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The preemployment background investigation means having a thorough checking of

candidate’s past behaviors, be it personal or professional before hiring them. It is crucial to


find the right candidate with the skills and honesty to do the job, but it is difficult to take
candidates at face value in today's recruitment environment. To be effective in recruitment
activities means delving into the background of candidates to get a better understanding of
their talents and work results.
It is important to conduct preemployment background checking for many reasons:
 To verify the applicant’s eligibility: Unfortunately, some individuals embellish their
work background or education while applying for a job. If it is neglected to verify
their history, organization might end up recruiting someone who is unqualified.
 To have a character check: It is a sign of dishonesty even if someone just slightly
exaggerates their history. It ensures that the organization only recruits high-character
individuals by checking the resume of an applicant that it is 100 percent correct.
 To protect the existing employees: Background checks save an organization from
recruiting any unsavory or dangerous people and helps to keep the workplace safe.
 Reduce the liability of the company: By only hiring employees who clear a pre-
employment screening, the company can reduce insurance expenses and prevent
needless litigation.
 Avoid bad recruits: It is expensive and frustrating to recruit the wrong worker. Before
recruiting anyone, making the minimal effort to perform a background check will
prevent significant issues from happening later.
If I were to conduct a preemployment background investigation,

 Fist I would take consent from the shortlisted candidates to avoid any legal issues.
 Then I would check with their educational institution to verify their results.
 Then I would check with their previous employer (if any) to find out about their work
performances.
 Then I would track their social media to see if they support or provide any harm
speeches or in relation with any sort of discrimination.
 If got the time, I would track their previous colleagues to know their behavior with
their peers.
 Lastly, if possible I would check for their criminal records.
There are more ways to conduct a thorough background check. However, it is expensive and
time consuming. But I believe, for the safety concern, it is very important to conduct a
preemployment background check.
“A well-thought-out orientation program is essential for all new employees, whether they
have experience or not”. I completely agree with this statement. Orientation or Onboarding
program is needed for every employee to understand the organization as well as their job role.
Even if the employee is experienced, he/she hasn’t worked in that particular organization
before.

The primary goal of orientation is to make a new employee feel like a valued component of
the organization, not just a new recruit. It's more than likely that they will not only gel more
quickly with their colleagues, but hit the ground running in their new position by expressing
company values and getting excited about working.

A well-thought-out orientation provides succinct and relevant details to the new employee to
make him or her more comfortable in the job. It encourages employee confidence and allows
the new employee to adjust to the job more quickly. It contributes to a more productive,
successful workforce. Besides, it improves retention for employees and promotes contact
between the new employee and the supervisors. Every organization holds different value and
norms. A proper orientation can give an idea of the organization’s values and can clarify what
type of altitudes are expected from the employee.

An orientation is not only benefited for the new employee, it is benefitted for the employer as
well. It lowers workforce turnover rates while improving employee retention. Ultimately, a
robust, engaging, and comprehensive orientation process can help minimize the time it takes
for supervisors or managers to help fresh talent learn the ropes and get started in their new
position. This will, in fact, raise productivity levels.

For all the above reasons, I believe, a well-thought-out orientation is a must for every new
hire irrespective of their work experience.
Job Rotation is a management technique where, at frequent periods of time, employees are
moved between two or more roles or positions to introduce them to all verticals of an
organization. It is a pre-planned strategy that seeks to test the strengths and talents of the
employee in order to position him or her in the right place. In addition to this, the monotony
of the work is reduced and gives the employees a wider experience which helps them to
gather various insights.

From my point of view, I think, job rotation is a good method to use for developing
management trainees. The role of Management Trainees (MTs) is considered as a fast track
career growth. In such cases, it is expected that after the training period, they would
understand overall organization and be fit for any managerial positions. With the help of job
rotation, MTs can get a brief idea of different roles within that short span of time. This
eventually helps them in the future to perform the tasks better than others. At the same time,
when MTs are rotated within different sectors of the job, they can understand their potential
as well. They would also get to know that on which sector they are comfortable and will do
good.

