How To Recruit And Train New Employees - Research Paper Example

? Human resources management - How to recruit and train new employees Human resources management - How to recruit and train new employees Outline Introduction Recruitment and training of new employees are key organizational processes. HR managers are likely to face a series of challenges when having to select the recruitment and training policies most appropriate for their organization. Recruitment of new employees Recruitment of new employees as a key organizational sector The recruitment of new employees responds to a series of organizational needs; due to the above fact, the recruitment of new employees is considered as valuable for enhancing organizational performance Common methods for recruiting new employees Various methods of recruiting new employees can be used in organizations within different industries. Certain methods of recruiting new employees are likely to be preferred HR managers as they have been extensively tested and their effectiveness has been verified in practice. Challenges that employers have to face when having to recruit new employees A series of issues need to be taken into consideration by employers when they have to recruit new employees. Training of new employees Why training is necessary in modern organizations The necessity of training within modern organizations can be justified by referring especially to the following fact: new employees cannot respond to their duties unless they are given clear explanations on the vision and values of the organization but also on the demands of their position. Training methods used in firms worldwide in regard to new employees HR managers are able to choose among a series of training methods appropriate for new employees; the training methods chosen for new employees depend on the organizational environment, the demands of each role but also on the capabilities of the participants/ new employees. Challenges related to the training of new employees Training is not equally effective among new employees, even when referring to new employees hired in the same department. A series of factors can influence the performance of new employees in regard to a particular training method. Conclusions and Recommendations The recruitment and training of new employees are affected by various conditions in the internal and external organizational environment. HR managers have the responsibility to ensure that the recruitment and training of new employees are carefully planned so that risks are minimized and the needs of the organization involved are covered. 1. Introduction The achievement of organizational goals is highly depended on the ability of leaders to support employees within all organizational departments. However, during the development of organizational activities the need for increasing the staff of the organization is expected to appear. In this context, recruiting new employees becomes unavoidable for HR managers in all organizations. Today, the recruitment of new employees is considered as a key organizational sector, helping to address emergent organizational needs or to develop complex organizational tasks. In order for new employees to respond to the needs of their role they have to be adequately supported; appropriately customized training programs are available to new employees in organizations worldwide. The methods used by HR managers in regard to the recruitment and training of new employees are analysed in this paper. Reference is also made to the challenges that HR managers are likely to face when developing such projects. The value of these initiatives is also explaining aiming to justify the reasons for which these projects are highly promoted within organizations in all industries. The review of the literature published in the specific field reveals that leaders in modern organization are aware of the value of new employees for securing organizational performance; however, often, the methods chosen for incorporating new employees within the organization are not appropriate, either because of the strong resistance within the organization or because the resources available for the realization of the relevant plans are not adequate (Sommerville 2007). The role of leaders and HR managers in the success of the above projects cannot be ignored. In general, it has been proved that HR managers tend to prefer specific methods when having to choose or train new employees. However, the success of these methods is not guaranteed, a fact that has been highlighted by researchers who studied the specific issue. It is suggested that the policies used for the recruitment and the training of new employees within each organization are aligned with the organization’s culture and needs, so that the risks involved are minimized. 2. Recruitment of new employees 2.1 Recruitment of new employees as a key organizational sector The recruitment process can be described as a process through which the organization ‘attracts individuals on a regular basis, in enough numbers and with the right qualifications and motivates them to apply for specific jobs in the organization’ (Kleynhans et al. 2009, p.85). The structure, the size and the skills of an organization’s workforce are usually decided taking into consideration the organization’s goals, as set during the organization’s entrance in the market. However, during the development of the organization in its industry it is expected that its needs will be differentiated; moreover, it is possible that initial workforce is proved unable or inadequate to support one or more organizational activities (Longenecker and Loeza 2010). Therefore, the recruitment of new employees is an alternative for covering important gaps in regard to specific organizational tasks, either emergent or not. Also, the recruitment of new employees serves another critical organizational need: the need for developing existing activities, either in terms of geography or in terms of the range of the organization’s services/ products (Nkomo, Fottler and McAfee 2008). Moreover, the recruitment of new employees within a particular organization can become a necessity in the following case: if initial organizational goals or culture are changed, new employees would be required for addressing the organization’s new needs (Sommerville 2007). In any case, new employees can contribute in the achievement of organizational goals only if they meet the requirements of their position. 