Lesson 1 Introduction to Recruitment and Selection PDF

LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION TO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION Human Resource Management involves a process of enabling the organization to have the right people, doing the right job at the right time. This is in line with the challenges facing managers in staffing organizations. It is about planning f...

LESSON 1 INTRODUCTION TO RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION Human Resource Management involves a process of enabling the organization to have the right people, doing the right job at the right time. This is in line with the challenges facing managers in staffing organizations. It is about planning for the number and quality of employees required under different job categories and ensuring that staffing processes such as recruitment, selection, placement, promotions, transfers, and downsizing are effective. The personnel or Human Resources Department has to initiate the system, process, techniques, and tools of individual, teams, and organizational performance measurement. It has to ensure that performance targets for individuals, teams, sections, and departments are set and agreed upon, and measures to address performance gaps are in place and are working. This is not an easy task because it requires a value judgment about employees. Indeed, there are no other personnel management areas that make personnel officers more uncomfortable and unpopular than the appraisal function. This is because whatever process or tool to use to appraise staff and reward them accordingly, there is always tacit or explicit dissatisfaction from staff based on the feelings that such decisions were biased. Progress has been made towards improving staff appraisal systems, which will be covered later under performance management. A change in customer taste, fashion, and quality of goods to reflect their purchase price puts more pressure on the organizations to get the best out of their production systems, processes, and employees. This could only be achieved by getting the best people from the labor market, developing, rewarding, and ensuring that they are committed to high-quality service to the organization. In order to achieve these objectives, an enabling environment for employee creativity and innovation became a necessity. This new demand impacted recruitment and selection criteria, staff development and reward systems, and the roles of personnel specialists vis-à-vis line managers in personnel management functions. The personnel's role had to change from that of a doer of personnel functions to that of a partner in providing support services to other departments to perform personnel functions. The competition was also intensified by the organizations that could adopt and adapt flexible specialization technologies to meet customer needs and expectations. The organizations' implications had fewer but better-trained people, flexible to cope with rapid technological changes. Continuous learning and adaptation based on teams became a natural area of focus on people management. Information technology destroyed the knowledge monopoly. The power of knowledge became how best to use it, rather than who owns it.  The major issue was how personnel management functions could impact the functional level, as part of supporting other departments, and being part of business strategy. Human Resource managers had to become partners in the business. As part of improving employees' utilization, a more rigorous method of assessing employees' performance about rewards was also developed. The introduction of performance management systems and reward systems based on performance was an indication of changes in Human Resources management practices. One of the main functions of Human Resources is Recruitment and Selection. Effective recruitment is a process that involves exploration, and that will require specialized methods and techniques, short of which no 'discovery’ of potential people for the job can be made. Usually, recruitment and selection depend on the organization's policy, guiding recruitment and selection. The recruitment and selection process starts with organization analysis. This is the process of evaluating the total organization, its objectives, human resources, effectiveness, and internal environment. The most useful data and information obtained from the corporate strategic plan or human resources strategy if available. Other resources are monthly or quarterly reports, management meeting decisions, government policies, and laws, market trends, and global patterns. The next step is job analysis. This is the process of analyzing and listing the tasks included in the job, all the steps taken to perform the different tasks, and all the requirements the respective task put upon the jobholder. The data on the nature of the job and requirements can be obtained from the available human resources manuals, job descriptions, making inquiries from departmental and section managers or supervisors, the person doing the job and moving around to observe how the job is done. The final step is individual analysis. This involves performance appraisal of individuals doing the job in order to compare individual knowledge, skills, and competence requirements in relation to the job objectives and possible potential for development. Definition of Recruitment and Selection Recruitment and selection refer to the process of attracting and choosing candidates for employment. – Business Dictionary. Recruitment is the process of pooling manpower at the right time, right qualifications, and sufficient numbers to attain the organization's needs. Recruitment is understood as the process of searching and obtaining a pool of potential candidates with the desired knowledge, skills, and experience to allow an organization to select the most appropriate people to fill job vacancies against defined position descriptions and specifications. The purpose of recruitment is to find the widest pool of applicants to provide the greatest opportunity to select the best people for the required roles in an organization. Acquiring the best applicant for the role can be a competitive advantage for the company or organization. Likewise, ineffective recruitment or selection can result from working disruption, reduced productivity, interpersonal difficulties, hamper operation, poor customer service, and long- term costs. Once a pool candidate has been identified through the recruitment process, the most appropriate candidate or candidates are identified through the selection process, including but not limited to interviewing, testing, and reference checking so as to eliminate those who are not qualified for the job. The Human Resource or Personnel Department of larger businesses often have detailed recruitment and selection policies that should be followed and responsible for hiring new employees. Recruitment and selection is a process of potential pooling candidates with possible knowledge and skills and choosing from the