UNIVERSITY OF ELDORET

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS AND MANAGEMENT SCIENCE

DEPARTMENT OF BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
COURSE OUTLINE
Academic Year 2018/19 Sem: 1 Yr: 2 Starting 3/9/2018
Course Code: BBM 203 Course Title: Human Resource Management
Lecturers Name: mr Maina-0729 024288 Benjamin Sang- 0721878090

Purpose of the Course

The purpose of this course is to expose the students to foundational concepts and principles of
Human Resource Management, which are critical for a rapidly dynamic and highly competitive
global business environment. Throughout the course, the role of Human Resource Management
in creating conducive work environment for enhanced employee productivity will be stressed.

Course Objectives
By the end of this course the students should be able to:
i. Explain the basic concepts of Human Resource Management
ii. Discuss the key functions of Human Resource Management
iii. Explain the practical application of Human Resource Management at the work place

Course Content
Week 1: Meaning and nature of human resource management-DONE
Definitions, nature, features, importance, scope, objectives, concepts, advantages, disadvantages
Week 2: Manpower Planning -DONE
Definition, nature, man power planning requirements, Comparison: required Vs available,
Outcomes: management of shortage Vs surplus
Week 3: Planning the Advert-DONE
Advertisement channel options available, Key factors to consider when designing an advert
Week 4: Recruitment and selection- DONE
Job analysis, Job description, Person specifications, Sources of recruitment, Methods of
recruitment, Importance of selection, the selection process (leading to Interviews)

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Week 5: Interviews
Types of interviews, Preparation for interviews, Conducting Interviews, Preparation by the
candidate, the interview session, other selection tests
Week 6: CAT 1
Week 7: Introduction to the Post and the Organization
Reporting date, Arrival and reception, Orientation, Mentoring new employees, Organization
culture Vs new employees
Week 8: Training and Development
Training, Education, Development, Importance of training, the training process, of performance
appraisal, Performance Appraisal procedure, Benefits of Performance Appraisal
Week 9: Employee Compensation
Definition, Theories of compensation, Determination of pay rates

Week 10: CAT 2

Week 11: Redundancy, Rationalization and Retirement
Causes of Separation, Management of redundancy, rationalization and retirement
Week 12: Counseling
Importance of counseling at the work place, Pre-retirement counseling, Outplacement counseling,
Counseling on employee lifestyle issues eg diet, drinking etc, Employee Assistance
Programs/plans
Week 13: Health and Safety
The meaning of workplace health and safety, Need for workplace health and safety, Enforcement
of workplace health and safety

Mode of Delivery
The course will be delivered through lectures, group discussions, peer/presentations, question and
answer methods.
Instructional/ Learning Resources
White/ black boards/ felt pen, lap top, text books and journals.

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Assessment
Sit-in C.A.Ts 20%
Term papers/Assignments 10%
CAT Total 30%
End of semester exam 70%
Total 100%

References:
1. Armstrong, M. (2009). Armstrongs Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice.
11th Ed. London, Kogan Page
2. Armstrong, M. (2001). A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 8th Ed.
London, Kogan Page
3. Dessler, G. (2000). Human Resource Management. Upper Saddle River, Prentice Hall
4. Graham, H.T. and Bennett, R. (1998). Human Resource Management. 9th Ed. Essex,
Pearson Education Limited
5. Dessler, G. (1997). Human Resource Management. 7th Ed. Upper Saddle River, Prentice
Hall
6. Graham, H.T. and Bennett, R. (1995). Human Resource Management. 8th Ed. London,
Longman Group

NB; It would also be helpful if you can buy the following text books for your own Library:
1. Human Resource Management by N.A Saleemi, 2010 Edition
2. Human Resource Management Theory and Practice by John Bratton and Jaffrey Gold, 3rd
Edition.

hillamaina@gmail.com benjaminsang05@gmail.com

DEFINITION, CONCEPT AND NATURE OF HRM

Introduction

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Human resource management was previously known as personnel management which was
concerned with the activities of a single department. It was typically concerned with the
administration of human. The functions carried out by the department were recruitment and
selection, reward, appraisal, development, grievance handling, retirement, registration and so
forth. It was introduced and developed in the bureaucratic set up in which importance was given
on organization and administration of manpower
Definition of Human Resource Management
Edwin Flippo, defines...HRM as the process of planning, organizing, directing and controlling of
procurement ,development ,compensation ,integration, maintenance and separation of human
resources to the end that individual, organization and societal objectives are achieved.
It is the process of procuring, developing and maintaining competent human resources in the
organization so that the goals of an organization are achieved in an effective and efficient manner.
Human Resource Management has come to be recognized as an inherent part of management,
which is concerned with the human resources of an organization? Its objective is the maintenance
of better human relations in the organization by the development, application and evaluation of
policies, procedures and programs relating to human resources to optimize their contribution
towards the realization of organizational objectives.
In other words, HRM is concerned with getting better results with the collaboration of people. It
is an integral but distinctive part of management, concerned with people at work and their
relationships within the enterprise. HRM helps in attaining maximum individual development,
desirable working relationship between employees and employers, employees and employees, and
effective modeling of human resources as contrasted with physical resources. It is the recruitment,
selection, development, utilization, compensation and motivation of human resources by the
organization.
Human resources may be defined as the total knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and
aptitudes of an organizations workforce, as well as the values, attitudes, approaches and beliefs of
the individuals involved in the affairs of the organization. It is the sum total or aggregate of
inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills represented by the talents and aptitudes of the
persons employed in the organization.
The human resource resources are multidimensional in nature. From the national point of view,
human resources may be defined as the knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and aptitudes
obtained in the population; whereas from the viewpoint of the individual enterprise, they represent
the total of the inherent abilities, acquired knowledge and skills as exemplified in the talents and
aptitudes of its employees.
These aspects include: Conducting job analyses (determining the nature of each employees
job),Planning labour needs and recruiting job candidates, Selecting job candidates, Orienting and
training new employees, Managing wages and salaries (how to compensate employees),Providing
incentives and benefits., Appraising performance, Communicating (interviewing, counseling,
disciplining) and safety policy, Implementing the organizations safety policy, Training and
developing, Planning and developing, Planning for the effects of change on staff, Building

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employee commitment and creating conditions for high morale, Implementing grievance and
disciplinary machinery and Negotiating with employee representatives.
A manager is one who exercises authority and leadership over other personnel; the president of a
firm is certainly a manager, and so also is the department head or supervisor. On the other hand,
an operative is one who has no authority over others but has been given a specific task or duty to
perform under managerial supervision. Thus, the human resource manager is a manager and as
such must perform the basic function. Yet a comprehensive definition of human resource
management much includes also the operative functions in the field.
Nature of Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management involves management functions like planning, organizing, directing
and controlling
 It involves procurement, development, maintenance of human resource
 It helps to achieve individual, organizational and social objectives
 Human Resource Management is a multidisciplinary subject. It includes the study of
management, psychology, communication, economics and sociology.
 It involves team spirit and team work.
 It is a continuous process.
Why Is Human Resource Management Important to All Managers? Why are these concepts and
techniques important to all managers? Perhaps it's easier to answer this by listing some of the
personnel mistakes you don't want to make while managing. For example, you don't want to:
Hire the wrong person for the job
 Experience high turnover
 Have your people not doing their best
 Waste time with useless interviews
 Have your company taken to court because of discriminatory actions
 Have your company cited under federal occupational safety laws for unsafe practices
 Have some employees think their salaries are unfair and inequitable relative to others in
the organization
 Allow a lack of training to undermine your department's effectiveness
 Commit any unfair labor practices
Features of Human Resource Management
Human Resource Management is a process of bringing people and organizations together so that
the goals of each are met. The various features of HRM include:
It is pervasive in nature as it is present in all enterprises.
Its focus is on results rather than on rules.

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 It tries to help employees develop their potential fully.
It encourages employees to give their best to the organization.
It is all about people at work, both as individuals and groups.
It tries to put people on assigned jobs in order to produce good results.
It helps an organization meet its goals in the future by providing for competent and well-
motivated employees.
It tries to build and maintain cordial relations between people working at various levels in the
organization.
It is a multidisciplinary activity, utilizing knowledge and inputs drawn from psychology,
economics, etc.
Scope of human resource management:
1. Manpower planning means determining the number and kind of personnel required to fill
various positions in the organizations.
2. Recruitment, selection, placement of personnel.
3. Training and development of employees.
4. Performance appraisal of the employees.
5. Motivating the employees by providing them proper financial and non financial incentives.
6. Social and welfare security of the employees.
7. Audit of personnel policies, procedures and practices of the organization.
Beliefs of Human Resource Management
The Human Resource Management philosophy is based on the following beliefs:
Human resource is the most important asset in the organization and can be developed and
increased to an unlimited extent.
A healthy climate with values of openness, enthusiasm, trust, mutuality and collaboration is
essential for developing human resource.
HRM can be planned and monitored in ways that are beneficial both to the individuals and the
organization.
Employees feel committed to their work and the organization, if the organization perpetuates a
feeling of belongingness.
Employees feel highly motivated if the organization provides for satisfaction of their basic and
higher level needs.
Employee commitment is increased with the opportunity to discover and use ones capabilities and
potential in ones work.
It is every managers responsibility to ensure the development and utilization of the capabilities of
subordinates.
Objectives of Human Resource Management
to help the organization reach its goals.
To ensure effective utilization and maximum development of human resources.
To ensure respect for human beings. To identify and satisfy the needs of individuals.
To ensure reconciliation of individual goals with those of the organization.

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To achieve and maintain high morale among employees.
To provide the organization with well-trained and well-motivated employees.
To increase to the fullest the employees job satisfaction and self-actualization.
To develop and maintain a quality of work life.
To be ethically and socially responsive to the needs of society.
To develop overall personality of each employee in its multidimensional aspect.
To enhance employees capabilities to perform the present job.
To equip the employees with precision and clarity in transaction of business.
To inculcate the sense of team spirit, team work and inter-team collaboration.
In summary
Societal objective. To be socially responsible to the needs and challenges of society while
minimizing the negative impact of such demands upon the organization. The failure of
organizations to use their resources for society's benefit may result in restrictions. For example,
societies may pass laws that limit human resource decisions.
“The greatest tragedy in America is not the destruction of our natural resources, though that
tragedy is great. The truly great tragedy is the destruction of our human resources by our failure
to fully utilize our abilities, which means that most men and women go to their graves with their
music still in them.” - Oliver Wendell Holmes.

Organizational objective. To recognize that Human resource management exists to contribute to

organizational effectiveness. HRM is not an end in itself; it is only a means to assist the
organization with its primary objectives. Simply stated, the department exists to serve the rest of
the organization.
"I emphasize this - no matter how good or successful you are or how clever or crafty, your
business and its future are in the hands of the people you hire". --- Akio Morita (Late)
(Businessman and co-founder of Sony Corporation. Japan) Ref: The Book: MADE IN
JAPAN. Page.No.145
Functional objective. To maintain the department's contribution at a level appropriate to the
organizations needs. Resources are wasted when Human Resource Management is more or less
sophisticated than the organization demands. A department's level of service must be appropriate
for the organization it serves.
Personal objective. To assist employees in achieving their personal goals, at least insofar as these
goals enhance the individual's contribution to the organization. Personal objectives of employees
must be met if workers are to be maintained, retained and motivated. Otherwise, employee
performance and satisfaction may decline, and employees may leave the organization.
Functions of HRM
1. Management functions; Planning, Organizing, Directing, Controlling
2. Operative functions; Procurement, Development, Integration, Maintenance, Separation.

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Human resource management therefore can be defined as the planning, organizing, directing and
controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, maintenance and separation of
human resources to the end that individual, organizational and societal objectives are
accomplished. A brief elaboration of the component parts of this definition follows.
Planning: Effective managers realize that a substantial portion of their time should be devoted to
planning. For the human resource manager, planning means the determination in advance of a
human resource program that will contribute to goals establishment will involve the active and
enlightened participation of the human resource manager, with his or her expertise in the area of
human resources.
Organizing: After a course of action has been determined, an organization must be established to
carry it out. An organization is a means to an end. Once it has been determined that certain human
resource functions contribute toward the firms objectives, the human resource manager must form
an organization by designing the structure of relationships among jobs, human resource and
physical and physical factors. One must be aware of the complex relationship that exists between
the specialized unit and the rest of the organization. Because of increasing expertise in this
function, much top management is looking to the human resource manager for advice in the
general organization of the enterprise.
Directing: At least in theory, we now have a plan and an organization to execute that plan. It
might appear that the next logical function would be that of operation, doing the job. But it has
been found that a “starter” function is becoming increasingly necessary. In our above definition
this function was labeled “direction”, but it may be called by other names, such as “motivation”,
“actuation”, or “command”. At any rate a considerable number of difficulties are involved in
getting people to go to work willingly and effectively.
Controlling: Now, at last, the human resource functions are being performed. But what is the
management duty at this point? It is logical that its functions should be that of control that is the
observation of action and its comparison with plans and the correction of any deviations that may
occur, or at times, the realignment of plans and their adjustment to unchangeable deviations.
Control is the managerial function concerned with regulating activities in accordance with the
personnel plan, which in turn was formulated on the basis of an analysis of fundamental
organization goals.
Procurement: This first operative function of human resource management is concerned with
obtaining of the proper kind and number of personnel necessary to accomplish organization goals.
It deals specifically with such subjects as the determination of human resources requirements and
their recruitment, selection and placements. The determination of human resource required must
rest upon a prior design of job duties, a decision that is increasingly being affected by the human
resource managers objective of meeting human societys requirements often affects procurement
programs in the forms of affirmative action and equal opportunity. The actual hiring process
entails a multitude of activities designed to screen personnel, such as reviewing application forms,
psychological testing, checking references and conducting interviews.
Development: After personnel have been obtained, they must be to some degree developed.
Development has to do with the increase of skill, through training, that is necessary for proper job

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performance. This is an activity of very great importance and will continue to grow because of the
changes in technology, the realignment of jobs and the increasing complexity of the managerial
task.
Compensation: This function is defined as the adequate and equitable remuneration of personnel
for their contributions to organization objectives. Though some recent morale surveys have
tended to minimize the importance of monetary income to employees, we nevertheless contend
that compensation is one of the most important resource management. In dealing with this
subject, we shall only economic compensation. Psychic income is classified elsewhere. The basic
elements of a compensation program have emphasis upon such subjects as job evaluation, wage
policies, wages systems and come of the recently devised extra compensation plans.
Integration: With the employee procured, developed and reasonably compensated, there follows
one of the most difficult and frustrating challenges to management. The definition labels this
problem “integration”. It is concerned with the attempt to effect a reasonable reconciliation of
individual, societal and organizational interest. It rests upon a foundation of belief that significant
overlapping of interests so exist in our society. Consequently, we must deal with the feelings and
attitudes of personnel in conjunction with the principles and policies of organizations.
Maintenance: If we have executed the foregoing functions well, we now have a wiling and able
work force. Maintenance is concerned with the perpetuation of this state. The maintenance of
willingness is heavily affected by communications with employees. The physical condition of the
employees should also be maintained.
Separation: If the first function of human resource management is to secure the employee, it is
logical that the last should be the separation and return of that person to society. Most people so
not die on the job. The organization is responsible for meeting certain requirements of due process
in separation, as well as assuring that the returned citizen is in good shape as possible. Types of
separation are as retirement, layoff, out-placement and discharge.
The purpose of all the activity outlined above, both managerial and operative, is to assist in the
accomplishment of basic objectives. Consequently, the starting point of human resource
management, as of all management, must be a specification of those objectives and a
determination of the sub-objectives of the human resource function. The expenditure of all funds
in the personnel area can be justified only insofar as there is a net contribution toward basic goals.
For the most part these are goals of the particular organization concerned. But as suggested
earlier, society is tending to impose human goals upon the private business enterprise, goals that
may or may not make an immediate contribution to an organizations particular objective.
Principles of Human Resource Management
1. Principle of individual development — to offer full and equal opportunities to
every employee to realize his/her full potential.
2. Principle of scientific selection — to select the right person for the right job.
3. Principle of free flow of communication- to keep all channels of
communication open & encourage upward, downward, horizontal, formal &
informal communication.
4. Principle of participation — to associate employee representatives at every

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level of decision making.
5. Principle of fair remuneration- to pay fair & equitable wages & salaries
commiserating with jobs.
6. Principle of incentive — to recognize and reward good performance.
7. Principle of dignity of labour — to treat every job holder with dignity and
respect.
8. Principle of labour management co-operation — to promote cordial industrial
relations.
9. Principle of team spirit — to promote co-operation & team spirit among
employees.
10. Principle of contribution to national prosperity — to provide a higher
purpose of work to all employees and to contribute to national prosperity.
Major goals/Aims of HRM
Design performance incentives. By looking at the performance management model, benefits and
employee incentives, hr experts can help a small business take a more strategic approach to
keeping employees motivated. This is only possible if hr managers understand the effectiveness of
certain incentives. The overall goal is for the right combination of benefits and incentives to
produce desirable levels of employee performance.
Boost employee morale. When employees are affected by economic troubles, employee morale
needs to boost. It is up to the owner and management team to adapt organizational priorities and
working conditions so that employees stay positive. Use creative approaches to recognize
employee achievements and thus improve their morale.
Increase accountability. Hr uses measurements techniques to compile a score card. A small
business quantifies the effectiveness of personnel practices and to what degree they are getting
employees to exhibit desired behaviours. Some organizations call these “metrics” and they are
useful for making hr decisions.
Develop leaders.hr must set up priorities for leadership development especially for future leaders.
This involves providing enough support, senior mentorship, training and professional development
so that the managers will succeed. Future leaders need formal paths for increasing their
responsibilities as they develop leadership skills.
Increase organizational learning. It is just more than providing training and development for all
employees. The hr department must help managers build a culture of learning, where people use
their own creativity to perform their jobs better and freely share their ideas with others across the
organization.
Effective recruitment and staffing
Increase efficiency. Managers and hr experts work together to increase the efficiency of business
groups and individual that perform work routines. This goal sometimes requires analyzing the
smallest components of work routines and how they fit the larger process.
Human Resource Management: Major Influencing Factors
In the 21st century HRM will be influenced by following factors, which will work as various

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issues affecting its strategy:
Size of the workforce.
Rising employees expectations
Drastic changes in the technology as well as Life-style changes.
Composition of workforce. New skills required.
Environmental challenges.
Lean and mean organizations.
Downsizing and rightsizing of the organizations.
Culture prevailing in the organization etc.
Human Resource Management: Futuristic Vision
On the basis of the various issues and challenges the following suggestions will be of much help to
the philosophy of HRM with regard to its futuristic vision:
1. There should be a properly defined recruitment policy in the organization that should give its
focus on professional aspect and merit based selection.
2. In every decision-making process there should be given proper weightage to the aspect that
employees are involved wherever possible. It will ultimately lead to sense of team spirit, team-
work and inter-team collaboration.
3. Opportunity and comprehensive framework should be provided for full expression of
employees talents and manifest potentialities.
4. Networking skills of the organizations should be developed internally and externally as well as
horizontally and vertically.
5. For performance appraisal of the employees emphasis should be given to 360 degree feedback
which is based on the review by superiors, peers, subordinates as well as self-review.
6. 360 degree feedback will further lead to increased focus on customer services, creating of
highly involved workforce, decreased hierarchies, avoiding discrimination and biases and
identifying performance threshold.
7. More emphasis should be given to Total Quality Management. TQM will cover all employees at
all levels; it will conform to customers needs and expectations; it will ensure effective utilization
of resources and will lead towards continuous improvement in all spheres and activities of the
organization.
8. There should be focus on job rotation so that vision and knowledge of the employees are
broadened as well as potentialities of the employees are increased for future job prospects.
9. For proper utilization of manpower in the organization the concept of six sigma of improving
productivity should be intermingled in the HRM strategy.
10. The capacities of the employees should be accessed through potential appraisal for performing
new roles and responsibilities. It should not be confined to organizational aspects only but the
environmental changes of political, economic and social considerations should also be taken into
account.
11. The career of the employees should be planned in such a way that individualizing process and
socializing process come together for fusion process and career planning should constitute the
part of human resource planning.
To conclude Human Resource Management should be linked with strategic goals and objectives in
order to improve business performance and develop organizational cultures that foster innovation
and flexibility. All the above futuristic visions coupled with strategic goals and objectives should

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be based on 3 Hs of Heart, Head and Hand i.e., we should feel by Heart, think by Head and
implement by Hand —
Importance of Human Resource Management
The main purpose of human resource management is to accomplish the organizational
goals. Therefore, the resources are mobilized to achieve such goals. Some importance and
objectives of human resource management are as follows:
1. Effective Utilization of Resources. Human resource management ensures the effective
utilization of resources. HRM teaches how to utilize human and non-human resources so that the
goals can be achieved. Organization aiming to utilize their resources efficiently invites the HR
department to formulate required objectives and policies.
2. Organizational Structure. Organizational structure defines the working relationship between
employees and management. It defines and assigns the task for each employee working in the
organization. The task is to be performed within the given constraints. It also defines positions,
rights and duties, accountability and responsibility, and other working relationships. The human
resource management system provides required information too timely and accurately. Hence,
human resource management helps to maintain organizational structure.
3. Development of Human Resources. Human resource management provides favorable
environment for employees so that people working in organization can work creatively. This
ultimately helps them to develop their creative knowledge, ability and skill. To develop personality
of employees, human resource management organizes training and development campaigns which
provide an opportunity for employees to enhance their caliber to work.
4. Respect for Human Beings. Another importance of human resource management is to
provide a respectful environment for each employee. Human resource management provides with
required means and facilitates employee along with an appropriate respect because the dominating
tendency develops that will result organizational crisis. Hence, all of them should get proper
respect at work. Human resource management focuses on developing good working relationships
among workers and managers in organization. So, good human resource management system
helps for respecting the employees.
5. Goal Harmony. Human resource management bridges the gap between individual goal and
organizational goal-thereby resulting into a good harmony. If goal difference occurs, the
employees will not be willing to perform well. Hence, a proper match between individual goal and
organizational goal should be there in order to utilize organizational resources effectively and
efficiently.
6. Employee Satisfaction. Human resource management provides a series of facilities and
opportunities to employees for their career development. This leads to job satisfaction and
commitment. When the employees are provided with every kind of facilities and opportunities,
they will be satisfied with their work performance.
7. Employee Discipline and Moral. Human resource management tries to promote employee
discipline and moral through performance based incentives. It creates a healthy and friendly
working environment through appropriate work design and assignment of jobs.

