Unit 2 : Talent Acquisition

Job Analysis

It is the process of objectively determining the specific duties, responsibilities

and working conditions associated with a specific job, as well as the personal
skills and qualifications required to perform that job satisfactorily.
- Job analysis assesses what employees are doing. So it is the process of getting
information about job. It investigates exactly what the worker does in a
particular job, how he does it, why he does it, how much skills is required to do
it and physical demands, environmental conditions associated with this specific
job.

Job Analysis Methods:-

1)-Observation
2)-Interview
3)-Questionnaire
4)-Checklist
5)-Diary or log of job
Most Common Methods of Job Analysis

1)-Observation Method: A job analyst observes an employee and records all his performed and non-
performed task, fulfilled and un-fulfilled responsibilities and duties, methods, ways and skills used by him
or her to perform various duties and his or her mental or emotional ability to handle challenges and risks.
However, it seems one of the easiest methods to analyze a specific job but truth is that it is the most
difficult one. Why? Let’s Discover.

It is due to the fact that every person has his own way of observing things. Different people think different
and interpret the findings in different ways. Therefore, the process may involve personal biasness or
likes and dislikes and may not produce genuine results. This error can be avoided by proper training of
job analyst or whoever will be conducting the job analysis process.

This particular method includes three techniques: direct observation, Work Methods Analysis and Critical
Incident Technique. The first method includes direct observation and recording of behaviour of an
employee in different situations. The second involves the study of time and motion and is specially used
for assembly-line or factory workers. The third one is about identifying the work behaviours that result in
performance.

2)-Interview Method: In this method, an employee is interviewed so that he or she comes up with their
own working styles, problems faced by them, use of particular skills and techniques while performing their
job and insecurities and fears about their careers.

This method helps interviewer know what exactly an employee thinks about his or her own job and
responsibilities involved in it. It involves analysis of job by employee himself. In order to generate honest
and true feedback or collect genuine data, questions asked during the interview should be carefully
decided. And to avoid errors, it is always good to interview more than one individual to get a pool of
responses. Then it can be generalized and used for the whole group.

3)-Questionnaire Method: Another commonly used job analysis method is getting the questionnaires
filled from employees, their superiors and managers. However, this method also suffers from personal
biasness. A great care should be takes while framing questions for different grades of employees.

In order to get the true job-related info, management should effectively communicate it to the staff that
data collected will be used for their own good. It is very important to ensure them that it won’t be used
against them in anyway. If it is not done properly, it will be a sheer wastage of time, money and human
resources.

4)-Checklists:

The checklist method of job data collection differs from the questionnaire method in the sense

that it contains a few subjective questions in the form of yes or no. The job holder is asked to tick

the questions that are related to his/her job. Checklist can be prepared on the basis of job

information obtained from various sources such as supervisors, industrial engineers, and other

people who are familiar with the particular job.

Once the checklist is prepared, it is then sent, to the job holder to check all the tasks listed in the

list he/she performs. He/she is also asked to mention the amount of time spent on each task by

him/her and the type of training and experience required to do each task. Information contained

in checklist is, then, tabulated to obtain the job-related data.

Like questionnaire method, the checklist method is suitable in the large organisations wherein a

large number of workers are assigned one particular job. Since the method is costly and,

therefore, is not suitable for small organisations.

5)-Diaries or Log Records:

In this method, the job holder is asked to maintain a diary recording in detail the job-related

activities each day. If done judiciously, this method provides accurate and comprehensive

information about the job. This overcomes memory lapses on the part of the job holder. As

recording of activities may spread over several days, the method, thus, becomes time-consuming

one.

The disadvantage associated with this method is that it remains incomplete because it does not

give desirable data on supervisor relationship, the equipment used and working conditions

prevalent at the work place.

These are some of the most common methods of job analysis. However, there are several other
specialized methods including task inventory, job element method, competency profiling,
technical conference, threshold traits analysis system and a combination of these methods. While
choosing a method, HR managers need to consider time, cost and human efforts included in
conducting the process.

The problems that may crop up while conducting job analysis are:

1. Lack of support from the top management.

2. Relying on one source and method of data collection.

3. Non-trained and non-motivated job holders who are the actual source of job data.
4. Distorted information/data provided by the respondents i.e., the job holders because of non-

preparedness on their part.

