Managing Recruitment and Selection - Coursework Example

Managing Recruitment and Selection YOUR DATA HERE TABLE OF CONTENTS 2. Background 3. Findings Assignment Questions Current Knowledge The Focus Arguments to Include Paper Structure Draft of Introduction 4. Evaluation 5. References 6. Appendix Managing Recruitment and Selection 1. Abstract This paper explores the nature of selection and recruitment by comparing job roles of HR managers and line managers. The paper attempts to justify a set of arguments by referring to academic literature on the subject. It offers current student knowledge on the subject and findings from some literature reviews conducted for this project. 2. Background “If the HRM function is to remain effective, there must be consistently good levels of teamwork, plus ongoing cooperation and consultation between line managers and the HR manager” (French and Rumbles 2010, p.485). In most business organisations, there are two distinct operational units: the line manager and the HR manager. In a typical business, the line manager maintains the responsibility to ensure the more “hard” elements of managing people, including labour productivity, scheduling, and maintaining discipline amid a group of employees. In general, the line manager maintains the most visibility with the worker throughout the course of a typical business day, with limited interaction with the HR manager (Thompson and McHugh 2009). However, the HR manager maintains the role of policy maker and compliance manager to human resources rules and regulations, therefore he or she must understand the nature of the employee population and their unique job roles in order to develop policies that will be workable and considered valuable to the employees. The line manager, because of their constant visibility in the employee population, is the best resource for the HR manager to seek in order to provide effective policies involving employee management and relationship development. The notion that there must be teamwork, cooperating and consultation between line and HR management indicates an important linkage between the two job roles. Managing recruitment and selection needs two parties who can work effectively together to describe employee needs and then, together, develop a framework by which to manage HR policies for more productive and satisfied employee groups or individuals. This is what makes the briefing paper so important for understanding the dynamics of the relationships between line management and HR leadership. Because both parties in the organisation work separately from one another, they must create the teamwork needed to build worthwhile policies to help employees develop and assist the organisation. The chosen title for the paper will be “Managing Recruitment and Selection with the Assistance of Line Management”. The paper will cover two specific topics. These are understanding the role of the line manager when working with employees. It is also to gain knowledge of the separate role of the HR manager for making human resources policy. The paper will bridge the two roles together to find common ground and teamwork so that employees have effective policies developed. 3. Findings This section explores how the findings of the final paper will be considered and analysed. It explores personal student knowledge already existing about HR and line management and how to make effective arguments based on the evidence uncovered. 3.1 Assignment Questions The assignment is asking to review the management of recruitment and selection. Rather than offering a textbook definition of what is actually involved in recruitment/selection activities, it will look at roles and the teamwork needed to create better HR policies. The assignment is asking for research to be conducted, through scholarly sources, about the nature of HR roles versus line management. This research will show the common and uncommon portions of both roles and then apply these to recruitment and selection activities. 3.2 Current Knowledge The student understands that recruitment and selection involves the processes of hiring and finding the proper talent for the organisation. Recruitment involves using newspaper advertisements, job fairs, Internet job postings, or other activities in order to get more people to apply within the labour pool (Bernthal, 2008). Selection is a little more in-depth. Selection is the process of finding the most qualified candidates and then using a system of screening to see who will be the best fit for the job category. The student understands the basic concept of line management and the policy portion of HR job roles. By using this knowledge, it would become easier to blend the roles together to uncover where or how the line manager can offer input to assist HR managers. 3.3 The Focus The focus of this paper will be to take a long, hard look at what is driving current line management activities in a variety of different organisations. Because line management is the most important figure in the day to day activities of employees, this role needs special research attention conducted. The HR manager is the decision-maker for new employees that will be the best fit for the business (Singanto 2003). The focus will then be on teamworking and job role consultation as a step in the recruitment and selection process. By finding out where line management can assist, it can help to identify better methods for the human resources manager to find qualified workers and screen them properly. 3.4 Arguments to Include The arguments that will likely be included will be that the line manager is a direct resource for employees. They not only manage their job roles, but they must act as counsellors associated with emotional needs. The line manager must use active listening skills and therefore they more fully understand the more complex needs of the employees once they take on a job role. This is something, as the first argument, that HR managers have less experience with since they are not visible in the day to day job environment that can frustrate or satisfy the employees. A second argument will likely be that HR managers have certain restrictions that might make it difficult to select properly. According to Arizona State University (2007) selection testing has certain restrictions and cannot be used as an evaluative tool without approval from various laws and regulations. The HR manager might be limited, even with the consultation from the line manager, to even consider the more complex parts of the job role (such as emotion needs) which might limit the selection process. If this were to occur and selection evaluation tools were rejected by regulatory bodies, then it might not even matter what the line manager has offered during consultation. Research will likely identify that there are many realistic and valid restrictions to using line manager recommendations to select and recruit properly. Since Arizona State University agrees on these restrictions, the argument might be raised that the line manager would have a more active role after selection and hire has occurred. 