Recruitment and Selection for Queens State Training & Development Manager - Case Study Example

Recruitment and Selection 1.0 Introduction The topic for this report is Recruitment and Selection. The purpose of this report is to create a recruitment and selection plan for Queens State Training & Development Manager position. This report will be structured as follows: i. Pre-recruitment (Business strategy, HR Staffing strategy/Talent Philosophy, and Position (Job requirements matrix) ii. Recruitment ( Employment Value Proposition, Recruitment communication/advertisement, and sourcing effectiveness analysis) iii. Selection (assessment plan, panel interview questions, and evaluating and choosing candidates) 2.0 Pre-recruitment 2.1 Business strategy and its implications on staffing Wattle’s business strategy is differentiation strategy achieved by developing new initiatives and improving on its past efforts to differentiate themselves from its competitors and maximise its positive impact on the community. This strategy has several implications on staffing. Staffing plays a critical role in creating and enhancing the competitive advantage of the organisation, through attracting, retaining, motivating and developing skilled and talented employees. There is need for superior levels of operation and cooperation of staffing to create an organization that is flexible and more intelligent than its competitors. The following are the staffing implications of differentiation (innovation) strategy: a) Creativity- To be innovative requires creativity. It is crucial to hire individuals with imaginative who can play with wealth of ideas, observant, can think outside the box and can materialize their concepts. They should have an innovative attitude, ambitious, flexible, social, and emotionally stable and is originality-oriented. b) High tolerance for ambiguity- When a company undertakes innovation it tries to solve a problem that can become messy. Due to the complexity of the world there are no ready solutions to most faced challenges. Yet one can be tempted to be impatient in seeking the right answer. It can be uncomfortable to explore several mutually exclusive and competing options. The dislike of ambiguity can results in failure to evaluate full potential within the good ideas at disposal, which are prematurely rejected. To achieve innovation (differentiation) as a strategy, there is a need to recruit individuals who have high tolerance for ambiguity. They should have ability to evaluate different ideas simultaneously and be patient in generating the best option. c) Top Research talented- Pursuing differentiation strategy calls for research on the needs of stakeholders, the past and the present efforts in order to generate a solution. Therefore, there is important need to recruit individuals who are dedicated and interested in research, have analytical minds, can work with other people, intelligent, curious, quick thinkers and excellent written and verbal communication skills. 2.2 HR/Staffing strategy/Talent Philosophy Strategy element Primary Choice HR perspective Investment Costs Staffing emphasis Proactive Reactive Type of workforce Core Flexible Position focus Critical All Labour market Internal External Skill acquisition Train Select Talent management Replace Retain Skills focus Person-Job fit; KSAOs Person-organisation fit; Competencies Staffing decisions Centralised Devolved Wattle’s talent philosophy will be to have employees contribute to the company over long-term careers. The human resource strategy will be to acquire, develop and retain talent which can contribute to the company over time. The staffing strategy will be to (i) hire talent that can perform current and future jobs, (ii) take advantage of employees’ potential overtime by using career planning, succession planning and career development, (iii) and retaining hiring potential employees and retaining top performances. In relation to this strategy Wattle will make the following primary choices for each element. i. HR Perspective- Staffing will be treated as an investment rather than a cost. Greater profits can result in spending more in hiring better fit. The outcome of staffing is retention of the new work, responsiveness in meeting the needs of corporate staffing and quality or productivity of the labour acquired. ii. Staffing emphasis- Staffing will be proactive to avoid firings and layoffs in future and to ensure that the company runs more smoothly in future. Hiring the right people in the right positions ensures that the company functions better and enables it to focus on profitability. Hiring ahead of time where the company wants to grow will avoid headaches. iii. Type of workforce- The workforce will be core which is long-term and consists of regular employees. Core workforce enhances stability, continuity and predictability of operations. The long-time stay in the company enables employees to commit themselves to their job and to the company’s vision. iv. Position focus- The focus will be on Queensland State Training and Development Manager position v. Labour market- Hiring will be done externally since there are no internal candidates suitable for the position. Newly hired workers from outside will bring fresh perspective and new ideas to the company. vi. Skill acquisition- Skills will be acquired through selecting and training. Individuals with skills that match the job requirements will be selected then trained internally to enable them work efficiently. vii. Talent management- Potential employees will be hired to replace those who left the position and top performers will be retained. It is cheaper to retain product employees than to hire a new one viii. Skills focus- Wattle will hire an individual who is both person-job fit and person-organization fit. It is important to hire individuals whose attributes fits the job requirements. At the same time the individual traits should suit the organisation’s culture. ix. Staffing decisions- Staffing decisions will be centralised. This will allow easy effective control of information that get it and what it entails. Centralisation will also enhance high level of efficiency and encourage consistency in operations. 