2. JOB DESCRIPTION: Is a written statement of the duties, responsibilities and organizational

relationships that are required of the employee in a given job. A job description gives an
employee a clear and concise resource to be used as a guide for job performance. Likewise, a
supervisor can use a job description as a measuring tool to ensure that the employee is meeting
job expectations.

The components of job description are:

1. Date, revised date.

2. Job title.

3. Department.

4. Division.

5. Code number.

6. Job position required

7. Job summary.

8. Organizational relationship:

i. position accountable for

ii. position accountable to

9. Job duties and responsibilities.

Uses of job description:

1. Serves as basis for selecting and recruiting an individual to fill the position.

2. Essential for the placement and orientation of new employees.

3. Essential for employee's performance evaluation, transfer and promotion.

4. Useful in identifying the needs for employee's training.

5. Helps to prevent both gaps and overlaps at work

. 6. Helps to prevent arguments among employees about “who should do what.”

Developing Job description

Step 1: Perform a Job Analysis

This process of gathering, examining and interpreting data about the job’s tasks will supply
accurate information about the job so that an organization can perform efficiently. Performing a
job analysis includes the following steps:

 Interviewing employees to find out exactly what tasks are being performed.
 Observing how tasks are performed.
 Having employees fill out questionnaires or worksheets.
 Collecting data on jobs from other resources such as salary surveys and the Occupational
Outlook Handbook.

The results should be documented and reviewed by the employee who is currently in the position
—and his or her supervisor—for any changes regarding the knowledge, skills, abilities, physical
characteristics, environmental factors and credentials/experience of the position:

 Knowledge—comprehension of a body of information acquired by experience or study.

 Skill—a present, observable competence to perform a learned activity.
 Ability—competence to perform an observable behavior or a behavior that results in an
observable product.
 Physical characteristics—the physical attributes an employee must have to perform the
job duties with or without a reasonable accommodation.
 Environmental factors—working conditions (inside or outside the office).
 Credentials/experience—the minimum level of education, experience and certifications
acceptable for the position.

Step 2: Establish the Essential Functions

Once the performance standard for a particular job has been made, essential functions of the
position must be defined. This will provide a better avenue for evaluating Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodation requests. Defining the essential functions encompasses
the following steps:

 Ensure that the tasks as part of the job function are truly necessary or a requirement to
perform the job.
 Determine the frequency at which the task is performed or how much time is spent
performing a task.
 Determine the consequences of not performing the function and whether this would be
detrimental to the employer’s operation or result in severe consequences.
 Determine if the tasks can be redesigned or performed in another manner.
  Determine if the tasks can be reassigned to another employee.

Once the essential functions are defined, the employer can make a determination as to whether
the functions are essential or marginal. The use of the term “essential function” should be part of
the job description, and it should explicitly state how an individual is to perform the job. This
will provide future guidance as to whether the job can be performed with or without an
accommodation.

Step 3: Organize the Data Concisely

The structure of the job description may vary from company to company; however, all the job
descriptions within an organization should be standardized so that they have the same
appearance.

The following topics should be included:

 Job title—name of the position.

 Classification—exempt or nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA).
 Salary grade/level/family/range—compensation levels, groups into which jobs of the
same or similar worth are placed in and/or range of pay rates, including minimum and
maximum pay bands.
 Reports to—title of the position this job reports to.
 Date—date when the job description was written or last reviewed.
 Summary/objective—summary and overall objectives of the job.
 Essential functions—essential functions, including how an individual is to perform them
and frequency at which the tasks are performed; the tasks must be part of the job function
and truly necessary or required to perform the job.
 Competency—knowledge, skills and abilities.
 Supervisory responsibilities—direct reports, if any, and the level of supervision.
 Work environment—the work environment; temperature, noise level, inside or outside,
or other factors that will affect the person’s working conditions while performing the job.
 Physical demands—the physical demands of the job, including bending, sitting, lifting
and driving.
 Position type and expected hours of work—full time or part time, typical work hours
and shifts, days of week, and whether overtime is expected.
 Travel—percentage of travel time expected for the position, where the travel occurs,
such as locally or in specific countries or states, and whether the travel is overnight.
 Required education and experience—education and experience based on requirements
that are job-related and consistent with business necessity.
 Preferred education and experience—preferred education and experience based on
requirements that are job-related and consistent with business necessity.
 Additional eligibility qualifications—additional requirements such as certifications,
industry-specific experience and the experience working with certain equipment.
 Affirmative action plan/equal employer opportunity (AAP/EEO) statement—
clause(s) that outlines federal contractor requirements and practices and/or equal
employer opportunity statement.
  Other duties—disclaimer, see Step 4.

