Recruitment and Selection of New Employees Management Essay Example

Recruitment and Selection of Human Resource Assistants

This paper aims to gather an in depth understanding of details regarding the recruitment and selection of human resource assistants as a process involving identifying and attracting potential candidates from within and outside the organization.

The paper has been divided into five sections:

• The first section provides the job analysis, job description and personal description of the human resource assistant. It also includes the knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics that this position requires.
• The second part discusses the most suitable recruitment method that will select the best candidate from a pool of candidates. In addition, the section will feature a sample advertisement for the position.
• The third part will focus on the selection process of the candidates and methods used to measure their ability to perform this job. It will also seek to show the validity and reliability of the candidates.
• The fourth part establishes what can be done to ensure the new hire succeeds at work.
• The final section discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques used in the previous sections.

Data was collected through the use of questionnaires, surveys, interviews, self-reports and observation method. The findings showed that job analysis was a key factor for the successful recruitment of highly qualified employees. The findings of this paper are expected to be useful to employers considering recruiting new employees and those who wish to improve their current recruitment and selection methods.

Introduction

The recruitment and selection of new employees is not an easy task because of the large amount of talent in the job market. The technicalities involved in the process require careful planning and organizing to ensure that organizations attract and retain only high quality employees. The specific job chosen for this paper is the position of a human resource assistant, which many companies need for their effective functioning and management of human resources. High quality employees could be recruited only when the position to be filled is analyzed, a job description prepared, and the technical skills and behavior factors to be possessed by the potential employee determined. The knowledge and other abilities of employees should also be carefully considered to avoid any errors in the recruitment and selection process.

This paper highlights the recruitment and selection process for the position of a human resource assistant capturing the effective employment and retention processes.

PART 1

Job Analysis for the Position of a Human Resource Assistant

Job analysis provides information that is necessary to make decisions about the type of assessment method most appropriate for a given job. With the job analysis prepared below, it is easier to determine employees that best fit for the position of the human resource assistant (Snell, et al., 2015).

Job Title: Human Resource Assistant
Classification: Full time
Department: Human Resources
Pay Grade: Level IV (Base + Commission + Bonus)
Summary of Position

The human resource assistant is responsible for assisting in the administration and implementation of the human resource policies and procedures at the department. The position also entails monitoring the functioning of all employees to ensure they work in tandem with the rules and policies of the organization (Valcik & Benavides, 2011). Assisting in the future recruitment and selection activities by conducting organizational human resource needs as well as identification of potential employees for the respective positions are also the tasks of the considered profession.

Job Duties

The specific duties of the human resource assistant would include the following listed below:

• Performance management and contractual processes in the organization.
• Preparation of employment contracts and other documents relating to terms and conditions of employment at the organization.
• Ensuring there is an up to date personnel record to avoid incidences of ‘ghost’ workers at the organization.
• Management employee discipline and grievances issues.
• The preparation of payroll reports.
• Developing and evaluating induction processes for new hires.
• Conducting benefits enrollment for new employees.

Skills and Attributes

Human resource assistants ought to possess certain skills and attributes that help them to perform their jobs well. One of the most significant skills that the candidate must possess is the understanding of the various human resource functions such as recruitment practices and statutory laws (Snell & Bohlander, 2012).
According to Valcik and Benavides (2011), the second key skill relates to human resource reporting and record keeping requirements in the area. The job requires maintenance of reliable records of human resources and control to ensure they are effectively managed.
Lastly, the candidate should have computer skills because of the necessity to work with modern technologies. The specific computer skills required in the area include MS Office including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Reporting Structure

The human resource assistant reports directly to the human resource director.

Education and Training

The human resource manager should possess a degree in business, human resource management. This helps in the effective performance of the responsibilities at the organization in terms of managing employees.

Apart from the degree, a human resource assistant should have a post-graduate diploma in human resource management or 2 years experience in the field. This is an added advantage for potential applicants (Saks, et al., 2010).

Skills and Aptitude

The human resource assistant should possess several skills and aptitude:

• The first one is the ability to exhibit a high level of confidentiality and integrity (Snell, et al., 2015).
• Another relevant set of skills and aptitude is the possession of excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Thirdly, human resource assistants should have the ability to write accurate and clear reports for the organization.
• The fourth significant skill is the ability to bring a project to completion within a given time frame and ability to meet deadlines (Snell & Bohlander, 2012).
• Lastly, representatives of this profession must be ready to adapt to the changing human resource conditions and employment situations.