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8. Organizational Productivity. Human resource management focuses on achieving higher
production and most effective utilization of available resources. This leads to an enhancement in
organizational goals and objectives.
Challenges of Modern Human Resource Management
We need not look far to discover challenging problems in the field of human resource
management. Managers may ignore or attempt to bury human resource problems, but these will
not lie dormant because of the very nature of the problem component. Many problems are caused
by constant changes that occur both within and without the firm. Among the many major changes
that are occurring, the following will illustrate the nature of the human resource challenges.
Changing mix of the work force. Through each person is unique and consequently presents a
challenge to our general understanding. One can also appreciate broader problems by categorizing
personnel to delineate and highlight trends. Among the major changes in the mix of personnel
entering the work force are:
-Increased numbers of minority members entering occupations requiring greater skills.
-Increasing levels of formal education for the entire work force.
-More female employees.
-More married female employees.
-More working mothers
A steady increasing majority of white-collar employees in place of the blue-collar.
The challenge has had much to do with many of the above-listed changes. Prohibition of
discrimination and requirements for positive action to redress imbalances in work force mix have
led to greater numbers of minority personnel being hired for all types of jobs.
Changing personal values of the work force. The changing mix of the work force inevitably
leads to introduction of new values to organizations. In the past and continuing into the present,
the work force has been heavily imbued with a set of values generally characterized by the term
“work ethic”. Work is regarded as having spiritual meaning, buttressed by such behavioural norms
as punctuality, honesty, diligence and frugality. Ones job is a central life interest and provides the
dominant clue I interpersonal assessment. A work force with this set of values is highly adapted to
use by business organizations in their pursuit of the values of productivity, efficiency and
effectiveness.
There is growing evidence that the work is declining in favor of a more existential view of life.
Instead of organizations providing the basic guides to living persons are responsible for exploring
and determining for themselves what they want to do and become. With this philosophy, work
becomes only one alternative among many as a means for becoming a whole person in order to do
ones own thing”. Family activities, leisure, avocations and assignments in government churches
and schools are equally viable means through which a person can find meaning and become self-
actualized. The absolute worth of the individual is a value which is merged with the concept that
all people are members of the great human family. Concerning specifics, full employment gives

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way to the full life. Climbing the organization ladder of success for its accompanying materialistic
symbols becomes less important than self-expression through a creative accomplishment. Private
lives outside the job and firm are relatively autonomous, accompanied by an increasing reluctance
to sacrifice oneself or ones family for the good of the organization. Quality of life is preferred to
quantity, equity to efficiency, diversity to conformity and the individual to the organization.
With respect to an increasing emphasis upon the individual as compared with the organization, a
number of changes in personnel programs have been tried. Attempts have been made to redesign
jobs to provide challenging activities that needs of the human ego.
Changing expectations of Citizen/employees. There are increasing signs that external rights of
citizenship are penetrating the boundaries of business enterprises in the interest of improving the
quality of work life. Two prominent illustrations are:. Freedom of speech and The right to privacy.
Should employees be allowed to speak up and criticize the organizations management and its
products without jeopardizing their job security? In public organizations, this right of “whistle
blowing” is fairly well protected.
Changing levels of productivity. Perhaps the most serious current problem facing all mangers,
not just human resource managers, is the declining productivity of the economy. Up until the
1960s the typical annual increase in production was approximately 3 percent. This figure was even
placed as a guaranteed base for increasing employee income. In the last two decades, the level of
productivity has fallen markedly.
Tasks of hr department
Hr department does the following tasks;
-aligning hr strategies with business strategies
-advising the management on people management issues.
-advice line managers on people issues like training, performance management.
-coordinating organizational processes that deal with people issues like corporate duties,
retirement parties performance appraisal etc.
-balances organizational needs and individual needs.
All mangers are in sense hr mangers since they all get involved in the activities like recruitment,
selection, raining, separation etc the direct handling of the people is an integral part of every line
manger duties. Line manger is a person who is authorized to direct work of subordinates and is
responsible for accomplishing the organizational tasks.
The hr tasks of managers/supervisors are;
 Placing the right people in the right job.
 Induction of new employees.
 Training employees on jobs new to them.
 Improving job performance of every employee.
 Developing employee abilities.

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  Counseling staff.
 interpreting company policies and procedures
 Managing labour issues.
 Creating and maintaining departmental morale.
 Enhancing work environment conducive for employee safety and health.
 Maintaining harmony in their units.
 Coaching and mentoring staff.
 Solving conflicts that arise.
 Reviewing performance.
 Identifying each staff training needs and advise them.
 Managing employee discipline.
The primary responsibilities/role of a human resource manager
Every organization has a human resource function, whether or not a specific human resource
manager has been so designated. Every organization must hire, train, motivate, maintain and
ultimately separate employees. If a specialized human resource manager exists he or she can
contribute much to greater organizational effectiveness. In the past assignment to this function
often constituted a one-way ticket to oblivion. But today, the increasingly critical nature of
problems and challenges in the more effective utilization of human resources has greatly elevated
the status of the field.
Most expert agree that there are five basic functions all managers perform: planning, organizing,
staffing, leading and controlling. In the total these functions represent the management process.
1. To develop a thorough knowledge of corporate culture, plans and policies.
2. To act as an internal change agent and consultant.
3. To initiate change and act as an expert and facilitator.
4. To actively involve himself in companys strategy formulation.
5. To keep communication lines open between the HRD function and individuals and groups
both within and outside the organization.
6. To identify and evolve HRD strategies in consonance with overall business strategy.
7. To facilitate the development of various organizational teams and their working
relationship with other teams and individuals.
8. To try and relate people and work so that the organization objectives are achieved
effectively and efficiently.
9. To diagnose problems and to determine appropriate solution particularly in the human
resources areas.
10. To provide co-ordination and support services for the delivery of HRD programmes and
services.

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 11. To evaluate the impact of an HRD intervention or to conduct research so as to identify,
develop or test how HRD in general has improved individual or organizational
performance.
Challenges of modern human resource management
We need not look far to discover challenging problems in the field of human resource
management. Managers may ignore or attempt to bury human resource problems, but these will
not lie dormant because of the very nature of the problem component. Many problems are caused
by constant changes that occur both within and without the firm. Among the many major changes
that are occurring, the following will illustrate the nature of the human resource challenges.
Changing mix of the work force. Through each person is unique and consequently presents a
challenge to our general understanding. One can also appreciate broader problems by categorizing
personnel to delineate and highlight trends.
Among the major changes in the mix of personnel entering the work force are:
 Increased numbers of minority members entering occupations requiring greater skills.
 Increasing levels of formal education for the entire work force.
 More female employees
 More married female employees.
 More working mothers
 A steady increasing majority of white-collar employees in place of the blue-collar.
The challenge has had much to do with many of the above-listed changes. Prohibition of
discrimination and requirements for positive action to redress imbalances in work force mix have
led to greater numbers of minority personnel being hired for all types of jobs.
Changing personal values of the work force. The changing mix of the work force inevitably
leads to introduction of new values to organizations. In the past and continuing into the present,
the work force has been heavily imbued with a set of values generally characterized by the term
“work ethic”. Work is regarded as having spiritual meaning, buttressed by such behavioural norms
as punctuality, honesty, diligence and frugality. Ones job is a central life interest and provides the
dominant clue I interpersonal assessment. A work force with this set of values is highly adapted to
use by business organizations in their pursuit of the values of productivity, efficiency and
effectiveness.
There is growing evidence that the work is declining in favor of a more existential view of life.
Instead of organizations providing the basic guides to living persons are responsible for exploring
and determining for themselves what they want to do and become. With this philosophy, work
becomes only one alternative among many as a means for becoming a whole person in order to do
ones own thing”. Family activities, leisure, avocations and assignments in government churches
and schools are equally viable means through which a person can find meaning and become self-
actualized. The absolute worth of the individual is a value which is merged with the concept that
all people are members of the great human family. Concerning specifics, full employment gives
way to the full life. Climbing the organization ladder of success for its accompanying materialistic
symbols becomes less important than self-expression through a creative accomplishment. Private
lives outside the job and firm are relatively autonomous, accompanied by an increasing reluctance

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to sacrifice oneself or ones family for the good of the organization. Quality of life is preferred to
quantity, equity to efficiency, diversity to conformity and the individual to the organization.
With respect to an increasing emphasis upon the individual as compared with the organization, a
number of changes in personnel programs have been tried. Attempts have been made to redesign
jobs to provide challenging activities that needs of the human ego.
Changing expectations of Citizen/employees. There are increasing signs that external rights of
citizenship are penetrating the boundaries of business enterprises in the interest of improving the
quality of work life. Two prominent illustrations are:. Freedom of speech and The right to privacy.
Should employees be allowed to speak up and criticize the organizations management and its
products without jeopardizing their job security? In public organizations, this right of “whistle
blowing” is fairly well protected.
Changing levels of productivity. Perhaps the most serious current problem facing all mangers,
not just human resource managers, is the declining productivity of the economy. Up until the
1960s the typical annual increase in production was approximately 3 percent. This figure was even
placed as a guaranteed base for increasing employee income. In the last two decades, the level of
productivity has fallen markedly.
Advantages/benefits/Significance//need of HRM
Human Resource Management becomes significant for business organization due to the following
reasons.
 Objective:- Human Resource Management helps a company to achieve its objective from
time to time by creating a positive attitude among workers. Reducing wastage and making
maximum use of resources etc.
 Facilitates professional growth:- Due to proper Human Resource policies employees are
trained well and this makes them ready for future promotions. Their talent can be utilized
not only in the company in which they are currently working but also in other companies
which the employees may join in the future.
 Better relations between union and management:- Healthy Human Resource Management
practices can help the organization to maintain co-ordinal relationship with the unions.
Union members start realizing that the company is also interested in the workers and will
not go against them therefore chances of going on strike are greatly reduced.
 Helps an individual to work in a team/group:- Effective Human Resource practices teach
individuals team work and adjustment. The individuals are now very comfortable while
working in team thus team work improves.
 Identifies person for the future: - Since employees are constantly trained, they are ready to
meet the job requirements. The company is also able to identify potential employees who
can be promoted in the future for the top level jobs. Thus one of the advantages of HRM
is preparing people for the future.

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  Allocating the jobs to the right person:- If proper recruitment and selection methods are
followed, the company will be able to select the right people for the right job. When this
happens the number of people leaving the job will reduce as the will be satisfied with their
job leading to decrease in labour turnover.
Why Is Human Resource Management Important to All Managers?
Why are these concepts and techniques important to all managers? Perhaps it's easier to answer
this by listing some of the personnel mistakes you don't want to make while man. For example,
you don't want to:
1. Hire the wrong person for the job.
2. Experience high turnover
3. Have your people not doing their best
4. Waste time with useless interviews
5. Have your company taken to court because of discriminatory actions
6. Have your company cited under federal occupational safety laws for unsafe practices
7. Have some employees think their salaries are unfair and inequitable relative to others in
the organization
8. Allow a lack of training to undermine your department's effectiveness
9. Commit any unfair labor practices
How Personnel Management is different from Human Resource Management?
At this point, you might be thinking, what actually is different between personnel management and
human resource management? Not only you but many critics have also argued regarding this
topic. In fact, some of them have commented that Human Resource Management is just a new
title given to Personnel Management in endeavor to rebrand personnel department and achieve
more acknowledgement for their role. On the other hand, remaining critics, after thorough
inspection, have noted major differences between personnel management and human resource
management.
Although both the management seems to be involved in same organizational activities, the
difference is in the way those activities are approached and operated.
For more detailed information regarding differences between personnel management and human
resource management, please check the table below.

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 Basis for
Personnel Management Human Resource Management
Comparison

The aspect of management that is The branch of management that focuses on

concerned with the work force the most effective use of the manpower of
Meaning and their relationship with the an entity, to achieve the organizational
entity is known as Personnel goals is known as Human Resource
Management. Management.
Approach Traditional Modern
Treatment of
Machines or Tools Asset
manpower
Type of function Routine function Strategic function
Basis of Pay Job Evaluation Performance Evaluation
Management Role Transactional Transformational
Communication Indirect Direct
Labor
Collective Bargaining Contracts Individual Contracts
Management
Initiatives Piecemeal Integrated
Management
Procedure Business needs
Actions
Decision Making Slow Fast
Job Design Division of Labor Groups/Teams
Primarily on mundane activities
Treat manpower of the organization as
like employee hiring,
Focus valued assets, to be valued, used and
remunerating, training, and
preserved
harmony.

In summary
Human resource management is the new version of personnel management. There is no any
watertight difference between human resource management and personnel management.
However, there are some differences in the following matters.

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1. Personnel management is a traditional approach of managing people in the organization.
Human resource management is a modern approach of managing people and their strengths in the
organization.
2. Personnel management focuses on personnel administration, employee welfare and labor
relation. Human resource management focuses on acquisition, development, motivation and
maintenance of human resources in the organization.
3. Personnel management assumes people as a input for achieving desired output. Human
resource management assumes people as an important and valuable resource for achieving desired
output.

4. Under personnel management, personnel function is undertaken for employee's satisfaction.

Under human resource management, administrative function is undertaken for goal achievement.
5. Under personnel management, job design is done on the basis of division of labor. Under
human resource management, job design function is done on the basis of group work/team work.
6. Under personnel management, employees are provided with less training and development
opportunities. Under human resource management, employees are provided with more training
and development opportunities.
7. In personnel management, decisions are made by the top management as per the rules and
regulation of the organization. In human resource management, decisions are made collectively
after considering employee's participation, authority, decentralization, competitive environment
etc.
8. Personnel management focuses on increased production and satisfied employees. Human
resource management focuses on effectiveness, culture, productivity and employee's participation.
9. Personnel management is concerned with personnel manager. Human resource management is
concerned with all level of managers from top to bottom.
10. Personnel management is a routine function. Human resource management is a strategic
function.
MANPOWER PLANNING
Meaning and definitions
Manpower planning is the process of estimating the optimum number of people required for
completing a project, task or a goal within time. Manpower planning includes parameters like
number of personnel, different types of skills, time period etc. It is a never ending continuous
process to make sure that the business has the optimized resources available when required taking
into consideration the upcoming future projects and also the replacement of the outgoing
employees. It is also called as Human Resource Planning
Manpower Planning consists of putting right number of people, right kind of people at the right
place, right time, doing the right things for which they are suited for the achievement of goals of

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the organization. Human Resource Planning has got an important place in the arena of
industrialization. Human Resource Planning has to be a systems approach and is carried out in a
set procedure.
Manpower planning may, be defined as, “the replacement planning which analyze labour
turnover, recruitment policy, promotion, development and maintenance of employee
programmes and assess the future needs of the organization so that sufficient number of
persons may be procured well in time.”
Manpower planning is “the process by which management determines how the organization
should move from its current manpower position to its desired manpower position.”
Manpower planning also includes the details like how and when will new employees be acquired.
This whole process is done keeping in view the goals of the organization, the future predictions
for business and changing technology trends. This helps the organization be prepared for the
future with the correct manpower at their disposal for business prosperity.
“Manpower, the labour force is not only an active, deep linking and essential factor of production,
but it activates their factors of productions.”
“Manpower planning is a dual process, which identifies le manpower requirement, in future and
develops, its manpower resources accordingly.
According to M.N. Rudrobasavraj, “Manpower planning may be defined as a strategy for
acquisition, utilization, improvement and presentation of enterprise human resources.”
Edwin B. Geisler defined as, “Manpower planning is the process, including forecasting,
developing, and controlling by which a firm ensures that it has the right number of people and the
right kind of people at the right places at the right me, doing work for which they are
economically most useful.”
Coleman Bruce P defined as, “Man power planning is the process of determining manpower
requirements and the leans for meeting these requirements in order to carry out le
integrated plans of the organization.”
E.W. Velter, defines manpower planning as “The process which management determines how the
organisation should love from its current manpower position. Through planning le management
strives to have the right number and right type of people at the right place, at the right time doing
things, which result in both the organization and the individual receiving maximum long hour
unbenefits.”
Edwin B. Flippo defind Manpower planning as, “the planning, organizing, directing and
controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, integration and maintenance of
people for the purpose of contributing to organizational, individual and social goals.”
Manpower planning is the prime function of human resources manager. It is also the responsibility
of the HR manager to make the best use of available human resources. Manpower planning calls
for the integration of information, formulation of policies and forecasting of future requirements
of human resources so that the right personnel is available for the right job at right time.
Manpower planning starts with the analysis of the future needs of the organization. It determines
organization structure, decides which jobs have to be filled and what is their requirement.
Which Type of Manpower or Workforce Planning Should I Use?
Use both types of manpower planning: workforce management and workforce development. Use
workforce development planning to cross-train existing employees so that each of them possesses
the skills needed to move upward in the company hierarchy, a practice known as succession
planning. Identify employees who insist on being mere placeholders as early as possible so that
when reduced demand requires downsizing, your first choices for who must go come from the
least-competent, less-engaged staff.
Use strategic workforce management to ensure that you vet and train the right number of recruits

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before they begin working so that you already have temporary or seasonal staff available when
you need them most.
The scope of Manpower Planning:
 Personnel aspect: This is concerned with manpower planning, recruitment, selection,
placement, transfer, promotion, training and development, layoff and retrenchment,
remuneration, incentives, productivity etc.
 Welfare aspect: This is concerned with working conditions and amenities like Transport,
medical assistance, education, health and safety, and necessary facilities such as canteens,
rest and lunch rooms, creche etc.,
 Industrial relations aspect: This covers union-management relations, joint consultation,
collective bargaining, grievance and disciplinary procedures, settlement of disputes, etc.

What are the features of Manpower planning?

