Rehab A.

Gawad: 0559665739

Chapter 8: Recruitment, selection and training of

workers
The work of the Human Resources department
1. Recruitment and selection
2. Wages and salaries
3. Industrial relations
4. Training programmers
5. Health and safe
6. Redundancy and dismissal

Recruitment and selection

Recruitment: is the process from identifying that the business needs to employ someone up to
the point at which applications have arrived at the business.

1. vacancy 3. job
2. job analysis
arises description

6. applictaion
5. job 4. job
forms and
advertisement specification
short-listing

7. interviews 8. vacancy
and selection filled

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1. Job analysis
Is to identify and record the responsibilities and tasks relating to a job. It also identifies
the skills need to be present in the new employee.
2. Job description
It outlines the responsibilities and duties to be carried out by someone employed to do
a specific job.
Advantages of job description:
a. Candidates read it to know exactly what the job entails
b. It allows a job specification to be drawn up which helps in employing people with
the right skills for the job.
c. It will be used in assessing the performance of the employee. Also it is referred to in
cases of disputes between a manager and his subordinates over the tasks to be
carried out.
The job description will contain:
a. Job title, department
b. To whom the employee will be responsible
c. Main and occasional duties of the job
d. Conditions of employment
e. Training that will be offered
f. Opportunities for promotion

3. Job specification
Is a document which outlines the requirements, qualifications, expertise, physical
characteristics, etc. for a specific job.
It outlines the details of the person who is required to the job.
The requirements will include:
a. Educational qualification
b. Years and type of experience
c. Special skills
d. Personal characteristics, such as type of personality

4. Advertising the vacancy

It is the choice of where to advertise for the job. It can be done internally or externally.

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a. Internal recruitment:
Is when a vacancy is filled by someone who is an existing employee of the business. The
job may be advertised on a company noticeboard, newspaper or intranet.

Advantages of internal recruitment Disadvantages of internal recruitment

It saves time and money The business will not get new ideas or
experiences into the business
The person’s reliability, abilities and There may be jealousy and rivalry amongst
potentials are already known existing employees
The person also knows the system of the
organization and what is expected from
employees
Can motivate others and make them work
harder.

b. External recruitment:
Is when a vacancy is filled by someone who is not an existing employee and will be new
to the business.
Vacancies can be advertised in several places:
Local newspaper: for positions that don’t require a high level of skills
National newspaper: for senior positions, where there may be few people in the local
area with the right qualifications for them.
Specialist magazines: for particular technical people such as scientists.
Recruitment agencies: for particular type of skilled workers or when the vacancy is in
another country
Centers run by the government: for unskilled and semi-skilled jobs.
For example:
a. if the job is a basic one like secretarial, which doesn’t require a lot of qualifications
or skills, then it may be advertised in the local newspaper as many local people could
have the necessary qualifications or skills to do the job.
b. if the job is a senior one like senior financial manager, which requires many
qualifications, then it may be advertised in the national newspaper, recruitment
agencies or in the internet to make the advert seen by people in different parts of
the country or in different countries.
5. Application forms & CVs
This can be done by either filling an application form or by sending a CV. It should
contain information such as, name, address, work experience, education and
qualifications,…etc.

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6. Interviews
Interviews have many forms like skills test, aptitude test, personality tests and group
situations. The purpose of the interview is to:
 Assess applicants ability to do the job
 To know the applicants personal qualities that may be counted as an advantage
or a disadvantage
 To know whether the applicant is fit through his general character

The contract of employment

It is a legal document between the employer and employee that sets out the relationship
between them. It contains information like name of employee and his employer, job title, rate
of pay, …etc.

Types of contracts:

a. Full time: employees will usually work 35 hours or more a week.

b. Part-time: employment is often considered to be between 1 and 30-35 hours a week
(fewer hours than full time).

Advantages of employing part-time Disadvantages of employing part-time

workers (disadvantages of full-time)
More flexible hours of work
Can ask employees to only work at busy
times
Will be able to extend business opening
hours
Employee willing to accept lower pay
Less expensive than employing /paying a
full time worker (ex: insurance,
trainings,..etc.)
workers (advantages of full time)
Less likely to be trained (temporary job)
more time consumption to employee 2
part-time employees than one full-time
Worker less committed to the business –
worker may leave for a better job
Less likely to be promoted as they will not
be as skilled as full-time employees
More difficult to communicate with pat-
time employees as they have different
schedules

Training
Training is important for the success of the business. It is a form of investment but in human
capital which leads to greater output in the future.

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Types of training:

a. Induction training
It is an introduction given to a new employee, explaining the firm’s activities, customs
and procedures and introducing them to their fellow workers.
It is useful when an employee is new to the post.

Advantages of induction training Disadvantages of induction training

New employees will settle into the job quickly Time consuming
Complies with legal requirements to give health Expensive: wages paid while worker still didn’t
and safety training at the start of a job work yet
Workers will be less likely to make mistakes Delays the employees start of the job

b. On-the-job training
It is when an employee watches a more experienced worker doing the job. It is suitable
for unskilled and semi-skilled jobs.

Advantages of on-the-job training Disadvantages of on-the-job training

Saves travel cost
The worker is capable of doing some
production while training
Costs less than off-the-job training
Tailored to the specific needs of the
business
Trainer is less productive than usual as he
is busy training the new employee
Trainer may pass bad habits to the trainee
It may not necessarily be a recognized
training qualifications outside the business

c. Off-the-job training
An employee is being trained away from the workplace, usually by specialist trainers. It
may be in a different part of the building or it may be at a different place altogether.

