HR Planning and Recruitment - Essay Example

HR Planning and Recruitment Acknowledgment First of all, I would like to take this opportunity to thank my teacher who assisted me in completing the project. My lecturer provided me sufficient guidance on ensuring that the report covered all the vital aspects of the HR planning and recruitment. This project helped me in developing an understanding about the practical implications of the concepts taught during the lectures. Secondly, I really appreciate the assistance provided by the HR personnel of KFC Corporation who took out time to give me the required information regarding the project. With the assistance of the person, I was able to complete the project and fulfill the requirements of the report successfully. I really appreciate the efforts of my lecturer and the professional who enhanced my learning about the HR recruitment and selection process carried out at the leading corporation of the world. Table of Contents HR Planning and Recruitment 1 Acknowledgment 1 Table of Contents 2 Executive Summary 3 1.Introduction 4 1.1.Purpose of the Report 4 1.2.Sources of Information 4 2.Recruitment and selection process of KFC 4 2.1.Brief overview of KFC 4 2.2.HR department at KFC 4 2.3.HR planning and recruitment at KFC 6 2.5.Recruitment and selection process at Business Units 7 2.6.Training session of employees 7 2.7.Trainee Team Members 8 2.8.Succession Planning 8 3.Conclusion 8 Works cited 9 Executive Summary In today’s tough and dynamic business environment, only those organizations can survive who invest in the development and retention of key and competent workforce. KFC Corporation is the best example among all the fast food restaurant chains as it has allocated sufficient amount of resources in its personnel. Every aspect of HR is adequately planned out so that the operations of the company are not impacted at all. Even the recruitment of employees is done in accordance to the international standards so that the right people are hired at all positions. In order to sustain the edge within the industry, it is vital for KFC to keep track of the changes taking place in the employment market. It has employed right resources for management of this crucial aspect of the organization and has successfully created a highly, efficient, proactive, sincere and loyal team of employees. Each of the personnel is committed to enhancing the organization’s image in the fast food restaurant industry. 1. Introduction 1.1. Purpose of the Report Human Resource (HR) planning and recruitment is one of the crucial requirements of the organizations. The main reasons for ensuring effective management of the company’s personnel is that it ensures that there is adequate number of staff members. Since the performance of an organization is largely dependent on the competence level of the employees, a well-defined and strategic HR recruitment and selection process along with HR workplace plan has to be developed (Armstrong, 234). With the presence of this framework, a company ensures that it employs right people at appropriate positions in accordance to the demands of the job (Truss and Jas, 276). In this report, the recruitment and selection process of KFC Corporation is discussed to shed light on the real implication of this process in today’s organization. First, the entire process is analyzed and then conclusion is drawn to reflect on the understanding acquired during the entire project. 1.2. Sources of Information In order to retrieve accurate information about the recruitment and selection process, an interview was conducted with the HR personnel of the corporation. The person provided complete details about the process which is followed for recruitment and selection along with the activities undertaken to make the employees comply with the company’s requirements. Some articles were reviewed to emphasize the importance of the recruitment and selection process so that an in-depth understanding about the process can be developed. 2. Recruitment and selection process of KFC 2.1. Brief overview of KFC KFC Corporation founded Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) in 1952 which has grown to become the leading fast food chain restaurants in Louisville in US. Since 1997, the company has been emphasizing the concept of Yum brand so that it can make its mark in the fast food industry. As the corporation has expanded its operations on the international level, it is crucial for the organization to promote uniformity in its management team and business operations. KFC mainly sells burgers, grilled and roasted chickens, salads, wraps and others along with desserts and side dishes (Colonel Sanders, 12). 2.2. HR department at KFC Since KFC has its operations in various countries across the globe, it has built its management teams on the basis of cross-cultural concept. The international operating organizations have to ensure that they employ consistent level of HR practices in accordance to the business environment requirement of each market so that the operational effectiveness is enhanced. The key elements which are evident in its HR policies are employing same recruitment and selection process globally, providing excellent training to the personnel for maximizing their effectiveness, increasing retention power, adapting to the market culture and offering consistent level of quality to the customers (Armstrong, 153). KFC has divided its operations in two divisions i.e. Support Center and Business Units. The head office of the corporation is known as the Support Center where both management and non-management teams are made. All the outlets of KFC are known as Business Units and the recruitment at these locations is carried out at the Support Center. The employees at the Business Units are classified as front-end and back-end employees. In order to ensure that right people are hired at the right places, the HR department has developed hard copies of Job descriptions so that they can be stored in the database. HR department is further classified into HR Operations, Training and Compensation and Benefits units. HR Operations consist of Recruitment and Selection, Performance Management and File keeping functions. Training unit is responsible for teaching a set of new skills to the existing employees. Compensation and benefits unit has to maintain proper records of the employees in terms of their payroll, medical facilities, fringe benefits and etc. Non-management team at KFC outlets is led by Restaurant Manager, Assistant Restaurant Manager and Shift Supervisor. There are also team members who are hired and are recruited at these branches. They believe in team working and at their kitchens they define the word “TEAM” as the slogan: T = Together E = Everyone A = Achieves M= More The entire recruitment and selection process is consistent among all the global operations so that the personnel are hired in accordance to the job specifications. As the organization tries to keep a balance between the traditional and modern ways of conducting HR activities, it has to remain well-informed about the changing market conditions (Lengnick-Hall, Cynthia, Leticia and Brian, 66). KFC Corporations has incorporated Strategic HR practices so that it is well-informed about the future needs of the organization and its employees as well. One crucial aspect for every company is the compliance with the stringent rules and regulations related to employees and working conditions. KFC’s HR department ensures that it monitors the legal requirements of its market so that it conducts the business practices in compliance with the working needs of the employees. The job descriptions of each position are upgraded on continuous basis so that they are updated frequently and incorporate the mandatory requirements of the competitive and dynamic environment and business culture. 