To answer this question more accurately, I would like to bring my real-life experience of job
rotation which helped me during my MT period. I joined BRAC Human Resource Division
as an MT. During my MT period, I was rotated in the different functions of HR. I was
involved in recruitment processes, which helped to understand all the detailed points related
to recruitments. I had the opportunity to have a hands-on experience of receiving and giving
training to employees during that time under training and development unit. Besides, I was
rotated into other functions of HR like compensation and benefits unit, field management
units and so on. Moreover, even on that period, I was involved on making strategies for
overall organization under the strategy unit. After the completion of my MT period, I had an
overall idea of all the units of HR and was placed on a unit which eventually benefitted for
the organization as well as became my comfort zone.

I believe, because of this job rotation, I am able to perform much better. It not only helped me
gather knowledge, but also helped me develop relations with the people of different units,
which is helping in my career a lot.
In an organization, to keep employees motivated and to keep them moving forward,
performance appraisal is important. Many organizations give performance appraisal to their
employees on a yearly basis following a certain month for that. Some organizations do not
follow specific time, but appraise their employees on a need basis. To appraise an employee’s
performance, organization uses different tools.

a. Graphic Rating Scale


b. Alternation Ranking
c. Forced Distribution Method
d. Critical Incident Method
e. MBO and
f. BARS

There are several pros and cons of using these tools, which are given below:

SL. No. Tools Pros Cons

1 Graphic One of the common rating scale A common negative of rating scales is
Rating Scale evaluation techniques are the graphic the presumption that they are related
rating scale Employees are clearly given a directly to the increase or bonus of an
score with the graphic scale on factors employee. Score inflation can be
relevant for job success. Ease of usage caused by this. Managers can also
and comprehension are among the pros of have adverse effects. The standards of
ratings scales. This is the simplest to use this toll can be unclear which can
as a performance appraisal tool which eventually create biasness.
provides a quantitative rating for each
employee.

2 Alternation In alternation ranking method, based on a Alteration Tanking Systems do not


Ranking single attribute, employees are being rated allow human growth. Instead, the
from best to worst, selecting the highest, static evaluations that evaluate
then the lowest, until all are ranked. The individuals based on clear parameters
primary benefit of the ranking assessment on how they are doing now and not on
method-and the reason it was created in how they will perform with the
the first place-is to easily determine who appropriate mentoring and guidance.
is top in terms of achieving the main This is a potentially corrosive
objectives of the organization. This mentality. It can create disagreements
enables managers to concentrate their among employees as well.
recruitment efforts on the individuals with
the greatest potential and to create reward
packages that inspire these star
performers to remain with the company.
This method avoids the central tendency
problem of the rating scale.

3 Forced This method mainly focuses on the 70-20- While using this tool, the employee’s
Distribution 10 approach. It puts number on each appraisal results depends on the
Method employee and eventually all fall under in choice of cut off point of the
any of the group. It helps to see the merit managers. It facilitates unhealthy
ones and gives direction on whom the rivalry. The organizational culture
most time and attention for professional will easily change to a "dog eat dog"
advancement is required. It's helps to attitude with everybody striving to
weed the leaders out of the rest of the all. outdo everyone else.

4 Critical Helps specify what is "right" and "wrong" It should be related as closely as
Incident about the performance of the employee; possible to the conduct in question in
Method forces managers on an ongoing basis to order for feedback to be genuinely
assess subordinates. The main strength of accurate (whether the feedback is
this technique is that performance reviews positive or negative). With critical
are focused on real performance that is events, a greater focus can be put on
firsthand experienced by the manager of collecting and tallying information
the employee. than actively using it to inform,
educate, and inspire workers.

5 MBO It helps in better planning and The major problem of MBO is that it
organization. It clarifies the is time consuming. It also creates
organizational roles and structures. It is problems on applying at the lowest
basically tied to targets which are level. Besides, it is difficult to
mutually agreed-upon. implement in a situation of change,

6 BARS It reduces the potential for biased The major downside of this method is
responses. Moreover, it focuses on that it can be time consuming and
specific, observable behaviors. Besides, it complicated to develop. Moreover, it
provides specific and standardized must be updated every time as job
comments on job performance. requirements change.

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