Step 4: Add the Disclaimer

It is a good idea to add a statement that indicates that the job description is not designed to cover
or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the
employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time
with or without notice.

Step 5: Add the Signature Lines

Signatures are an important part of validating the job description. They show that the job
description has been approved and that the employee understands the requirements, essential
functions and duties of the position. Signatures should include those of the supervisor and of the
employee.

A draft of the job description should be presented to upper management and the position
supervisor for review and approval. A draft allows a chance to review, add or subtract any detail
before the final job description is approved.

The final job descriptions should be kept in a secure location, and copies should be used for job
postings, interviews, accommodation requests, compensation reviews and performance
appraisals. Employers may also wish to post them on their intranet.

3. JOB SPECIFICATION: Job specification is derived from job analysis and job description. It
is the personal qualifications, skills, physical and mental demands required for effective job
performance.

It answers the following questions:

 What human traits and experience are necessary to do this job?

 What kind of person to recruit for and qualifications needed?

 What qualities that person should be tested for?

Uses of job specification:

Helps for the purpose of recruiting and selecting the candidates to fulfill the job.

EVALUATION OF FACTORS AFFECTING HRP

HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING

Human resource planning can be defined as the process of identifying the number of people
required by an organization in terms of quantity and quality. All human resource management
activities start with human resource planning. So we can say that human resource planning is the
principle/primary activity of human resource management.

Factors affecting HRP:-

1. Employment :- HRP is affected by the employment situation in the country i.e. in countries
where there is greater unemployment; there may be more pressure on the company, from
government to appoint more people. Similarly some company may force shortage of skilled
labour and they may have to appoint people from other countries.

2. Technical changes in the society :- Technology changes at a very fast speed and new people
having the required knowledge are required for the company. In some cases, company may retain
existing employees and teach them the new technology and in some cases, the company have to
remove existing people and appoint new.

3. Organizational changes :- Changes take place within the organization from time to time i.e.
the company diversify into new products or close down business in some areas etc. in such cases
the HRP process i.e. appointing or removing people will change according to situation.

4. Demographic changes :- Demographic changes refer to things referring to age, population,

composition of work force etc. A number of people retire every year. A new batch of graduates
with specialization turns out every year. This can change the appointment or the removal in the
company.

5. Shortage of skill due to labour turnover :- Industries having high labour turnover rate, the
HRP will change constantly i.e. many new appointments will take place. This also affects the
way HRP is implemented.

6. Multicultural workforce :- Workers from different countries travel to other countries in

search of job. When a company plans it’s HRP it needs to take into account this factor also.

7. Pressure groups :- Company has to keep in mind certain pleasure. Groups like human rights
activist, woman activist, media etc. as they are very capable for creating problems for the
company, when issues concerning these groups arise, appointment or retrenchment becomes
difficult.

Strategic approach to recruitment and selection:-

The human resource plans of organisations determine the resources that the organisation needs to
be able to attain the objectives of the organisation. The plan also states the resources that are
available for the organisation. The available resources in this case are both internal and external
resource. In some situations, the skill needed by the organisation might be obtained through the
process of recruitment. The management of some organisations may plan to reduce the number
of staff, redeploy employees or even train and develop the human resource. Other organisations
might consider promotion and retention using incentives to reduce mobility of labour. In those
organisations that decide to engage in a recruitment process, a job analysis is conducted. A job
analysis is a document that contains a job description and person specification. Organisations
compete to attract the best categorise of labour force. During periods of high unemployment, the
problem in organisations is not to attract desirable applicants but to select them. In order to select
the best candidates, the job needs to be analysed to determine the duties required by the position
as well as the characteristics of the candidates to be hired. This objective is obtained through a
process known as the job analysis.