2.2 Common methods for recruiting new employees In its simplest form, a plan for recruiting new employees is based on a series of rules and principles. In accordance with Arthur (2006) a plan for recruiting new employees would be successful if it could be: ‘attractive, believable, empathetic, flexible, informative, open-minded and persistent’ (Arthur 2006, p.5-6). The method through which individuals are attracted to a particular organization is described as ‘recruitment method’ (Kleynhans et al. 2009, p.85). The specific method needs to have a particular format, meaning that it has to be developed gradually, in the following phases: a) at a first level, the organization’s external environment is reviewed and evaluated, b) then, the internal organizational environment is examined, aiming to identify the needs of the organization, but also the resources available for supporting such projects, i.e. the recruitment of new employees; at this level, the potential resistance to the entrance of new employees can be identified, c) furthermore, the plan referring to the recruitment process is designed, taking into consideration the findings of the first and the second phases of the project, d) the needs of the organization in terms of human resources are decided at the next level, taking into consideration the organization’s potentials to respond to the cost of such initiative, meaning the compensation of new employees, e) the shortage of employees in regard to specific organizational tasks is identified and evaluated, especially as of its influence on the overall performance of the organization, f) at the final level of the recruitment process, the recruitment of new employees is taking place; at this level, the potential use of alternatives, for example the outsourcing, is discussed, in case that the recruitment of new employees is not feasible, either temporary or in the long term (Kleynhans et al. 2009, p.85). From another point of view, the recruitment process is based on specific requirements, such as: a) the interpersonal skills of the supervisor and b) the development of an applicant pool, so that applicants who meet the criteria of a position are chosen (Pecora, Cherin and Bruce 2009). In accordance with the above researchers, a successful policy for recruiting new employees incorporates the following phases: a) the development of an accurate job description, so that the requirements of a particular job are clear to interested applicants, b) ‘telephone and in-person screening interviews’ (Pecora, Cherin and Bruce 2009, p.74) are likely to be used at the next phase for identifying those applicants who ‘meet the minimum qualifications for the particular job’ (Pecora, Cherin and Bruce 2009, p.74), c) at the next level, appropriately customized tests, either in – hand or through computer, can be employed for showing the ability of the applicants to respond to all the needs of the job involved, d) the applicant chosen can be hired for an initial period of 2-3 months, so that his ability to respond to the demands of a particular job to be tested in practice (Pecora, Cherin and Bruce 2009). Moreover, Larson, Lakin, Bruininks & Braddock (1998) note that the success of the recruitment of new employees is difficult to be secured; the intervention of an agency in the recruitment process can increase the chances for the success of the specific process. A different approach in regard to the structure of the recruitment process is presented in the study of Jex and Britt (2008). The above researchers note that a successful recruitment process is highly based on appropriate recruitment planning. Such planning meets the following requirements: a) it is aligned with the strategic planning of the organization, i.e. with the key priorities of the organization in terms of its operations, the management of resources, its competitiveness within the local or the international market and so on, b) it incorporates provisions for the turnover of various organizational departments; the above part of the recruitment planning is known as succession planning and it is decisive for setting the criteria on which the recruitment process will be based (for example, the number of employees required within an organizational sector so that the performance of this sector to reach a specific level and so on), c) it incorporates reports in regard to the skills and competencies of the firm’s existing employees; it is noted that in most organizations employees are asked ‘to complete a skills inventory, which refers to their educational and professional background’ (Jex and Britt 2008, p.61). Through the skills inventory the employer can be aware of the skills of each employee, a fact that makes the placement of each employee within the organization easier and more effective. On the other hand, Wylie (2009) note that organizations that aim to hire new employees should consider the case of recruiting new employees from ‘the halls of academia’ (Wylie 2009, p.6), meaning recent graduates who have the advantage that they are educated in recent developments in regard to a series of disciplines (Wylie 2009, p.6). An appropriately customized recruitment process, like for example, the participation in recruitment events organized in universities, or the funding of scientific research or other academic activities, could be used for supporting the recruitment of recent graduates in one or more organizational sectors. 