Recruitment
Recruitment (hiring) is a key area within human resources. The process involves many decisions:
Should you hire a full-time employee on a permanent contract?
A full-time employee is likely to have a better skillset, more experience, more loyalty,
and you will have more control over their time. On the other hand, you're taking some risk with
your commitment to this individual, and you will have extra costs (eg paid vacation) to consider. Other options might include: • Fixed-term contracts.
• Part-time employees (eg students, retirees, individuals with children).
• Temporary help ('temps', recruited through an agency).
• Independent contractors and freelancers (who might work off your premises).
• Reorganizing the department to allocate work in a different way.
What job will the new employee do?
There will be certain job skills that the organization needs. If you're replacing an existing
employee, then an exit interview could help to clarify some of the issues. After some analysis you may produce:
• A job description that gives the job title, a summary of the job and a list of the main tasks or duties.
• A person specification that lists the knowledge, experience, qualifications and skills
that you would like a candidate to have. These are often divided into 'essential' and 'desirable specifications'.
How will you attract applicants?
Once you have a job opening, your first thoughts are likely to be internal applicants. If
you don't offer opportunities to existing employees, they're likely to become demotivated and
start looking elsewhere. But if you do need to recruit externally, then you can use a variety of
electronic and print media such as an online posting on a jobs website, or a classified ad (or a
display ad) in a newspaper. You can also use the services of a specialist employment agency,
including headhunting firms for senior managers.
Another source of new recruits is referrals, i.e. suggestions made by colleagues, existing
employees, etc. But beware: a workplace with too many friends results in a group that resists
supervision, covers up for its members, socializes too much, ignores those not in the group, and
causes problems if conflicts arise.
What kind of interview and selection process will there be?
You will begin by asking for and looking through CVs (BrE) or resumes (AmE), unless
you have a special template or application form designed by the company. You will then draw up
a shortlist of candidates and call these people for interview.
At the interview there are a number of stages that you will probably go through:
1 Begin by establishing rapport with the candidate. They will be nervous, and you want
to put them at their ease so that they can answer questions properly. You can also check their
ability to socialize and be friendly.
2 Outline the company background and where the job fits.
3 Encourage the candidate to talk about how their skills and experience are relevant. Ask
open-ended questions and keep the interview moving and on track.
4 Close the interview, and indicate to the candidate the step and the timeframe.
5 Rate the candidate while they're fresh in your mind. Keep a record.
After the interview, and depending on the job, there may be further tests. These can
include practical tests (of manual skills or computing skills) and psychometric tests (eg problem-
solving, decision-making, interpersonal skills). Some large companies have special assessment centers to do these tests.
Finally, before selecting the best candidate and making a job offer, you may want to do
some background checks. At a minimum this involves calling former employers who were. Pay and benefits Performance-related pay
The pros and cons of option 3 above (i.e. performance-related pay), are well-known:
Pros It provides a strong motivation to work well; colleagues know who isn't pulling
their weight and resent it if these people are paid the same.
Cons It creates tension between colleagues; performance may be difficult to measure;
employees stop focusing on quality of work and instead just focus on those factors that affect pay.
It is of course possible to give a bonus to everyone at the end of the year if certain targets
are met, and this overcomes the objection about competition undermining teamwork. Benefits
Benefits, the second area of compensation, are covered in the table below. Many of these
have a minimum level that is required by law, but an option is for the company to offer more.
Annual leave days (paid vacation) Time-off Sick leave benefits
Time off for pregnancy (maternity leave), birth, moving house, etc.
Life insurance - attractive to people with families Private health insurance Insurance
Disability insurance (for serious, permanent injuries that cause long-term loss of income) Pension plan (for
The employer usually sets up the plan and makes payments into it, but the retirement)
employee can also make contributions Workers'
Protection against loss of income (and for medical payments) due to a work- compensation
related injury, accident or illness Car Laptop, mobile device, etc. Fringe benefits Membership of a health club
Employee discount on the company's own products Relocation expenses
Extra benefits offer great flexibility in how you reward employees. Research in the UK
has shown that the most common benefits offered by large companies are employer pension
plans, life insurance, and an increased number of annual leave days. Other popular benefits
include professional development opportunities such as seminars conferences and courses.
Issues in the workplace
Recruitment, salary and benefits are the core areas of human resources (HR). But there
are a whole variety of other workplace issues, both big and small, that HR managers have to deal
with. Small firms often sort these things out informally, but in a large organization a union
representative might become involved. Most of these areas have legal requirements that HR has
to monitor, and the paperwork required for this may be a large part of the work of the HR department. Working hours and overtime
These are usually clear in principle - but what about a situation where there is too much
unpaid, unofficial overtime? And is it always clear whether training and travel count as part of
the job, and whether working lunches count as 'working hours'? HR could become very
unpopular with other managers if it tries to enforce the rules in these areas too strictly. Leave and absence
Again, the principles are clear - but what happens when a sick child needs looking after
for several days? What happens if someone is missing work because of serious personal
problems? What happens if everyone wants to take their holidays at the same time in the summer
and there is no-one left in the office? What happens if it has become the norm for people to leave
work early on Friday afternoon - but now the new CEO doesn't like it and wants HR to do something about it? Health and safety
There are statutory rules in this area, and every company has to maintain minimum levels
of hygiene and comfort. But again there are issues that HR might have to deal with. Do all
factory workers know the health and safety regulations? Are all the procedures being followed?