1. It aims at ascertaining the manpower needs of the organization both in right number and right
kind.
2. It includes an inventory of present manpower in order to determine the status of the present
supply of available personnel and to discover undeveloped talent within the organization.
3. Manpower planning also assesses future manpower requirements.
4. To be effective manpower planning must focus not only on the people involved but also on the
working conditions and relationships in which they work.
Shaping personal needs—Manpower planning is well related to the personnel needs of an
organization. The planning will have to be making in advance so that the persons are available at
that time when they are needed. There are many processes which must be undertaken by an
organization. These are recruitment, selection and training. These three processes are very
important elements for the human resource planning.
5. Manpower stock—Manpower inventory means the persons who can take the responsibilities
for the upcoming working issues in future. Manpower inventory is very important equipment in an
organization. The executive or a manager in an organization should identify the persons who will
be presented to him for duty of upcoming higher household tasks in future.
6. Distinct goals—The objectives of the manpower planning can be created by the objectives of
the organization if organizational objectives are in a considered planning. In addition, human
resource planning has its own goals like mounting up human resource, updating technical
capability, ensuring better assurance of the people etc.
7. Providing proper work atmosphere—Besides employing, human resource planning also have
to make it sure that the working conditions should be good. The work places should be neat and
clean and ventilated properly. People should get good job satisfaction and they should like to do
job in group. They should feel pleasure in the job which helps them to do work properly and with
free mind.

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8. Demand and supply in advance-Human resources staffing have to be considered in advance
because the suitable people are not available at a time . So the efforts should be made in advance
to the recruit the persons. It means that the demand and supply should be set up in advance.
Levels of Manpower planning
The various levels of the manpower planning are discussed below-
 Plant (Basic) level- On the basis of past data and future protrusions the committee perform
the human resource planning at the plant level. These committees prepare the plan of
human resources for the upcoming year, counting the number of employees and the
resources which could be used to meet these necessities. It would also conclude the
employees who are permuted for the yearly manpower arrangement.
 Divisional level-The divisional team would join together all the manpower plans of its
strategies of its undergrowth as well as those of the divisional force selection into a broad
divisional manpower planning details which turn wise would be submitted to the top
board.
 Top level-At the top stage of departmental (Divisional) plans are reviewed and
incorporated with manpower tactics for head office body. Special importance is located at
this level on the management enlargement plans. At last the companys manpower plans are
included with the secretarial plans.
Factors Affecting Manpower Planning:
1. Exciting Stock of Manpower: This is the first basis of manpower planning and it is the
starting point of all planning processes. By studying the position of total stock of manpower, by
dividing it into groups on the basis of function, occupation, level of skill or qualification, we can
analyze the existing stock of manpower.
2. Wastage: The second basis of manpower planning is wastage. For a good planning,
appropriate adjustment in the existing stock of manpower should be made for the possible
wastage of manpower caused by any foreseeable changes in the organization. Labour turnover
rate, labour stability rate and the period of active management can be studied to analyse the
wastage of manpower. All these factors should be taken into consideration to make necessary
adjustments in the requirement of personnel to plan the manpower.
3. Future Manpower Requirement: We can easily measure the future requirements of
manpower, after assessing the existing stock of manpower and analysing the several factors of
wastage.
To analyze the future manpower requirements, the following factors should be considered:
Future plans of the company:
a. Government plans and programmes.
b. Employment policy.
c. Demand and supply.
d. Manpower in future.
e. Labour productivity.
f. Other factors of production and replacement needs
Future manpower requirements:
a. Direct and indirect labour cost
b. Administrative cost
c. Overtime allowance is payable to worker.
d. Maintenance and repair charge.

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e. Wages can be paid according to time rate or price rate system.
f. Workers requirement during peak and sluggish period.
4. Future Withdrawal of Workers:
Effective manpower requires that the human resource manager should take into consideration
decrease in the working force in future due to retirement demotion.
5. Future availability of people dismissal and resignation.
6. Expected changes in the composition of labour force.
7. Workers cost benefit analysis.
Objectives of Manpower Planning:
1. Optimum Productivity: Skilled and qualified workers are recruited or they become so
through the training programme provided by the organization, through the manpower planning.
Hence, an organization can achieve the effective optimum utilization of human potential, which
will result in optimum productivity and thereby, the production is carried out on uninterrupted.
2. Reduction in Labour cost: Effective use of manpower and optimum productivity will reduce
the wastage. It will reduce the labour cost.
3. Effective Recruitment and Selection: Right person can be placed at the right job and at right
time through manpower planning. Because future need can be predicted by manpower planning.
Therefore, effective recruitment and selection can be achieved so that no need to spend much
amount on the training and labour turnover can be reduced.
4. Group Satisfaction: By establishing mutually satisfying work relationship between all the
members of the organization, group satisfaction and team spirit can be achieved.
5. It helps in maximizing individual development.
6. Effective manpower planning may help the management in developing the good employer-
employee relationship. It leads to improve the industrial relations.
7. It maximizes the contributions and the satisfaction of the employees of a business.
8. It gives due consideration to the capacities, interests, opportunities and reactions of the
workers.
9. To develop the future training and management development needs.
10. To avoid the staff surplus and unnecessary dismissals in the manpower planning.
11. To control the wages and salary costs.
Principles of Manpower Planning:
1. Every business Activity: Every business activity—sales, purchases, production etc. needs men
to direct and perform it. A business is no better than the people it has. The success of a business
depends upon the capacity, ability, integrity, motivation and enthusiasm of the group of employees
in it.
2. Participative Management: Worker must be recognized by the owners as partners in the
business because both of them have a common interest. Workers must be encouraged to
participate in the formation and development of all plans and programmes of the business.
3. Opportunities for Growth: A good business must provide reasonable opportunities for
growth to each of its employee. Individual differences must be recognized. Decisions regarding
the nature of action be based upon the understanding of the individuals comprising the group.
4. Social Justice: The management must consider the expectations and aspirations of the
employees. There must be some system of public recognition and appreciation of meritorious
work.
5. Co-Operation with Trade Unions: The management must seek the co-operation of trade
unions. It must try to avoid the likely points of conflicts with the trade unions.

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Steps in Manpower Planning
1. Analyzing the current manpower inventory- Before a manager makes forecast of future
manpower, the current manpower status has to be analyzed. For this the following things
have to be noted-
 Type of organization
 Number of departments
 Number and quantity of such departments
 Employees in these work units
Once these factors are registered by a manager, he goes for the future forecasting
2. Making future manpower forecasts- Once the factors affecting the future manpower
forecasts are known, planning can be done for the future manpower requirements in
several work units.
The Manpower forecasting techniques commonly employed by the organizations are as
follows:
i. Expert Forecasts: This includes informal decisions, formal expert surveys and
Delphi technique.
ii. Trend Analysis: Manpower needs can be projected through extrapolation
(projecting past trends), indexation (using base year as basis), and statistical
analysis (central tendency measure).
iii. Work Load Analysis: It is dependent upon the nature of work load in a
department, in a branch or in a division.
iv. Work Force Analysis: Whenever production and time period has to be analyzed,
due allowances have to be made for getting net manpower requirements.
v. Other methods: Several Mathematical models, with the aid of computers are used
to forecast manpower needs, like budget and planning analysis, regression, new
venture analysis.
3. Developing employment programmes- Once the current inventory is compared with
future forecasts, the employment programmes can be framed and developed accordingly,
which will include recruitment, selection procedures and placement plans.
4. Design training programmes- These will be based upon extent of diversification,
expansion plans, development programmes, etc. Training programmes depend upon the
extent of improvement in technology and advancement to take place. It is also done to
improve upon the skills, capabilities, knowledge of the workers.
Importance of Manpower Planning
1. Key to managerial functions- The four managerial functions, i.e., planning, organizing,
directing and controlling are based upon the manpower. Human resources help in the

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 implementation of all these managerial activities. Therefore, staffing becomes a key to all
managerial functions.
2. Efficient utilization- Efficient management of personnels becomes an important function
in the industrialization world of today. Setting of large scale enterprises require
management of large scale manpower. It can be effectively done through staffing function.
3. Motivation- Staffing function not only includes putting right men on right job, but it also
comprises of motivational programmes, i.e., incentive plans to be framed for further
participation and employment of employees in a concern. Therefore, all types of incentive
plans become an integral part of staffing function.
4. Better human relations- A concern can stabilize itself if human relations develop and are
strong. Human relations become strong trough effective control, clear communication,
effective supervision and leadership in a concern. Staffing function also looks after training
and development of the work force which leads to co-operation and better human
relations.
5. Higher productivity- Productivity level increases when resources are utilized in best
possible manner. Higher productivity is a result of minimum wastage of time, money,
efforts and energies. This is possible through the staffing and its related activities
( Performance appraisal, training and development, remuneration)
Need of Manpower Planning
Manpower Planning is a two-phased process because manpower planning not only analyses the
current human resources but also makes manpower forecasts and thereby draw employment
programmes. Manpower Planning is advantageous to firm in following manner:
1. Shortages and surpluses can be identified so that quick action can be taken wherever
required.
2. All the recruitment and selection programmes are based on manpower planning.
3. It also helps to reduce the labour cost as excess staff can be identified and thereby
overstaffing can be avoided.
4. It also helps to identify the available talents in a concern and accordingly training
programmes can be chalked out to develop those talents.
5. It helps in growth and diversification of business. Through manpower planning, human
resources can be readily available and they can be utilized in best manner.
6. It helps the organization to realize the importance of manpower management which
ultimately helps in the stability of a concern.
Difference between HRP & Manpower Planning
HRP is a process of striking balance between human resources required and acquired in an
organization. In other words, HRP is a process by which an organization determines how it should
acquire its desired manpower to achieve the organizational goals. Thus, HRP helps an
organization have the right number and kind of people at die right places and right times to
successfully achieve its overall objectives.

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HRP could be seen as a process, consisting of the following series of activities:
1. Forecasting future personnel requirements, either in terms of mathematical projections of trends
in the economy and developments in the industry, or of judgments and estimates based upon
specific future plans of the company.
2. Inventorying present manpower resources and analyzing the degree to which these reare
employed optimally.
3. Anticipating Manpower Problems by projecting present resources into the future and comthem
with the forecast of requirements, to determine their adequacy, both quantitaand qualitatively.
4. Planning the necessary programmes of recruitment, selection, training, employment, utilization,
transfer, promotion, development, motivation and compensation so that future manrequirements
will be duly met.
Manpower Planning which is also called as Human Resource Planning consists of putting right
number of people, right kind of people at the right place, right time, doing the right things for
which they are suited for the achievement of goals of the organization. Human Resource Planning
has got an important place in the arena of industrialization. Human Resource Planning has to be a
systems approach and is carried out in a set procedure. The procedure is as follows:
1. Analyzing the current manpower inventory
2. Making future manpower forecasts
3. Developing employment programmes
4. Design training programmes
There is a big difference between manpower planning and human resource planning. In HRP the
managers concerned with motivating people - a process in which cost, numbers, control and
systems interact and play a part. In Manpower planning the managers concerned with the
numerical elements of forecasting supply, demand matching and control, in which people are a
part
Advantages of Manpower Planning
Without proper manpower planning no enterprise can achieve its objectives fully and entirely.
Sometimes, even its very existence may be handicapped. Hence, it is needless to stress its
importance. However, the following benefits are worth mentioning.
1. The required number of staff shall be recruited at each level in the hierarchy.
2. Staffing requirements can be better balanced and movement of staff can be made easier by
manpower planning.
3. Areas of high labour turnover are highlighted in manpower planning
4. Implications of changes in recruitment, promotion and succession plans are foreseeable.
Limitations of Manpower Planning
Human resources planning is not free from defects. In fact, it is a double edged weapon. If used
properly, it will lead to maximum utilization of human resources. If used faulty, manpower
planning will lead to disruption in the flow of work, lower production, less job satisfaction, etc.
Besides, it also has certain limitations.

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The following are some of the limitations of manpower planning
1. Detailed records are needed plus expensive clerical staff.
2. Problems of forecasting changes, especially in technological and Government policy areas
PLANNING THE ADVERT
Definition of 'job advertisement'
an announcement in a newspaper, on television, or on a poster about a post of employment
What is Job Advertisement?
Job advertisement is the process by which employers and recruiters promote open positions
through a variety of channels. It is a key part of the recruitment process and enhances visibility for
available job openings, with an ultimate goal of attracting and converting talent. It is similar to
employer branding, but it is focused on the available open positions rather than the employer as a
whole. However, the employers image is also an important factor in the job advertising process.
A job advertisement is a print or electronic notification of intent to hire someone to perform
specific work in a position at a company or organization.
Why Advertise a Job
It is essential to do some sort of advertising, whether it be paid or completely free! Otherwise,
your open positions wont gain many potential candidates. The following are some reasons to
consider putting some time and effort into creating a job advertising strategy:
 Increases visibility
 Enhances the chance of hiring the right talent
 Promotes employer brand
 Attracts and convert more talent
 Saves time and money you would waste making the wrong hire
 Makes for a quicker hiring decision
 Can be easy with the right recruiting tools
Ways to Advertise a Job
Promotion of an open job may seem daunting, but there are a variety of simple ways to do so that
you can choose from. Here are some recommendations of ways to go about job advertisement:
 Create a careers site
 Post on job boards
 Make flyers
 Utilize employee networks
 Create a Facebook ad

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  Make social media posts
Recruitee, an applicant tracking system (ATS) for streamlining hiring, makes it easy to create a
careers site and post to multiple job boards with one click. There are even discounts up to 30% on
premium job boards. Try Recruitee for free for 18 days to get an idea of how to use it to enhance
your job advertisement, or you may contact us at hello@recruitee.com any time with questions!
Types of advertising
A successful advertising campaign will spread the word about your products and services, attract
customers and generate sales. Whether you are trying to encourage new customers to buy an
existing product or launching a new service, there are many options to choose from.
The most suitable advertising option for your business will depend on your target audience and
what is the most cost effective way to reach as many of them as possible, as many times as
possible. The advertising option chosen should also reflect the right environment for your product
or service. For example, if you know that your target market reads a particular magazine, you
should advertise in that publication.
The following list is an introduction to advertising tactics that you could use. Remember, you can
always be creative in your advertising to get noticed (within advertising regulations).
Newspaper. Newspaper advertising can promote your business to a wide range of customers.
Display advertisements are placed throughout the paper, while classified listings are under subject
headings in a specific section.
You may find that a combination of advertising in your state/metropolitan newspaper and your
local paper gives you the best results.
Magazine. Advertising in a specialist magazine can reach your target market quickly and easily.
Readers (your potential customers) tend to read magazines at their leisure and keep them for
longer, giving your advertisement multiple chances to attract attention. Magazines generally serve
consumers (by interest group e.g. women) and trade (industry/business type e.g. hospitality).
If your products need to be displayed in colour then glossy advertisements in a magazine can be
ideal - although they are generally more expensive than newspaper advertisements.
Magazines do not usually serve a small area such as a specific town. If your target market is only
a small percentage of the circulation, then advertising may not be cost-effective.
Radio. Advertising on the radio is a great way to reach your target audience. If your target
market listens to a particular station, then regular advertising can attract new customers.
However, sound has its limitations. Listeners can find it difficult to remember what they have
heard and sometimes the impact of radio advertising is lost. The best way to overcome this is to
repeat your message regularly - which increases your costs significantly. If you cannot afford to
play your advertisement regularly, you may find that radio advertising does not generate strong
results.

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Television. Television has an extensive reach and advertising this way is ideal if you cater to a
large market in a large area. Television advertisements have the advantage of sight, sound,
movement and colour to persuade a customer to buy from you. They are particularly useful if you
need to demonstrate how your product or service works.
Producing a television advertisement and then buying an advertising slot is generally expensive.
Advertising is sold in units (e.g. 20, 30, 60 seconds) and costs vary according to:
 the time slot
 the television program
 whether it is metro or regional
 if you want to buy spots on multiple networks.
Directories. Directories list businesses by name or category (e.g. Yellow Pages phone
directories). Customers who refer to directories have often already made up their mind to buy -
they just need to decide who to buy from.
The major advantage of online directories over print directories is that if you change your business
name, address or telephone number, you can easily keep it up to date in the directory. You can
also add new services or information about your business.
If your target market uses print and online directories, it may be useful to advertise in both,
although print directories are being used less.
Outdoor and transit. There are many ways to advertise outside and on-the-go. Outdoor
billboards can be signs by the road or hoardings at sport stadiums. Transit advertising can be
posters on buses, taxis and bicycles. Large billboards can get your message across with a big
impact. If the same customers pass your billboard every day as they travel to work, you are likely
to be the first business they think of when they want to buy a product.
Even the largest of billboards usually contain a limited amount of information; otherwise, they can
be difficult to read. Including your website address makes it easy for customers to follow up and
find out more about your business. Outdoor advertising can be very expensive especially for prime
locations and supersite billboards.
Direct mail catalogues and leaflets. Direct mail means writing to customers directly. The more
precise your mailing list or distribution area, the more of your target market you will reach. A
direct mail approach is more personal, as you can select your audience and plan the timing to suit
your business. A cost effective form of direct mail is to send your newsletters or flyers
electronically to an email database. Find out more about direct mail.
Catalogues, brochures and leaflets can also be distributed to your target area. Including a
brochure with your direct mail is a great way to give an interested customer more information
about your products and services. Learn more about leaflet marketing using letterbox drops and
handouts.

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Online. Being on the internet can be a cost-effective way to attract new customers. You can reach
a global audience at a low cost. Many customers research businesses online before deciding whom
to buy from.
A well-designed website can entice customers to buy from you. There are a number of ways you
can promote your business online via paid advertising or to improve your search engine rankings.
Learn more about doing business online.
Other ways to advertise your business online include promoting your products or services on
social media sites, blogs and search engines and other websites that your target audience visits
The importance of writing good job adverts
Its important to put yourself in your readers shoes. Think about what they need to know to make
an informed decision about the advertised role, and understand your market so it interests the
right people, before they hit that all important Apply button.
The day-to-day responsibilities. Once your candidate has finished reading the advert they should
have a good understanding of what a normal day will look like, what they will be accountable for
and the type of tasks that come with the role. These can be written in bullet format so the reader
can easily differentiate between each topic.
Be more creative to grab your readers attention. For example; Its 9am and you enter the office,
grab a coffee, say hi to your colleagues and get behind your desk. Your day begins with a team
get-together to discuss the goals for the week, followed by a meeting to prepare a client
presentation for an external pitch next week.
A description of the company. Clearly define the type of company that is hiring, describe what
sectors the company is in and their goals, as well as the company culture and environment.
If available, include more details such as how many people work at the company, and in the
immediate team and include a quote from an existing employee. This will give the position real
credibility and make it all the more human.
The required skill set. Of course, the reader needs to determine whether they are suitable for the
role. In the advert describe the nice-to-haves but also the skills that are must-haves to give the
candidate the opportunity to decide whether or not it's the right career move for them.
It is really important to write in a supportive manner instead of a demanding tone, in order to
make the reader feel relaxed. After all, they need to make sure this life-changing decision is the
right one and they will be respected in their new job. This can be achieved by detailing what will
be expected of the candidate and how that will impact the company performance.
The offer. Although we know the salary is not the be-all-and-end-all factor to a job, giving a
salary indication is necessary to highlight the level of the role. Secondary benefits such as
coaching and training opportunities, gym memberships and health insurance can add to the wow
factor of the advert.
Call to action. What should the applicant do next? It goes without saying that each advert should
end with how you would like that person to proceed, to ensure you find the best talent.
Last but not least: keywords. There is zero point writing a job advert if no one can find it. Using
keywords in your ad is essential for search engine optimization (SEO), and to ensure the highest
possible ranking in Google. The most important keyword in a job advert is the job title and this
should be very generic.
For example, if you are looking for a junior account manager in London, the title of the job advert
should be account manager and this job title must be repeated four to five times throughout the
advert.

