Human Resource Management Practices at P Housing - Case Study Example

Running Head: Recruitment & Selection Recruitment & Selection SECTION I 'P Housing' is one of the largest and most successful housing groups managing over 40,000 homes across the region. The aim of this paper is to investigate the effectiveness of the Recruitment and Selection process in 'P Housing Group' and to make recommendations where appropriate for improvement. Recruitment & Selection 'P Housing' recognizes that its people are the most valuable asset, and that the capability of the group to deliver objectives rests on the performance of individual members of the staff, as well as teams as a whole. 'P Housing' is committed to being employer of choice, attracting and retaining the highest caliber of staff. These 'recruitment and selection' procedures reflect the aims of the HR strategy. Job Description and Specifications for Junior HR Manager The job description and specifications of the position are as follows: Recruiting suitable staff Deciding future personal needs with managers from other departments organizing regular staff appraisals (Beardwell & Claydon, 2007) providing staff training and development ensuring that pay and benefits are in line with legal requirements and organizational resources (Beardwell & Claydon, 2007) overseeing employee services, such as health and safety counseling staff advising management on matters such as pay negotiations or employment law Job Specifications A university degree in an area related to Human Resources Management with extensive experience in pension, benefits, and compensation management. considerable knowledge in pension, benefits, and compensation ability to provide leadership, coaching, and motivation and development computer literacy skills (mandatory) attention to detail, accuracy, and customer service strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills Strategy for Recruiting Internal and External Candidates Recruitment involves identifying potential job candidates (internal and external) that satisfy the basic skills and qualification requirements drawn out. Internal recruitment candidates include employees that will be transferred, promoted, or receives recommendations from co-workers while external recruitment sources can range from advertising to employing specialized recruitment agencies (Brewster et al, 2000). Recruitment is different from selection that refers the final decision to choose the best person suitable for the job. The success of selection is dependent on the effectiveness of recruiting, since the employee is picked out of the group of potential candidates. The effect of recruiting the wrong people from selection can reduce the ability to find a suitable individual in the future as well. In the result, it may turn the person from an asset to a liability. Selection processes can range from overall assessments to the traditional systematic interview processes where people are eliminated based on their performances at these interviews (Rawlins, 2007). Preliminary Screening Screening minimum standards for the job and communicating these standards to 'P Housing' employees often do preliminary section of applicants and agencies that help them recruit. Another significant factor of using screening standards is the reason that a number of individuals do not apply for specific jobs due to requirements that saves a lot of time of the employees. Throughout the practice of HRM, firms should endeavor on objective data. “This is true for compensation management and for performance appraisal, and it is certainly true for the selection process where the company wishes to assess the match between job applicants and job requirements” (Derek et al, 2002). Interview Selecting best candidate for the job is always the foremost priority during the selection process. The employment interview is a means to know more about needs and desires of the individuals that will be a major part of the organization in the future. Besides this opportunity for the employers, interview is another obstruction for the candidates before they will become the employee. The interview is a means to reduce the number of people who might be eligible for the job. In this regard, the HR department plays an imperative role in this phase of the selection process involving creation of questions including academic, experiential, as well as behavioral type questions that enable the employers to identify truly potential candidates for the job. References Nowadays, references have become an imperative part of the selection process. At 'P Housing', every candidate must provide at least three references with the application form that enables the company to validate the records and past performances of the candidate, which automatically reduces the chances of selecting a wrong candidate, and ensuring efficient selection process for a specific job. Offer & Acceptance The last phase of the selection process is 'Offer & Acceptance' that involves negotiations regarding salary, contract period, position of employee, employee benefits, etc. Although this is the last phase, however, researchers believe that it is the most important phase of the selection process that allows both employer and employee to decide terms and conditions of the job that will be a major factor in motivating employee to put efforts during the job. SECTION II Housing Labor Market 'P Housing' operates in a very competitive labor market. The group's main operation is to provide social rented accommodation for homeless families, elderly, and special needs. 