3.5 Paper Structure Now that the arguments and concerns have been identified, the student can reasonably structure the paper. The first is to develop an introduction that again highlights the differing roles of the line manager and the HR manager. It would be best, in the first portion of the paper, to identify the textbook definition of recruitment and selection so that the reader understands what occurs during these periods in the hiring process. This can be supported with journal or textbook research literature. The paper will then provide research knowledge about HR roles and line management roles and the support or difficulties with consultation. This section should be brief, but to the point about the definition of these two roles. This way, the reader can gain knowledge about line management versus HR duties. The following section should then take the knowledge gained through research on the two roles and discover whether some of these roles or knowledge bases can be blended to assist in creating recruitment and selection tools. Since there are some tests that use psychological knowledge to learn about personality and needs analyses, the research might uncover how the line manager can assist in developing testing templates or wording the job posting information. If the data shows that no consultation is possible, then a new learning lesson has been given that line management should not be a top priority for consultation during these two processes. If the data supports consultation would be worthwhile, then it could assist current HR managers in using line management as a quality management tool. 3.6 Draft of Introduction The HR manager has many difficulties in coming up with valid and concise recruitment and selection tools in order to find the right candidate with the best fit for a job opening. Beyond the basic “hard” skills required in a job, there are more complex needs that must be met (such as emotional competency) to ensure a candidate can effectively manage their job role once offered the position. At the same time, the line manager works with these employees everyday, therefore they have intimate and personal knowledge about job role stresses that could impact effective job function for the new employee. Research has identified the importance of creating teamwork and cooperation as well as consultation with line managers and this paper looks to explore whether line management can provide quality information to assist in managing recruitment and selection processes (Gillmore and Williams 2009). There are genuine restrictions to creating selection tools governed by different regulatory authorities. Because of this, the paper seeks to identify whether line management should be considered an important role in these two processes or whether line management should wait until new HR policy has been developed after the job position has been offered to a new candidate. 4. Evaluation The topic of merging roles for recruitment and selection is a different way of looking at hiring processes. Some literature identifies that line management is actively involved, but usually only after employees have been hired. The student believes that they have a unique topic concept and a very exploratory approach to finding out whether in these stages such consultation would be valuable. The basic structure and focus of the paper could be a tool for current HR managers, therefore the student is using the right lens for research and paper structure. 5. References Arizona State University. (2007). Recruitment and Selection Handbook: A Guide to the Recruitment Process. Accessed July 13, 2012 at www.asu.edu/hr/documents/RecruitmentHandbook.pdf+%22recruitment%22+%22selection%22+pdf&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgKRQkOUH46y4XMS3kNDQdOSVnb-Ne WObwHFzeOCykvXuJtblxDC8lKr3zQmVjSXNldAZPjP6bT9BnCuoohRrJWCLANY383hzPRze8XUJHCq42wDUrUfZFnigMGVMQaxogmR7N&sig=AHIEtbSLejF4tSAb1523toKZs0Yk6kf4Vg Bernthal, P.R. (2008). Recruitment and Selection. Development Dimensions International. Accessed July 13, 2012 at www.ddiworld.com/DDIWorld/media/trend-research/recruitment-and selection_ere_es_ddi.pdf?ext%3D.pdf+%22recruitment%22+%22selection%22+pdf&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESiz7htYzMnERyNplBYASjwNXeFeh7nlvrpQagx9sTvaH4vDepmZhyUUmD3qDz7Oiclrig8YvSvf8WHyBgV58o0vlUcUjSMuRaVJPG4TEuOCVmXgADPE-CUzQuH619vil0qYRoy2&sig=AHIEtbS6-GixrqmjUDz_aMjcUWgDNb_NIQ French, R. and Rumbles, S. (2008). Leading, Managing and Developing People. 3rd ed.CIPD Publishing. Gillmore, S. and Williams, S. (2009). Human Resource Management, Oxford: University Press. Singanto, M.K. (2003). A study of recruitment and selection policies with specific reference to the Sundays River Valley Municipality. Accessed July 12, 2012 at www.nmmu.ac.za/documents/theses/SingantoNK.pdf+%22recruitment%22+%22selection%22+pdf&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEEShHu1zPKTsfSMDeC3-lOaOPCPDb2YZJvFEWQd4eAdX37Xb2nWNWa0rfX70PtE5wyQVLdANu1u_ttn8M4GxqmNSEBxrJ8KQkVxS4C3dPnkCIbrFbQglpCCq_EZ3BZgEyDNzQ82cj&sig=AHIEtbQFamTZ-da5ERyK2LbR-ijNlhBUSA Thompson, P. and McHugh, D. (2009). Work Organisations: A Critical Approach, 4th ed. Palgrave MacMillan. 6. Appendix – Assessment Plan 1. Conduct Research on line management and HR management roles Sources – Journals, Textbooks, Interview with business professionals in these roles 2. Explore modern recruitment and selection tools currently being used Timeframe – Two weeks through module 3. Identify research on blended HR and line management roles Requires further module assistance through learning and instructor lectures. 4. Student begins compiling learned data Independent work – Two to three weeks 5. Student constructs a literature review and methodology of activities used to gain information. Paper structure begins to resemble an academic paper. 6. The argument, on paper, is rejected or validated Requires an effective discussion section that refers back to literature review Read More