The answer to the last question is probably ‘no’ in most factories - after some time people start to
cut corners and pay less attention. Remember that if there is a serious workplace accident, then
the employee affected might have a major claim against the company.
Dealing with harassment and bullying
This can begin in very subtle ways - and lead to a large compensation award against you if not dealt with properly. Grievance procedures
An employee may have concerns or complaints about their work, employment terms,
working conditions or relationships with colleagues. If so, they may want to discuss them or
bring them formally to the attention of HR. They will expect HR to address and resolve these
grievances. Is the procedure for doing this clear?
Disciplinary and dismissal procedures
Some types of behaviour - called ‘gross misconduct - are so serious that they’re likely to
lead to dismissal without notice. These might include fighting, fraud, theft, etc. But what
happens if an employee wants to appeal against the decision (‘It wasn’t my fault - he hit me
first...’)? What is the appeals procedure? For other less serious types of behaviour, there may be
a series of warnings given to the employee before dismissal is an issue. How are those warnings given?
Equal opportunities and diversity
Usually there is protection under the law from discrimination on the grounds of sex, race,
ethnic origin, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, religion, age and marital status. But
should the company go one step further and be actively promoting diversity? HR will have to
implement such a policy if it has been decided, and it could well be divisive in the workforce.
Groups that are currently favored will feel threatened, and there might be comments behind
people's backs that, 'they only got the job because they're ...' Work-life balance
Are there opportunities for working flexible hours or job sharing? This might be
important for someone wanting to work from home, or a parent returning to work after a new
baby. If HR creates the precedent that one person
can work from home one day a week, how do
you stop everyone wanting to do it? Whistle-blowing
What happens if an employee sees evidence of fraud or bribery? Is there a procedure for
them to report this confidentially? What happens if they do report it, and then feel they’re being
victimized afterwards for betraying their ' colleagues? What happens if they feel it’s being
covered up by the company, that there is no use reporting it internally, and so they want to make
it public? Increasingly, governments are putting in place legislation to protect whistle - blowers,
and HR will have to enforce this. EXERCISES
1. Fill in the blanks in the sentences below with the words from the list: recruitment,
workforce, probation, outplacement, lay-off, shop floor, fat, lean, over-worked, burned-out.
1. Human resources department are usually responsible for the ______ of new employees.
2. In a factory setting, most employees will work on the _____, where products are produced.
3. All of the employees of a company, when considered together as a group, are often called the company’s _____.
4. When companies are struggling, everyone is expected to work longer hours to ensure the
success. During those times, many people are _____.
5. If a company continues to have problems and is loosing a lot of money, they may need to ______ employees without pay.
6. ______ is a period of time after a person is first hired and is expected to learn and operate
at specified skill level and learn the policy of the new employer.
7. A company grows ____ when it has hired too many people.
8. Executives and high-level workers are sometimes scheduled for ______, meaning that
they are helped with finding a new job after lay-offs.
9. People who have over-worked and have grown quite tired of their work, often say they are _____.
10. Sometimes lay-offs and outplacements are necessary to make the company ____ and more competitive.
2. Complete each two-word phrase in the sentences below with an appropriate word from the
list: appraisal, career, ceiling, harassment, in service, opportunities, redundancies, retirement,
reward, rotation, sharing, simulation, structured, vacant.
1. Training given to employees, often by an external provider, is called _______ training.
2. An interview process where interviewers ask set questions in a fixed order is called a _______ interview.
3. If two people agree to work part time on the same job, dividing the job between them, this is called job- _______
4. An interview or training situation which uses a model of a real situation is called a work _______
5. An interview, usually carried out at regular intervals of perhaps six or twelve months, to
discuss an employee's career progress and achievement of certain targets, is called a performance _______
6. Where a particular post in an organization is held for a set period - for example a year -
by one person and then given to another person, this is called job _______.
7. Different ways of paying or compensating employees for their work and performance are called _______ systems.
8. Unwanted attention in the workplace of a sexual nature, often verbal, physical or
psychological, is called sexual _______.
9. A policy of ensuring that all employees or prospective employees, e.g. job applicants, are
treated fairly, without any regard to gender, race, colour, religion, sexual orientation, age
or beliefs, is called an equal _______ policy.
10. A possible plan showing an individual's job development or changing responsibilities in
a company over time is called a _______ path.
11. The tendency for women to rise to a certain level in a company hierarchy - and then to
find that further promotion is blocked by male prejudice or tradition (often the same
thing) - is sometimes described as encountering a glass__________.
12. Pages in newspapers, magazines or on websites offering employment possibilities are
called situations _______columns.
13. Stopping work before the usual age for a pension is called taking early _______.
14. If a company dismisses workers who do not want to lose their jobs, this is called making compulsory _______.
Discussion topics
1. Describe your company’s recruitment procedure. Is it successful? How could it be improved?
2. How important is pay? Would you work in a creative, satisfying job if the pay wasn't very good?
3. What do you think about performance-related pay?
4. Are you paid what you're worth? Imagine that you're talking to your boss, trying to
persuade them to pay you more. (You've been invited to join another company so you are
speaking from a position of strength.) Explain why they should pay you more.
5. Look at the following list of workplace issues. Which ones are more serious and could lead to dismissal? •
arriving late and leaving early • being drunk at work • bullying and harassment • damage to property • discrimination • failing to follow health and safety procedures • fraud • personal appearance •
personal use of the Internet outside of rest periods • theft • work standards
6. Do you work in HR, or do you know anyone who does? Which parts of the job, besides
recruitment, take up the most time?