Recruitment and selection Recruitment and Selection are the activities that are at the origin of
human resource management. In other words, recruitment and selection are the main activities of
human resource management.Recruitment is the process of looking for suitable candidates
willing to offer services to an organisation. Organisations usually invite a good number of
aspiring employees judged as qualified from which the best candidates are then selected to fulfil
the job requirements. Selection has to do with the collection of details concerning the
background of the candidate to evaluate and choose suitable candidate to be employed for the
job. Recruitment and selection can only be meaningful if applicants are given equal opportunity.
Talent acquisition

Talent acquisition is the process of finding and acquiring skilled human labor for organizational
needs and to meet any labor requirement. When used in the context of the recruiting and HR
profession, talent acquisition usually refers to the talent acquisition department or team within
the Human Resources department. The talent acquisition team within a company is responsible
for finding, acquiring, assessing, and hiring candidates to fill roles that are required to meet
company goals and fill project requirements.
Talent acquisition as a unique function and department is a relatively new development. In many
companies, recruiting itself is still an indistinct function of an HR generalist. Within many
corporations, however, recruiting as a designation did not encompass enough of the duties that
fell to the corporate recruiter. A separate designation of talent acquisition was required to meet
the advanced and unique functions. Modern talent acquisition is a strategic function of an
organization, encompassing talent procurement, but also workforce planning functions such as
organizational talent forecasting, talent pipelining, and strategic talent assessment and
development.

Talent Acquisition Process:-

It includes:-

 Overview
 Position Descriptions
 Job Requisitions
 Interviewing Candidates
 Checking References
 Offer Process

Overview

TalentCentral facilitates communication between hiring managers, recruiters and candidates,

using an application that provides real-time tracking through all stages of the recruiting process -
from requisition creation to the new employee joining Vanderbilt.
TalentCentral encourages open dialogue between the hiring manager and the recruiter. This
partnership ensures that the position description matches the needs of the hiring manager, that
requisitions are posted expeditiously, and that candidates are screened and presented to the hiring
manager.
Once the hiring manager accepts the candidate slate, the interviewing process begins. Each
candidate's status is updated automatically and available to both the hiring manager and the
candidate. When a hiring decision is made, and an offer is accepted, TalentCentral generates the
offer letter of record. Background checks, if needed, are initiated automatically and the new hire
receives details about the onboarding process.

Position Descriptions

TalentCentral is designed to import automatically position-specific information from PeopleSoft

and the Jobs Descriptions Database when a requisition is created. Information includes items like
the job title and description, and basic qualifications for each job code. For the hiring manager,
this automated feature ensures that up-to-date titles and qualifications are used, and improves
posting time by reducing the need for data entry.
Hiring managers are encouraged to include detailed job duties as well as job related preferences
to the position description. This information will be reviewed in the strategy session with your
recruiter. The posting may be customized by your recruiter in order to attract the highest quality
applicants for your position.
 

Job Requisitions

The online TalentCentral job requisition will be used by the hiring manager and Talent
Acquisition Team to initiate and document the sourcing and hiring of talent for Vanderbilt. A
requisition will be initiated by the hiring manager and, after necessary approvals, will be
forwarded automatically to the recruiter through TalentCentral.

Interviewing Candidates

Hiring managers will conduct interviews with candidates selected from the list of applicants
referred by the Talent Acquisition Team. In an effort to ensure consistency and to select the best
candidates for open positions, behavioral interviewing techniques are recommended.
Targeted Selection is Vanderbilt University's approach for interviewing and selecting new
employees. It enhances and develops a variety of key behavioral interviewing skills. To schedule
training.Hiring managers are responsible for being consistent and equitable in interviewing
candidates. They should:

 Interview a number of candidates to ensure that a fair comparison takes place

 Ask only job-related questions
 Use the same standardized interview guide for all those interviewing for the same
position
 Schedule and plan to spend the same amount of interview time with all candidates

Checking References

Vanderbilt requires a minimum of two work-related references from the candidate's previous
employment. References should be obtained from individuals who provided supervision to the
individual or have unique insight into his or her work, or from the office specifically designated
by the employer to provide such information. To supplement any references obtained by the
hiring manager, employment verifications on external candidates will be conducted by a pre-
employment screening vendor and initiated by the recruiter on final candidates.
References for internal candidates are as important. The recruiter or hiring manager can conduct
these depending on circumstances and preferences. The recruiter will extend a contingent offer
until the current supervisor provides the reference.
 