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The information to demonstrate that it is a junior role and the company is located in London can
be written in the main body of the advert but should not be put in the title. In order for SEO to be
effective the title must be as generic as possible.
Creating your Advertisement
The minimum requirements for advertising are outlined in the Policy and Procedures on
Academic Appointments.
When drafting your advertisement try to use inclusive language and advertise for excellent
scholarship in broad disciplines that may be of particular interest to diverse faculty. You may want
to identify a range of disciplines or inter-disciplinary areas, rather than focusing too narrowly. The
advertisement should try to include people who are working at the edge of their fields or in new
and emerging areas of scholarship.
Details to include are:-
 Position, title, rank, and tenure-status

 Responsibilities and summary of essential duties

 Degrees required or preferred
 Experience or qualifications required or preferred
 Salary range
 Date of appointment
 Application materials (in writing and including a CV, 3 letters of recommendation, sample
publications, teaching dossier when relevant)
 Closing date which is at least one month after publication
 Contact details
How do you design a job advertisement?
1. Create the job title. Include who the person reports to, and what section of the business
the job fits in.
2. Write a summary of the job. ...
3. Check employment type. ...
4. Identify the selection criteria. ...
5. Use our job description templates. ...
6. Know your competitors. ...
7. Know your industry. ...
8. Stand out from the crowd
What should your job advert contain?
 Job Title

 Location

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  Salary
 Why the candidate would be interested in the role — whats in it for them
 Summary of the roles responsibilities in every-day language — avoid industry jargon
 How to apply for the role (online application/phone call/email)
 What to include in their application (e.g. cover letter, resume and references)
 When applications close (cut-off date for receiving applications)
Writing a Compelling Job Advertisement
Writing a job ad is just like writing any advertisement. You need to know your target audience,
address them in the language they understand and offer them what they want.
Theres nothing worse than writing an ad for a position you are hoping to fill, posting it online or
even running it in a local paper (yes … believe it or not this does still happen!) and then either not
receiving any responses at all, or perhaps worse still, being inundated with applications from
people who are completely not suitable for the role.
Improving the quality (as opposed to quantity) of your response starts by having a well-written
advertisement (often the first impression a candidate has of your organisation) that is really going
to target the appropriate audience.
Exactly who is your target audience? What are they doing now? What steps are they taking to
look for a new opportunity?
Your job ad needs to speak directly to them. Otherwise you seriously may as well roam the streets
like a 19th Century town crier calling out to every man and his dog in the hope that someone
hears you.
An effective job ad is not just a job description. It is a carefully crafted message with the aim of
attracting the best qualified candidates for your job.
Think of your job ad like a funnel where initially you are casting the net out wide to a broad
audience. Then, as the readers make their way through your carefully crafted advertisement, they
are either self-ejecting from the process or they are mentally ticking all the boxes because they can
actually picture themselves in the role. In the end you really only want a handful of suitable
candidates to apply.
What are the key steps to writing a compelling job ad?
Here are some ways to sharpen the focus of your ad, to the point where it only draws in the most
qualified candidates:
1. Catchy Job Title
1. Be Specific About the Role
This will allow candidates to compare what is required with their own skills and experience and
discourage those not qualified from applying. The job title (headline) has to be very clear and
should in no way deceive or mislead the reader.
You should also try to incorporate three bullet points containing the “punchiest” (eye catching)
benefits or incentives associated with the job. Salary (if its within or above market rate) is always
a good one. Similarly whether there is on site parking available, the ability to work from home, or
proximity to public transport will also grab the readers attention. You might even include
something along the lines of “modern office; stunning harbour views; team lunch provided every
Friday”.

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Provide a salary range. If its not in their ball park, they wont waste their time and yours by
applying.
2. Distinguish Must Haves From Nice-to-Haves
You also need to clearly articulate whether there are any essential qualifications, desirable skills,
or any other “nice to haves” in terms of previous experience required in the role.
3. Dont Exaggerate
When a job sounds too good to be true, it generally is and will only attract applicants who are
gullible, unrealistic and non-performers. If you are looking to fill an Office Assistant or Accounts
Clerk role, you probably shouldnt have the heading “Job of a Lifetime”. Sometimes its best just to
keep it simple. “Office Manager — 3 days/week. Ideal for a working Mum”.
4. Offer Challenges, Not Rewards
This is more likely to attract someone with drive and ambition, rather than someone just looking
for an easy ride.
5. Tell Them about Your Company
Next you need to describe the company — but not in too much detail.
You dont want the reader to get excited about the company and then not have any connection to
the actual role. Remember its a job ad. Above all you want someone who wants to do the job in
question. The fact that its for your company is an added bonus.
The information you include in the actual description of the job and the profile of the ideal
candidate should come very easily to you — assuming you have written a proper job description
and prepared a performance profile for the role. Select the key skills, core competencies and most
relevant performance or success measures and include them. This is where you will eliminate
those applicants who are not actually suitable for the role.
6. Provide a Phone Number for Enquiries
This can help you eliminate unsuitable candidates early in the process. Trust me … you can learn a
lot from a prospective candidate over the phone.
7. Ask for a Cover Letter
This can provide useful clues as to character, education level, and communication style and allow
you to filter out unsuitable candidates prior to interview.
When I was a hands-on recruiter, I would always ask for a cover letter as part of the application
process. If a candidate submitted just their resumé without a cover letter, I immediately rejected
them. Call me harsh — but it revealed a lot about their ability to follow a very simple instruction.
8. Talk to the Reader
When you are writing your advertisement, avoid phrases like “the successful candidate” or “the
ideal applicant” since this will make even the most suitable candidate question whether theyre
right for the role. Rather say something along the lines of, “In this exciting role you will be
working with …” or “Coming from a strong sales background, you will be expected to …”.
Talk to the reader. Use the word “you”.
9. Nail the Short Description
And finally, when it comes to online job ads in particular, you should be aware that on average
four times as many people read the short description than actually click through to the ad itself.
So put some effort into what you write … even if you only have 140 characters in which to say it.
After all you dont just want people reading the snapshot. You actually want people to read your
entire advertisement … and of course you then want the best candidates to press “Apply Now”.

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Structuring your job advert
While some recruiters are choosing to come up with creative ways to advertise jobs through
gamification and other techniques, you should always follow a basic format.
In fact, getting the structure right is an important first step towards writing a strong job advert.
This will ensure that you have a clear layout and only include the most relevant information.
We will discuss each section in more detail below, but for now, here is the basic checklist to follow
when writing your job advert:
 Job title

 Salary
 Location
 Introduction to your business
 Role and responsibilities
 Key requirements (qualifications and skills)
What to include in each section
We will now breakdown the job advert one section at a time to help you gain a better
understanding of what to include. Well also illustrate this with examples.
1. Job title
Arguably, the most important part of writing an advert is getting the job title right. This is the best
way to attract the most relevant candidates.
It can be tempting to come up with creative or unique titles to try to attract candidates. But the
truth is, these could actually damage your chances. Be specific and use recognisable keywords.
Remember, when conducting their search, job hunters will use these keywords and if your job title
doesnt conform, it could be harder for them to find your vacancies.
So dont beat around the bush. If its a Marketing Executive that you want, make sure thats what
youre asking for. You could also include the seniority in your titles e.g junior or assistant.
Below the job title it is common practise to include the salary (or salary bracket) and the location.
While its not mandatory to include this information, it is an effective way to ensure you attract the
right candidates.
Without this information you risk a host of job hunters applying, despite not living locally. Not
only this but you might find a great candidate, only to lose them further down the line because the
salary wasnt what they were expecting. Its better to be clear right from the start.
2. The introduction
Next you need a small introduction — just a few sentences — which outlines your business and
the role youre advertising for. This really doesnt need to be long as youll go into more detail later
on.
This section should contain keywords to help candidates know right from the start if this role is
something theyd be interested in. Try to include the job title, industry and some relevant skills or
experience that would be advantageous.
This is also your chance to let the candidate know a little bit more about your business and why
youre a great company to work for. Think of this as a sales pitch, why should talented candidates
want to come and work for you?
Example
{Your company name} specialises in {your industry or niche} and has an exciting opportunity for
an enthusiastic Marketing Executive to join our dynamic team. This permanent position is well

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suited to an individual that is looking to advance their career in marketing and gain hands-on
experience in a thriving and supportive workplace.
3. The objectives
After introducing the position, its a good idea to set out the goals or objectives for the candidate.
Again, this doesnt need to be long, just a few sentences will do.
This is a nice opportunity to help the candidate understand the role theyll play, and the
contribution they will make within the business.
Example
Based within the marketing department, you will work closely with all areas of marketing, to
assist with the design and production of exciting campaigns and helping the team to achieve
agreed targets. This exciting position offers opportunity to progress into a bigger role.
4. Responsibilities
Next its important to outline what the role will entail and list a few of the main responsibilities. It
is a good idea to break these up into smaller paragraphs, or better still, bullet points. This makes it
clearer and easier for candidates to digest.
The responsibilities of the role are important to candidates. No one wants to become bored of
their daily tasks and end up disliking their job. As such, its vital to always be honest about what
will be expected of candidates.
Example
 Writing a range of B2B and B2C marketing materials

 Managing day-to-day running of company blogs, ensuring posts are SEO optimised
 Generating content for company social media platforms including Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn
 Creating exciting content for both internal and external communications and promotional
materials
 Liaising with external agencies
5. Requirements
Now you need to outline the key requirements for the role, there are a number of parts to this.
The requirements themselves will depend on the level of the role. It can be helpful to use bullet
points in this section as well.
State whether your candidate needs qualifications, for example specific A levels, certificates or a
degree. Make sure to be specific about whether these qualifications are vital to be considered for
the role, or whether theyre just advantageous.
You also need to outline any personality traits or soft skills you wish your candidate to possess.
For example, candidates should be enthusiastic, with good communication skills and an interest in
the industry.
If you would like someone with a certain amount of experience, this is your chance to include this.
You may also require your candidate to have a background in your industry.
Example
 Degree in marketing, business or another relevant subject (minimum of 2:1 qualification)

 2-3 years marketing experience in a similar company

 Knowledge of {industry} is advantageous but not essential

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  Proficient in all Microsoft programmes
 Excellent project management skills and attention detail
 Good communication skills
6. Your company
You should also take this opportunity to outline any great benefits or perks that the candidate
would receive in your employment. Workplace perks are important to todays professionals, so
dont forget to include these in your job advert.
What you need to avoid
There are a few common mistakes that you need to watch out for when writing a job advert. As
weve already mentioned, candidates are put off by unclear job descriptions and this also goes for
poorly written or vague adverts. Below we outline the top four mistakes to avoid at all costs:
1. Unnecessary jargon: While you might think it sounds more knowledgeable, littering a job
advert with buzzwords, acronyms and jargon can actually have a negative effect on application
rates. Instead, be sure to use clear and concise keywords, only using abbreviations or buzzwords
if totally necessary.
2. Leaving out key information: Dont neglect to add the basic information. By adding job title,
location and salary to the top of the job advert, youll avoid receiving a wave of irrelevant job
applications. While some employers choose to leave out the salary so they can negotiate on it later
on, not including this can actually put candidates off applying. Particularly given that candidates
know what they want from a job (salary included) and search with this criteria in mind.
3. Spelling and grammar mistakes: Basic mistakes in your job advert can look unprofessional
and sloppy. Make sure you proofread your advert several times, and maybe even get someone else
to look over it just to make sure.
4. Ignoring the structure: You dont want your job advert to be one big chunk of text. This can
make it hard to read and will likely deter candidates from even trying. Be sure to use smaller
paragraphs and bullet points to break it up and create a clear and concise layout.
In summary
Taking the time to perfect your job advert from the start can be hugely beneficial, saving you
money and resources. Not to mention the fact that it can boost your application rates.
Follow our simple structure and make sure you include only the relevant information. That way,
candidates can decide quickly if theyre interested in the role and see if they have the required skills
for the job. This will help to ensure that only the best candidates will apply, helping you to fill your
vacancies quicker!
Describe the Factors You Should Consider When Advertising a Job Vacancy
When an employee leaves a position, the employer will often choose to publicly advertise the
resulting vacancy. The notice will generally request that persons interested in the job submit
resumes or other relevant information that can allow the employer to decide who he wishes to
interview. There are several factors that employers should consider when drawing up the notice.
Where to Advertise
One of the main questions an employer faces is where to post the advertisement. The employer
must balance wanting to seek the widest possible applicant pool with wanting to narrow the
search to the candidates most likely to respond to the ad. For example, while more people may
view a general circulation publication, candidates reading a trade publication from the relevant
industry would be more likely to respond.

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How Long to Keep the Notice Posted
Employers must also decide how long to keep the job notice posted. The longer the notice is
posted, the longer the employer must wait before the job is successfully filled. However, keeping
the notice up longer will allow him to receive more applications and, thus, potentially pick a better
candidate
Discussing Salary
Employers must choose whether to advertise the position's salary within the job notice. The
advantages of listing a salary is that applicants will know roughly how much money they will
receive, allowing them to make a better choice about whether the position interests them. If the
salary is generous, posting it could attract better candidates. However, stating the salary may put
the employer at a disadvantage during salary negotiations.
Asking For A Cover Letter
Most employers will request that job applicants submit a resume outlining their education, skills
and professional employment. However, only some employers will ask that job seekers submit a
special cover letter specific to the position. The advantage of asking for a cover letter is it will
provide employers with additional information about candidates. The downside is it may scare off
potential hires who are reluctant to spend time writing a full letter.
Skills Required
An employer must also consider what sort of requirements he wants to list on the notice. Stating
definite requirements, such as the candidate must have a degree in a particular field or have a
certain amount of experience, can be an effective means of making sure only qualified candidates
apply. However, it may scare off some candidates who have equivalent skills, but do not meet the
exact stated qualifications.
Factors to be considered for job advert
No matter how experienced of a digital marketer you are, it is always helpful to brush up on best
practices before launching your campaign. Take a step back and make sure youve thought through
each of the five key areas below.
Goals & Themes
Simplicity
Call-to-Action
Value Proposition
Optimization
But before you begin creating your ads, make sure youve thought through the questions below, in
order to help you identify the proper placement. Youll need to reach out to the right audience, at
the right time. Think about your target audience and ask yourself these questions before launch:
♦ what websites are most appropriate for your campaign?
♦ What keywords do people search for when they find your company?
♦ What geography is most relevant to your company? If youre really going for brand lift,
you may not need to hone in so specifically, but if youre promoting an event, that will likely
inform both your ad copy and your geo-targeting.
♦ Do you want to reach users at a certain company? This is especially helpful when trying to
fill the end of the sales funnel, for account management or prospecting.
♦ Do you want to exclude any users or domains (or geographic regions)? If you dont sell
your product or service in a certain country, make sure to exclude that in your campaign so
youre not wasting ad spend on impressions that are irrelevant.
These questions will help guide you throughout your ad creation, but lets dive in to the specific
items to consider:

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 1. Goals & Themes: Building a cohesive theme for your digital campaign is a major key to
its success. If youre creating multiple ad units for your campaign, you want to make sure
there is consistency among them. What should be consistent exactly? From colors to fonts
to a main image, creating a uniform look and feel across your digital campaign reinforces
recognition and brand identity.
The overall goals for your ads should also be consistent — you dont want to advertise one
product on one ad, and then have a completely different product or service on another when its all
part of the same campaign. If the overall design of the ads is similar, the goals on those ads should
be as well. But note this does not mean you must refrain from A/B testing in one campaign, which
is why having a key theme or concept is important.
2. Keep It Simple: So you have the concept and overall design theme in mind. When
relaying this to your designer, there are still a few other important factors that can make or
break your campaign. You want to make your ad buy worthwhile, so you may be tempted
to add a lot of information on the ad…. but consider the amount of information the
average user is consuming as they browse the web, especially on science and research
publications. Your ad should be concise, to the point and catchy. (Catchy in the chemical
industry is not the same as catchy in more traditional B2C campaigns either, so this is
where being very familiar with your target audience will come in to play) Always ask
yourself: what is the hook and what makes you different?
3. Include a CTA: You could have the worlds most beautiful ads, but if they dont have a
proper call to action, youre seriously hurting your chances of getting clicks. Buttons are
still not outdated — telling users what to do is key to securing action. If youre advertising
an upcoming webinar, tell users to sign up or register. Play with the exact wording and
compare results. If youre advertising a new product, tell users to learn more.
4. Provide Value: Incentives are key. To get clicks on your ad, you have to provide
something of value for the user when they get to the next step. Give the end users
something to download, register for or just learn more about. A beautiful ad just wont do.
Incorporate the incentive into your messaging on the banner.
A beautiful ad just wont do. Incorporate the incentive into your messaging on the banner.
PRO TIP: Another critical aspect to keep in mind is the landing page you send users to. It should
also reflect your banner. Dont make the user do more work to find out where to submit a form, or
find the information thats listed on your ad.
Make it as easy as possible for the end user so that as soon as they come to your landing page, it
informs them about what they were interested in in the first place.
5. Targeting, Testing & Optimizing: Now that youve got your ads ready to go with a
great, cohesive concept, simple copy, call to action, and something of value for the user —
its time to launch your campaign.
But that doesnt mean the campaign is over. More and more platforms are making analytics easier
and easier to use, and publishers have their own reports with key metrics to watch. Are your ads
up to par with the average click through rates, — are they getting the kind of impressions you
want? As mentioned already, try A/B testing with two or three versions and set your campaign to
optimize so it automatically serves the top-performing ad. Check in periodically with your

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publisher about the performance of your campaign and see how you can optimize it for even
better results. Dont be afraid to ask for suggestions!
After your campaign has run, take a look at your results, leverage your experience and digital
expertise, and keep the momentum going for your next campaign!
JOB ANALYSIS
Introduction
Job Analysis in laymans language means the procedure of gathering information about a job.
Job analysis
Job analysis is a systematic process of collecting all information about the job for preparing of job
description and job specification meant to selection of employee, satisfaction in job, and
motivation etc.
A group of homogeneous tasks related by similarity of functions.
When performed by an employee in an exchange for pay, a job consists of duties, responsibilities,
and tasks (performance elements) that are (1) defined and specific, and (2) can be accomplished,
quantified, measured, and rated. From a wider perspective, a job is synonymous with a role and
includes the physical and social aspects of a work environment. Often, individuals identify
themselves with their job or role (foreman, supervisor, engineer, etc.) and derive motivation from
its uniqueness or usefulness.
Job analysis, contains a simple term called "analysis", which means detailed study or examination
of something (job) in order to understand more about it (job). Therefore job analysis is to
understand more about a specific job in order to optimize it. Job analysis is a systematic process
of collecting complete information pertaining to a job. Job analysis is done by job analyst who is
an officer have been trained for it.
Job analysis is a procedure through which you determine the duties and responsibilities, nature of
the jobs and finally to decide qualifications, skills and knowledge to be required for an employee
to perform particular job. Job analysis helps to understand what tasks are important and how they
are carried on. Job analysis forms basis for later HR activities such as developing effective training
program, selection of employees, setting up of performance standards and assessment of
employees ( performance appraisal)and employee remuneration system or compensation plan.
One of the first industrial-organizational psychologists to introduce job analysis was Morris
Viteles. In 1922, he used job analysis in order to select employees for a trolley car company.
Job Analysis is a method of collecting and studying about the information related to a particular
job. It includes the operations and tasks of a specific job.
Another meaning of Job analysis is a complete examination of activities in a job. It can be
considered a technical procedure that can be used to classify the duties and responsibilities of a
job.
It can also be defined as a group of tasks which can be performed by a lone employee towards the
production of some services or products of an organization.
The intention behind job analysis is to answer questions such as:
What is the need of the job to exist?
What physical and mental activities does the worker undertake?

