the responsibilities and duties a person must do in a specific job.

BUT what is the purpose of a job description?

So employees know their job roles.

It can help identify if the employee is working effectively. (doing jobs they are supposed to)

Can help to settle disputes.

Helps in the making of a person Specification

This is the next step in the recruitment process. A Job specification outlines all the qualifications, skills and qualities needed for a job.

It is basically the list of requirements for the job.

Person

The next stage is for the company to advertise the vacancy. This can be done in a variety of ways.

For example it could be advertised Internally or Externally.

Which method of advertising do we use? First lets focus on Internal and External Recruitment.

This is when a vacancy is filled from somebody within the business. (an existing employee).

This vacancy is likely to be advertised on a company notice board, staff letter/newspaper or possibly even on an intranet system.

Advantages DisadvantagesIt saves time and money. (Cheaper advertising and easy to organise interviews)

No new ideas or experience come into the business. Other companies may have different ways of working. These ideas can’t be shared if internally recruitment takes place.

The person is already known to the business such as reliability and skills etc.

The person already knows the organisation ways of working and the expectations

Existing employees may become jealous and rivalries may occur if they do not get promoted.It can be motivating for other

employees to see their fellow staff being promoted.

This is when a vacancy is filled from somebody outside of the business.

They are not currently an existing employee.

For external recruitment an advertisement must be made this can be done in a number of ways.

The following methods of advertisement can be used for external recruitment:

-Local Newspapers-National Newspapers-Specialist Magazines-Specialist Websites-Recruitment Agencies-Government Agencies (Job Centre)

It is vital that a company uses the correct method of advertising a job. If they do not, they will get the wrong people apply for the job which will waste time and money.

They will then have to re-advertise the same job.

When advertise for a job all government legislation must be followed. (Equal Opportunities) we will do this later

Once the method of advertisement has been chosen, the HR department must decide on the following:

-What should be included in the advert. This will be the duties involved, qualifications required, salary, conditions of employment and how to apply for the job.

-Where the advert should be placed. This depends upon the vacancy that needs to be filled.

-How much the advertising cost? Can the company afford to pay the

advertising costs. Is there any cheaper alternatives.

A job advert will usually request a person to apply in writing. This can be done by an application form or CV.

An CV is a summary of a person’s qualifications, experience and qualities. A CV will usually be sent along with a covering letter.

A CV will be well laid out and clear and will include the following information:

-Name, address, telephone number, date of birth.

-Education and qualifications-Work experience and positions of

responsibilities-Interests, name and address of referees.

.

The covering letter will include why the applicant wants the job and why they are best suited to the job they are applying for.

The business will then review all application before deciding upon a shortlist. The people on the shortlist will be the best matched to job and will be invited for an interview.

Once the referees of the shortlisted candidates have given reference to the applicants an interview will take place.

This is the most common form of selection, however it doesn’t always mean the right person for the job is selected.

The main purpose of an interview is to assess in the shortest time possible:

-The applicant’s ability to do the job.-Personal qualities-General character and personality of the person.

It is always best to go through some common questions that may be asked before going for an interview.

Can you think of any common questions that may be asked?

Interviews can be one to one or may involve a panel of people. A panel of people is generally used for senior positions.

Some business include tests at this stage. These could be:

- skills tests- aptitude tests,- personality tests- group situation tests.

1) A person who sits with their arms and legs crossed and their head down. No eye contact with the interview panelMessage to interview panel: "I'm scared and nervous"

A person who slouches in their seat, with their legs outstretched, their hands in their pockets, looking out of window.Message to interview panel: "I'm not interested and bored"

Sitting straight up in seat, arms resting in lap, looking straight at interviewer (eye contact) and smiling.

Message to interview panel: " I'm interested and alert"

Leaning forward and stabbing a finger at the interviewer. Angry expression on face.

Message to interview panel: "I'm aggressive"

When a business offers training to their staff it should have clear objectives as to what they want to achieve. Training is often needed to:

-Introduce a new process or equipment.-Improve the efficiency of the workforce-Improve unskilled workers-Decrease supervision-Improve the opportunity for promotion-Decrease the chances of accidents.

There are three main types of training. These are:

-Induction Training-On-the-job training-Off-the-Job Training

This is given to new employees. It explains the companies activities, customs, procedures and introduces them to their fellow workers.

Look at the case study example on page 226.

This is where a person is trained by watching an experienced worker doing the job.

This allows for individual tuition and as it is in the workplace the employee doesn’t have to be sent elsewhere.

However it will lead to a decrease in productivity and any bad habits may be passed on.

This is where the worker is taken away from the place they work. This could be a separate building, a training room, college or specialist training centre.

These use various techniques to teach new skills, which allows for a wider range of skills to be taught.

A business may lose the worker during the time of training as well as having to pay for the course. However with greater skills it allows for staff to become more versatile within the business.

Workforce planning is establishing the workforce needed by the business for the foreseeable future in terms of the number and skills required.

When this has been decided the human resources department can plan