Recruitment, Selection, and Hiring - Assignment Example

COMPREHENSIVE SELECTION/RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING PLAN and Introduction Recruitment of employees is an integral organizational process for all organizations. Recruitment process is believed to be an essential undertaking that has a bearing on the organization’s performance (Zax, 2013). Mote (2013) explains that this because if it is effective, the company will net good employees but if faulted the organization’s performance will be adversely affected. An organization can undertake recruitment of employees for a myriad of reasons the major ones being to fill the gaps created as a result of the organization expanding or some employees exiting the organization. Another need for recruitment arises due to promotions within the organization necessitating the front line employees to be injected to fill the void created by promotions (Zax, 2013). This report, based on a premise of filling the gap created due to a promotion will seek to analyze a job providing its description, develop a recruitment plan, develop a selection strategy, design a compensation strategy and performance appraisal system and lastly describe a training and development plan. 1. Job Description and Analysis The job vacancy, as noted earlier, resulted from a promotion. It is a Systems Administrator I job. This is the entry-level job opportunity opportunity for system administrators. As a result most of the applicants are youths who have completed their bachelor’s degrees or have worked for a period of around 5 years. Job Analysis A system administrator is an essential employee in almost every organization in today’s world. This is because they can work in any organization that employs ICT services. The work of System Administrators is simply ensuring that the company’s hardware and software are at their operational best, to configure those machines and tailor their services to help meet the organization’s goals and objectives (Supportingadvancement.com, 2014). Most importantly, an organization’s system administrator ensures that the computer network is secure, detects intrusion and takes measures to minimize data loss for the organization. The work of a system administrator will vary depending with the size of the organization; larger organizations tend to employ system administrators that handle specific field of operations, but smaller organizations tend to employ a “jack of all trade” who handles nearly all aspects of networking and system security. For this vacancy, the successful applicant should have a general set of skills and knowledge to perform the basic functions as described in the job description below. Job Description The functions and duties of a System Administrator I include the following: a) Installing and configuring hardware and software and related infrastructure for use by the organization staff. b) Evaluating and recommending the systems upgrades. Here the System Administrator will be tasked with purchase of the necessary up to date machinery and software as needed by the organization. c) Tailoring the use of system hardware and software to match the organizational goals and ensure the users’ adherence to organizational values. d) Installing new servers while maintaining the standards prescribed by the organization. e) Conducting technical researches in order to recommend innovative ways that save on available resources and provide the advantage of economies of scale. One of the ways of doing this is by trying to automate every service that can be automated. f) Carrying out the daily monitoring of the network system. g) Conducting security checks to determine whether there have been attacks. The administrator is also expected to perform intrusion tests to ensure that the firewall is fool-proof and that there are no bugs that can be used to pose a security threat. h) Carry out daily backup exercises for sensitive data that needs backing up. i) Troubleshooting, diagnosing and fixing system failures when they occur. j) Train and supervise others. Since the level 1 administrator is the lowest, the administrator will be tasked with training the non-technical staff on how to use the system network, how to troubleshoot or report any failures (Supportingadvancement.com, 2014). Job Hours The system administrator will be expected to work for 40 hours a week, though they may be asked to commit more time when the situation demands so. In such a case, sufficient notice will be provided. Budget and Supervisory Role System Administrator 1 has no budgetary duties. The employee will just recommend the hardware and software he/she requires and forward a proposal to the immediate supervisor. And unless appointed by the supervisor to head the colleagues, System Administrator will have no supervisory role to play in the organization. Knowledge and Skills The following are the minimum requirements and preferred qualifications: a) A bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, ICT or an equivalent. b) A system administrator certification in Microsoft and/or UNIX. c) A 2 years’ worth of experience in a highly competitive system administrator environment. d) Problem solving skills and decision making- Since this is a job that will require the employee to quickly, constantly and correctly make a decision, the skill to make the right call is highly relevant for a system administrator (Mars, 2014). 