2.3 Position (job) requirements matrix of a Training and Development Manager Job specification Person specification Duty Tasks Importance of task (%) Time spent on task (%) KSAO/Competency Importance of KSAO/Competency to performance (1 = Low, 10 = High; E = essential, D = Desirable) Supervision and directing Instil a proactive training culture within the team that aligns to the direction of the organisation Responsible for the design, delivery and development of team and departmental conferences and training programs. Acts as a role model for the Wattle behaviours. 40 20 Negotiation skills Leadership skills Employee development skills Coaching skills 8.4 9.1 E 8.9 E 7.5 D Training and Development management Establish learning needs of the organisation facing employee level and ensure they are delivered through Training Development department Ensure the training curriculum at a state level meets current and future needs and is aligned to the business direction and vision to meet the company’s objectives and philosophies. Responsible for the Training & Development Department function to deliver training to the Wattle standard for all training programmes, whether internally or externally conducted. Responsible for the delivery of all induction training across the business including training materials, training standards, quality training programs and consistency of company-wide training and evaluation. Comply with all Wattle’s policies and procedures, as amended from time to time. Responsible for contributing to a safe, healthy and secure working environment, free from harassment, bullying and discrimination. All other duties as directed by the National Training & Development Manager. Adopt best practice training methodologies, incorporating reference based training resulting from knowledge management, on line learning techniques and blended learning solutions that best meet the training or development need. Assist with the delivery of training when required therefore travel will be required. 40 50 Competent computer literacy skills Ability to contribute effectively to the strategies priorities of a large, diverse organisation Ability to capture stakeholders needs, determining requirements and learning outcomes. Ability to design and deliver training and development programmes Ability in managing professional training and staff development Ability in developing and implementing companywide customer service standards and strategies 8.6 8.1 9.5 E 9.5 E 8.9 8.6 D Customer Service Work with Wattle management to establish state wide customer service and sales standards, and ensure customer service and sales training meets requirements across all businesses. 20 30 Interpersonal skills Communication skills 7.9E 8.1E 3.0 Recruitment 3.1 Employee Value Proposition (EVP) The objective of the EVP is to (i) differentiate Wattle against its competitors, (ii) make wattle brand a reality, and (iii) identify areas of priority for change, in order to improve and maintain key talent. Below is the EVP for a Training and Development Manager’s position EVP for a Training and Development Manager’s position (including job rewards analysis) Focus (Job-related/ Organisation-related) Type (Intrinsic/ Extrinsic) Organisation Contribution (material/ non-material) Employee contribution (material/ non-material) Stability over time To whom might it might appeal Competitive salary Extrinsic Material Non-material Can change depending with the conditions of the market Most workers Improved work content( variety, challenge, structure, autonomy , feedback, impact) Intrinsic Non-material Non-material Fairly stable Workers who value work design Performance pay (incentives, cash recognition) Extrinsic Material Non-material Changes depending on the performance of the organisation Workers who value individual recognition Having career development (training, employment security, personal growth, title and advancement Intrinsic Non-material Non-material Varies depending on the needs of the company and individual performance Workers who desire to advance in careers Benefits (health, time off, retirement, work arrangements) Extrinsic Non-material Non-material stable Most workers Competitive Salary: Competitive salary is organisation related and extrinsic. It is pay given to employees in exchange to the work done. Applicants get attracted to a competitive salary. Majority of workers might be appealed to this reward. However, it is not stable because it can change depending on the market conditions. Improved work content: This involves providing variety of tasks to avoid monotony, challenging tasks that builds up employees, change of work structure, and providing feedback on performance. Different employees value different work content and the reward may appeal to workers who value work design. This reward is stable Performance pay- This reward is either inform of incentives or cash recognition. It is a reward given to employees who have performed well. It appeals to workers who value individual recognition, but it is not stable as it changes depending on the organisation performance. Career Development- This reward is in the form of training, employment security, personal growth, title and advancement. It appeals to workers who desire to advance in careers, but it is not stable as it varies depending on the needs of the company and individual performance. Benefits- This reward includes health, time off, retirement, and work arrangement. It is does not depend on any factor which makes it stable. Most workers may be appealed to this reward. 3.2 Recruitment communication/advertisement plan for a Training and Development Manager’s position Position to be advertised: Queens State Training and Development Manager Advertisement Channel: Newspaper and online job advertising sites No of times advert appearance in the newspaper: 1 Advertisement date in the newspaper: 7th July 2015 Advertisement date on free online job advertising sites: From 7th July 2015 to 11th July 2015 Key elements of information in the advert 1. About Wattle company 2. Position title, its objectives and to who is responsible 3. Main responsibilities, tasks and accountabilities 4. The most important requirements needed for the job (skills, experience, abilities, knowledge, etc.) 5. Motivation factors information such as incentives, salary, career development and possibilities, and benefits among others) 6. Information about the shift work, working time, location and other conditions. 