pool of candidates by using specific instruments that will succeed in the job given management goals and legal requirements. The recruitment and selection of employees are fundamental to organizations' functioning, and there are compelling reasons for getting it right. Inappropriate selection decisions reduced organizational effectiveness, invalidate reward, and development strategies, are frequently unfair on the individual recruit, and can be distressing for the superiors who have to deal with unsuitable employees. Recruitment and selection play an important role in ensuring worker performance and positive organizational results. It is often claimed that selection workers occur not just to replace departing employees or add to the workforce but rather aims to put in place workers who can perform at a high level and demonstrate commitment. Recruitment and selection form a core part of the central activities underlying human resource management: namely, the acquisition, development, and rewards of workers. It frequently forms an important part of the work of human resources managers or designated specialists within work organizations. However, and importantly, recruitment and selection decisions are often for a good reason taken by a non-specialist, by the line managers. Therefore, there is an important sense in which it is the responsibility of all managers and where the human resource department exists. It may be that the HR manager plays more of a supporting advisory role to those people who will supervise or, in order for ways to work with the new employee. The role of Recruitment and Selection is important in shaping the effectiveness and future performance of the organizations. If recruiters would acquire workers who already possess relevant knowledge, skills, and ability, this will shorten the training process and save time and money. Recruiting individuals to fill positions is the most critical HR management function undertaken whether the person is being recruited from within or outside the organization. Committed, motivated, and qualified employees will help an organization achieve its suppose and goals. The recruitment process begins by defining the job, seeking a pool qualified individual, selecting the best individual for the position, and finally orienting the individual to the position and to the organization (if the individual is hired from outside the organization). When an organization hires, promotes, or transfers an employee, it is making a commitment to the person. As such, an organization is obligated to ensure that the individual has all reasonable opportunities to perform the job satisfactorily; the goal is to recruit, select, and orient the organization's most suitable individuals. Employee resourcing is characterized, however, by potential difficulties given the wide selection methods. For instance, interviewing is generally perceived to be unreliable as a predictor of jobholder’s performance in reality. Thus, it is critically important to obtain a realistic evaluation of the process from all concerned, including both successful and unsuccessful candidates. Recognizing the Power of Perception in Recruitment and Selection The quality of accuracy of our perception will have a major impact on our response to a situation. Much data is suggesting that when we perceive other people, particularly in an artificial and time-constrained situation like a job interview, we can make a key mistake, sometimes a subliminal level. Therefore, one key to enhancing effectiveness in recruitment and selection lies in an appreciation of some core principles of interpersonal perception and, in particular of some common potential mistakes. Selective Perception Our brains cannot process all of the information which our senses pick up, so we instead select particular objects or aspects of people for attention. We furthermore attribute positive or negative characteristics to the stimuli: 'halo' and horns effect. For example, an interviewee who has a stain of coffee on their clothes, but is otherwise well presented, may have difficulty creating a positive overall impression despite the fact that it might be their desire for the new job that resulted in nervousness clumsiness. Self-Centered Bias A recruiter should avoid evaluating a candidate by reference herself or himself because this may be irrelevant to the post in question and run the risk of a clone effect in changing the business environment. The sentence like 'I was like you five years or more ago” may be damaging in a number of respects and should not be a basis for employment in most of the situations. Early Information Bias We often heard about apocryphal stories of interview panels, making very early decisions on candidates' suitability and spending the remaining time confirming the decision. Mythical, though, some of these tales may be their danger of over prioritizing early events. A candidate who has tipped over when entering an interview room may thus genuinely be putting themselves at a disadvantage. Stereotyping This is a common shortcut to understanding an individual's attributes, which is a difficult and time-consuming process; we are all unique and complex individuals, which means one differs. The logic of stereotyping attributes individuals' characteristics to those of the group they belong to. Stereotypes may contain elements of truth; on the other hand, they may be entirely false since we are all unique. Everyone is different from everyone else. Stereotyping may be well irrelevant, therefore if acted on, also discriminatory. Attracting Candidates Attracting candidates is primarily a matter of identifying, evaluating, and using the most appropriate sources for getting applicants. However, in case there are difficulties in getting the right applicants, there might be a need to conduct organizational analysis. It is important to know your organization's strengths and weaknesses, including reputation, pay, employee benefits and working employment, career prospects, etc. Good Selection Practice The detailed job description and job specification prepared in advance and endorse by personnel and line management. Trained Selectors Determine tools to be used for selection Check competency of Recruitment specialist Involve line managers at all stage Validate procedures Help the appointed candidates to succeed by training and development management The importance of Recruitment and Selection for HR Professional 1. Determine the present and future requirements for manpower planning and job analysis activities. 2. Increase the success rate of the selection process by eliminating under- qualified or over-qualified applicants. 3. To reduce recruitment costs that may arise as a result of poor selection. 4. Increase organizational effectiveness by employing qualified and competent hands that can meet the requirement of the organization. 5. Identify and prepare potential job applicants. 6. Evaluate the effectiveness of different recruitment techniques. Recruitment Goals 1. Attract qualified applicants. The primary goal of recruitment is to select qualified applicants who possess the necessary knowledge and skills to fill the positions needed in organizations. 