Job Description

The end product of job analysis is job description. It is a list that shows the general tasks, functions and responsibilities of a given job. Snell and Bohlander (2012) affirm that the job description of a human resource assistant will include a brief summary of the position, duties and responsibilities of the assistant and the knowledge, skills, abilities and other characteristics required for the job.

The job description would be as below

Position: Human resource assistance
Reports To: Human resource director
Salary Range: $…-$…

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Human resource assistants will have the following duties and responsibilities.

• Firstly, they oversee all recruitment, performance management, capacity gap assessment, and contractual processes in the organization (Snell, et al., 2015).
• Secondly, they are in charge of preparing employment contracts and other documents relating to terms and conditions of employment and conduct benefits enrollment for new employees.
• Thirdly, they have the duty to ensure that there is an up-to-date personnel record and equally manage disciplinary and grievances issues being forwarded by employees.
• Lastly, human resource assistants are responsible for the preparation and submission of HR and payroll reports, preparing performance review forms and performing any other duties that they are assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

The following qualifications and experiences are required for the position of human resource assistant. A human resource assistant should have a degree in a relevant field, possess a post graduate diploma in human resource management, good knowledge and experience of generalist HR issues, good knowledge and experience and finally experience in managing disciplinary and grievance issues and developing contracts.

Person Description

Personality factors influence a person’s job fitness and ability to perform. Human resource professions should possess certain characteristics that allow them to freely interact with people from all walks of life. In terms of personality, the individual must be self-driven, performance-oriented, a natural forward planner, reliable, tolerant. It is also required that they possess interpersonal skills, are emphatic communicators, keen on new experiences, responsible, determined, well presented, and accountable (Snell, et al., 2015).

In terms of the personal situation, the individual must be able to commute reliably to the office base, able to work for extended hours on specific occasions when needed to do so, should not be in serious debt, must have an up to date driving license, and should not have a criminal record.

Snell and Bohlander (2012) agree that in relation to management abilities, the individual should be a natural leader, should be able in directing the organization to the best direction in the recruitment and employee management process. He or she must be also well-trained and focused on management, competent in computer skills relevant to the job area.

Other relevant personal characteristics should include the ability to identify problems and resolve them in a timely manner, planning, and organizing tasks by prioritizing the most important ones.

Collecting the Information Necessary for the Job Analysis

The information used in the preparation of the above job analysis was acquired applying diverse methods. Accordingly, the information relating to the job title, work type, department, and summary of the position was collected by interviewing employees who have previously held the position of human resource assistant (Compton, et al., 2009). In addition, the information can also be acquired through use of surveys and questionnaires.

The information concerning the duties of the human resource assistant was collected from employees’ self-reports that outlined their daily activities and tasks. By observing the employees in their work environment, information regarding the skills, attributes and aptitudes necessary for the job was collected (Prien, et al., 2009).
The details on education and other qualifications necessary for the position was acquired through a review of the U.S. Department of Labor provisions on the same position. This information is relevant in understanding the nature of employees and their ability to perform the set tasks.

PART 2

Recruiting a Pool of Applicants

Recruiting a suitable pool of applicants for the position of human resource assistant would focus on their knowledge and competence. Gusdorf (2008) recommends analyzing the position to be filled, the person to fill it, preparing a job description, person specification, and finally analyzing the organization’s needs and goals. Some of the methods used in recruiting candidates for the above position include advertising the position in the media and company website, using of employment agencies, educational institutions, the national recruitment strategy, and the internet through job sites and recommendations. Compton, et al. (2009) affirm that these strategies would play an instrumental role in ensuring the organization attracts a large pool of qualified employees. Each of them will only be picked after his/her qualifications have been carefully evaluated and aligned with the current position hence leading to the recruitment of professionals.

Advertisement for the Position of Human Resource Assistant

VACANCY! VACANCY! VACANCY! VACANCY!
Are You Looking for a Human Resource Job? Then You Are in the Right Place if You Meet the Qualifications Below
Position: Human Resource Assistant
Description
A leading provider of HR outsourcing services is seeking a Human Resource Assistant

Duties

The Human resource assistant will be responsible for overseeing all recruitment, performance management, and contractual processes in the organization. They will conduct benefits enrollment for new employees and ensure there is an up-to-date personnel record.

Education and Qualifications

Candidates should possess a bachelor’s degree in human resource management with minimum 2 years experience.
Interested candidates who meet the minimum qualification are requested to send their detailed CV indicating the title of the vacancy on the subject line and forward their application to human resources. Only short listed candidates will be contacted.