7. Application information including what to send, how to send, where to send and the deadline) 8. Contact person including email-address and or telephone number 3.3 Source effectiveness analysis/Recruiting Source Analysis Source Type of applicant (Active/Passive/ Semi-passive) Average speed Fast/Medium/Slow Cost per hire (High/Medium/Low) Expected applicant quality (High/Medium/Low) Referrals Active Fast Medium High Advertisement Active Slow High High Campus Recruitment Semi-passive Fast Low Medium Employment agencies Active Fast High High Advertisement: This recruitment sources is ideal for technical and managerial jobs like Training and Development Manager. If the position is of higher level in the company, it includes specialised skills which may be shorter in supply in the labour market, therefore, the need to advertise. Through advertisement the company can easily access active applicants because they are looking for new jobs in newspapers and online. The average speed of advertisement is slow because of the work involved in preparing the advert, choosing the channel of advertisement and placing of the advert. Cost per hire is high since advertisement is costly but the expectant applicant quality is high. Referrals: According to research, it can be five times more likely to hire a referral candidates than other candidates because employees more often refer individuals with experience and superior skills. New hires from referral programs can be highly retained. Managers spend less time sorting through the resumes because referral programs generate fewer weaker applicants. Applicants usually are a better fit because employees understands the culture of the company and can screen out the weak fit. Hiring using referral method is faster and tie to productivity will be faster because employees can comfortably assist, guide and mentor the individuals they referred. However, applicants of this method are passive and may negotiate for higher pay as a movement incentive. Campus Recruitment: This method of recruitment enables the company to hire candidates suitable for different job profiles. There are a wide choices to choose from and time spent on recruitment can be saved. This method is also cost efficient since hundreds of candidates can be short-listed from just visiting colleges for one or two days. Campus recruitment builds strong relationship between the college and students who may come to the company for internships and training, thus, building a strong pipeline for the following year’s recruitment. This method also builds loyalty among the successful applicants because many young graduates get emotionally attached to their first company. However, this method may not provide high quality applicants for a managerial job like Training and Development Manager because experience is needed, which applicants of campus recruitment lack. Applicants from campus recruitment are also semi-passive since they are neither actively looking for a job but are also looking forward to be employed once they graduate. Employment Agencies: Recruitment through this method is fast because the agencies are specialised in recruitment and usually they have a database of resumes of potential candidates. Applicants are actively looking for a job or a new job opportunity. Applicants are of high quality since employment agencies have a pool of qualified candidates and provide applicants with several tests that they must pass before employment. Recruitment by this method is averagely costly because there is a fee that the company is obligated to pay employment agencies. 4.0 Selection 4.1 Assessment Plan Characteristic (Selection Criteria) Importance of characteristic to job performance (1 = Essential; ≥2 = Desirable) Select (S) Train (T) Predictor Predictor Predictor Predictor: Panel Interview Qualification in Training & Development, Business or Human Resource, Organisation Development, or other related discipline – Certificate IV in Training or higher 1 S Interview Panel interview The ability to demonstrate practical experience in corporate training including experience in developing and implementing companywide customer service standards and strategies 1 T Interview Panel Interview Ability to demonstrate experience with managing professional training and development of staff 1 S Interview Panel Interview Ability to demonstrate experience in the design and delivery of training and development programmes 1 S Interview Panel Interview Ability to demonstrate experience in capturing stakeholder needs, determining requirements and learning outcomes 1 S Interview Panel Interview ability to contribute effectively to the strategic priorities of a large, diverse organisation 1 T Interview Panel Interview Highly developed interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills 1 S Occupational tests Highly developed leadership, coaching and employee development skills 1 S Occupational tests Competent computer literacy skills particularly with Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint 1 S Occupational tests Simulations Qualification in Training & Development, Business or Human Resource, Organisation Development, or other related discipline – Certificate IV in Training or higher This selection criteria is very important to perform best on the job. The candidate cannot be trained this qualification on the job but must be possessing it at the time of selection. The assessment method is the interview to determine whether the qualification is fit for the job. The ability to demonstrate practical experience in corporate training including experience in developing and implementing companywide customer service standards and strategies