Planning Recruitment and Selection - Research Paper Example

 Planning, Recruitment and Selection Introduction The function of Human Resources and the various activities involved in its performance and evaluation such as planning, recruitment and selection have assumed increasing importance in today’s workplace. An organization not only wants the best available workforce of management and labor but also wants to attract and retain their services for the long term. The efforts of HR are often thwarted by competing organizations, headhunters, technological changes and internal office politics that can put pressure on the organization and cause a delay or change of plans in achieving economic and organizational goals. This paper will discuss the elements of a good staffing plan and how to implement it in order to get the best results. Elements of a Good Staffing Plan The elements of a good staffing plan include the systematic planning of manpower needs of the organization. Planning, organizing and implementing the HR needs of the enterprise flow from top management to the HR department. The HR budget and packages of competing organizations usually impact on the salary, compensation and benefits offered to new hires as well as increments and bonuses, though the latter is usually more performance related. Demand and Supply Factors for the HR Function This is often discussed in the yearly planning and budgeting meeting of the enterprise, where last year’s achievements are reviewed and plans for the current and future years are made. Some organizations even have a three to five year plan. At this meeting, the top management usually unveils the vision for the enterprise and how that needs to be implemented. As these are devolved into departmental goals, it invariably impacts on the number of staff required in each department to achieve those goals. At a managerial level, there is usually a discussion regarding the goals, plans and the number of people that need to be hired in order to achieve them. Another source of labor demand could stem from replacement of staff members that are retiring, or have moved to other organizations and need to be replaced and so on. In some cases, there may be downsizing under which excess staff may be asked to leave. This also has to be managed carefully with counseling and other supportive efforts to get them a job elsewhere, so as to protect the image of the organization. Not only the number of people, but also the type of skills, education, training and work attitude is important. The usual sources of supply are the labor market, comprising of the unemployed as well as those looking to switch for better prospects. In some cases, friends and relatives of existing and retired employees may also be recruited through an employee referral program. For high profile and important positions, the services of head hunters may also be employed (Ahlrichs, 2000). Estimating Staffing Requirements The need for staff usually emanates from the above sources or is seen when there is an organizational or departmental problem that needs to be addressed and solved that is not being managed effectively by current personnel. In some cases the organization may want to enter a new line of business, for which the required expertise has to be estimated and hired. The salary levels can be estimated by using the services of professional hiring firms, and then the hierarchy and reporting lines are planned and finalized. As an example we can take the case of a typical manufacturing organization that has the following departments: manufacturing, operations, customer service, distribution, marketing, and accounting. From the number of machines installed in manufacturing, we calculate the number of people as 25 there with two supervisors. We would also need 5 people in Operations, 2 in Customer Service, 5 in Distribution, 2 in Marketing and 2 in Accounting. This gives a total strength of 41 people to be hired at the middle and lower levels. The organizational chart can be drawn up as shown in Appendix I. This chart has been drawn up only for the managers and workers of the enterprise. However it shows how the staffing requirements are worked out at these levels. Strategies to Recruit Appropriate Applicants Depending on the demand and supply of labor and the economic situation, businesses tend to hire frugally or more liberally in general- however the situation in the industry sector and the enterprise in particular also has a bearing on the number and timing of hiring decisions that are made. Sometimes qualified applicants can be attracted through advertisements or sourced through headhunters. Employee referrals may also prove a good resource. Staffing tables are usually drawn up at the time of discussing the HR Budget or the Performance Goals for the coming year showing the number of staff that will be required at each level of the enterprise. The salary levels can then be decided looking at the HR budget and competitor packages. Sometimes a sweetener such as a joining bonus and a quick first promotion could be offered to a new manager who is setting up a new department in a new line of business (Peters & Waterman, 2004). Once the number of new hires and their timing is known, the HR department usually moves into action to recruit and select the best applicants. College hiring programs, employee referrals and unsolicited applications- all these can form the sources for new hiring. Of course, HR would have to go through each candidate’s profile to see if he or she matches the needs of the job. In this respect, HR would have to collect the needs and demands of the job through job analysis and design techniques and determine job specifications which are then matched with applicant profiles. Suitable candidates could be called for Interviews. It is suggested that there should be a series of at least three interviews: the first with HR to see if the candidate matches the profile as stated in the resume, the second with the Functional or Departmental Head to see if he or she meets the requirements of the position and has some product and procedural knowledge, and the third is a behavioral interview conducted by both HR and the Functional Head to judge the work attitude and decision making skills of the candidate. Depending on the overall results and the number of available positions, the best candidates are then given a chance to join the enterprise (Crosby, 1992). The selected employees usually join the company’s Orientation Program, where they are grouped in with a Mentor or Buddy that teaches them the ropes makes them feel at home and addresses their concerns and aspirations. Once the employees overcome their initial hesitation and get used to the work conditions and organizational culture, they can often produce better results and start contributing in earnest to the success of the organization. Ensuring Legal Compliance Ensuring legal compliance is increasingly important for an expanding organization and one must take care to abide by non-discriminatory and equal opportunity practices. These must not only be a matter of policy but put into practice as well. As an organization expands, it would be wise to adopt a geocentric approach rather than stick to local or ethnocentric approaches. Diversity is an important element and the positive aspects of having a multi-ethnic and multi-racial workforce must be considered. The advantages of having different family backgrounds, different social upbringing and different educational opportunities can bring new and fresh approaches to dealing with and solving organizational or departmental problems, which must be appreciated. Another advantage to having a diversified workforce is that it becomes easier to engage and get the cooperation of local citizens or residents in the surrounding communities. For example, it has been noted that efforts to stop crime and domestic violence in Hispanic neighborhoods were more successful when police officers from the Hispanic community responded to emergency calls. Everyone likes the sound of their own language. At the same time, good and non-discriminatory policies will ensure that lobbying and other means of bargaining for labor rights are minimized. It is clearly the enactment of good HR policies here that will make the difference between satisfied and unsatisfied employees (Werther & Davis, 2005). References Ahlrichs, N. (2000). Competing for Talent: Key Recruitment & Retention Strategies for Becoming an Employer of Choice. Nicholas Brealey Publishing. Crosby, P. (1992). The Eternally Successful Organization. Signet Books. Noe, R.A., Hollenbeck, J.R., Gerhart, B., & Wright, P.M. (2007). Fundamentals of Human Resource Management (2nd ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Peters, T. & Waterman, R.(2004). In Search of Excellence: Lessons from America’s Best Run Companies. Harper Paperbacks. Werther W. & Davis, K. (2005). Human Resources & Personnel Management, 5th Ed. McGraw Hill. Appendix I Read More