Choosing the Right Employee (Cambridge (CIE) O Level Business Studies)

The Employee Recruitment Process

• The recruitment and selection process details the steps a business takes when bringing new employees into a business

• A manager or HR employee is usually nominated to manage the application process

  • This person (possibly together with others) will draw up a shortlist of candidates from the applications received

  • The shortlist is a list of candidates who are invited to interview or asked to complete an assessment tas

Diagram: stages in the recruitment process

Step 1: Defining the role

• Businesses should determine exactly what is required and part of that is developing a job description and a person/job specification

  • A job specification (sometimes known as a person specification) outlines the qualifications, skills, experience, and personal qualities required from a candidate for a specific job e.g. problem solver, good communicator, able to code in Java etc.

  • A job description outlines the duties, responsibilities, and requirements of a particular job

Comparison of the Person Specification and Job Description 

Step 2: Identifying the source of required employees

• Internal recruitment involves a business promoting or redeploying workers that already work for them

  • Internal recruitment can be beneficial as it encourages employee development, builds morale and can save time and money on training

• External recruitment involves bringing in new workers from outside of the business

  • External recruitment can bring fresh ideas, experiences and perspectives to the organization

 Step 3: Advertising the role

• Roles may be advertised internally or externally

  • If the business is seeking an internal candidate business newsletters, staff noticeboards or internal email can be used to display job advertisements

    • Line managers may be asked to recommend suitable candidates following appraisals

  • External candidates can be targeted with advertisements in newspapers, industry magazines, specialist recruitment websites, agencies and government-run agencies

    • Existing employees may be asked to nominate people they know for roles - sometimes they receive a reward of their nominee is successfully recruited

    • Headhunting can be used to fill high level roles

    • Businesses with a strong social media presence can use these platforms to advertise cost effectively e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok

    • Specialist recruitment portals may be used to advertise

      • These tend to be expensive but target specific groups of potential applicants

      • E.g. The Times Educational Supplement is one of the main publications in the UK used to recruit teaching staff

Step 4: Receiving applications

• The business may accept applications from candidates via Curriculum Vitae (CV) and covering letter or application form

• A curriculum vitae should be well laid out and clear and usually contains the following details:

  • Name and contact details

  • Qualifications and work experience

  • Positions of responsibility

  • Interests

  • The names and addresses of referees

• The accompanying letter of application should outline

  • Why the applicant wants the job

  • Why they would be suitable for the advertised role

• Application forms are often preferred in place of a CV

  • They usually ask for the same information as the CV

  • Sometimes further information that is specific to the job is requested

  • Applications from a selection of candidates can be easily compared

  • Many application forms are now completed online

Comparison of Application Methods

The Employee Selection Process

Step 5: Selection

• Once candidates have submitted their applications and the business has shortlisted suitable candidates, a variety of methods can be used to select the right worker for the role

Interviews

• Interviews are commonly used to meet with candidates

  • They usually include a face to face, telephone or online discussion between a manager and the candidate about their suitability for the role

  • It is important to prepare a set of relevant questions to ask all candidates and to ensure that the interview is conducted in a fair and consistent manner

  • Interview questions may focus on 

    • Skills and experiences that are relevant to the job

    • Successes and failures - and how these were overcome

    • Personal interests and experiences
      

Selection tests

• Candidates may be asked to undergo a test to demonstrate their skills and suitability for the job

• Candidates may be asked to complete tests individually or within groups to assess how they may work as part of a team

• The different types of tests may include:

  • Skills tests (e.g. numeracy) show the ability of candidates to carry out certain tasks

  • Aptitude tests show the candidate’s potential to improve or increase their skills

  • Intelligence tests are used to assess the candidate’s ability to work at a desired level

  • Personality tests are used to identify desired characteristics or traits such as the ability to work effectively in a team

Recommending Which Applicant to Employ

• The final decision of which applicant to employ depends on several factors

• Even when a suitable candidate is identified the business will need to think about whether it can finalise their appointment 

  • Can the business fulfil the applicant's pay and conditions demands?

  • Can appropriate fringe benefits be offered?

  • Are attractive development opportunities available to the applicant?
     

Factors used to Select the Best Applicant

Choosing between two different applicants

• A small children's bookshop business has received two applications for its advertised sales assistant role

• The shop owner is keen to select a knowledgeable candidate who is capable of delivering good customer service, communicating effectively with its (often young) customers and being willing to support administrative tasks such as banking cash

• Which of these two applicants would likely be appointed?

Applicant analysis

• Amira scored better in the assessment tests. She was nearly 20% better in communication

• Amira has had two weeks experience of working with kids, which will suit this role nicely

• Amira also has a first aid qualification, which is a useful skill when working with kids

• Overall, Amira is a better fit for the role advertised