PART 3

Selecting the Best Candidate

Selecting the best person for the job is considered to be the most difficult aspect of the selection process. The kind of person selected relies heavily on an effective recruitment process. Prien, et al. (2009) are of the view that choosing the best and most suitable human resource assistant from the available list of candidates would require reviewing all the information collected from applications and interviews. Candidates who fail to meet the job requirements would be eliminated in the first round of review while those who meet preliminary requirements would be shortlisted for the interview. The selection of the best candidates would be determined by their individual performance in both verbal and practical interviews (Gusdorf, 2008). A clear process of screening each of the candidates would be done in the most professional way possible hence only leaving the most qualified individuals for the position.

Assessing and Measuring the Candidates.

Assessing and measuring candidate’s ability to do their job involves assessing their skills and knowledge. In addition, their personal attributes would play a role in their job capability. This would be done using interviews and psychometric assessment tests.

During the interview process, the candidates would be assessed using the 360 degree view which will allow them to interact with persons they report to, their peers and people who will report to them. According to Compton, et al. (2009), this would enable interviewers to measure the candidates’ ability to interact with others. This is an essential attribute that human resource assistants should possess. The candidates would be provided with an opportunity to ask questions during the interview. This action enable interviewers to learn if the candidates are insightful and determined to handle their upcoming tasks.

The candidates’ ability to do the job would also be measured using the psychometric tests. Psychometric tests are essential tools for measuring the suitability of a candidate to a job by gaining an understanding of the individual. Through this test, the candidates’ strengths and weaknesses would be easily determined (Snell, et al., 2015). An accurate bearing of the candidates’ cognitive abilities and personality could also be established. The determination of cognitive abilities would play a significant role in weighing the ability of candidates to apply their skills. Skills such as communication could be rated during the tests an essential personality skill and attribute. In the case of the position of human resource assistant, the most relevant psychometric tests would be adopted.

• The first test is the abstract reasoning test, which focuses on a candidate’s ability to promptly and accurately learn complex information to aid in problem solving. This will help to determine and measure a candidate’s problem solving skills (Valcik & Benavides, 2011).
• The second test that would be utilized is the verbal reasoning test that focuses on the candidate’s ability to effectively pay attention to concepts in a verbal form. It is also essential in measuring a candidate’s communication skills.
• The third test that could be relevant is the emotional intelligence reasoning test, which is used to show a candidate’s ability to handle emotional concepts.
• Lastly, personality psychometric tests that measure a candidate’s behavioral tendencies and preferences within an occupational context would also be utilized to ensure the best candidate is selected.

Validity and Reliability

Validity and reliability are vital in the consideration in evaluating an assessment method. Validity refers to whether or not the assessment method provides useful information about how effectively an employee will actually perform once she or he is hired for a job (Ekuma, 2012). It is the most important factor in considering whether or not to use an assessment method, because an assessment that does not accurately identify who will perform effectively on a job has no value to the organization. Reliability would look into the consistency of the method to lead to similar results hence influencing its choice for recruit assessment.

PART 4

Assisting the Selected Candidate to Succeed

Once a candidate has been selected for the job, the best way of assisting them to succeed in their new role is by orientating, inducting, training and developing them.

One of the key ways to maximize their chances of success at the organization would be orientation. The orientation of new employees is a short one-off briefing session and it entails the provision of basic information about the company. Bauer (2012) notes that creating effective orientation programs involves analyzing needs of the employee, creating a preliminary plan, selecting appropriate delivery methods and designing. It is worth noting that orientation would make new employees feel welcomed and supported hence beginning the overall process of successful integration into the new workplace. In addition, the employee gains a positive perception of the organization making them become motivated. Finally, orientation would enable the employee to access essential information, their role and responsibilities making it easy for them to learn about the nature of their job and reducing struggles to be likely experienced in the new job.

The second crucial way to assist selected candidates to succeed would be induction. Induction is the process of helping an employee to transit into a new workplace, a new role, or area of responsibility. It is done by familiarizing the employee with his new surroundings, company rules and regulations and developing in him a favorable company attitude. Notably, the induction process would be split into two stages to make it more efficient in the attainment of the required results in terms of employee success.

• The first stage is conducted by the human or personnel department to provide the employee with thorough information about the organization (Saks, et al., 2010). It is only when employees have been given proper induction about the organization structure, what it stands for, organizational goals and organizational ethics that managers can expect positive of favorable staff attitude and hence success of both the company and the employee.
• The second stage would be done by the employee’s supervisor. Providing the employee with all the information about the company makes them become more effective in their job ensuring their success at work.
• Thirdly, they would be trained hence equipping them with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Training an employee is another essential method of maximizing their chances of success in their new job. A person however carefully selected is not molded to specifications and rarely meets the demands of their job adequately.

