Recruitment and selection learning outcomes
After reading this chapter you will:
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understand why it is important to adopt sound recruitment and selection practices be able to identify the constraints and opportunities presented by legislation in this area and be prepared to keep up to date with forthcoming changes appreciate the need for rigorous HR planning and job analysis as a starting point for the whole recruitment and selection process be able to choose appropriate sources of recruitment and methods of selection, depending on the nature of a vacancy, and be willing to evaluate the outcome of your decisions be able to identify the factors needed to ensure an effective induction process that meets organisational and individual needs.
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be more able to anticipate and plan for the demand for new employees
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be better placed to find suitable sources of employees in the labour market.
i n t roduction
Many human resources practitioners spend a great deal of their time engaged in activities associated with the recruitment and selection of staff. This can range from one-off recruitment episodes to major recruitment campaigns carried out to recruit and select replacement staff, staff with specialist skills, trainees, graduates, etc. HR practitioners often thus gain a great deal of experience in the range of administrative, interviewing and other selection activities associated with staffing the organisation. In larger organisations specialist recruitment officers may be appointed within the HR team or recruitment services may be delivered from a recruitment service centre, whose main role is to ensure that
(to borrow a time-honoured expression) ‘the right people with the right skills are employed at the right time’ by the organisation. Other HR practitioners have little involvement in recruitment and selection, however, because these activities have been devolved to line managers or outsourced to specialist agencies and the
in-house