2. Recruitment Plan The recruitment plan provides the outline for attracting, interviewing and hiring qualified applicants to fill the void left by the promotion. The recruitment plan involves identification of the recruitment needs, the job requirements, determining the recruitment sources that will be used, and the selection method (Zalesova and Robertson, 2010). It also includes a plan for short listing candidates, selection of the successful candidate and the process of notifying them. a) Recruitment Need- The need for recruitment arose from the need to fill a void let as a result of promotion. But the recruitment does not just seek to fill the vacancy for the sake of it; it also seeks to net the right persons for the organization since the employees are the most valuable assets of any organization. The successful candidate will not only fill the space but also add value to the existing pool of labor (Mars, 2014). b) Job Requirements- The job requirements have already been listed under the job description and preferred qualifications in the previous section. c) Recruitment Sources- The organization shall just recruit from the general public. An advertisement shall be placed in the local and national newspapers, in online job boards and on social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. d) Selection Method- Interviews and employee testing will be used to select the most qualified candidate. First the job opportunity will be advertised in the print, broadcast and social media and the relevant number of qualified applicants shortlisted. The results will be inferred and the highest scoring candidate will be selected and notified (Mote, 2013). e) Recruitment Timeline- The recruitment process will take approximately 3 months. The first week will involve the advertising in the various media platforms. The next three weeks will be set aside for receiving the applications from prospects. After getting the applications, the shortlisted persons shall be listed in a national newspaper with the date for interviews. The next two weeks will be used to interview and select the candidate. The last one month will be used to conduct background checks on the selected candidate and to avail the candidate an opportunity to notify his/her current employer his/her intention to leave (Shofner, 2012). 3. Selection Strategy Plan The selection strategy is meant to fulfill the recruitment goals in the most efficient way possible. The recruitment strategy is also based on the organization’s goals. The recruitment goals include: a) Attracting highly qualified candidates b) Attracting candidates with skills and knowledge that are lacking in the organization’s labor pool. c) To promote the image of the organization as a dynamic organization that attracts highly qualified staff. The selection strategy plan will employ interviews and employee tests. Interview There are many ways of conducting interviews, including over the phone, this recruitment will use panel interviews. There will be 5 panel members and during the interviews each member will be allowed to ask a maximum of 3 questions to avail the fellow member’s ample time to interrogate the candidate. During the interview, the interviewee will be briefed on the position they are interviewing for. The candidate will then be offered the opportunity to give his/her overview of his/her experience and then the panel members will ask their questions (Shofner, 2012). The interviewee will then be briefed on the next step and how they will be contacted if selected and then shown out. The interview questions will range from those that probe and seek information on the skills relevant for that job to those that test behavior and competencies. The latter questions will be designed to test the candidate’s ability to work under pressure and their attitude in different circumstances (Mars, 2014). Employment Testing There are various employees tests all which are designed to get the information that is not effectively communicated through interviews and application forms filled by the candidates. It is not enough for the management to look at the knowledge for the job only, other factors that will lead to job satisfaction will be crucial. Research has shown that 60% of the employees who leave in their first year in service do so because they have been disillusioned by their experiences (Stidworthy, 2013). What they expected when joining the organization is far from the realities of working for the organization. The Affect theory explains employee satisfaction and motivation by determining that satisfaction will depend on the extent of deviation between the expected and the reality. The tests will be designed and administered by professionals from the HR department. This recruitment will deploy cognitive ability tests, integrity tests, job knowledge tests and personality tests (Zalesova and Robertson, 2010). a) Cognitive ability tests- Under this test questions will be formulated that will measure the candidates’ ability to learn, to reason and use logic in their job performance. Aptitude and problem-solving skills are also examined. b) Integrity tests- The questions will test the candidate’s attitude, reliability, trustworthiness and honesty. The answers will bring out the interests and preferences which then will be used to make inferences which in turn will be invaluable in predicting future behavior. c) Job knowledge tests- The questions will test the technical and professional expertise. d) Personality tests- Tests the candidate’s personality investigating issues like introversion or extroversion, stress tolerance, and emotional stability among others (Shofner, 2012). 