2. Encourage unqualified applicants to self-select themselves out. Encouraging unqualified applicants would help the company save time and resources since recruiters will only choose from the qualified applicants who undergo the pre-screening process. Recruitment Process ORGANIZATIONS APPLICANTS Receive Education Vacancy or New and choose Education Position Search for Job Evaluate Candidate via Openings Selection Process Acquire Employment Generate candidate and Experience pool through Internal or Apply for Jobs External Recruitment Methods Impress Company during Selection Impress Candidates Process Make Offer Evaluate jobs and companies Accept or reject the job offer. Different Career Paths Toward and Professional Associations Involved in Recruitment and Selection Practices Recruitment Assistant Recruitment Assistant plays an important role in the recruitment process. They work closely with recruitment specialists and recruitment managers and provide major support services. A recruitment assistant is in charge of finding the most qualified candidates for job openings. A recruitment assistant can work in major recruiting companies and agencies or in every company that has a Human Resources Department. Recruitment Assistant is entry-level employees, and their duties may include administrative tasks and also specific recruitment activities. The advancement prospects are quite high; with hard work and extensive knowledge on the recruitment process, recruitment assistants can become Specialists. Recruitment Specialist Responsible for screening, interviewing, and placing workers, as well as keeping up to date on local hiring laws and regulations. It can also find work in a variety of areas, including health care, employment services government agencies. The recruitment specialist must be organized and detail-oriented. The individual must have excellent oral and written communication skills. Additionally, computer and Internet proficiency is important. The Recruitment Specialist must be able to work well independently but must also work as part of a team. Knowledge of hiring laws is vital. Recruitment Supervisor They supervise the activities of the employment department. They oversee a company's recruiting programs, policies, and procedures. A level I supervisor is considered a working supervisor with little authority for personnel actions. May require a bachelor's degree in the area of specialty. Familiar with a variety of the field's concepts, practices, and procedures. Relies on extensive experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks, and a wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected. Typically reports to a manager or head of a unit/department. Recruitment Manager The Recruitment Manager does not interview job applicants. The manager has no directly assigned job vacancies. The manager manages and leads the recruitment process and the overall utilization of HR Recruiters. Additionally, the manager is fully responsible for the development of the recruitment process and the implementation of recruitment innovations. The manager solves all issues evolving during hiring job vacancies and takes all managerial decisions.  The Recruitment Manager dedicates most of the working time to have the development of the recruitment process. The manager has to meet with internal clients on a regular basis as the potential gaps are identified and researched. The manager provides regular feedback to HR Recruiters and internal clients. The Recruitment Manager is responsible for the full utilization of social media recruitment and the entire social media communication of HR. The manager should decide about the targeted niches and the content of the social media messages. Proactive social media usage should be one of the most important KPIs. The Recruitment manager can be promoted into the general HR Management job position or can specialize in a different HR area as an experienced specialist. Key Responsibilities of the Recruitment Manager Designs, develop and maintain the recruitment process in the organization (including its description, recruitment measurement definitions, regular measurement reporting, taking proper actions to close gaps) Designs the selection matrix choosing the optimum recruitment channel and recruitment source Explores the market best practices in the recruitment and staffing and implement appropriate best practices in the organization Builds a quality relationship with the internal customers and external recruitment agencies Monitors and constantly reduces the costs of the recruitment process Sets the social media communication strategy for different job profiles and functions in the organization Conducts job interviews for the managerial job positions (or key job in the organization) Monitors the labor legislation and implements required changes to keep the process compliant Manages and develop the team of HR Recruiters  Acts as a single point of contact for managers regarding recruitment topics Designs training recruitment for HR Recruiters and line manager Strategic Recruiting Strategy Flexible Staffing Description 1. Regular Employment Regular employment is continuous, predictable, and scheduled employment of six months or longer. 2. Full-Time Consist of a regular schedule with 40 hours a week. 3. Part-Time Consist of a regular schedule with 40 hours below in a week. 4. Contractual Performs service in which employment is based on contract and usually below six months. 5. Independent had performed specific service on a contract basis used Contractors in a number of areas. 6. Temporary workers This is based on the concept of trying it before you buy it. Such firms supply workers on a rate per day per week basis. 7. Seasonal Employee Seasonal employees are hired to work on a part-time basis by companies that need extra help during a particular season, typically the Christmas season. Ethical Considerations When Hiring New Employees There are ethical issues around selecting appropriate and, by implication rejecting inappropriate candidates for employment. Many organizations seek to employ people who will fit in with their organization's culture; however, this may be perfectly understandable and carries important ethical overtones, for example, whether an employing organization should be involved in shaping an individual's identity. Recruitment and selection are one area where it is possible to distinguish policies and practices associated with critical success factors and performance differentiators, which in turn, impact organizational effectiveness in significant ways. It is important to not discriminate employees by not hiring them because of one’s sexual orientation or by offering a different pay rate for similar work due to gender differences. Organizations should ensure that differences in wages when offered are being made based on the concept of skill, effort, responsibility, seniority systems where unions exist.