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When is the job to be performed?
Where is the job to be performed?
How does the job performed by an employee?
What qualities and qualifications are required to perform the job?
Important terms in Job Analysis
Job. It is group of tasks positions involving same duties, responsibilities, knowledge and skills.
Each job has definite title and is different from other jobs. For example peon, typist, mail clerk,
salesman, nurses, accountants etc.
Task. A task is an act which is performed as part of job. It refers to a distinct work activity with
an identifiable beginning and end. For instance, planning is one of the tasks of the manager.
Duty. It is an obligation for a worker to do a job as part of a legal or moral reason. It means a
related sequence of tasks. For example pickup, sort and deliver incoming mail.
Position. It implies a collection of tasks and duties regularly assigned to one person. Several
persons may be classified under the same job but each may perform different work. For instance,
a cash clerk might deal with the receipt and disbursement of cash, a bill clerk deal with bills and an
accounts clerk might be in charge of accounts keeping and maintenance.
Occupation. An occupation implies a group of jobs which are similar as to the type of work and
which contain common characteristics. For example business is an occupation consisting of
several types of jobs like production, sales etc.
Career. It broadly refers to an employees progression in his or work life. It indicates the
chronological sequence of positions occupied by an individual in his or her profession.
Definitions of Job Analysis
Some important definitions of job-analysis are as under :
Harry L. Wylie. "Job analysis deals with the anatomy of the job.....This is the complete study of
the job embodying every known and determinable factor, including the duties and responsibilities
involved in its performance; the conditions under which performance is carried on; the nature of
the task; the qualifications required in the worker; and the conditions of employment such as pay,
hours, opportunities and privileges"
In the words of Dale Yoder. "A Job is a collection of duties, tasks and responsibilities which are
assigned to an individual and which is different from other assignment"
According to Michael J. Jucius, "Job analysis refers to the process of studying the operations,
duties and organizational aspects of jobs in order to derive specification or, as they are called by
some job description"
In the words of Edwin B. Flippo, "Job analysis is the process of studying and collecting
information relating to the operations and responsibilities of a specific job "
According to Blum, "A job analysis is an accurate study of the various components of a job. It is
concerned not only with an analysis of the duties and conditions of work, but also with the
individual qualifications of the worker."
According to John A Shubin "Job analysis is the methodical compilation and study of work data
in order to define and characterize each occupation in such a manner as to distinguish it from all
others."
In the words of Scott, Clothier and Spriegel, "Job analysis is the process of critically evaluating
the operations, duties and relationship of the job."

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In simple words Job analysis is a formal programme which examines the tasks, duties and
responsibilities contained in an individual unit of work.
Its objectives include
(a) To determine most effective methods for performing a job.
(b) To increase employee job satisfaction.
(c) To identify core areas for giving training to employees and to find out best methods of
training.
(d) Development of performance measurement systems, and
(e) to match job-specifications with employee specifications while selection of an employee
Job analysis is a detailed examination of
(1) tasks that make up a job (employee role),
(2) conditions under which an employee performing his/her job, and
(3) what exactly a job requires in terms of aptitudes (potential for achievement), attitudes
(behavior characteristics), knowledge, skills, educational qualifications and the physical working
condition of the employee.
This process involves two sets of information:
1. Job Description
2. Job Specification
If we take it in a specific manner, Job Analysis involves the below steps:
→ Recording and collecting the information related to a job.
→ To check the accuracy of the job information.
→ Note down the Job Description as per the data gathered.
→ Use the data to determine the skills and knowledge that is required for a particular job.
→ updating the gathered information from time to time.
As mentioned earlier Job Analysis is classified into two parts, Let us now discuss these two
important parts:
(a). Job Description: This is a very vital document which is usually explanatory in nature. It
consists of both organizational as well as functional information. It provides information as to the
scope of activities, position of the job and the responsibilities. It gives the employees a very clear
picture of what is required of him to meet the goals of his job. A good Job Description must
consist of the following:
(b). Job Specification: Job Specification converts the job description to qualifications that are
required for, in performing the job. This is usually a statement which consists of qualification,
characteristics, traits etc, for an employee to possess to perform his duties. The first thing here is
to prepare a directory of all jobs and then the next step is to make a write up of each and every
job.
Methods of Job Analysis
The most general Job Analysis methods are discussed below:
1. Observation Method: In this method the job analyst observes the employees work and records
all the tasks that are performed and also those that are not performed. This may seem to be an
easy method of job analysis, but it is the most difficult one. The main reason being that every

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person has a different way of observing things, which might involve personal bias, likes and
dislikes which will not give the desired results.
2. Interview Method: In this method the manpower is interviewed. The employee under this
method comes up with different ideas towards their working style, problems faced by them and
uncertainties or insecurities faced by them. It helps the organization in knowing exactly what the
employees are thinking about their jobs. This helps in minimizing errors as not only one employee
is interviewed, but everyone in the organization is interviewed.
3. Questionnaire Method: This is another common method of Job Analysis, which uses a
questionnaire to be filled by the employees. Care should be taken while framing questions for this,
because this method also suffers from bias by the superiors. It is always better if the staff is
communicated in a better way to make them understand that the data collected is for their own
good. Here different types of questionnaires are prepared for different grades which is also time
consuming

Job analysis takes place before the recruitment process.

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Procedure for job analysis

Job analysis is done by using two approaches one is work oriented approach and second one is
employee oriented approach
1. Work oriented approach. This approach focus on the actual task involved in a Job. this
approach mainly concentrate on duties, functions and responsibilities involved in a job
Example

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Job of court manager at Courts (judiciary), task oriented approach of job analysis statement
include
 The Court Manager shall function under the control and guidance of the Chief Justice in
the High Court, and the District Judge in the respective district Courts.
 He shall work on policies and standards, based on applicable directives of superior Courts,
establish the performance standards applicable to the Court (including on timeliness,
efficiency; quality of Court performance; infrastructure; and human resources; access to
justice; as well as for systems for Court management and case management.
 He will carry out an evaluation of the compliance of the directives of the Court with such
standards; identify deficiencies and deviations; identify steps required to achieve
compliance, maintain such an evaluation on a current basis through annual updates.
 He will in consonance with the rules and policies of the court and in consultation with the
stakeholders of the Court including litigants, the Bar, ministerial staff, Executive Agencies
supporting judicial functions such as prosecutors/police/ process service agencies prepare,
submit and update annually a 5-year court-wise Court Development Plan (CDP), for
approval of the court.
 He will monitor the implementation of the approved CDP and report to the District Judge
and the High Court with the progress.
 He will ensure that statistics on all aspects of the functioning of the Court are complied
and reported accurately and promptly in accordance with systems established by the High
Court.
 He will ensure that the core systems of the court are established and function effectively
(documentation management; utilities management; infrastructure and facilities management;
financial systems management (audits, accounts, payments);
  He will ensure that the IT systems of the court comply with standards established by
the High Court and are fully functional.
 He will feed the proposed National Arrears Grid to be set up to monitor the disposal of
cases in all the Courts, as and when it is set up.
 The Court Manager shall be responsible in implementation, managing data entry initiation,
services roll-out and monitoring of the e-Court Project in the respective Districts/High
Court.
 (xviii) He shall perform all other administrative functions and duties as may be assigned by
the Chief Justice in the High Court and the District Judge in the District Court from time
to time.
 (xix) He shall report to the Chief Justice/ District Judge or any other Judge/ officer
nominated by the Chief Justice/ District Judge and shall perform the duties as assigned to
him from time to time.

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2. Employee oriented approach. This approach focus on examining of human attributes needed
to perform the job perfectly. Human attributes have been classified into knowledge, skills, attitude
and other characteristics. Knowledge is the information people need in order to perform the job.
Skills are the proficiencies needed to perform each task. Abilities are the attributes that are
relatively stable over time. Other characteristics are all other attributes, usually personality factors.

Example
 The Court Manager shall have M.B.A. Degree or Advanced Diploma in General
Management from a recognized University/institution of India.
 He shall have minimum 10 years experience in the field of management,
experience/training in I.T Systems Management, H.R.Management, and Financial Systems
Management.
 He shall not be more than 40 years of age.
 He should have excellent communication skills.
 He should have excellent Computer application skill
Importance of Job Analysis
Job analysis helps in analyzing the resources and establishing the strategies to accomplish the
business goals and strategic objectives. Effectively developed, employee job descriptions are
communication tools that are significant in an organization's success.
The main purpose of conducting job analysis is to prepare job description and job specification
which would help to hire skilled workforce. Job description is a statement of information about
duties and responsibilities of a particular job. Whereas job specifications are a statement of
information about qualifications, special qualities, skills and knowledge required for an employee
to fit for a job. Therefore job analysis enables recruiter/employer to have a deep insight of a job,
with that; recruiter can easily track candidates who have required qualifications and qualities to
perform a job.
Job Analysis can be used to identify areas where an employee needs training, since job analysis
make it clear to understand about core duties and responsibilities of a job. Besides, it provides
information to develop suitable training material for a job to be performed by an employee after
completion of his training.
Compensation management/salary administration is one of core HR functions. Salary for a job is
decided on skill level required, duties and responsibilities, qualification and experience
level/seniority, altogether, called as compensable factors, which could be known by job analysis
only. But there is a separate method to determine value of job that is called as job evaluation
which is part of job analysis. Job evaluation is process of valuing or determining how much is to
be paid for a job. Job evaluation is mainly used when a specific job or a single job is to be

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evaluated or when there are different jobs in same Cader, or when their jobs based on projects or
piecework. However job analysis has its own importance in concluding
compensation/remuneration/ salary of an employee.
No organization exists without goals and objectives to achieve, performance standards to be
maintained by every employee and reviewing performance of employees. These could be cross
checked with outcome of job analysis of a job, whether outcome of job analysis of a job is in tune
with goals and objectives of an organization or not, performance standards are being maintained
or not and reviewing employee performance based on performance standards or not.
Job Analysis can be used in performance review to identify or develop goals and objectives,
performance standards, evaluation criteria, length of probationary periods, and duties to be
evaluated
An ideal job analysis should include below listed are areas where job analyst should focus
to bring out facts about a job.
Duties and Tasks: The basic unit of a job is the performance of specific tasks and duties. This
segment should include frequency, duration, effort, skill, complexity, equipment, standards, etc.
Environment: This segment identifies the working environment of a particular job. This may
have a significant impact on the physical requirements to be able to perform a job.
Tools and Equipment: Some duties and tasks are performed using specific equipment and tools.
These items need to be specified in a Job Analysis.
Relationships: The hierarchy of the organization must be clearly laid out. The employees should
know who is under them and who they have to report to.
Requirements: The knowledge, skills, and abilities required to perform the job should be clearly
listed.
There are several ways to conduct a job analysis, including: interviews with incumbents and
supervisors, questionnaires (structured, open-ended, or both), observation, critical incident
investigations, and gathering background information such as duty statements or classification
specifications.
The following are the benefits of job analysis.
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1. Organizational structure and design: - Job analysis helps the organization to make
suitable changes in the organizational structure, so that it matches the needs and
requirements of the organization. Duties are either added or deleted from the job.
2. Recruitment and selection:-Job analysis provides information about what the job entails
and what human characteristics are required to perform these activities. This information,
in the form of job descriptions and specifications, helps management decide what sort of
people to recruit and hire.
3. Performance appraisal and training/development: - Based on the job requirements
identified in the job analysis, the company decides a training program. Training is given in
those areas which will help to improve the performance on the job. Similarly when
appraisal is conducted we check whether the employee is able to work in a manner in
which we require him to do the job.
4. Job evaluation: - Job evaluation refers to studying in detail the job performance by all
individual. The difficulty level
5. Skills. Skills required and on that basis the salary is fixed. Information regarding qualities
required, skilled levels, difficulty levels are obtained from job analysis.
6. Promotions and transfer: - When we give a promotion to an employee we need to
promote him on the basis of the skill and talent required for the future job. Similarly when
we transfer an employee to another branch the job must be very similar to what he has
done before. To take these decisions we collect information from job analysis.

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 Career path planning: - Many companies have not taken up career planning for their
employees. This is done to prevent the employee from leaving the company. When we plan the
future career of the employee, information will be collected from job analysis. Hence job analysis
becomes important or advantageous.
 Labour relations :- When companies plan to add extra duties or delete certain duties from a
job, they require the help of job analysis, when this activity is systematically done using job
analysis the number of problems with union members reduce and labour relations will improve.
 Health and safety :- Most companies prepare their own health and safety, plans and programs
based on job analysis. From the job analysis company identifies the risk factor on the job and
based on the risk factor safety equipments are provided.
1.  Acceptance of job offer :- When a person is given an offer/appointment letter the
duties to be performed by him are clearly mentioned in it, this information is collected
from job analysis, which is why job analysis becomes important
JOB DESCRIPTIONS
What Is a Job Description?
A job description is an internal document that clearly states the essential job requirements, job
duties, job responsibilities, and skills required to perform a specific role. A more detailed job
description will cover how success is measured in the role so it can be used during performance
evaluations.
A job description or JD is a document that describes the general tasks, or other related duties, and
responsibilities of a position. It may specify the functionary to whom the position reports,
specifications such as the qualifications or skills needed by the person in the job, and a salary
range. Job descriptions are usually narrative, but some may comprise a simple list of
competencies; for instance, strategic human resource planning methodologies may be used to
develop a competency architecture for an organization, from which job descriptions are built as a
shortlist of competencies.
According to Torrington, a job description is usually developed by conducting a job analysis,
which includes examining the tasks and sequences of tasks necessary to perform the job. The
analysis considers the areas of knowledge and skills needed for the job. A job usually includes
several roles. According to Hall, the job description might be broadened to form a person
specification or may be known as "terms of reference". The person/job specification can be
presented as a stand-alone document, but in practice it is usually included within the job
description. A job description is often used by employers in the recruitment process
A broad, general, and written statement of a specific job, based on the findings of a job analysis. It
generally includes duties, purpose, responsibilities, scope, and working conditions of a job along
with the job's title, and the name or designation of the person to whom the employee reports. Job
description usually forms the basis of job specification
They are also known as a job specification, job profiles, JD, and position description (job PD).

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Our job description directory contains job description examples covering all the most popular
roles. We have examples of job descriptions you can quickly download and modify to suit your
unique business requirements. You'll find a job description example for most common jobs.
Starting with a sample job description will make sure you do not miss any of the key requirements
for a role and new hires will have a better understanding of what their role is.
Edwin B. Flippo defined job description as “the first and immediate product of job analysis is the
job description. As its title indicates, this document is basically descriptive in nature and
constitutes a record of existing and pertinent job facts.”
Job description is a systematic, organized and written statement of “who does what when, where,
how and why? And is tangible outcome of job analysis.”
Generally the job description consists of the following data:
1. Job Description: It includes job title, code number of the job if any, the department or division
to which the job belongs etc.
2. Job Summary: It would clear the nature of the job. Primary, Secondary and other duties to be
performed on the job should clearly be indicated separately.
3. Job Location: It should also be given in the description where the job is to be performed i.e. in
which department.
4. Duties and Responsibilities: It is a comprehensive listing of the duties together with the
importance of each duty and the percentage devoted to each major duty.
5. Supervision: The level of supervision required on each job should be mentioned. Because
unskilled job may require close supervision while skilled job may require less supervision or
sometimes no supervision.
6. Machines, Tools and Equipment used: This will include the type of machinery handled and
type of raw materials used.
7. Working Conditions: The working conditions on the job hazards and physical surroundings
within the working area should be described. It will be helpful in job evaluation.
8. Relation to other Jobs: It intensifies the vertical relationship of promotion and horizontal
relationship of work-flow and procedures.
Characteristics of a Good Job Description:
A good job description has the following characteristics:
1. It should be kept up-to-date necessary amendments and adjustments should be made from time
to time.
2. Job title should be short, definite and suggestive as to indicate the nature of the work.
3. Primary, Secondary and other duties and responsibilities should clearly be defined.
4. Job specifications should clearly be mentioned.
5. It should be descriptive but short.
6. Limitations of each job and sub job should be spelt out clearly in order to meet the objectives of
the job.
7. All employees must know the contents of the job description.
8. Job description should be easily understandable.
9. Special work conditions and special qualifications of the job should be clearly explained in job
description,
Job Description Components
A Job description will include the following:

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- Roles and responsibilities of the job
- Goals of the organization as well the goals to be achieved as a part of the profile
- Qualifications in terms of education and work experience required have to be clearly mentioned
- Skill sets required to fulfill the job
- Salary range of the job
Job Description Sample
A typical job description would have job title followed by summary. After these, there could be a
detailed description of the role. Education qualifications required are also mostly included along
with location.
Job Title Regional Sales Manager

Location NY,CA

The RSM would be responsible for the sales of territory assigned. The territories
would be in and around the job location.

Description The RSM should be motivated and willing to make decisions on his/her own. The
sales quota and targets would be predefined.
The RSM would be leading the local sales team of approx. 5-6 team size.

(The description should cover all the details)

Education Graduate with Business Degree/Diploma

Experience 7-8 years of experience in FMCG Sales

The table above shows a sample job description. Formats for job description may vary from
company to company but the overall details would be similar.
Advantages of Job Description
There are many benefits of having a comprehensive job description given by a company. Some of
the advantages of job description are mentioned below:
1. Helps companies understand the type of candidate they should search for based on title,
position and location
2. Employees are well aware about their job roles & duties
3. Job description helps in understanding the workplace environment, benefits etc for a
prospective employee
4. Helps in better recruitment & selection
5. Job description clearly highlights all the requirements, objectives & goals that it wants an
employee to perform
Disadvantages of Job Description
Despite being a thorough documentation related to the job, there are certain limitation of job
description:
1. Job descriptions are time bound and can change with organization structure, industry policies,
company requirements etc
2. It can only highlight the macro criteria of a job but cannot fully explain the obstacles, emotional
requirements etc related to the job

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3. Incomplete job description lacking quality information can misguide both the HR manager as
well as the employee
Hence, this concludes the definition of Job Description along with its overview.
How Do You Write a Job Description?
1. Download a job description template.
2. Add the official internal job title.
3. Summarize the role in the opening paragraph.
4. Detail the essential job duties and job responsibilities.
5. Detail the essential requirements and qualifications.
6. Define success in the role.
7. State who the role reports to.
8. Have it verified by the hiring manager and HR.
Why Do You Need a Job Description?
Properly written job position descriptions are often the only documents that totally define what a
role is, what skills are required to perform it, and where the role fits in an organization. This
makes it simple to identify candidates that are a good fit for the role and also to hold candidates
accountable if they are not performing essential duties that are required in the role.
What Is the Difference Between a Job Specification and a Job Description?
A job specification could be considered a more precise job description that details the exact
educational degrees, experience, skills, and requirements for a role. In most cases, these terms are
used interchangeably and nearly always describe the same document.
Generic Job Description Template:
We also have a general job description template you can download that will cover any role.
What are some tips on how to write a professional job description?
Make sure the title of the job position and description match. Do your research. If you're not
familiar with the job, talk to someone who is and have them help with the description. Make sure
it clearly defines the goals of the position and a timeline for reaching them.
Do you have an example of a good job description I can check out?
Yes! Check out our sample job descriptions below, as well as our guide on how to write a job
description. You should find everything you need to model your description on.
Do your job descriptions contain work duties?
Our job descriptions contain the most common job duties list for each position. This should help
you get your description written really quickly, although you may need to add job duty or job
responsibility information that's specific to your position.

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Is there a difference between a job description and a role description?
Generally these are the same thing. In some regions or countries role description is more
common, but most of the United States uses job description.
JOB SPECIFICATIONS;
Definition: Job Specification
A job specification defines the knowledge, skills and abilities that are required to perform a job in
an organization. Job specification covers aspects like education, work-experience, managerial
experience etc which can help accomplish the goals related to the job. Job specification helps in
the recruitment & selection process, evaluating the performance of employees and in their
appraisal & promotion. Job specification, along with job description, is actually derived from job
analysis. Collectively, job specification and job description help in giving a overview of the job in
terms of its title, position, roles, responsibilities, education, experience, workplace etc.
John specification is a statement in which we explain the qualities required by people applying for
the job.
 Job specification as a statement of minimum qualification that person must possess
to perform a given job successfully --- Stephen. P . Robbins & Marry Coutler
 Job specification is a statement of employee characteristics and qualifications
required for satisfactory performance of defined duties and tasks comprising a
specific job or function. Job specification is derived from job analysis.
While the job description describes activities to be done, it is job specifications that list the
knowledge, skills, and abilities an individual needs to perform a job satisfactorily. Knowledge,
skills, and abilities (KSAs) include education, experience, work skill requirements, personal
abilities, and mental and physical requirements. Job specifications for a data entry operator might
include a required educational level, a certain number of months of experience, a typing ability of
60 words per minute, a high degree of visual concentration, and ability to work under time
pressure. It is important to note that accurate job specifications identify what KSAs a person
needs to do the job, not necessarily what qualifications the current employee possesses.
It can be explain in the following diagram:

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Job specifications usually involve a listing of the personal qualifications regarded as necessary for
satisfactory performance. Job specifications are mainly used in selecting and recruiting staff and
are accordingly not essential for job evaluations. But certain personal attributes, such as
experience, education and aptitude, may occur in both in job description as well as in job
specification. Many job evaluation plans accordingly use job specifications to complement job
description.
Job Specification describes the desired attributes of the person doing the job. It is a statement
which tells minimum acceptable human qualities that helps to perform a job. Such requirements
are usually established for individual jobs on the basis of judgments made by staff analysts, but in
some instances they are based upon statistical validation procedures. Job Specification translates
the job description into human qualifications so that a job can be performed in a better manner.
Job Specification helps in hiring an appropriate person for an appropriate position. The contents
are:
1. Educational qualifications and experiences for job title.
2. Physical and other related attributes.
3. Physique and mental health.
4. Special attributes and abilities.
5. Interpersonal skills.
6. Maturity and dependability.
7. Family background.
8. Work-output job context and other job characteristics.
Job Specification should be used as a guideline to the knowledge, skills and aptitudes required to
perform a specific job. Job Analysis, job Description and job Specification, together form the basis
of recruitment, selection and placements of persons in an organization
Importance of Job Specification
The importance and purpose of job specification is a thoroughly understand the specific details of
a job. Jobs can be of different types and can require a different skill sets to get the maximum
output from a particular. Job specification gives important details related to the job like education
& skills, prior work experience, managerial experience, personality traits etc which would help an
employee accomplish the objectives of a job. For a recruiter, job specification lays down the
guidelines basis of which the company can recruit and select the best possible candidate who
would be best suited for the job. Apart from actually finding the right candidate or employee, job
specification can be used for screening of resumes & shortlist only those candidates who are the
closest fit to the job. Hence, a job specification gives specific details about a job and what kind of
skill sets are required to complete the job.
Components of Job Specification
There are many parameters which are considered while giving the job specification for a certain
profile.

