21: Developing an effective workforce: recruitment, selection and training.

Question 1

Recruitment and selection process:

Answer 1

How a business chooses the best candidate for a vacancy it has identified.

Question 2

Job description

Answer 2

A summary of the main duties and responsibilities associated with an identified job. This should include:

• The job title.
• The position in the business including the job title of the person the employee reports to and of those who report to them, if any.
• The location of the job.
• A summary of the general nature and objectives of the job.
• A list of the main duties or tasks of the employee.

Question 3

Person specification

Answer 3

Identifies the skills, knowledge and experience a successful applicant is likely to have.

• Knowledge: the level of education and/or of a more job specific nature.
• Experience of the type f work involved.
• Skills: practical, interpersonal, managerial, etc.

Question 4

Why might job vacancies occur in a business?

Answer 4

1. Promotion. The post-holder gets a job higher up the organisational structure (internal recruitment) or with another organisation (external recruitment).
2. Expansion. Creating new jobs which did not exist before.
3. Natural wastage. The post-holder might retire, move away or retrain for another career.

Question 5

Internal recruitment

Answer 5

Candidates selected from inside the organisation.

1. Promotion/transfer.
2. Internal advertisement.
3. Personal recommendation.

Question 6

External recruitment

Answer 6

Candidates selected from outside the organisation.

1. Job advertisements
2. Recruitment agencies
3. Personal recommendation
4. Job centres

Question 7

Benefits of internal recruitment:

Answer 7

• Cheapest option: very low advertising cost, and limited time taken to complete the process.
• Promotion/varied job opportunities can be used to motivate employees.

Question 8

Drawbacks of internal recruitment:

Answer 8

• Another vacancy may be created as a result which man then require external recruitment.
• Ideas generation may stagnate due to lack of ‘new blood’ in the organisation. Employees staying too long can be as much of a problem as staff leaving too quickly.

Question 9

Benefits of external recruitment:

Answer 9

• A bigger choice of alternative candidates, making it more likely that the best person will be selected to meet the specifications of the post.
• New ideas and perspectives may be brought to the business.

Question 10

Drawbacks of external recruitment:

Answer 10

• Can be a very expensive and time-consuming process, particularly for a small business. The use of recruitment consultants is very expensive.
• Induction training will be needed for employees new to the company which is an additional cost.

Question 11

Which method is best: internal or external recruitment?

Answer 11

Different for every business.The best alternative may be influenced by the circumstances such as the available budget, or the location of the firm.

Question 12

Methods of selection definition:

Answer 12

Ways in which businesses recruit the best candidate for an identified vacancy. These can be internal or external to the organisation and will depend uptown the time available, the budget available and the specialist skills available in the organisation.

Question 13

Methods of selection:

Answer 13

• Interview.
• Presentations.
• Work samples.
• Peer assessment.
• Assessment centres.
• Psychometric tests.

Question 14

Factors to take into consideration when deciding which methods of selection to use:

Answer 14

• How much time is available for the selection process.
• How much money is available for selection?
• Is a recruitment and selection specialist available?

Question 15

Training

Answer 15

Giving employees the knowledge, skills and techniques necessary to fulfil the requirements of a job.

Question 16

Induction training

Answer 16

is given as an initial preparation upon taking up a post. Its goal is to help new employees reach the level of performance expected from an experienced worker.

Question 17

Off-the-job training:

Answer 17

Away from the place of work, for example at a training centre or collage.

Question 18

Advantages of off-the-job training:

Answer 18

• The use of specialist trainers and accommodation. This would not be financially viable for smaller businesses to provide in-house.
• Employees focused on training and not distracted by work.
• Opportunity to mix with employees from other businesses can be a great support for those who might have sole responsibility for a particular area in their place of work.

Question 19

Disadvantages of off-the-job training:

Answer 19

• Employees need to be motivated to learn, particularly if the training is undertaken in their own time.
• It may not be directly relevant to the employee’s job because the training may have to cover a wide range of jobs - it may be too general.
• Costs (transport, course fees, examination fees, materials, accommodation) can make off-the-job training beyond the financial resources of smaller businesses.

Question 20

On-the-job training:

Answer 20

Learning by doing the job, under the guidance of an experienced member of staff or external trainer.

Question 21

Advantages of on-the-job training:

Answer 21

• Training an employee in their own working environment, with equipment they are familiar with and people they know can help them gain direct experience to a standard approved by the employer.
• Employees may find that they have more confidence to use equipment if they are supervised and guided as they feel they are doing the job right.
• Employees may feel moe at ease being taught or supervised by people they know rather than complete strangers.
• Productive, as the employee is still working as they are learning.
• Opportunities to get to know staff they might not normally talk to.
• It can be much more cost effective than off-the-job training because it is very specific to the requirements of the job.

Question 22

Disadvantages of on-the-job training:

Answer 22

• Training a person requires skill and knowledge, without which the training may not be done to a sufficient standard.
• The trainer may possess bad habits and pass these on to the employee being trained.