RECRUITMENT, SELECTION AND TRAINING IN THE SERVICE SECTOR
1. Introduction
Organisations have changed and are changing as a result of a focus on the customers. It is now recognized that meeting customer needs is the base of any successful organisation. There may be a pressure to improve shareholders value, increase profit but it has recognized that the key is to achieve these objectives is to satisfy the customers. As W R Scott (1987) pointed out
‘However, organisations are not closed systems, sealed off from their environments but are open to and dependent on flows of personnel and resources from outside.’
Managers need to understand their customers in order to meet those customers’ needs better. To meet customer needs as well as possible a company needs to provide goods and services:
• At lower cost
• At maximum customer satisfaction
• With competitive advantages.
The guest satisfaction starts at recruitment with:
• Recruit the right staff
• Train and motivate them
• Empower them to deliver guest satisfaction
• Appraise, develop and incentive them.
2. Service industry characteristics
The service industry is special because:
• The service is delivered by people to people
• The service is produced and consumed at the same time
• Customer’s perception of service quality linked to morale of front-line staff.
Characteristics of services:
• Perishability
• Contact dependency
• Inseparability
• Variability
• Lack of ownership
• Intangibility
• Simultaneity
As Macken (1997) suggests:
‘Recruiting people who are wrong for the organisation can lead to increased labour turnover, increased costs for the organisation, and lowering of morale in the existing workforce.’
3. The Recruitment and Selection process
The process of recruitment and selection are closely linked. Both activities are directed towards obtaining employees with the requisite competencies and attitudes, and recruitment activities lay the groundwork for the selection process by providing the pool of applicants from whom the
Organisations have changed and are changing as a result of a focus on the customers. It is now recognized that meeting customer needs is the base of any successful organisation. There may be a pressure to improve shareholders value, increase profit but it has recognized that the key is to achieve these objectives is to satisfy the customers. As W R Scott (1987) pointed out
‘However, organisations are not closed systems, sealed off from their environments but are open to and dependent on flows of personnel and resources from outside.’
Managers need to understand their customers in order to meet those customers’ needs better. To meet customer needs as well as possible a company needs to provide goods and services:
• At lower cost
• At maximum customer satisfaction
• With competitive advantages.
The guest satisfaction starts at recruitment with:
• Recruit the right staff
• Train and motivate them
• Empower them to deliver guest satisfaction
• Appraise, develop and incentive them.
2. Service industry characteristics
The service industry is special because:
• The service is delivered by people to people
• The service is produced and consumed at the same time
• Customer’s perception of service quality linked to morale of front-line staff.
Characteristics of services:
• Perishability
• Contact dependency
• Inseparability
• Variability
• Lack of ownership
• Intangibility
• Simultaneity
As Macken (1997) suggests:
‘Recruiting people who are wrong for the organisation can lead to increased labour turnover, increased costs for the organisation, and lowering of morale in the existing workforce.’
3. The Recruitment and Selection process
The process of recruitment and selection are closely linked. Both activities are directed towards obtaining employees with the requisite competencies and attitudes, and recruitment activities lay the groundwork for the selection process by providing the pool of applicants from whom the
References: Armstrong, S and Mitchell, B (2008) The Essential HR Handbook. NJ: The Career Press Inc. Armstrong, M (1991) A Handbook of Personnel Management Practice. London: Kogan Page Foot, M and Hook, C (2008) Introducing Human Resource Management. 5th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Galgano, A (1994) Companywide Quality Management. Portland OR: Productivity Press Juran, J M and Gryna, FM (1993) Quality Planning and Analysis. New York: McGraw-Hill Macken, G (1997) ‘Taking a Holistic Approach’, Professional Manager, p.7. Makin, P and Robertson, I (1986) ‘Selecting the best selection techniques’ Personnel Management. November, 38-40 Mullins, Laurie J (2002) Management and Organisational Behaviour. 6th edn. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited Scott, W R (1987) Organizations: Rational, National and Open System. Englewood Cliffs. NJ: Prentice Hall