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1. Educational Qualification: This parameter gives an insight on how qualified a certain
individual is. It covers their basic school education, graduation, masters degree, other
certifications etc
2. Experience: Job specification clearly highlights the experience required in a particular domain
for completing a specific job. It includes work experience which can be from a specific industry,
position, duration or in a particular domain. Managerial experience in handling and managing a
team can also be a job specification criteria required for a particular position
3. Skills & Knowledge: This is an important parameter in job specification especially with
knowledge and skill based profiles. The higher the position in a company, the more niche the skills
become and more is the knowledge required to perform the job.
4. Personality traits and characteristics: The way in which a person behaves in a particular
situation, handles complex problems, generic behaviour etc are all covered in the characteristics of
a job description. It also covers the emotional intelligence of a person i.e how strong or weak a
person is emotionally
Job Specification Example
Here is a sample job specification, which is prepared for a marketing manager in a telecom
company.

Education Must be an engineer and MBA in marketing for a reputed MBA institute

Work experience Must have prior work experience in marketing & sales (preferably telecom
or FMCG)

Skills & Knowledge 1. Must be a good communicator and must be able to lead a team.
2. Prior experience in handling ATL-BTL activities and managing
promotional events.
3. Must be able to handle social media like Facebook, Twitter and help
build online brand
4. Experience in managing PR and media
5. Strong analytical skills and problem solving skills
6. Must understand business, come up with innovative products and launch
them

Personality Traits & 1. Must be presentable and a good orator

Characteristics
2. Should be calm in complex situations and show leadership skills in
managing multiple teams
3. Should be emotionally strong and should give timely deliverables

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The above table is a sample of job specification. More specific details can also be put to give a
better understanding about the job.
Advantages of Job Specification
There are several benefits of having a comprehensive job specification. Some advantages are listed
below:
1. Job specification highlights all the specific details required to perform the job at its best
2. It gives the HR managers a threshold and a framework on the basis on which they can identify
the best prospects
3. Helps in screening of resumes and saves time when there are multiple applications by choosing
those who are closest to the job specification
4. HR managers can used job specification as a benchmark to evaluate employees and give them
required trainings
5. It also helps companies during performance appraisal and promotions
Disadvantages of Job Specification
There are certain limitations of job specification. Some of the disadvantages are mentioned below:
1. It is a time consuming process as it has to be very thorough and complete
2. Job description is time bound and changes with changing technology and changing knowledge
& skill requirements
3. It can only give a framework of emotional characteristics and personality traits but cannot
specify the experience or forecast complex issues is any
Job specifications sample
The following requirements (job specifications) were determined by job analysis and derived from
the job description as crucial for success in the human resources director role. The successful
candidate for the human resources director position will possess these qualifications.
Experience - Human Resources Director
 7-10 years of progressively more responsible positions in human resources, preferably in a
similar industry in two different firms.
 Experience supervising and managing a professional staff.
 Experience as a trusted resource as a member of a senior level executive team.
 Experience in multiple locations and globally is a plus for the HR director job candidates.
Education - Human Resources Director
 Bachelor's Degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field required.

 Masters Degree in Business or Human Resources Management or a related field preferred.

 J.D. a plus.

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  SPHR designation will receive consideration but is not required.
Required Skills, Knowledge, and Characteristics - Human Resources Director
These are the most important qualifications of the individual selected as the human resources
director.
 Strong effective communicator in writing, business presentations and in interpersonal
communication.
 Highly developed, demonstrated teamwork skills.
 Demonstrates a high degree of confidentiality in interpersonal interaction.
 Exhibits an unusual degree of common sense in working with co-workers and the
executive team.
 Experience directing the efforts of a team of diverse human resources professionals.
 Demonstrated ability to increase productivity and continuously improve methods,
approaches, and departmental contribution while remaining cost-sensitive.
 Demonstrated commitment to evidence-based, measurable HR products, services, and
activities.
 Must exhibit a commitment to continuous learning.
 Expert in employment law to keep the company safe from lawsuits and has a proven
ability to work well in consultation with an employment law attorney.
 Strong commitment to and interest in employee relations and communication.
 Demonstrated ability to see the big picture and provide useful and strategic advice and
input across the company and on the senior executive team.
 Ability to lead in an environment of constant change.
 Experience working in a flexible, employee empowering work environment. Structured or
large company experience will not work here.
 Familiarity and skill with the tools of the trade in human resources including HRIS,
Microsoft Office suite of products, file management, and benefits administration.
 Experience in organization development and change management.
High-Level Overview of Job Requirements - Human Resources Director
The selected human resources director must be able to perform effectively in each of these areas:
 Guides and manages the overall provision of Human Resources services, policies, and
programs for the entire company.
 Development of an overall HR business plan with measurable objectives and a budget.
 Staffing of the HR department to effectively serve the needs of the organization.

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  Overall talent management strategy and implementation including workforce planning,
recruiting, interviewing, hiring, training and development; performance planning,
management development and improvement; and succession planning.
 Organization development, change management initiatives, and company-wide culture and
environment at work for employees.
 Oversee employment law compliance and compliance to regulatory concerns.
 Demonstrated proficiency in policy development, documentation, training, and
implementation.
 Oversees employee safety, welfare, wellness, and health.
 Responsible for community outreach and communication, and charitable giving in
conjunction with the community relations team.
 Managing external executive recruiting agencies, employment agencies, recruiters, and
temporary staffing agencies.
 Analysis of the effectiveness of all human resources efforts both financially and in terms of
whether they produced the company's needed objectives and outcomes.
Feel free to use portions of this HR Director job specification in your own organization. It is a
sample and you need to customize all HR director job specifications or job descriptions to the
needs of your own organization. They need to reflect your priorities as a company and your
culture and environment for employees.
Job Description Vs Job Specification
Comparison Chart
Basis for
Job Description Job Specification
Comparison
Job Description is a concise written The statement which explains the
statement, explaining about what are minimum eligibility requirements, for
Meaning
the major requirements of a particular performing a particular job is known as
job. Job Specification.
Job title, duties, tasks and Employee's qualification, skills and
Lists out
responsibilities involved in a job. abilities.
It expresses what a prospective
It expresses what an applicant must
What is it? employee must do when he will get the
possess for getting selected.
placement
Prepared from Job Analysis Job Description
Describes Jobs Job Holders
Comprises of Designation, place of work, scope,
salary range, working hours,

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 Basis for
Job Description Job Specification
Comparison
responsibilities, reporting authority etc.
Key Differences Between Job Description and Job Specification
The difference between job description and job specification can be drawn clearly on the following
grounds:
1. Job Description is a descriptive statement that describes the role, responsibility, duties, and
scope of a particular job. Job Specification states the minimum qualifications required for
performing a particular job.
2. Job Description is the outcome of Job Analysis while Job specification is the result of Job
Description.
3. Job Description describes jobs, but Job Specification describes job holders.
4. The job description is a summary of what an employee will do after getting selected.
Conversely, Job Specification is a statement showing what a person must possess for
getting selected.
5. Job Description contains designation, place of work, scope, working hours,
responsibilities, reporting authority, salary range, etc. On the other hand, Job Specification
contains educational qualifications, experience, skills, knowledge, age, abilities, work
orientation factors, etc.
Contents of Job Specification Statement
A job specification defines the knowledge, skills, and abilities that are required to perform a job in
an organization. It is a document or statement which spells out the minimum levels of
qualification, skills, physical and other abilities, experience, judgment and attributes required to
perform them efficiently and effectively. It helps in the recruitment and selection process,
evaluating the performance of employees and in their appraisal and promotion.
The importance and purpose of job specification are a thoroughly understand the specific details
of a job.

Contents of Job Specification Statement

There are many parameters which are considered while giving the job specification for a certain
profile.
1. Required Education. Required level of education for each post that an incumbent is supposed
to hold is listed in job specification statement. This parameter gives an insight into how qualified a
certain individual is. It also helps to determine the level or category of job in terms of rank. It
covers their basic school education, graduation, masters degree, other certifications etc

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2. Health and Physical Fitness. Physical fitness and health is a crucial aspect of good
performance. Hence, body structure, physical ability and other aspects of health and fitness is a
must in order to perform well in the organization.
3. Appearance.Appearance refers to an outlook of an employee, which must be attractive and
good looking. The cleanliness and neatness of an individual show his/her appearance. Hence, job
specification statement defines the employees appearance.
4. Mental and Other Abilities. The employee must be mentally fit to perform the desired task. If
not, the problems may arise on the work floor. Mental fitness is associated with the ability of
decision making, managing emotions, and sorrows, dealing with different kinds of people etc.
5. Experience.Job specification clearly highlights the experience required in a particular domain
for completing a specific job. Under it, the required level of experience in doing a particular task
is explained, if necessary. It includes work experience which can be from a specific industry,
position, duration or in a particular domain. An experienced employee will be preferable in
comparison to the fresh candidate. Managerial experience in handling and managing a team can
also be a job specification criteria required for a particular position
6. Skills & Knowledge. This is an important parameter in job specification especially with
knowledge and skill-based profiles. The higher the position in a company, the more niche the skills
become and more is the knowledge required to perform the job.
7. Personality traits and characteristics. The way in which a person behaves in a particular
situation handles complex problems, generic behavior etc are all covered in the characteristics of a
job description. It also covers the emotional intelligence of a person i.e how strong or weak a
person is emotionally
MEANING AND CONCEPT OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION
THE CONCEPT OF RECRUITMENT
Introduction
Recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and stimulating them to
apply for jobs in the organization. It is the process of bringing together those who are offering
jobs and those who are seeking jobs. Recruitment is a positive process where a pool of
prospective employees is created and management select the right person for the right job from
this pool. It provides a base for the selection process.
Recruitment is a positive process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to
apply for the jobs in the organization. When more persons apply for jobs then there will be a
scope for recruiting better persons.
The job-seekers too, on the other hand, are in search of organizations offering them employment.
Recruitment is a linkage activity bringing together those with jobs and those seeking jobs. In
simple words, the term recruitment refers to discovering the source from where potential
employees may be selected. The scientific recruitment process leads to higher productivity, better
wages, high morale, reduction in labour turnover and enhanced reputation. It stimulates people to
apply for jobs; hence it is a positive process.
Recruitment is concerned with reaching out, attracting, and ensuring a supply of qualified
personnel and making out selection of requisite manpower both in their quantitative and

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qualitative aspect. It is the development and maintenance of adequate man- power resources. This
is the first stage of the process of selection and is completed with placement.
Definition:
According to Edwin B. Flippo, “It is a process of searching for prospective employees and
stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organization.” He further elaborates it,
terming it both negative and positive.
He says, “It is often termed positive in that it stimulates people to apply for jobs, to increase the
hiring ratio, i.e. the number of applicants for a job. Selection, on the other hand, tends to be
negative because it rejects a good number of those who apply, leaving only the best to be hired. ”
In the words of Dale Yoder, Recruitment is the process to “discover the sources of manpower to
meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting that
manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient working force.”
Kempner writes, “Recruitment forms the first stage in the process which continues with selection
and ceases with the placement of the candidates.”
In personnel recruitment, management tries to do far more than merely fill job openings. As a
routine the formula for personnel recruitment would be simple i.e., just fill the job with any
applicant who comes along.
Joseph J. Famularo has said, “However, the act of hiring a man carries with it the presumption
that he will stay with the company-that sooner or later his ability to perform his work, his capacity
for job growth, and his ability to get along in the group in which he works will become matters of
first importance.” Because of this, a critical examination of recruitment methods in use should be
made, and that is the purpose of this chapter.
Factors Influencing Recruitment:
All enterprises, big or small, have to engage themselves in recruitment of persons. A number of
factors influence this process.
1. Employment Conditions: The employment conditions in an economy greatly affect
recruitment process. In under-developed economies, employment opportunities are limited and
there is no dearth of prospective candidates. At the same time suitable candidates may not be
available because of lack of educational and technical facilities. If the availability of persons is
more, then selection from large number becomes easy. On the other hand, if there is a shortage of
qualified technical persons, then it will be difficult to locate suitable persons.
2. Salary Structure and Working Conditions: The wages offered and working conditions
prevailing in an enterprise greatly influence the availability of personnel. If higher wages are paid
as compared to similar concerns, the enterprise will not face any difficulty in making recruitments.
An organization offering low wages can face the problem of labour turnover.
The working conditions in an enterprise will determine job satisfaction of employees. An
enterprise offering good working conditions like proper sanitation, lighting, ventilation, etc.
would give more job satisfaction to employees and they may not leave their present job. On the
other hand, if employees leave the jobs due to unsatisfactory working conditions, it will lead to
fresh recruitment of new persons.
3. Size of the organization. A large organization is bound to have a higher demand for new
employees. It is bound to look for more people, since the structure will require more manpower.
On the other end of the spectrum, a small enterprise, like a new company just starting its
operations, will require only a lean staff.
Comparing the two, it is clear that the smaller enterprise will have a simpler, more straightforward
and shorter recruitment process, conducted by only one or two people. The larger organization,
however, will have a lengthier and more complex recruitment process, one where several
members of the organization will take part in.

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4. Current employment conditions in the economy. Try comparing employment opportunities
in a country with a developed economy with that of an underdeveloped one. An organization
operating in an underdeveloped economy may have difficulty finding the candidates with the
talents and skills it requires.
The availability of prospective talents is one huge issue with respect to the economy that an
enterprise belongs to. The company will have to design and implement its recruitment process in a
way that will address this issue.
5. Salary structure of the organization. Say one company is known to provide higher salaries
and wages to its employees. Once it advertises its open position, candidates are likely to line up
submitting their resumes. However, a company known to be quite stingy with its wages will have
more difficulty recruiting top talents.
In addition, it may even have problems keeping or retaining its employees, since no employee
would want to stay for a long time in a company that will not pay him enough for his services.
6. Working conditions within the organization. Maintaining employees job satisfaction is one
way for organizations to keep its employees, and attract new ones.
Prospective candidates will first look for work in companies or organizations that are known to
provide good working conditions and looks out for the health and well-being of their employees.
7. Growth rate of the organization. There are organizations that grow at a fast rate, which
means that they will require new employees from time to time. However, there are also
organizations that do not grow as much, or even at all. The only time that these organizations
with low growth rates are likely to recruit new employees would be when the old ones retire or
resign.
Before we fully launch into the recruitment process, let us address one question first: who
conducts the recruitment process?
The answer is largely dependent on the size of the organization, as well as its culture and
practices. Large companies have their own human resource departments, where they have in-
house hiring managers. They may also acquire the services of third-party and independent human
resource professionals and recruitment agencies.
Sources of recruitment:
Broadly, there are two main sources of recruitment
1) Internal sources of recruitment which means recruitment from within the organization.
2) External sources of recruitment means recruitment from outside the organization.
https://managementation.com/wp-
content/uploads/2013/02/recruitmenhttps://managementation.com/wp-

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content/uploads/2013/02/recruitmen

1) Internal sources of recruitment which means recruitment from within the organization:
i) Transfer: it means shifting of employees from one job to another. There is no drastic change in
the pay or status of the employees it generally remains the same.
ii) Promotion: it means shifting the employee to higher position with the change in the pay or
status.
iii) Internal advertisement: it means appointing the employees from within the organization
through advertisement.
iv) Lent services: it means employing the person for newly started plant in the organization.
v) Extension of services: it is extending the service of employees by recruiting them again.
vi) Absorption of trainees: those who come in the organization for training employing them.
2) External sources of recruitment mean recruitment from outside the organization:
i) Advertisement: it is a way to attract number of employees by giving advertisement in the
newspaper.
ii) Casual callers: the good organizations have a list of casual callers also who apply them and
the organization instead of giving new advertisement give a call to these casual callers.
iii) Employment exchange: it is a good source of recruitment where the candidates are called
with the help of employment exchange.
iv) Educational institutions: here the companys go to the educational institutions from where
they select the suitable employees for the job.
v) Labor union: the organization may select the candidate from the labor union of the company
to satisfy the labors also.
vi) Recommendation of employees: sometimes the employees working in the organization also
suggest the name of suitable candidate for the appointment.