The only way of ensuring that they will succeed in their job is to train them. Saks, et al. (2010) inform that training is the act of increasing the knowledge and skills of an employee for doing a particular job. It involves imparting specific skills for particular purposes. When an employee is trained, he is able to succeed in his job because he improves the quality and quantity of his output, makes better use of materials and equipment, gets a sense of satisfaction and high morale and, finally, develops a focus on achieving their goals.

Employee development is a continuous process whose initiative comes from the individual himself. It is vital for management to encourage an employee to develop himself as it is a source of internal motivation for the employee and a motivated employee is more productive and most likely to succeed in his job (Bauer, 2012).

In addition to the methods mentioned above, checking regularly on the employee not only provides more detailed feedback but also assesses how they are doing. Entry interview would also be conducted after a month or two to any detect issues early enough hence setting the path perfect for the employees’ success.

PART 5

Techniques Used in the Analysis of the Above Sections, Their Advantages and Disadvantages

The methods used in collecting information for the job analysis included interviews, surveys and questionnaires, self-reports, observation and secondary sources such as document review.
Interview data collection method has various advantages such as easy correction of speech therefore preventing misunderstanding, ability to obtain detailed information about personal feelings of the candidate, perceptions and opinions, achievement of high response rates and precise wording being tailored to respondent (Valcik & Benavides, 2011). However, it has some drawbacks such as being time consuming, costly, and could lead to ineffective collection of the relevant information because different interviewers may understand and transcribe interviews in different ways.
Surveys and questionnaires have the following advantages as information collection methods: their administration is comparatively inexpensive and easy even when gathering information from large numbers of people spread over wide geographic area; they reduce chance of evaluator bias because the same questions are asked of all respondents and some people feel more comfortable responding to a survey than participating in an interview (Prien, et al., 2009). Their disadvantages include: survey respondents may not complete the survey resulting in low response rates; items may not have the same meaning to all respondents and unable to probe for additional details.

Self-reports have the advantage of acquiring information directly from the source as the employee in this case lists down their day to day operations. Nevertheless, the employee may be biased and omit some details of their job specification.

Observation is a reliable information collection method because it enables the data collector to directly see what people do rather than relying on what they say and collect data where and when an event or activity is occurring (Prien, et al., 2009). On the other hand, they have the disadvantage of being susceptible to observer bias and the Hawthorne effect whereby people perform better when they know they are being observed.

Secondary sources such as document review have the advantage of being relatively inexpensive, reliable source of background information and are unobtrusive. They have the limitation of information being inapplicable, disorganized, unavailable or out of date.
According to Compton, et al. (2009), recruitment methods that were used in finding suitable applicants included advertising, use of employment agencies, educational institutions, internet through job sites and recommendations.

Advertising has the advantage of reaching a large pool of applicants through newspapers, billboards, television and radio but it is an expensive method of recruitment. However, there are instances when they are totally ignored by potential applicants.

Use of employment agencies as a recruitment method has the advantage of having professionals do the recruitment of candidates but they have the drawback of being costly (McKeown, 2010).
An educational institution recruiting has the advantage of recruiting the best from the various institutions but has the drawback of recruiting inexperienced candidates.
The internet as a recruitment method has the following advantages: allows scanning of keywords related to the job in several digital applications and resumes and enables human resource professionals to increase the talent pool through advertising job openings virtually everywhere. However, they exhibit the limitation of inability of assessing the personality of the applicants.

Recommendation has the advantage of attracting already experienced candidates. However, their biggest drawback is that the company has to rely totally on such people which could later on prove to be inefficient (Compton, et al., 2009).

Some of the methods used in enabling an employee to succeed at the workplace included orienting, inducting, training and developing them. Bauer (2012) asserts that orientation and induction have the advantage of making the new employee feel welcomed and supported therefore beginning the process of successful integration into the new workplace. Training and development has the advantage of helping the new employee to acquire skills and abilities that are necessary for the job.

Conclusion

In conclusion, it is vital for organizations to use proper recruitment and selection methods to attract new employees. Organizations should realize that this process is not an easy one and if not done well can lead to employment of workers who are not qualified, what can further affect the overall performance of the organization. Organizations seeking to recruit the best and highly qualified employees should carry out proper job analysis in order to determine a person’s job fit and thus employing the very best personnel. Selected applicants should also be effectively equipped with the skills and knowledge to perform activities at the organization through methods such as induction and training to make them more productive.

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