2.3 Challenges that employers have to face when having to recruit new employees The recruitment of new employees is likely to be used when new organizational needs have to be addressed. Also, in case that existing employees are not able or adequate in order to respond to daily organizational tasks, then the recruitment of new employees is decided as a practice to cover gaps in regard to various organizational activities. The specific initiatives are not always welcomed. More specifically, existing employees are expected to resist to their organization’s efforts to hire new employees feeling that their rights within the organization will be threatened (Schermerhorn 2011). HR managers who have to plan and execute the relevant project, i.e. the recruitment of new employees, need to ensure that existing employees are appropriately informed on the terms of the relevant process, meaning that the necessity of new employees will be clearly explained to the organization’s existing members. On the other hand, it is possible that HR managers who are asked to develop such project fail in setting the appropriate criteria in regard to the qualifications and skills of new employees (Business & Legal Reports 2006). In this way, the new employees who enter the organization are not able to respond to the demands of their position; in the above case, the provision of training for improving existing skills can only partially help to the limitation of the risks involved. 3. Training of new employees 3.1 Why training is necessary in modern organizations In order to identify the forms of training that would be most appropriate for new employees it would be necessary to understand the challenges that new employees have to face within modern organizations. In accordance with Nankervis, Compton and Morrisey (2009) new employees need to be informed on their organization’s needs and practices, especially in regard to daily organizational activities. The above process is known as induction, which is characterized as ‘the final phase of recruitment and the first phase of learning and development’ (Nankervis, Compton and Morrisey 2009, p.183). In this context, induction can be characterized as the initial part of the training process, which should be available to all new employees of each organization. During the induction phase, new employees are socialized, meaning that they are given explanations on the cultural characteristics of their organization. Moreover, during the specific phase, employees are informed on the competencies required for performing successfully in their position, i.e. the tasks which they have been assigned since their entrance in the particular organization. In accordance with the above, training is an indispensable part of the employee performance, especially in regard to the new employees. Indeed, in order for new employees to respond to the demands of the organizations, as related to each organizational department, they need to understand all dimensions of the organizational culture but also their rights and obligations as members of the organization. The above target cannot be achieved without training, which helps to explain to new employees the elements of the organizational environment, especially the culture and the goals of the organization, which they should be set as priorities for employees at all levels of the organizational hierarchy (Moore 2008). 3.2 Training methods used in firms worldwide in regard to new employees As already noted above, the training of new employees is related to their incorporation within the organization. In this context, the induction process is likely to be used so that new employees become familiar with the organizational culture. This practice has been used in the case of Walt Disney Company and Procter and Gamble. In both these companies, the socialization of new employees, a process that is considered as the initial part of training, begins in the recruitment process (Jackson, Schuler and Werner 2011, p.278). On the other hand, MacDonald (2004) supports that the training of new employees would have the following form: ‘a mentor should be nominated for each new employee at least for the first few weeks of employment’ (MacDonald 2004, p.104). In this way, it would be ensured that the needs of each new employee, as related to the demands of his position, would be addressed. Moreover, Pynes (2008) highlights the importance of IT systems in the training of new employees; in accordance with the above researcher, the involvement of technology in the training of new employees would be necessary for ensuring the completion of the relevant program within a short period of time and with the best possible results. In accordance with Longenecker and Loeza (2010) training should be continuous for all employees within each organization. Especially regarding new employees emphasis is given on the importance of employee’ orientation, meaning the guidelines and the support provided by the employer to the employee for the first 2-3 days of the latter in the organization. It is during this period that the employee has to be adjusted to a new organizational environment, in terms of people, facilities, daily tasks and so on. At this point, the employer can use both informal and formal methods. For instance, ‘a tray of breakfast food can be placed at the desk of the new employee in the first morning of work’ (Longenecker and Loeza 2010, p.510). Also, an e-mail message can be sent to each new employee for welcoming him/ her in the particular organization (Longenecker and Loeza 2010, p.510). The above initiatives are informal methods for providing orientation to new employees. Formal methods should be also employed in supporting new employees during their first days in the organization. A formal method