Advantages of off-the-job training Disadvantages of off-the-job training

A broad range of skills can be taught using a variety of
techniques
Cheaper if taught in the evening because the employee
will still carry out their normal duties during the day
The business will not lose output; it will only lose tuition
fees of the courses
Costs are high
If done in the morning, wages are paid but no
productivity by the worker
The additional qualifications make it easier for
the employee to leave for another job
(poaching)

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Employees will become multi-skilled thus more versatile

– more fit to move around the company when the need
arises
Expert trainers have/use up-to-date knowledge of
business practices
Advantages and disadvantages of training for management

Advantages of training for management Disadvantages of training for management

Multi-skilled labor force which provides Loss of output whilst training
greater flexibility
Greater motivation and commitment of May raise employees expectations of
employees promotion
Increased productivity Cost of training
Improved quality of output Employees may leave once they are trained
and then another business will benefit from
the training
Improved customer service
Ability to use new technology

Advantages and disadvantages of training for an employee

Advantages of training for an employee Disadvantages of training for an employee

May get increased pay May be asked to undertake additional
duties
Improved chances of promotion May have to work in a different way
Easier to apply for jobs at other businesses May be moved to different job

Situations in which downsizing of workforce is necessary

Workforce planning

Is establishing the workforce needed by the business for the foreseeable future in terms of the
number and skills of employees required. The number required will depend on the firm’s sales
forecasts ( will sell more or less?), its future plans (will expand or downsize?), and its objectives
(will introduce new products?).

Reasons for downsizing (reducing the number of employees):

 Introduction of automation

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 Falling demand for their goods or services

 Factor/shop/office closure
 Relocating their factory abroad
 Merger or takeover thus some jobs have become surplus to the requirements of the
new business

How does the HR department plan their workforce?

 Finding out the skills of all present employees

 Counting out anyone who will be leaving soon
 Consulting with existing staff on who could /want to retrain to fill the new job
 Prepare a recruitment plan to show how many new staff will be needed and how they
should be recruited

The business can reduce the number of employees can be done by:

1. Dismissal
Is when an employee is told to leave their job because their work or behavior is
unsatisfactory. A business will have to ensure that they followed all the laws in their
country when dismissing an employee or else it may be sued to court in case of unfair
dismissal.
2. Redundancy
is when an employee is no longer needed and so loses their job. It is not due to any
aspect of their work being unsatisfactory. Employees are usually given some money to
compensate them for losing their job.
Factors to consider when taking the decision of retaining or releasing a worker:
 Some workers may volunteer to be made redundant
 Length of time employed with the business (the longer the period of stay with
the business the more experienced the employee and the more expensive to
make him redundant)
 Workers with needed or essential skills for the business or who are flexible to
move about in a business are to be retained
 Employment history of the worker (attendance, punctuality, commitment, loyal,
appraisal record,..etc)
 Which department need to lose workers and which department need to retain
workers

Legal controls over employment issues

Laws are passed by governments to ensure:

 Equal treatment in the workplace

 Equal opportunity when being recruited

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 Equal pay for similar work

What does this mean for businesses?

 A business has to be careful when wording an advert

 All job applicants must be treated equally
 A business should recruit and promote workers based on merit alone which will help
increase motivation at work.
Employees need protection in the following areas:
1. Protection against unfair discrimination at work and when applying for jobs
Discrimination means preference of an employee over another based on unfair reasons
such as:
Race and color
Different religion
Opposite sex
Considered too old/young for the job
Disabled in a way

The results of unfair discrimination are that:

 A business will fail to select a qualified worker because of one of the above reasons.
 Employees who believe that they were unfairly discriminated against can appeal to
an equal opportunities committee.

2. Health and safety at work

In most countries there are laws that forces employers to improve health and safety at
work. The laws ensure that employers:
 Protect workers from dangerous machinery
 Provide safety equipment and clothing
 Maintain reasonable workplace temperature
 Provide hygienic conditions and washing facilities
 Do not insist on excessively long shifts and provide breaks in the work timetable

Though these conditions increase business expenses however, workers cost a great deal
to recruit and train thus it is worthwhile keeping them safe and healthy. Such workers
are likely to be better motivated, work more efficiently and stay with the firm for a
longer period of time.

For these reasons some employers in countries with weak health and safety laws are
taking ethical decisions.

Ethical decisions: is a decision taken by a manager or a company because of the moral

code observed by the firm.

3. Against unfair dismissal

 Examples of unfair dismissal are:

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 For joining a trade union

 For being pregnant
 When no warnings are given before dismissal

If a worker feels that they have been unfairly dismissed they can take their case to an
industrial tribunal which will hear to both sides of the argument and may give the
worker compensation if it believes he was unfairly dismissed.

Industrial tribunal: is a legal meeting which considers workers complaints of unfair

dismissal or discrimination at work.

4. Wage protection
There should be an employment contract between the employee and employer which
lists the rights and responsibilities of the worker. It usually contains details of hours of
work, nature of the job, wage rate to be paid, how frequently wages will be paid and
what deductions to be made from the wage.

Some governments also pass legal minimum laws to protect workers from being
exploited. The law makes it illegal to pay a worker a rate below a minimum set by the
government.

Advantages of legal minimum wage Disadvantages of legal minimum wage

Prevent strong employers from exploiting
unskilled workers who couldn’t easily find
another work
It encourages employers to train unskilled
workers to ensure that they are more
productive
It will encourage more people to seek
work
Low paid workers will earn more and will
be able to afford to spend more
It increases business cost which force them
to increase prices
Unemployment may rise as some
employers may not be able to afford the
higher wage rate and will make some
worker redundant
Business cost will increase as the skilled
workers who earn just above the legal
minimum wage will ask for higher pay to
keep the wage differentials between them
and the unskilled ones.