This selection criteria is very importance to job performance. The individual on the job will be working closely with staff members across the company while concentrating more on corporate training. The company will train the individual in this area in relationship to what the company entails the selection method will be interview to gain information and experience of the applicant in this area. Ability to demonstrate experience with managing professional training and development of staff The main job of the position will be to manage professional training and staff development. Therefore this selection criteria is very important to job performance. Applicants will be selected on this as the company will not be training a fresh person. Interviews will be used to gain more information of the applicant including experience and knowledge. Ability to demonstrate experience in the design and delivery of training and development programmes This is part of the Training and Development Manager’s competency needed to perform on the job, and thus it depicts its importance on the job performance. Training will not be done on a fresh person therefore the need of an experienced person to be selected. Interviews will be used to gain information regarding knowledge and experience. Ability to demonstrate experience in capturing stakeholder needs, determining requirements and learning outcomes As part of performing well on the job this position requires someone who is capable of identifying different learning needs in the organizations and learning outcomes. An applicant experienced in this area will be selected. Interviews will be used to determine whether or not this experience exist in an applicant. Ability to contribute effectively to the strategic priorities of a large, diverse organisation The position deals with various people in the organisation, therefore the need for a candidate to possess this skill is very important to the job performance. The organisation will train the successful candidate on managing diverse needs in the organisation. Interview questions will be ideal in determining tis ability. Highly developed interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills The position deals with interacting with stakeholders, communicating in the organisation and negotiating solutions to needs. Thus, these skills are important to job performance. The assessment method for these skills will be occupational tests. Highly developed leadership, coaching and employee development skills This position involves supervising of subordinates, therefore there is a need for the successful candidate to be able to leader, coach and develop employee skills. Occupation tests will be used to assess these skills Competent computer literacy skills particularly with Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint Communication and handling tasks in the position requires an individual who is competent in computer literacy. These skills will be assessed through simulation and occupational tests. 4.2. Panel Interview Questions Interview question Question type (Behavioural/ Situational) Selection criteria addressed Answer Answer scoring 1. Tell me why you think you qualify for this positon Behavioural Qualification in Training & Development, Business or Human Resource, Organisation Development, or other related discipline 3 2 2. Describe a time when you managed training in the organisation Behavioural The ability to demonstrate practical experience in corporate training including experience in developing and implementing companywide customer service standards and strategies There was this time when a new Customer Relationship Management system was introduced in the organisation and I was in charge of ensuring that those involved were fully trained on the system. 4 How would you go about designing a training program for customer service department Situational Ability to demonstrate experience in the design and delivery of training and development programmes I will identify the missing gap in skills for the department and create a training program by involving them 3 4.3Evaluating and choosing candidates Evaluation will reflect the abilities, skills and performance factors measured against those job requirements. Past examples are found, and present abilities demonstrated in order to predict future performance. The candidate with high interview score and high occupational test and simulation store will be chosen. 5.0 Conclusion Referrals and employment agencies are effective source of recruitment that the company should use. The company should offer competitive salary for the position to attract high quality applicants and retain successful ones. Reference List Allen, DG, Van Scotter, JR & Otondo, RF 2004, Recruitment Communication Media: Impact on Prehire Outcomes. Personnel Pyschology, Vol 57, No. 1, pp 143-171. Beschet, TP 2000, Developing Staffing Strategies That Work: Implementing Pragmatic Non-traditional Approaches. Public Personnel Management, Vol 29, No. 4, pp 465-477 Calwell DF & Spivey, WA 2006, The Relationship between Recruiting Source and Employee Success: An Analysis by Race. Personnel Psychology, Vol 36, No. 1, pp 67-72 Jeanneret RP & Strong, MH 2006, Linking O*net Job Analysis Information to Job Requirement Predictors: An O*net Application. Personnel Psychology, Vol 56, No. 2, pp 465-492 Munsamy, M 2009, Retention Factors of Management Staff in the Maintenance Phase of their Careers in Local Government. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, Vol 7, No. 1, pp1-9 Rafaeli, A, Hadomi, O & Simons, T 2005, Recruiting through advertising or employee referrals: Costs, yields, and the effects of geographic focus. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, Vol 14, No. 4, pp 355-366. Werbel, JD 2001, The Effectiveness of Different Recruitment Sources: A Mediating Variable Analysis. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, Vol 26, No. 15, pp 1337-1350 Wilden R, Gudergan S & Lings, I 2010, Employer Branding: Strategic Implications for Staff Recruitment. Journal of Marketing Management, Vol 26, NO. 1-2, pp 56-73 Read More