of such type would be the following one: a list with duties/ rights would be provided to the employee as a member of the organization (Longenecker and Loeza 2010). In any case, the training of new employees can be differentiated within each organization, in accordance with the organizational culture, the resources available and the market trends in the particular sector, meaning especially the similar practices used by rivals when recruiting new employees. In the study of Dale (2004) reference is made to the employee handbook, which is usually based on a checklist (Dale 2004, p.266-267). It is explained that this handbook can be considered as the first part of the new employee’s training as a new member of a particular organization. The employee handbook refers to a series of important organizational details, such as ‘the rules of employer in regard to health, safety and behavior’ (Dale 2004, p.267). The above handbook also mentions the key organizational facilities and administrative rules but also ‘the people the employee will be working with’ (Dale 2004, p.267). In Zimmerman Advertising, in Florida, the training of new employees is highly based on IT. New employees are asked to ‘log on the new hire website’ (Mathis and Jackson 2010, p.280). There they can retrieve all necessary information in regard to the organization’s goals, the structure of its operations, the relationship with customers and the organization’s leadership style (Mathis and Jackson 2010, p.280). In this way, there is no delay in informing the new employee on critical organizational activities. The above method is considered as quite effective in terms of the saving of time in training new employees; however, a provision should be made for checking the level at which each employee has managed to absorb the information provided through the firm’s website for new employees. 3.3 Challenges related to the training of new employees The responses of new employees to the training methods available to them within each organization are not standardized. This phenomenon can be characterized as justified taking into consideration the fact that each of them is likely to have a different educational and social background. HR managers need to ensure that new employees are categorized into teams, in accordance with their similar educational and social characteristics; at the next level, training programs offered to new employees should be appropriately aligned with the characteristics of each of these teams, so that the relevant risks are minimized (Pynes 2008). Moreover, HR managers dealing with the training of new employees have to face the following challenge: each new employee is likely to have different perceptions on the organizational culture and needs; he is also likely to have different responses to daily organizational needs, as for example in regard to the issue whether a specific organizational task is emergent or not (MacDonald 2004). Most important, each new employee can interpret differently the guidelines of the firm’s managers; this means that even if instructors in training programs give a series of guidelines to all members of the program, each member may understand differently these guidelines. Because of the above reasons, the identification of effective training methods for new employees can be a challenging task. HR managers need to ensure that the performance of new employees is closely monitored during their training, so that the potentials of each new employee to respond to the needs of his position are identified early (Jackson, Schuler and Werner 2011); in this way, incorrect perceptions on organizational culture or a position’s needs can be addressed with no delay, avoiding major risks for the organizational performance. 4. Conclusions and Recommendations The development of effective recruitment and training methods for new employees is depended on a series of criteria. Moreover, HR managers in organizations worldwide seem to have different perceptions on the role of new employees as members of the organizational environment. Also, recruitment and training policies are likely to perform differently within each organization leading to contradicting assumptions in regard to the value of recruitment and training for the development of new employees and the achievement of organizational goals. Therefore, the choice of recruitment and training methods used in organizations which are interested in hiring or supporting new employees should be decided using the following criteria: the performance that the specific methods have had within the particular organization in the past, the market trends, meaning the methods that rivals have introduced in regard to their similar needs, the social and economic characteristics of the particular market, the cultural characteristics of the organization involved and the resources available for the realization of the relevant projects. In any case, new employees should be adequately supported as members of the organization, equally with existing members, even if new employees are usually expected to deal with organizational tasks of low importance. It should be also noted that the effective development of recruitment and training policies for new employees is depended on the support of these policies by the organization’s existing members. In this context, HR managers should ensure that the role of new employees within each organizational department is clearly explained to the department’s existing staff, ensuring that resistance in regard to new employees is avoided. In other words, the hiring and training process related to new employees can be successful only when the latter are not treated as a threat but as a necessity, in the terms that new employees are asked to respond to specific and, usually, emergent organizational needs. References Arthur, D. (2006). 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