'P Housing' also provides homes under the 'New Built Home Buy Programme' the aims key workers. In order to portray itself as a leading force in delivering the service excellence, it has to rely on its resources of higher caliber staff to ensure continuity of their portrayal in the labor market. In addition, 'P Housing' has a staffing body of over 1500 operating in over sixty locations with its main head office in Central London. HR Philosophy 'P Housing' strongly believes that prosperity of the business depends on successful development of an integrated global community of motivated and innovative employees. According to them, they are committed to hiring, developing, and retaining the most talented people in the world. Therefore, all activities are in alignment with this mission of the organization. In order to achieve a committed pool of talent at 'P Housing', the organization hires and promotes only those with suitable qualifications to perform the job, avoid selecting, rejecting, or any other basis. 'P Housing' enables every employee to use full potential in different tasks by providing enormous opportunities to fulfill their commitments in the most efficient manner. 'P Housing' avoids “creating employee expectations that are variance with reality, and therefore, avoid causing morale problems” (Mullins, 2002). Additionally, another significant focus of ‘P Housing’ is on communications that has been one of the positive attributes of the company involving steadiness, fairness, and collaboration at the time of dealing with different employee matters. Moreover, it recognizes that attitudes, good or bad, can be formed based on managerial communications and that bad attitudes are long lasting. 'P Housing' provides reward systems that facilitate the employees in putting more efforts toward objectives and mission of the organization and that reduces the chances of inadequate performance in the company. EEO Considerations 'P Housing' has a diverse group of employees that make up the organizational staff ensures that its EEO policies are adhered to, and provide a means to address issues that are in conflict with EEO company policies. EEO's version of the EEOC has a high focus on gender equality (Raymond, 2008). Additionally, their policies are designed in a way that placing a ban on competition for job, on employment or dismissal from jobs that are gender biased. They also introduce practices that place the burden of proof on the employer to provide assurance for the ban on discrimination. Organization has established a swift method for compensating victims of gender based discrimination. Recruitment Sources 'P Housing' seeks suitable applicant through two main sources namely internal and external recruiting. Internal recruiting (Mullins, 2002) seeks applicants for positions from among current employees in which, job position can be announced to current employees through memos, bulletin boards, newsletters, and other company information sources. To hire for a position within the department of subsidiary store, internal recruitment must be done first (promote-from-within) as the collective agreement must be followed (Torrinton & Hall, 2002). Internal recruitment also uses the 'P Housing' website. In addition, all internally recruited candidates must be interviewed first before it is permissible for the 'P Housing' to interview an externally recruited job applicant. A position within the management staff; however, can be recruited internally and externally at the same time. Such a job opening may be posted on 'P Housing' website for staff to learn about the vacancy for this position. Another form of recruitment is known as External Recruiting. An e-recruitment service could be used. Online recruitment sites attract jobseekers by offering value-added services. As a result, jobseekers use the internet as a research and information tool, as well as a place to apply for jobs actually (Raymond, 2008). Advertising is one of the most popular and effective recruitment methods used by most organizations whereby one would post on major local newspapers. Other external methods seek applicants through job centers, advertising, and through utilization of private agencies. There is an increase in trend to post vacancies at job centers and employment centers. With the implementation of recruitment strategies mentioned above, it is likely to create strategies that may enable the organizations to focus on individuals equipped with specialized professional training, as well as experience. Selection Standards Selected candidate should deliver best business performance, and can create new grounds in the way business is done with a view to radically improve delivery. He/she will be responsible to introduce substantive improvements to enhance business performance throughout a large portion of the company or complete functional area. He/she would implement tested excellent standards and create something that stands out against the norms to help deliver industry-leading performance (Dessler et al, 2007). The candidate should possess team leadership that can motivate high performance teams. He/she must create a team spirit of excitement and positive motivation where people feel emotionally committed to the team, not just the task. He/she uses understanding of individuals' motives and drivers to align the team members with a common goal. Candidate will encourage the team to identify initiatives beyond original mandate partner (Jones & Wright, 1992). The successful candidate would establish a collaborative culture and use a thoughtful communication plan, employing multiple channels, or indirect approaches, such as influential people to align people or groups. He will create high impact on corporate strategy; integrate market, competition, trends, and other factors to develop strategy that significantly affects the whole corporation. More importantly, the candidate must build strong and sustainable customer relationships to explore innovative approaches proactively to add value to the customer relationship (Bernthal, n.d.). He must initiate and manage multiple contacts into the customer's organization to create impact far beyond individual