2.3. HR planning and recruitment at KFC KFC does both internal and external recruiting. Internal recruiting is done for all management levels and external recruitment is rarely done for this level. Even Restaurant managers and Shift Supervisors are never hired externally at the outlets. The internal employees are given training to develop their skills and knowledge required for these positions. Only Team members and Assistant Restaurant Managers are hired externally to induce fresh blood in the organization. Internal recruitment is done in two ways: 1. Employee referrals – Employees are informed about the vacancy so that they can give reference to the management team about the potential candidate for the position. 2. Word of mouth – E-mails are circulated throughout the organization so that a wide range of prospective candidates can be reached. Similarly, there is a job opportunities page on the company’s website so that people can send their CVs directly to the HR department. These resumes are stored in the company’s database for future usage purpose when there is vacancy within the organization. All tests are developed for recruitment and selection on the International level in US so that they are designed by the experts of the field. There are certain guidelines that the applicants have to abide by for attaining successful position within the company. KFC has developed three key tests for their selection purpose: a. Team Member Readiness Inventory – these tests are for team members and attitude is given the top priority in assessing the employee’s skills. b. Hiring Champions Inventory – these tests are designed for Assistant Restaurant Managers and they are updated on yearly basis to take into account the changing requirements of the relevant positions. c. IQ Test – this test is conducted for the staff to be employed at Support Centre. 2.4. Recruitment and Selection process at Support Center The recruitment for Support Centre is mostly done internally in which the head of the concerned department who has identified that there is a need of new employee contacts the HR department. HR department then goes through its database and suggests certain candidates. If an employee is available with the required skills and fits the vacant position, he/she is suggested for that position and after approval and joint consensus of the CEO, departmental head and HR head; he/she is given further training and is groomed for the relevant position. However, if there is need for the external recruitment, then an advertisement is placed in the newspaper or employees are informed about the job opening and are encouraged to spread the word. After a pool of candidates is gathered, HR department is responsible for initial screening. A shortlist of the qualified candidates is developed and an interview with them is arranged. The first level interview takes place between the head of the concerned department and the applicants. Afterwards, entry level tests are conducted to assess the competence level of the candidates. Later, a further short list of the candidates is developed and second interview of the candidates is arranged with the CEO, HR head and relevant departmental head. Finally, the qualified candidate is made a job offer and an employment contract is signed which details all the terms and conditions of the job. An orientation is carried out at the company’s premises so that the new staff member gets acquainted with the colleagues and the key people of the organization. 2.5. Recruitment and selection process at Business Units At business units, external recruitment is done only for front-end employees whereas back-end employees are recruited internally. The basic requirement for front-end employees to qualify for the job is to have minimum high school education. After the resumes of the applicants are short-listed, an aptitude test is conducted. The results of the test are recorded on the basis of colors i.e. red, green or yellow. Red color rating indicates a clear “No”, indicating not to hire that employee, whereas, Green color rating indicates that the candidate is best suited for the job and Yellow color rating indicates that the candidate can be hired but he/she needs to be watched during work. After the tests results, the interviews are conducted and final selection is made in the second interview. 2.6. Training session of employees After the selection of the employee, the individual is sent to the company’s training center where the training sessions are provided for one week. In addition to giving proper orientation, he is briefed about the organization policies and culture. Once the training period is over, the concerned person has to give a test. After clarification of the test, the person is sent to the concerned job. 2.7. Trainee Team Members The team members that are hired may be serving at KFC on part-time basis, because they are allowed to continue their education on a regular basis. When a Trainee Team member is hired, the individual is supposed to work at KFC for 3 months (probation period). After completing 3 months on the job, Trainee Team member becomes a Team member. During that period of 3 months, the trainee is required to serve at four stations of KFC namely: 1) Supply (of Burgers, French Fries, etc) 2) Cash (interaction with customer) 3) Lobby 4) Kitchen (cooking) After mastering these four levels, the Trainee Team member may be hired as Shift Supervisor directly. Any employee getting 3 star rating (mastering 3 levels), gains the prerequisite for Shift supervisor. A Buddy (older employee) is assigned to Fresh employees for their Mentoring. It is an ongoing process and it is done on regular basis to motivate the employees and help them in increasing their productivity at the same time boosting their morale because of enhancing their skills. 2.8. Succession Planning Succession planning is also done continuously in which the supervisors are given the authority of nominating their immediate subordinates. The supervisor then provides required grooming and training sessions to the specific subordinate so that the person is competent at the time of need. The module based techniques are also used for coaching employees. 3. Conclusion Hence, KFC Corporation has developed an effective HR department for managing its international operations successfully. The success of the company lies in its policy of developing an efficient, loyal and committed workforce by allocating adequate resources in its recruitment and selection process. Even the policies are developed in accordance to the latest market trends so that the gap between the demand and supply of personnel is appropriately planned out. Works cited Armstrong, Michael. A handbook of Human Resource Management Practice. 12th ed. London, United Kingdom: Kogan Page Limited, 2012. Print. Colonel Sanders. “KFC Timeline.” Kfc.com. N.p., 2013. Web. 3 May 2013. Lengnick-Hall, Mark L., Cynthia A. Lengnick-Hall, Leticia S. Andrade and Brian Drake. “Strategic human resource management: The evolution of the field.” Human Resource Management Review 19 (2009): 64-85. Print. Truss, Catherine and Jas Gill. “Managing the HR function: the role of social capital.” Personnel Review 38.6 (2009): 674-695. Print. Read More