Offer Process

Once a finalist is selected, the recruiter, in consultation with the hiring manager, develops the
salary recommendation and builds the offer letter of record within TalentCentral. The recruiter
can send the offer letter directly to the candidate or to the hiring manager, for them to share with
the candidate. If the offer is accepted, the hiring manager notifies the recruiter and this triggers a
background check (if needed). Upon successful completion of the background check, the hiring
manager, with assistance from the onboarding administrator, gives the new hire their official
start date, initiates the onboarding process and arranges for the new hire's orientation.

Pre-Employment Criminal Background Check

Vanderbilt uses a third party vendor to conduct all pre-employment background checks. The
background check will be completed only after a contingent offer of employment is made to the
selected candidate and the Talent Acquisition Team is notified.
Vanderbilt will conduct pre-employment background checks on all final candidates for positions
in departments that have elected or are required to use these checks in the hiring process. All
offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of the background check.
Prospective hires cannot begin work prior to the hiring department receiving notification from
the Talent Acquisition Team that the candidate meets all pre-screening criteria.
Please note that external staffing agencies employing temporary workers must adhere to the
same background screening procedures and criteria established for Vanderbilt staff. Departments
must notify Vanderbilt Temporary Services of the intent to make such hires. Hiring managers
should ensure that in appropriate cases a background check is done for independent contractors
who will be performing work on campus. A person's status as an employee or independent
contract consultant is determined by Human Resources Compensation.
Strategic trends in talent acquisition:-
1. Becoming More Mobile

Today’s job seekers live on their smart phones and tablets. We all need to make it easier for any
and every candidate to learn about our companies, apply for our jobs, and interact with hiring
managers via their mobile devices.

2. Finding New Ways to Attract Passive Candidates

Unemployment rates are low, and many experts expect that they will continue to drop. For
employers, this means that top-notch employees will be at a premium.
The best employees are already working, and very few of these employees are actively looking
for jobs. They are not spending their free time on job boards or applying for open roles
Therefore, it is vital any employer in need of great employees to uncover, identify, and convert
passive candidates into interested, active applicants. Employers can either do this on their own,
or turn to expert recruiting firms to help them.

3. Understanding and Reworking Roles in the Organization so as to Counter the ‘Skills

Gap’

Many employers recognize that the education professionals in their field receive does not
necessarily equip candidates to address the needs of the organization. While the education issue
itself has to be addressed, companies and employers don’t have to wait around for that to happen.
They can get a jump on the competition by reevaluating and restructuring their jobs and open
roles.

For example, an organization could implement remote work, telecommuting, and flexible
schedule options as a way to attract professionals who have the skills they need, but who may not
be geographically available. Another useful tactic may be to realign the duties of certain roles in
order to match the skills that the workforce currently has, thus ensuring that work gets done, no
matter what the skills shortage may look like.

4. ‘Selling’ the Company to Prospective Employees

These days, job seekers no longer apply by the hundreds for one job. An improving economy
means more choices for candidates. Today’s job seeker looks not only for a well-paying position,
but also a company with a corporate mission they believe in and values that align with their own.

Employers need to clean up their reputations and aim for good reviews and reports on social
media sites like Glassdoor. More and more job seekers are looking at these sources and using
them to evaluate prospective employers. Job seekers will not hesitate to turn down job offers
from companies that get poor ratings on Glassdoor and similar platforms.

5. Looking Within and Investing in Current Employees

The current talent market is rough for employers. This raises an important question: Why turn to
the outside market when you already have great employees working for you?

It is far less costly to cultivate your existing workforce through learning and professional
development opportunities than it is to start fresh and look to external resources. Given the size
of the skills gap and the fierce competition for candidates, employers may want to first focus on
leveraging existing talent before they throw all their resources at the external talent market.