transactions. In addition, he must champion the customer's needs within own organization, overcoming substantial internal obstacles to deliver greater value and establish self as a trusted advisor with the customer (Jones & Wright, 1992). SECTION III Evaluation P Housing's job description and person specification are laid out in a clear and precise structure that not only will attract the viable candidates but also allow candidates to assess themselves, it also give aid in the selection and interview stages, as it allow for good analysis and scoring of candidates. Short-listing and Selection The recruiting manager along with two other people has to score each candidate against the criteria set out on the form. Candidate selection is done in adherence of employment and legislations, such as disability so that all disable person who meets the requirements are short-listed (Mullins, 2002). A maximum of six candidates are normally selected for an interview. The recruitment coordinator in writing informs the short-listed candidates within two days. The criteria for selection are fair and consistently applied to all candidates. A clear recording of the decisions made at the short-listing stage is made and kept on file for at least twelve months. Strength of Recruitment and Selection Process The recruitment and selection process of 'P Housing' is very effective as the HR (recruiting coordinator), the recruiting manager and L&D department work with each other to ensure the best person is recruited for the job whilst complying with employment legislations and best practice. 'P Housing' because of the diligence of the process reduces staff turnover and as a result, increases staff sense of motivational satisfaction and wellbeing. All personnel involved in the recruitment and selection process receive training to ensure a fair, open, and non-discriminatory approach is taken during the recruitment and selection process. The group has incorporated an 'Equalities and Diversity policy' in the manager development training programme. As 'P Housing' operates in a very diverse and multicultural society, as such it is imperative that it employs a workforce that reflects this diversity by employing staff of a balance ethnic percentage of male and female, staff with understanding of difference cultures. The HR department monitors all aspects of the recruitment and selection process to check that practices (e.g. choice of advertising methods) encourage equality of opportunities and highlight actions that need to be taken to address any issues in respect of equality and diversity (Bratton & Gold, 2003). Weakness of Recruitment and Selection Process In personal opinion, 'P Housing' has a very structured system and is methodological in handling of the recruitment and selection process that works effectively. However, the areas identified in the analysis though still considered as best practices have highlighted some weakness in the recruitment and selection process: 'P Housing' uses the practical testing guidelines; however, only candidates applying for senior management or specialist position takes a test or do a presentation Salary offer to internal staff does not always match market value or not on scale with that of an external candidate Although most new employees would receive a copy of the contract within a few of starting their post, most internal employees have to wait for one or two months before they receive their contract, this in itself is a factor of the bureaucratic anomaly within the group. Recommendations Analysis of the Recruitment and Selection process reveals that even though the process is effective, there are areas where it could benefit from some improvement. For instance, 'P Housing' recognizes that it operates in a very competitive labor market, and as such will offer potential candidates salary at market rate plus benefits. However, if the candidate were already an employee, the offering salary would be less than that which offered to an external candidate. Personal recommendation is that the organization should carry out a review of the process and ensure that salary offered matches the experience and expertise of the successful candidate regardless if he/she is internal or external. Although most new employees would receive a copy of the contract within a few of starting their post, most internal employees have to wait for one or two months before they receive theirs, this in itself is a factor of the time constraints faced by the HR department in accordance with group policies and procedures. In addition, HR needs to ensure that the process for changing jobs internally is made simpler in an effective manner. Lastly, 'P Housing' unquestionably needs to take action to alter the mechanism involving supply and demand of employees. Finally, the future staffing of the 'P Housing' needs identification to develop flexible and proactive recruitment and retention strategies. References Beardwell, J., Claydon, T. (2007). Human Resource Management. Springer. Bernthal, P. R. (n.d.). "Recruitment and Selection." In DDI - Talent Management, Leadership Assessment, & Development. Routledge. Bratton, J., Gold, J. (2003). Human Resource Management. The Bath Press. Brewster, C., Morley, M. (2000). New Challenges for European Human Resource Management. Palgrave Macmillan. Dessler, G., Cole, N. D. (2007). Management of Human Resources. Prentice Hall. Jones, G. R., Wright, P. M. (1992). An Economic Approach to Conceptualizing the Utility of Human Resource Management Practice. Routledge. Mullins, L. J. (2002). Organizational Behavior and Human Resources. Prentice Hall. Rawlins, K. (2007). FDBPA Organizational Behavior and Human Resource Management. Kingston University Press. Raymond, J. S. (2008). Human Resource Management. John Wiley & Sons. Torrinton, D., Hall, L. (2002). Human Resource Management. Pearson Education Limited. Read More