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vii) Waiting lists: generally the organization s prepares the waiting lists of the employees.
Sometimes the selected candidates failed to join in that case the waiting list employees are called.
Thus the above said are the main sources of recruitment of the employees within the organization
and outside the organization which are used by the organization to employ the employees.
The recruitment process
Organizations, depending on their structure and specific needs, may have special procedures that
they integrate into their recruitment process. For purposes of discussion, however, we will take a
look at the general approach of a recruitment process, one that is used by most organizations or
companies across various industries.
Many say that recruitment begins when the job description is already in place and the hiring
managers begin the process of actually looking for candidates. However, if we are looking at it
more holistically, the process begins way earlier than that.
Prior to the recruitment process, the organization must first identify the vacancy and evaluate the
need for that position. Will the organization suffer if that vacancy is not filled up? Is there really a
need for that open position to be occupied by someone? If the answer is affirmative, then you can
proceed to the recruitment.
Step 1: Conduct of a job analysis
Basically, this step will allow the human resources manager, hiring manager, and other members of
management on what the new employee will be required to do in the position that is currently
open for filling up. This has to be done in a systematic manner, which is what the job analysis is
for.
According to human resource managers, the position or job description is the “core of a
successful recruitment process”. After all, it is the main tool used in developing assessment tests
and interview questions for the applicants.
What does this stage entail?
a. Build a job description. Before anything else, the organization must first know exactly what it
needs. Or who it needs. It could be that the organization deemed a need for a job that is not
included in the current roster of jobs. Hence, the need to create a new one.
Job analysis involves identification of the activities of the job, and the attributes that are needed
for it. These are the main parts that will make up the job description. This part has to be done
right, since the job description will also be used in the job advertisement when it is time to source
out talents.
The job description generally includes the following:
 Title and other general information about the position

 Purpose of the position in the unit, department, and organization as whole

 Essential functions of the job or position
 Minimum requirements or basic qualifications
b. Review the job description. Once the job description has been created, it is a good idea to
review it for accuracy, and to assess whether it is current or not. Also, in cases where job
descriptions are already in place, there is a need to revisit them and check their accuracy and
applicability with respect to the status quo. What if the job description is already outdated? A
review will reveal the need to update the job description, for current applicability.
There are three positive outcomes from conducting a review of the job description:

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  To ensure continuous improvement of the organizational structure. This can be an
efficient way of conducting organizational audit, to determine which jobs are redundant
and thus no longer needed, and which ones are needed.
 To evaluate competencies for each position. Jobs evolve. In as much as circumstances
and work conditions change, so will the requirements for the job. It is possible that a job
may require a new competency from the worker that it did not need before. By evaluating
the competencies, the impact of the job within the organizational structure is ensured.
 To evaluate the wages or compensation for each position. Without management
knowing it, the worker or employee performing a specific job may be undercompensated,
leading to dissatisfaction. By reviewing the job description, management can assess
whether the job is getting paid an amount that is commensurate to the skills and
competencies required.
Finally, you should then have an effective job description ready for attracting talent.
c. Set minimum qualifications for the employee who will do the job. These are the basic
requirements that applicants are required to have in order to be considered for the position. These
are required for the employee to be able to accomplish the essential functions of the job.
Therefore, they should be relevant and directly relate to the identified duties and responsibilities of
the position.
The organization may also opt to include other preferred qualifications that they are looking for,
on top of the minimum or basic qualifications.
d. Define a salary range. The job must belong to a salary range that is deemed commensurate to
the duties and responsibilities that come with the position. Aside from complying with legislation
(such as laws on minimum wages and other compensation required by law), the organization
should also base this on prevailing industry rates.
For example, if the position is that of a computer programmer, then the salary range should be
within the same range that other companies within the same industry offer.
Step 2: Sourcing of talent
This is the stage where the organization will let it be known to everyone that there is an open
position, and that they are looking for someone to fill it up.
Before advertising, however, the organization must first know where to look for potential
candidates. They should search out the sources where the persons that can potentially fill the job
are going to be available for recruitment. That way, they will know where to direct their
advertising efforts.
Various methods are employed by organizations in order to advertise the open position.
Networking. Word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising, and when it takes the form of
networking, it becomes more effective. In recruitment, this is often done through representatives
of the company attending college and career fairs, letting them know about the opening in their
organization. This is a tactic employed by large software and tech companies that want to hire
fresh, young and brilliant minds into their organization. They personally visit colleges, targeting
the top students. They also use their connections within the industry to attract the attention of
talents with the highest potential.
Posting. Recruitment often involves the application of candidates both from within and outside
the company. Thus, in order to attract the best possible talents, it is recommended that the posting
of the open positions be made internally and externally. Internal posting usually takes the form of

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the vacancy announcement being displayed in bulletin boards and other areas within the business
premises where the employees and visitors to the company are likely to see it. Posting externally
may be in the form of flyers being distributed, or vacancy notices being displayed in other areas
outside of the business premises. Companies with websites often post open positions on their
company site, while some also use job boards.
Print and media advertising. One classic example of this would be the Classifieds section of the
local daily or weekly newspaper. Companies looking for people to fill up open positions make the
announcement in the newspapers, providing the qualifications and the contact details where
prospective applicants may submit their application documents. When trying to attract the
attention of suitable candidates, the organization makes use of various tools and techniques. If it
wants to get the best candidates, then it should not be haphazard about things.
Developing and using proper techniques. The company may include various offerings in order
to attract the best candidates. Examples are attractive salaries, bonus and incentive packages,
additional perks and opportunities that come with the job, proper facilities at work, and various
programs for development.
Using the reputation of the company. Perhaps the best publicity that the company can use to
attract candidates is its own reputation in the market. If the company is known for being a good
employer — one that aids in its employees personal and professional growth and development —
then it is a good point for the company to capitalize on in advertising its open positions.
Step 3: Screening of applicants
This is most probably the part of the recruitment process that requires the most amount of work.
This is where the applicants skills and personalities are going to be tested and evaluated, to
ascertain whether they are a good fit for the job and its description.
Preliminary screening. It is often the case, especially in large organizations, where one open
position will receive hundreds to thousands of applications from candidates. In an ideal world, it
would be good for the hiring managers to be able to interview each and every single one of them.
However, that is also impractical, and very tedious. Not really advisable, especially if the
organization is in need of manpower in the soonest possible time. Thus, there is a need to shorten
the list of candidates, and that is done through a preliminary screening. Usually, this is conducted
by going through the submitted resumes and choosing only those that are able to meet the
minimum qualifications. It is possible that this would shorten the list of applicants, leaving a more
manageable number.
Initial interview. The candidates who were able to pass the preliminary screening will now
undergo the initial interview. In most cases, the initial interview is done through phone. There are
those who also conduct interviews through videos using their internet connection. Often a basic
interview, this may involve the candidates being asked questions to evaluate or assess their basic
skills and various personal characteristics that are relevant to the open position.
Conduct of various tests for recruitment. The hiring managers may conduct tests on the skills
of the candidates and how they use these skills and talents. Other tests that are often employed are
behavioral tests and personality assessment tests.

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Final interview. Usually depending on the number of candidates for the job, and the preference
of the hiring managers and senior management, a series of interviews may be conducted, gradually
narrowing down the list of candidates. This may go on until the company has finally come up with
a shortlist of candidates that will undergo a final interview. Often, the final interview requires a
face-to-face meeting between the candidate and the hiring managers, as well as other members of
the organization. Top management may even be involved during the final interview, depending on
the job or position that will be filled up.
Selection. In this stage, the hiring managers, human resources representatives, and other members
of the organization who participated in the process meet together to finally make a selection
among the candidates who underwent the final interview. During the discussion, the matters
considered are:
o Qualifications of the candidates who were able to reach the last stage of the
screening process
o Results of the assessments and interviews that the final pool of candidates were
subjected to
There will be no problem if they have a unanimous decision on the candidate that the job will be
offered to. In case of varying opinions, the majority will prevail.
If they do not arrive at a decision, there may be a need to restart the recruiting process, until such
time that they are able to reach a decision that everyone will be satisfied with.
Step 4: Finalization of the job offer
The last step of the previous phase involves the selection of the best candidate out of the pool of
applicants. It is now time for the organization to offer the job to the selected applicant.
Making the offer: To make things more formal, a representative of the company or of the human
resources department will contact the candidate and inform him that he has been selected for the
job. In this stage, complete details of the compensation package will also be made known to the
applicant.
Acceptance of the offer by the applicant: The applicant should also communicate his
acceptance of the offer for it to be final. Take note that, if the selected applicant does not accept
the job offer and declines it, the recruitment process will have to start all over again.
Step 5: Introduction and induction of the new employee
The moment that the applicant accepted the job offer, he has officially gone from being an
applicant to an employee of the organization. The induction process will now begin.
Usually, the beginning of the induction process is marked by the signing of the employment
contract, along with a welcome package given to the new employee. The date for the first day
that the employee will have to report for work and start working in the company will be
determined and communicated to the newly hired employee.
However, it doesnt end there. The employee will still have to undergo pre-employment screening,
which often includes background and reference checks. When all these pre-employment
information have been verified, the employee will now be introduced to the organization.

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Best practices in recruitment
Establish a well-planned recruitment process…and follow it. A process, no matter how well-
planned and well-documented, will only be successful if it is actually followed. After all, it is just
like any other business process. In fact, the Recruitment Process Outsourcing Association
(RPOA) compared the recruitment function to a “sales function”, saying that the two are similar,
except for the fact that what is being sold is not a product or a service, but the idea of a position
or a job.
Invest in highly-skilled recruiters and keep training them: If the organization has its own
human resources team put in charge of the recruitment process, then it is important that the best
people are chosen to carry out the tasks and functions. Make sure that the recruiters made as part
of the team possess the skills and talents required. The organization should also ensure the
continuous development of these recruiters by training them and providing opportunities to grow
and hone their skills.
Establish a strong relationship with hiring managers and recruitment specialists: If you
acquire the services of hiring managers and recruitment specialists and consultants in your
recruitment, then make sure that you build and maintain a solid and positive relationship with
them. This will motivate them to carry out your recruitment process effectively and efficiently,
ensuring the quality of hire.
Set up a Careers Website. These days, most business transactions are conducted using the
Internet. Thus, it will be to the organizations advantage to have its own careers website, where all
recruiting processes will be conducted from. For starters, it is a good place to post vacancies or
job openings. It is also an excellent platform for the company to establish its reputation as a
potentially good organization to work for.
Oracle named five benefits to having a careers website:
 Savings on the conduct of staffing processes, particularly on labor and time

 Savings on sourcing since the candidates will be the ones to approach the company
 Enhancement of company brand and reputation
 Improved candidate quality, thereby improving the quality of hired employees
 Savings on opportunity costs, thanks to the streamlining of the recruiting process
Use smart sourcing tools and technologies. Companies spend a lot of money on talent
acquisition, particularly on sourcing and attracting top candidates. By using smart sourcing
technologies and other tools, the costs can be cut down, and small businesses can be competitive
in its recruitment process, even with the threat of larger companies looming over them.
The general perception is that the larger companies have greater chances of attracting the best
talents, precisely because they have more resources at their disposal, and have access to more
(and better) tools. However, the introduction of smart sourcing technologies leveled the playing
field a bit, so that small businesses may also have the same opportunities.
Examples of smart sourcing is the automation of job board and recruitment processes, building of
a talent pool instead of relying on the databases of third-party recruitment agencies and
specialists, and using social media and social networks in the recruitment process. The third one is
of particular note, considering how many people now look for jobs using social media. In fact, in
a study published by Meisha Rouser, it appears that, in 2012, more than 36.6 million workers or

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employees found their jobs through various social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and
LinkedIn.
Implement good candidate relationship management. Once the organization makes its
intention to hire employees known, and applicants express their interest in the position, a
relationship has been developed between them. As all relationships in business go, it must be
managed properly.
The short-term objective here is to ensure that the candidates will have a good experience with
the company, even if, in the end, they are not selected for the job. The long-term goal, on the
other hand, is to sustain enduring relationships with the candidates so that, in the future, they will
still be interested in applying for a position in your company. This will also put your organization
in a favorable light for other, future, applicants.
 Establish a communications process where the candidates, the employees and the
organization may interact freely and directly.
 Allow the candidates to be the one to create and manage their own profiles in your
database or manpower pool.
 Provide status updates regularly to the candidates about the hiring process.
Practice compliance management. Not only does the company have to automate and streamline
its recruitment process, it should also see to it that everything is documented and archived
properly. This is because the organization will still be required to comply with certain rules and
regulations set forth by different government and regulatory agencies regarding recruitment and
human resource management.
 Automation of reporting procedures. To easily comply with reporting requirements
about the activities involved in the recruitment processes, it would be a good idea to
automate how the information is recorded, maintained, and distributed.
 Practice increased transparency. Organizations may be required to properly notify about
and advertise its open positions.
 Ensure proper certifications and qualifications. There are positions where the basic
qualifications involve the possession of specific certifications, accreditations or licenses.
By conducting thorough background checks, compliance with these requirements will be
facilitated.
Involve employees and other members of the organization. The organization should
encourage involvement of employees in the recruitment process, and one way to do that is to
establish and maintain a strong employee referral program. Instead of focusing solely on external.
Need for Recruitment
Every Company in the world knows the important of recruitment step in increasing the
performance of the company and increasing the productivity of the products. In this part of the
project we will mention some important point about the importance of recruitment step in any
organization:
1. It helps organization by found of the need of requirements by job analysis activities and
personnel planning.
2. To collect many of job candidates with less cost.

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 3. It helps to organize application by divided them by under qualified or overqualified, to
increase the possibility of increasing and choosing the success person to the right place.
4. Employing new and better qualified staff often the only effective long-term strategy for
improving operational performance.
5. Capabilities and commitment of employees ensure an organisations success.
6. Raise organizational and individual value in the short term and long term.
Purpose and Importance of Recruitment
1. Determine the present and future requirements of the organization on conjunction with its
personnel planning and job analysis activities.
2. Increase the pool of job candidates at minimum cost.
3. Help increase the success rate of the selection process by reducing the number of visibly
under qualified or overqualified job applicants.
4. Help reduce the probability that job applicants, once recruited and selected, will leave the
organization only after a short period of time.
5. Meet the organizations legal and social obligations regarding the composition of its work
force.
6. Begin identifying and preparing potential job applicants who will be appropriate
candidates.
7. Increase organizational and individual effectiveness in the short term and long term.
8. Evaluate the effectiveness of various recruiting techniques and sources for all types of job
applicants.
Difference between Recruitment and Selection
We know that recruitment and selection are part from the same phases of employment, each one is
complete the other but there are five points different between them:
1. Recruitment is the first part of the employment phase, which is looking and collecting
more than one applicant, the second part of the employment phase is selection which start
to look for applicants and evaluate them.
2. The goal of Recruitment is to create the differentiation and creativity applicants to give the
organization more options. The main goal for selection is to choose the best one to fill the
position.
3. Since recruitment searching for more employees to apply for a position, it is consider as a
positive process, and the negative process will be in selection since is reducing the
applicants to one for each position.
4. The source of human resources is most important part to recruitment, but in selection the
most important part is choosing the person via interviews or through tests.

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 5. There no contract between applicant and organization in recruitment process, but there is
an signing a contract between an applicant and organization.
Methods of recruitment
With the job description created, youll need to decide wheres the best place, and whats the most
suitable method, to advertise a role and attract candidates. The following tables list the pros and
cons of internet recruiting, public and private sector agencies (including recruitment agencies),
search consultants, press advertising, referrals, social networks, unsolicited applications and
apprenticeships.
Online job boards and websites
General job boards (such as monster.co.uk) can be particularly useful for organisations without a
strong employer brand that may be unlikely to attract candidates directly to their website. Many
organisations, large and small, already have a dedicated vacancies section on their websites.
Advantages Disadvantages
potential large numbers of inappropriate
cost-effective applications if care not taken drafting the job
description and person specification
a badly designed website or technical
can speed up the recruitment cycle and streamline
difficulties can turn-off potential applicants
administration
and damage your brand
technology helps manage vacancies effectively and it could be seen to be discriminatory where
coordinates processes candidates are not computer literate
use of CV keyword search can also lead to
global reach, instant applications
allegations of discrimination.
makes internal vacancies known across a wide range
of sites and divisions
supports branding with soft information on
workplace culture, e.g. though videos and blogs
handles high-volumes of applications in a consistent
way and records volume of response easily to
feedback which phrases and job advertisements work
best.
Recruitment agencies
Private sector agencies that provide temporary and permanent placements.
Advantages Disadvantages
specialist expert knowledge of target

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recruitment market — particularly useful if one agency can mean only one database, though
unfamiliar to the employer — and of agencies will also advertise your positions externally
business sector and competitors on your behalf
less reputable firms may adopt a scatter gun
approach — sending too many candidates, some not
speed of response from dedicated staff meeting employer requirements; may also be more
motivated by short-term gain (i.e. the fee) than long-
term relationship
only pre-screened and pre- referenced candidates may prefer to deal directly with the
candidates, therefore of a higher quality potential employer
many candidates prefer dealing with an can seem costly — fees typically 20% of the
agency rather than direct with an employer appointees salary.
minimal administration as the agency
performs many of the recruitment tasks,
including external advertising
database of people who have expressed a
desire to move, so able to react quickly
agency staff can become very familiar with
an organizations ethos and culture and
source candidates who match the company
and the hiring manager as well as the role
the vacancy does not become public
knowledge
no hire, no fee, no risk.
Search consultants
Search consultants (or headhunters) may be employed when a vacancy is not to become public
knowledge, usually where the post is very senior and/or there may be market sensitivities.
Advantages Disadvantages
specialist knowledge of recruitment market costly
limited pool of candidates (often the
discretion
case at very senior levels)
shortlisted people may not be
identifies the people who could do the job
available.
consultant develops a detailed knowledge of the
organization

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 consultant builds personal relationships with senior
executives so knows at the outset likely best candidate(s).
no hire, no fee, no risk.
Press advertising
Specialist/trade journals, national and local newspapers are still valid methods of recruitment:
people with specialist skills often look for vacancies in the relevant professional journal first,
which are increasingly likely to have an online presence besides a printed edition. Recruitment
agencies can often negotiate special rates with media groups.
Advantages Disadvantages
positively communicates your high upfront costs and no guarantee of success and return
recruitment messages and brand on investment
reinforces your corporate message high administrative cost of sifting applications — internal
and helps build brand awareness time — and resource-heavy
sends a positive message about the often a slow process, especially if using trade/specialist
companys fortunes to the marketplace press
trade publications target candidates cluttered environment, no control over where your ads are
with specific skills or experience placed within the press environment
may encourage people to apply who limited to those who read that particular newspaper or
were not considering moving journal
limited tracking and reporting on success, as there is no
fixed costs, although adverts may
automated/measured response mechanism in printed
need to be repeated
editions.
many publications offer a print/online
package.
Professional referral schemes
Also known as co-optation or internal referrals, professional referral schemes were rated more
effective when filling managerial roles, according to the CIPDs Resourcing and Talent Planning
2015 survey report.
Advantages Disadvantages
credible direct sell of the
limited pool of candidates
vacancy/organization
potentially fails to create a diverse workforce, as it limits the
high-quality candidates pool which may not be representative of the external
workforce overall
better retention rates rejection of a referral may demotivate the employee who

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 made the recommendation
likely to cost less than other
may distract employees from other duties.
methods of filling a vacancy.
Universal Job match
Employers need to have a Government Gateway ID (available via www.gov.uk/advertise-job) to
advertise a job, search for jobseekers with a matching CV and skills, and select the candidates you
would like to apply.
Advantages Disadvantages
not the first choice for the employed,
vacancies posted quickly
especially managers and professionals
extensive national network backed by the
does not pre-screen candidates
government
access to potential job seekers across the
Vacancies tend to be low-level.
European Union
main services are free
commitment to equality of opportunity — helps
avoid discrimination
helps employers access grants for hiring staff,
particularly the long- term unemployed
will provide help in sifting applications
will help employers deal with redundancies.

Recruitment events
These can range from face-to-face fairs, often at universities and colleges to open days or
webchats, where potential applicants can ask questions online.
Advantages Disadvantages
good way to meet a lot of people in a short space of
no chance to sift candidates
time, cost-effective if you have numerous roles to fill
at fairs you will be competing against
demonstrates your employer brand
many other would-be employers
can be difficult to stand out — those that
increases awareness of your organization.
do tend to have spent most money
query over cost-effectiveness if you have

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 few vacancies.
Social networks
Professional networks such as LinkedIn have seen a steady rise in the number of organizations
using them for recruitment, reflecting the rise of online recruitment. The Randstad Employer
Brand Research revealed that 39% of candidates use social media to find their next job, with
Facebook and LinkedIn the two most-used networks.
Advantages Disadvantages
can blur the private and professional spheres, a problem for
good way of reaching the connected
employers who discourage staff from discussing the
generations
company on social media
some organizations fail to recognize the difference between
access to a wide, virtually unlimited,
personal and professional life and have refused to interview
network of contacts
people because of activity on social networking sites
can build relationships with potential
labour intensive: requires the personal touch, not
candidates and create a talent pipeline
automated responses
to fill future vacancies
some recruiters find the long-term nature of social media
gives candidates a view of
recruitment a challenge when compared to traditional CV
organizational culture
gathering and sifting
a poorly managed presence may put off potential
allows you to promote your brand
employees.
measurable using digital analytics
tools.
Unsolicited applications
The better known a company, the more likely it is to receive speculative letters from jobseekers.
To develop a reputation as an ethical recruiter/employer with a strong employer brand, its
important to establish a process for reviewing and responding to these applications in an efficient
and professional manner.
Advantages Disadvantages
applicants have already bought into your difficult to keep track of applicants if there is nothing
brand available immediately
no up-front costs can be difficult to ascertain the quality of candidates.
allows you to create your own database
of applicants.
Apprenticeships

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Among employers, 75% say that recruiting through apprenticeships has helped lower their
recruitment costs. The number of organizations offering apprenticeships is on the increase, largely
thanks to government initiatives in this area, such as the National Apprenticeship Service, and
measures to raise the profile of apprenticeships among employers and young people, such as Get
In Go Far (https://www.getingofar.gov.uk/employers). This combines with a growing appreciation
by employers of the value of training and developing their future workforce, and an awareness of
the employee brand benefit. The governments Apprenticeship Levy came into force in April 2017
to help create 3 million new apprentices by 2020. See also "apprenticeships".
Advantages Disadvantages
time developing a scheme to ensure it meets
can develop scarce skills in-house
organizational needs
apprenticeship grants offset some of the not always suitable for candidates who are better at
costs classroom learning.
boosts loyalty — many apprentices go on to
become managers
commitment to community has a positive
impact on brand.

