Lecture 5

Lecture 5

1. meaning, nature and scope of recruitment

   • formal, structured recruitment can be strategic and can be crucial for improving organisational performance
   • determining requirements involves systematic planning about how business growth can impact staffing levels
     • some business growth can be supplemented with overtime, mechanisation (replace with technology), use of agency staff, and sub-contracts

2. vacancy assessments, job descriptions, person specifications

   • job analysis is used to determine what position will become open, this can be done through obervation, participation and interviews
   • Boswell, R et al (2011) place job seekers into three categories; new entrant, job loser, employed job seeker

3. Recruitment methods

   • Rational approach: very one-way, organisation targets person who will 'fit', assumes organisation is in control, ignores power dynamics and treats candidate as passive
   • Processual approach: two-way process, candidate makes the decisions, organisation must sell itself better, helps reduce unsuitable applicants which saves time and money
     • EG in 2008 Cadbury Shweppes held online chatrooms where people could talk to their current employees
   • Internal recruitment: quick process, cheaper, offers internal career opportunities but also a smaller choice. External recruitment: websites, agencies, newspapers, LinkedIn but more expensive
     • but with the rise of E-recruitment comes the rise of security issues, inefficiency and data privacy
       • Maurer and Liu (2007) found 3 inputs used to design virtual recruitment environments.1)consumer characteristics 2)technical features 3)influence route analysis (focus on peripheral decisions means using more colours, images, but focusing on central decisions means extra information, depends on job!
     • Nestlé have created 'talent puddles' where people spend time sifting through CVs of their current employees like an internal recruitment agency. saves a lot of ££ but how can you keep 120 candidates interested in a post that doesn't exist?
   • Contingency approach: only pay the agency if they find someone to fill your position. good because cheaper, bad because they may prioritise someone else to use resources for. Retained approach: complete opposite, hiring someone exclusively to find you a new employee, expensive but works

4. Selection methods

   • 'classic trio' of application form, interview, references
   • tests such as aptitude (potential) intelligence, attainment (skills), personality, online and work sample
     • assessment centres do all of these but come with a high cost and are time consuming
   • Anthony France, a Sun reporter, went to work as a baggage handler for British Airports, despite all of his information being online they never checked his details, he proceeded to take fake explosive material onto an airline. This extreme example shows the downfalls of not recruiting effectively.