Recruitment and Selecting Employees
The importance of hiring the right kind of people for a particular job can be a difficult task. In this chapter of our required reading material, it emphasizes one of the chief jobs of a manager have an understanding of the systems put in place by HR managers. Ensuring that the top talent is recruited has been a proven factor in a company’s success and growth.
First we need to explore the difference between labor supply and labor demand:
Labor Supply is the amount of qualified workers available to hire for the job.
Labor Demand is the amount of people the company requires to succeed and grow.
A manager must have the skills to find a balance to these key elements. Without doing so could lead to overstaffing among other issues a company could face without proper planning for the future or potential crises. This is referred to in our reading material as Human Resource Planning (HRP).
Human Resource Planning is the process an organization utilizes to plan ahead for hiring the right kinds of people to reach a particular output of services in the future. Without companies conducting human resource planning, future situations in which laborer supply is low could be a major issue. By planning ahead and continuing to hire the right kind of people a human resource could be the vital organ that lead a company to endure. (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin and Cardy 2016, 178-179.)
If labor demand exceeds labor supply here are the results:
1. Training and retraining
2.Succession Planning
3. Promotion from within
4. Recruitment from the outside
5. Subcontracting
6. Use of part time workers
7. Use of Temporary workers.
As an example of this during times of war in the U.S. Military requires people to be promoted more often. Since death is an inevitability so is the requirement for trained leaders. However, it is much more cost effective to promote a solder rather that to pay to recruit a new soldier.
If labor supply exceeds labor demands here also are those results:
1. Pay cuts
2. Reduced hours
3. Work sharing
4. Voluntary early retirements
5. Inducements to quit
6. Layoffs
Another example I will use during my time in the military is came from personnel experience. I was separated due to a shortage of promotion positions in my particular occupational specialty. The particular occupational specialty became too overpopulate to balance required position. This resulted in my layoff and moving on in the next chapter in my life.
Surplus and Shortages
In the United States, my home country, there is simply an overabundance of bodies willing to work than here are jobs that can fulfill them. However, the unemployment rate is at 7.5. To summarize this point specifically aimed towards future managers, the surplus in labor supply indicated does not necessarily mean there are a surplus of qualified candidates or people willing to fulfill certain less perceptually attractive jobs. Time have changed over the years in which a plumber or metal worker are seen as less desirable in modern society in different countries. This results in understanding that this topic is a complex one to understand in its entirety. If flipped the other way around, and an overabundance occurs within a company they may offer incentives like early retirements or severance to reduce their number. However, this could also produce a negative result in layoffs effecting peoples lives as a result of poor planning.
Quantitative Technique and its Limitations
The current popular technique is quantitative forecasting. The problem is that this strategy is relying on possible irrelevant information from its past revenues. By doing so it eliminates the possibility to account for change of variables. Some things just cannot be predicted but so preparation done by a manager could mean the success or failure of a company. Accounting for the unpredictable by planning a plan B a manager can use the quantitative technique as a tool but also one that cannot be depended on for success. (Gomez-Mejia, Balkin and Cardy 2016, 182-183.)
The Hiring Process and its Challenges
First, we must understand the difference between recruitment and selection. As the terms are similar in subject matter, they have clear differences.
Recruitment – The recruitment process is the one in while builds a pool of potential candidates. A company does this by advertising for the position within and outside the company.
Selection – The selection is the ultimate decision a manger makes to hire the new personnel. This is by selected mostly by selecting the ones that most closely or exceed the criteria for the job advertised.
Challenges in the Hiring Process
One of the best ways a company can successful is to hire above average potential workers. It is a method that has almost always ensured the sustainability of a company. By hiring unqualified or unmotivated workings can be problematic from the start. It is estimated that about 12 percent of a managers job a day is directed towards the supervisor of ineffective works. Time wasted that could have been time spent more productively if the recruitment process had been more through.
As we can see the recruitment process is a complex one that requires the management, and human resource managers full attention. This will result in a more productive, prepared, and more importantly survival of an organization.
What it was REALLY Working Like for Abercrombie and Fitch: A Case Study
This article posted by Cook (2015) tells a story that is still relevant to unethical busines practice. The article describes the unethical methods in which Abercrombie and Fitch used to hire their employees to fit a particular physical appearance. Also the hiding of employees deemed not attractive enough to be customer servants but to work the stocking area. This was done to meet the overall image. The sales staff had become required to meet a certain level of attractiveness in order to attract its customer base.
This call into question the moral and ethical process in which a company conducts its recruiting and hiring process. By not clearly establishing its hiring practices to be an ethically responsible it can create a terrible image for a brand or organization.
COVID and the Hiring Process News: A Case Study
As of June 17, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) issued new rules concerning the use of COVID-19 antibody testing. The EEOC affirmatively stated employers cannot require COVID-19 antibody testing before permitting employees to reenter the workplace. (HLR, 2020.)
This is interesting news to even think that it is possible to refuse re-employment to previous employees by having them tested for a particular number of anti-bodies. Not only do I think it is unethical but a unreliable way to avoid the risk of COVID-19. If there is one thing that the experts have been saying is that the virus is easily spread. If human interaction cannot be avoided neither can the possibility to for future employees testing positive.
Top 10 Incentives to Attract Talent (Apart from Money) : A Case Study
Cash is king, however sometimes its just not enough to attract talent and loyal employees. There are other incentives to recruit desirable future workers besides just a paycheck. The moral of a company can be severely effective if certain needs arnt met from the employer to the employee. The article lists the following:
1. Purpose – perhaps showing that your work benefits not only the employee but society as a while
2. Flexibility – Having the choice and to choose when and how to work
3. Well-being – Taking care of employees by making an effort to show care and compassion.
4. Equality – Creating an environment where everyone is equal.
5. Empowerment – Giving each the opportunity to contribute and proving that their idea matter to the organization.
6. Democracy – A team environment where every voice can be heard and considered.
7. Choice – The choice on how to work on the task provided
8. Challenge – Giving the employee the opportunity to grow in the skills and decision-making capabilities
9. Belonging – Provide a positive community work environment
10. Learning – Giving the opportunity to learn new valuable skills
The article puts a focus on more obscure subject matter to think about during the recruitment process. How will I attract the best talent? This is a question every manager should spend time thinking about to have a successful HR department and company.
References
Gomez-Mejia, L.R. Balkin, D.B. & Cardy, R.L. 2016. Managing Human Resources. Global 8th ed. Pearson. London.
Cook, A. 2015. What It Was REALLY Like Working As an Abercrombie ‘Model’. Huffpost. URL: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/what-it-was-really-like-working-as-an-abercrombie-model_b_7154042?guccounter=1. Accessed: 7 September 2020.
Blain, R. 2020. Top 10 Incentives to Attract Talent (Apart from Money)
https://www.humanresourcesonline.net/top-10-incentives-to-attract-talent-apart-from-money Accessed: 8 September 2020.
HLR.BLR. 2020. EEOC: You Can’t Require Employees to Undergo Antibody Testing
https://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Health-Safety/Safety-and-Health/EEOC-You-Cant-Require-Employees-to-Undergo-Antibod-107000/ Accessed: 8 September 2020
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