4. Compensation Package Employee remuneration is crucial as it will determine their attitude during work and determining their level of job satisfaction, which, consequently, determines work performance. The management uses the Maslow’s theory of needs to design remuneration packages. The employees will be motivated to perform at their utmost to get bonuses and promotions to satisfy their needs that are insatiable. In the IT industry, the average basic salary for System Administrator I is US$ 44, 301. The following table explicates the compensation package (salary.com, 2014). Compensation Item Amount (US $) Percentage Basic Salary 44,301 67.8% Bonuses 644 1.0% Benefits Social Security 3, 438 5.3% 401K/ 403B 1, 618 2.5% Disability 405 0.6% Healthcare 6, 592 10.1% Pension 2, 832 4.3% Time offs 5, 532 8.5% TOTAL 65, 361 100% Salary.com 5. Performance Appraisal A performance appraisal system will be developed to measure performance against expectation. A taskforce which is already in place will carry out the task of appraising employee performance. If the appraisal is properly conducted then a positive forward-moving progress can be achieved. Assessment and Reward System- A multi-rater system combined by a 360 Degree Feedback mechanism will be used for performance appraisal. Management by Objectives (MBO) will be used to evaluate employee’s performance. The Goal Setting theory asserts that employees will be motivated to perform their tasks if they have a goal or objective to work towards (Crush, 2013). The immediate supervisors will be tasked with evaluating their subordinates. Together they will set goals and objectives which are then evaluated at the end of the period. A 360 Degree Feedback mechanism will be used by employees to rate their co-workers, their subordinates and even their supervisors. The 360 Degree Feedback mechanism provides an opportunity for employees to evaluate one another’s teamwork efforts and attitudes and assess self-development, things that cannot be measured by MBO (Crush, 2013). Frequency of Appraisal- The appraisals will be conducted annually, at the end of a financial year. This is because they will provide results that will inform the formation of objectives for the next financial period. Need for Appraisal- Performance appraisal is necessary to pinpoint ineffectiveness or inefficiencies of certain employees. Unsatisfactory performance is noted and addressed. Furthermore, the employees get to know how they are being evaluated and viewed by the management. The potential biases will be addressed by using software to assess the results (Crush, 2013). 6. Training and Development Netting the right employees is not enough because that does not necessarily mean that they will perform. They need to be trained from time to time to be effective. The following activities will aid in training and development. Training Duration Timeline Induction Training 1 Week Immediately after recruitment Workshops 2 weeks After every 6 months Benchmarking 1 week Visiting other jobs to see how they work. This should preferably be conducted after every 3 years Writing Development plans 1 month For news- Immediately after recruitment. Development plans are aimed to prepare the new recruits for future managerial positions Conclusion Recruitment process is an integral part of organizations and strongly impact on the success of the organization. As such care must be taken so as to ensure it is conducted with utmost effectiveness and efficiency. A detailed and effective research plan, strategies and performance appraisal systems will net the right employees for an organization which can in turn ensure good job performance. Also it is important to adequately remunerate the employees so that they feel motivated and derive job satisfaction from the tasks they perform. Managers should employ the employee and organizational theories to make successful recruitments (Mote, 2013). References Crush, P. (2013). Top rated feedback. People Management, 6(8), 36-38. Mars. (2014). Recruitment, selection and hiring. Retrieved from http://www.marsdd.com/articles/recruitment-selection-and-hiring/ Mote,G. (2013). Common sense employee recruitment strategies. Corridor Business Journal, 9(33), 14-17. Salary.com. (2014). Benefits: Administrator I salary details. Retrieved from wz.salary.com/salarywizard/Benefits-Administrator-I-Salary-Details.aspx?&hdcbxbonuse=on&isshowpiechart=false&isshowjobchart=false&isshowsalarydetailcharts=true&isshownextsteps=true&isshowcompanyfct=true&isshowaboutyou=true Shofner, J. (2012). 5 Tactical approaches for recruiting. American Jails, 26(2), 12-15. Stidworthy, B. (2013). Retention versus recruitment. Credit Control, 34(8), 13-15. Supportingadvancement.com. (2014). Sample job descriptions and job description tips. Retrieved from http://www.supportingadvancement.com/employment/job_descriptions/advancement_services/system_administrator.htm Zalesova, A., & Robertson, R. (2010). Building a better workforce: Trials and tribulations of employee recruitment and management. Global Education Journal, (4), 105-116. Zax, D. (2013). Falling for the job. Time, 182(12), 13-16. 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