Methods of Recruitment: Direct, Indirect and Third Party Method

Some of the most important methods of recruitment are as follows: 1. Direct Method 2. Indirect
Methods 3. Third Party Methods.
Recruitment methods refer to the means by which an organization reaches to the potential job
seekers. In other words, these are ways of establishing contacts with the potential candidates.lt is
important to mention that the recruitment methods are different from the sources of recruitment.
The major line of distinction between the two is that while the former is the means of establishing
links with the prospective candidates, the latter is location where the prospective employees are
available. Dunn and Stephen have broadly classified methods of recruitment into three categories.
These are:
1. Direct Method
2. Indirect Method
3. Third Party Method.
A brief description of these follows in seriatim.
1. Direct Method: In this method, the representatives of the organization are sent to the potential
candidates in the educational and training institutes. They establish contacts with the candidates
seeking jobs. These representatives work in cooperation with placement cells in the institutions
Persons pursuing management; engineering, medical etc. programmes are mostly picked up in this
manner.
Sometimes, some employer firms establish direct contact with the professors and solicit
informaabout students with excellent academic records. Sending the recruiter to the conventions,
seminars, setting up exhibits at fairs and using mobile office to go to the desired centers are some
other methods used to establish direct contact with the job seekers.

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2. Indirect Methods: Indirect methods include advertisements in news papers, on the radio
and television, in professional journals, technical magazines etc.
This method is useful when:
(i) Organization does not find suitable candidates to be promoted to fill up the higher posts
(ii) When the organization wants to reach out to a vast territory, and
(iii) When organization wants to fill up scientific, profesand technical posts.
The experience suggests that the higher the position to be filled up in the organization, or the skill
sought by the more sophisticated one, the more widely dispersed advertisement is likely to be
used to reach to many suitable candidates.
Sometimes, many organizations go for what is referred to as blind advertisement in which only
Box No. is given and the identity of the organization is not disclosed. However, organizations
with regional or national repute do not usually use blind advertisements for obvious reasons.
While placing an advertisement to reach to the potential candidates, the following three
points need to be borne in mind:
1. First, to visualize the type of the applicant one is trying to recruit.
2. Second, to write out a list of the advantages the job will offer
3. Third, to decide where to run the advertisement, i.e., newspaper with local, state, nation-wide
and international reach or circulation.
3. Third Party Methods: These include the use of private employment agencies, management
consultants, professional bodies/associations, employee referral/recommendations, voluntary
organizations, trade unions, data banks, labour contractors etc., to establish contact with the job-
seekers.
Now, a question arises: which particular method is to be used to recruit employees in the
organization? The answer to it is that it will depend on the policy of the particular firm, the
position of the labour supply, the Government regulations in this regard and agreements with
labour organizations. Notwithstanding, the best recruitment method is to look first within the
organization.
What are the common types of recruiting challenges that organizations face?
Organizations face multiple recruitment challenges. Here are some that arise often:
 The need to hire quickly. Most companies want to fill their job openings fast, but often
face shortages of qualified candidates. This may cause hiring teams to wait longer than
necessary for good candidates to enter the pipeline until it becomes imperative to hire
someone. This “panic hiring” may often result in bad hires and high costs for companies.
Tip: Posting job ads and waiting for candidates to apply may not always be the fastest approach.
Consider proactively sourcing passive candidates through social media or sourcing tools like
People Search.
 The need to reduce recruiting costs. Recruiting costs include all costs associated with
attracting, communicating and evaluating candidates, as well as costs of internal processes
and recruiter salaries. These costs may put a strain on company budgets, especially when it
comes to startups and small businesses.
Tip: Track all recruitment costs, from premium job board fees to interviewing costs. Discover
which recruitment techniques and sources work for you and invest in them. Consider cost-
effective recruitment methods, like referral programs and free job board posting.
 The need to make data-driven decisions. Companies can use recruitment data and
metrics to constantly improve their recruiting and make more informed decisions. Hiring
teams need ways to compile and organize data in an efficient and streamlined way.

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Tip: Invest in an applicant tracking system (ATS) that has the reporting capabilities you need. If
you already have an ATS, ask your account manager to show you how to manage data from your
recruitment process.
 The need to build a strong employer brand. Your companys employer brand depends
on many factors: from candidate experience to your investment in employee development.
Its challenging to create and enhance your employer brand, but it can result in higher-
quality candidates and greater employee retention.
Tip: Create recruitment processes that put candidates first. Use social media and your careers
site to showcase your culture, benefits and employee stories. Also, its a good idea to monitor
feedback on sites like Glassdoor and respond to reviews.
 The need to recruit diverse candidates. Diversity benefits your workplace, but many
companies struggle to attract and hire diverse candidates. Unconscious biases and
stereotypes are often the reason for this issue.
Tip: Consider creating a blind hiring program. Your ATS might have the option of obscuring
candidates photos and names. Shift to more effective hiring methods, like structured interviews,
and invest in training to help interviewers combat their biases.
THE CONCEPT OF SELECTION
Introduction
The process of interviewing and evaluating candidates for a specific job and selecting an
individual for employment based on certain criteria. Employee selection can range from a very
simple process to a very complicated process depending on the firm hiring and the position.
Certain employment laws such as anti-discrimination laws must be obeyed during employee
selection.
Selection is the process that an organization uses to determine which job applicant will be the
most successful in meeting the demands of the job or will fit well with the existing work groups
and the culture of the organization. Poor selection procedures and processes lead to various
unnecessary costs in the organization. In the recruitment process, an organization hires the most
suitable and qualified candidate -- whether he is internal or external to the organization -- to fill a
job vacancy. Orientation deals with new employees assimilating into the organization
Finding the interested candidates who have submitted their profiles for a particular job is the
process of recruitment, and choosing the best and most suitable candidates among them is the
process of selection. It results in elimination of unsuitable candidates. It follows scientific
techniques for the appropriate choice of a person for the job.
The recruitment process has a wide coverage as it collects the applications of interested
candidates, whereas the selection process narrows down the scope and becomes specific when it
selects the suitable candidates.
Stone defines, Selection is the process of differentiating between applicants in order to identify
(and hire) those with a greater likelihood of success in a job.
Steps Involved in Selection Procedure:
A scientific and logical selection procedure leads to scientific selection of candidates. The criterion
finalized for selecting a candidate for a particular job varies from company to company.
Therefore, the selection procedure followed by different organizations, many times, becomes
lengthy as it is a question of getting the most suitable candidates for which various tests are to be

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done and interviews to be taken. The procedure for selection should be systematic so that it does
not leave any scope for confusions and doubts about the choice of the selected candidate (Figure
5.6).
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content/uploads/2014/04/clip_image0021
Brief details of the various steps in selection procedure are given as follows:
1. Inviting applications: The prospective candidates from within the organization or outside the
organization are called for applying for the post. Detailed job description and job specification are
provided in the advertisement for the job. It attracts a large number of candidates from variareas.
2. Receiving applications: Detailed applications are collected from the candidates who provide
the necessary information about personal and professional details of a person. These applications
facilitate analysis and comparison of the candidates.
3. Scrutiny of applications: As the limit of the period within which the company is supposed to
receive applications ends, the applications are sorted out. Incomplete applications get rejected;
applicants with un-matching job specifications are also rejected.
4. Written tests: As the final list of candidates becomes ready after the scrutiny of applications,
the written test is conducted. This test is conducted for understanding the technical knowledge,
attiand interest of the candidates. This process is useful when the number of applicants is large.
Many times, a second chance is given to candidates to prove themselves by conducting another
written test.
5. Psychological tests: These tests are conducted individually and they help for finding out the
indidual quality and skill of a person. The types of psychological tests are aptitude test,
intelligence test, synthetic test and personality test
6. Personal interview: Candidates proving themselves successful through tests are interviewed
personally. The interviewers may be individual or a panel. It generally involves officers from the
top management.
The candidates are asked several questions about their experience on another job, their family
background, their interests, etc. They are supposed to describe their expectations from the said
job. Their strengths and weaknesses are identified and noted by the interviewers which help them
to take the final decision of selection.

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7. Reference check: Generally, at least two references are asked for by the company from the
candidate. Reference check is a type of crosscheck for the information provided by the candidate
through their application form and during the interviews.
8. Medical examination: Physical strength and fitness of a candidate is must before they takes up
the job. In-spite of good performance in tests and interviews, candidates can be rejected on the
basis of their ill health.
9. Final selection: At this step, the candidate is given the appointment letter to join the
organization on a particular date. The appointment letter specifies the post, title, salary and terms
of employment. Generally, initial appointment is on probation and after specific time period it
becomes permanent.
10. Placement: This is a final step. A suitable job is allocated to the appointed candidate so that
they can get the whole idea about the nature of the job. They can get adjusted to the job and
perform well in future with all capacities and strengths.
Methods of HR Selection Techniques
Human resources selection techniques vary, based on a companys staff and resources. The
methods for selecting employees include preliminary screening, phone interviews, face-to-face
meetings, and HR functions to determine whether a candidate is indeed suitable for the job. Small
businesses, even if staff resources are limited, should use these steps to choose the right candidate.
The result is a wise hiring decision, and possibly lower turnover and higher employee retention, all
of which benefit small-business employers.
Preliminary Screening. Once an employer has received what it considers sufficient interest in the
position, the recruiter starts screening the applications or resumes determining which applicants to
contact for the preliminary screening interview. Employers determine sufficient interest based on
the number of applications or the amount of time the job is posted. Many times, employers take
down the job posting when they receive a manageable number of applications, such as 100, to
review for a handful of qualified candidates. Small businesses that dont have a lot of time to
devote to screening applicants should screen based on discrete criteria, such as minimum number
of years experience or verifiable credentials. Preliminary screening is an effective method for
narrowing the selection to candidates who meet the basic requirements for the job.
Telephone Interviewing. Used as a first-round interview, telephone interviews give recruiters an
opportunity to find out whether an applicant is still interested in the job. It also saves small
businesses the money and time of conducting face-to-face interviews immediately after the
preliminary screening step. A telephone interview also confirms whether the applicant has the
requisite qualifications. Following the telephone interview, the recruiter typically selects the
candidates who were able to articulate their skills and qualifications in a manner that meets the
companys staffing needs.
In-Person Interviews.Face-to-face interviews take time, which is one of the reasons the applicant
pool should be narrowed by conducting preliminary screening and telephone interviewing. The
recruiter is a conduit for providing the hiring manager with the best-suited candidates, a process
that streamlines the selection process. For example, out of 10 applicants interviewed by phone,
the recruiter should select three to four candidates. The hiring manager further narrows the
selection to two finalists. In a small business, although the hiring manager may be doing the work
of a recruiter, best practices for HR selection methods dictate that at least one face-to-face
interview be conducted before making a decision.

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Cultural Fit Selection. In the third-round interview, often the decision round, the hiring manager
asks questions that will help him determine which candidate fits the organizational culture.
Qualifications aside, an important factor in the hiring decision is cultural fit. Cultural fit means the
candidates values align with the organizations values. Its a subjective analysis, and one that hiring
managers can only attribute to being a gut feeling, not objective criteria.
Vetting Candidates. Once the hiring manager tells the recruiter who has been selected as the
most suitable candidate, the recruiter dispatches a conditional job offer. As part of the selection
techniques, a conditional offer goes out to the No. 1 candidate, while keeping the runner-up in
mind should the first candidate not pass the final stage. The final stage in whats now become the
vetting process consists of pre-employment matters, such as background checks and drug testing.
Even small businesses should invest in the time and expense of background checks — doing so
can reduce the likelihood of hiring mistakes. Background checks verify information provided by
the candidate and are an exercise in due diligence, according to management consultants Kim
Kerr and Barry Nixon, in their May 2008 article on HR.BLR.com titled “Benefits and
Components of a Background Screening Policy.” Once the candidate passes the background
check and the drug test, the company extends a final offer. The company then sends a rejection
letter to the No. 2 candidate now that it knows the No. 1 candidate can move forward with the
on-boarding process.
Employee Selection Methods
Here is a guide to implement this practice and help in building out a high quality work force:
1. Ability tests: This assessment method helps in knowing more about the employee in a direct
way. It showcases an individuals ability in knowing how well would he turn up for the position he
has been rendered to and the duties he has to cater to.
It helps in the measurement of mental abilities of an employee such as his/ her verbal, reasoning,
mathematical ability and the reading ability.
These tests include multiple choice questions and help in increasing the knowledge about a
particular employees capability for a particular position. This test however is a very effective one
in determining a persons ability.
2. Integrity tests: Now this test is the hardest of all. It allows the employee to show off his/her
ability in a positive way so that the company chooses to select him/her.
It helps in measuring the attitude and experiences of a particular employee. It helps in relating the
individual with his honesty, the art of dependability and the nature of trustworthiness.
If these factors are combined together in a positive way, then it is a sure shot green signal for the
employee to be selected for a respected position in the firm.
3. Personality describing tests: These tests are of utmost importance everywhere, be it a small
start up consultancy or an already established firm.
These personality tests help in the assessment of certain traits that help in the development of an
employee and help pave way to the road of success.
Every company needs a known and to the best mannered employee to help the company reach
higher goals of success. It has its own traditional way of conducting the test with a paper and a
pencil.
4. Data revealing bio data tests: Every company has to choose such an employee who is and
will be loyal to the company for a prolonged period of time. This can be attained only by knowing
the employees history, his background, his work preference and many more.

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Hence, a data that reveals his/her biography is conducted from the side of the employee. This test
allows the employee to write about his personal characteristics, his interests, likes and dislikes and
so on.
It focuses how effectively the employee has performed in the past and will perform in the near
future.
5. Knowledge about the job tests: These tests are the same like those of cognitive ability, but
show a deeper meaning whilst its application.
It describes the ability of an employee in knowing about the job which he is interested to work
upon. Such tests include the traditional pencil and stencil test.
Also, sometimes an essay regarding the company is asked to be written before giving a final call
for a particular employee.
These tests cannot be used in a situation where in an employee has to be trained after being
selected. It works only on persons who have got to be selected and trained upon in one go.
6. Structured Interview tests: These tests are the most common and most used ones whilst
conducting a test to determine an employees ability.
Also, it is the best used device in most of the organizations and instructions. Structured interviews
consist of few specific generic questions catering to the firm.
These questions are to be answered by the employee in a structured way and that would
ultimately determine his/her capability in working for that particular firm or institution.
Also, this test provides a standardized result as compared to various other tests. It helps in
evaluating potential job candidates.
7. Situational tests: Such tests determine how an individual will react in a given situation
undergoing in a company.
These are the situational judgment tests that should be recommended to every single institution
for application of a potential employee. It will determine in knowing how an individual will handle
the situation.
Generally, crisis management is the most given situation in these tests as it showcases how well
an individual handles it and leads the company in worst times too.
These tests are usually videotaped for recording an employees behavior during such crisis times.
8. Assessment centers: these tests last up to a one day or even more days. these tests are the
same like the work samples.
However, it focuses more on the ability of an individual employee. An employee is been called at
an assessment centre, given a list of to do work to be done in a stipulated time.
And then he/she gets selected on how they have worked in this given time limit. Whether they
managed to get through this deadline thereby leaving a negative impression in the minds of the
employer.
9. Samples related to work: These tests are of utmost importance in knowing how well an
individual deals in a particular situation.
Work sample tests allow the individual to showcase his/ her abilities in working as a potential
candidate. These tests can be called as a mirror in determining how well an employee performs in
a given situation.
A certain work task is given and the individual is asked to work upon it. Later on, the task gets
proofread and approved by the recruiters and this is how the employee paves way through this
process directly to the institution.
10. Physical ability tests: These tests allow the individual to showcase his/her ability in the test.
These tests are less common and are not much in usage.

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However, it allows the candidate to show his potentiality in terms of weight and physical ability.
Hence, to pass out in this test, stability of mind and a healthy soul a fit toned body is necessary
enough.
Also, this test has a specified time frame which allows the candidate to showcase his talent in a
particular set of time period.
11. Realistic job previews: These tests help in giving out a considerable amount of potential
candidates from among a hundred ones.
A realistic crisis called situation is given and then the employee is asked to solve it on own. Now
the employer has to decide how he will judge this particular candidate.
The crisis can be of the same which your company might have gone through quite a long time
ago.
Now if the employee has researched well about the company then he might strike the right chord
and get dealt with it in a quick and positive way.
12. Forms of the applicants: This is the easiest and less time consuming way in picking out the
best employees. Resumes are sent by all and the recruiter has to do just one job.
Look at all the resumes and cut short the best ones. Now this has to be considered in one way. It
has to be divided into different sections so the best ones are picked up from among a thousand
applicants.
The following criteria should be kept in mind while choosing the best resume, experience,
knowledge, skills, talents, acknowledgements, references, physical ability and attitude.
13. Preliminary screenings: Such screenings are conducted to choose the best of the employees
from a plethora of the existing ones.
It is obvious that a recruiter might have short listed 50-60 applicants. Now to cut short them more
and to conclude with the best applications for a particular job, the recruiter must be smart enough
to chose the perfect one.
Also, this method has to be considered by keeping in mind the following possibilities; number of
years experience and credentials.
This method is the most effective method in choosing among a hundred good applicants and pick
up the best ones for this job.
14. Face to face interviews: This is the toughest among all and for both the parties. Most people
dislike this process as it consumes a lot of time and makes the interviewee nervous enough to
blabber in front of everyone.
Also, it hits on a lot of misconceptions as the interviewer might be prejudiced and partial enough
not to choose the deserving candidate because of personal issues.
He might let go off the short ones as they might be considered too pushy. The ones with beard
might feel rejected because people feel that they have something in common to hide their feelings.
However, this method, if approached in the right way, opens gate for a lot of knowledgeable
information to be exchanged.
15. References: These tests are of a little importance as it does not give us the freedom to know
more about the employee.
It shows how well the employee has performed in his/ her previous work places and asks the
employer to determine the employees ability in this way.
You can ring up the contact number mentioned in the reference section and know the details
about your employee. This would work either ways even. Hence, this method is least used in the
selection assessment methods.

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16. Group selection methods: These methods are very common and are also very much in usage
in the corporate world.
Nowadays, open ground debates and elocutions have allowed people to show off their talent in a
positive way. Hence, people are now not afraid to open up in the group interviews.
It allows exchanging knowledge and valuable information that most of the people might be
alienated to.
That particular group which has to be interviewed can be asked to do a presentation or an activity
together, thereby leading to unity goals in the company.
Significance of Selection:
(i) Reduced labour turnover: Properly selected candidates feel like staying in the organization;
as suitable work on matching jobs, assigned to them is a source of satisfaction to them. Hence, the
phenomenon of unnecessary labour turnover is highly minimized — making for a stable labour
force in the organization. This benefits both the organization and the worker.
(ii) Lesser need for training: Properly selected personnel exhibit a lesser need for training; as
their suitability for the jobs to be assigned to them, has already been verified through the
selection-procedure. As such the necessity for arranging routine-training programmes for such
personnel is rules out — saving organizations time, efforts and costs involved in conducting such
training programmes.
(iii) Self-motivation and high morale: When suitable candidates (i.e. best-fits) are assigned to
matching jobs; such personnel feel self-motivated towards the best performance of their jobs. The
constant state of self-motivation over a period of time helps in building high morale of such
personnel, for the organization.
(iv) More and better production — leading to profit maximization: A derivative advantage of
the self-motivation and high morale is that the production (or performance) turned out by best fits
is not only more in quantity; but is also of a superior quality. This phenomenon leads to profit
maximization, for the enterprise, in the long-run.
(v) Good human relations: As a result of good selections, there is a better environment for
working in the organization. Such environment helps to promote good human relations in the
organization; which is one of the highly valued assets of the organization.
Conclusion
Recruitment is a very difficult task, as it involves a chain of activities. The first step for it is job
analysis, which is conducted by employing various methods like surveys, questionnaires,
interviews, etc. After that, a statement is prepared what a particular job demand and that
statement are known as Job Description and this statement is the mirror of Job Analysis.
With the help of Job Description, Job Specification is created, which specifies the precise human
requirements of the Job, through which an advertisement can be placed for such recruitment and
on the basis of Job Specification selection of the candidate is possible.

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