UNIT-2

Job Analysis
Job Analysis is a systematic exploration, study and recording the responsibilities, duties,
skills, accountabilities, work environment and ability requirements of a specific job. It also
involves determining the relative importance of the duties, responsibilities and physical and
emotional skills for a given job. All these factors identify what a job demands and what an
employee must possess to perform a job productively.

The process of job analysis involves in-depth investigation in order to control the output, i.e., get
the job performed successfully. The process helps in finding out what a particular department
requires and what a prospective worker needs to deliver. It also helps in determining particulars
about a job including job title, job location, job summary, duties involved, working conditions,
possible hazards and machines, tools, equipments and materials to be used by the existing or
potential employee.

However, the process is not limited to determination of these factors only. It also extends to finding
out the necessary human qualifications to perform the job. These include establishing the levels of
education, experience, judgment, training, initiative, leadership skills, physical skills,
communication skills, responsibility, accountability, emotional characteristics and unusual sensory
demands. These factors change according to the type, seniority level, industry and risk involved in a
particular job.

Importance of Job Analysis

The details collected by conducting job analysis play an important role in controlling the
output of the particular job. Determining the success of job depends on the unbiased, proper and
thorough job analysis. It also helps in recruiting the right people for a particular job. The main
purpose of conducting this whole process is to create and establish a perfect fit between the job and
the employee.

Job analysis also helps HR managers in deciding the compensation package and additional perks
and incentives for a particular job position. It effectively contributes in assessing the training needs
and performance of the existing employees. The process forms the basis to design and establish the
strategies and policies to fulfill organizational goals and objectives.

However, analysis of a particular job does not guarantee that the managers or organization would
get the desired output. Actually collecting and recording information for a specific job involves
several complications. If the job information is not accurate and checked from time to time, an
employee will not be able to perform his duty well. Until and unless he is not aware of what he is
supposed to do or what is expected of him, chances are that the time and energy spent on a
particular job analysis is a sheer wastage of human resources. Therefore, proper care should be
taken while conducting job analysis.
A thorough and unbiased investigation or study of a specific job is good for both the managers and
the employees. The managers get to know whom to hire and why. They can fill a place with the
right person. On the other hand, existing or potential employee gets to know what and how he is
supposed to perform the job and what is the desired output. Job analysis creates a right fit between
the job and the employee.

The main purposes of conducting a job analysis process is to use this particular information to
create a right fit between job and employee, to assess the performance of an employee, to determine
the worth of a particular task and to analyze training and development needs of an employee
delivering that specific job.

Let’s understand the concept with the help of an example. If the job of an executive sales manager
is to be analyzed, the first and foremost thing would be to determine the worth of this job. The next
step is to analyze whether the person is able to deliver what is expected of him. It also helps in
knowing if he or she is perfect for this job. The process doesn’t finish here. It also involves
collection of other important facts and figures such as job location, department or division,
compensation grade, job duties, routine tasks, computer, educational, communicational and
physical skills, MIS activities, reporting structure, ability to adapt in a given environment,
leadership skills, licenses and certifications, ability to grow and close sales, ability to handle clients,
superiors and subordinates and of course, the presentation of an individual.

Purpose of Job Analysis

Job Analysis plays an important role in recruitment and selection, job evaluation, job designing,
deciding compensation and benefits packages, performance appraisal, analyzing training and
development needs, assessing the worth of a job and increasing personnel as well as organizational
productivity.

 Recruitment and Selection: Job Analysis helps in determining what kind of person is
required to perform a particular job. It points out the educational qualifications, level of
experience and technical, physical, emotional and personal skills required to carry out a job
in desired fashion. The objective is to fit a right person at a right place.

 Performance Analysis: Job analysis is done to check if goals and objectives of a particular
job are met or not. It helps in deciding the performance standards, evaluation criteria and
individual’s output. On this basis, the overall performance of an employee is measured and
he or she is appraised accordingly.

 Training and Development: Job Analysis can be used to assess the training and
development needs of employees. The difference between the expected and actual output
determines the level of training that need to be imparted to employees. It also helps in
deciding the training content, tools and equipments to be used to conduct training and
methods of training.

 Compensation Management: job analysis plays a vital role in deciding the pay packages
and extra perks and benefits and fixed and variable incentives of employees. After all, the
 pay package depends on the position, job title and duties and responsibilities involved in a
job. The process guides HR managers in deciding the worth of an employee for a particular
job opening.

 Job Designing and Redesigning: The main purpose of job analysis is to streamline the
human efforts and get the best possible output. It helps in designing, redesigning, enriching,
evaluating and also cutting back and adding the extra responsibilities in a particular job.
This is done to enhance the employee satisfaction while increasing the human output.

JOB ANALYSIS

Job Analysis is a primary tool to collect job-related data. The process results in collecting and
recording two data sets including job description and job specification. Any job vacancy cannot be
filled until and unless HR manager has these two sets of data. It is necessary to define them
accurately in order to fit the right person at the right place and at the right time. This helps both
employer and employee understand what exactly needs to be delivered and how.
Both job description and job specification are essential parts of job analysis information. Writing
them clearly and accurately helps organization and workers cope with many challenges while
onboard.
Though preparing job description and job specification are not legal requirements yet play a vital
role in getting the desired outcome. These data sets help in determining the necessity, worth and
scope of a specific job.

JOB DESCRIPTION
Job description includes basic job-related data that is useful to advertise a specific job and attract a
pool of talent. It includes information such as job title, job location, reporting to and of employees,
job summary, nature and objectives of a job, tasks and duties to be performed, working conditions,
machines, tools and equipments to be used by a prospective worker and hazards involved in it.
Purpose of Job Description
 The main purpose of job description is to collect job-related data in order to advertise for a
particular job. It helps in attracting, targeting, recruiting and selecting the right candidate for
the right job.
 It is done to determine what needs to be delivered in a particular job. It clarifies what
employees are supposed to do if selected for that particular job opening.
 It gives recruiting staff a clear view what kind of candidate is required by a particular
department or division to perform a specific task or job.
 It also clarifies who will report to whom.

JOB SPECIFICATION
Also known as employee specifications, a job specification is a written statement of educational
qualifications, specific qualities, level of experience, physical, emotional, technical and
communication skills required to perform a job, responsibilities involved in a job and other unusual
sensory demands. It also includes general health, mental health, intelligence, aptitude, memory,
judgment, leadership skills, emotional ability, adaptability, flexibility, values and ethics, manners
and creativity, etc.

Purpose of Job Specification

 Described on the basis of job description, job specification helps candidates analyze
whether are eligible to apply for a particular job vacancy or not.
 It helps recruiting team of an organization understand what level of qualifications, qualities
and set of characteristics should be present in a candidate to make him or her eligible for
the job opening.
 Job Specification gives detailed information about any job including job responsibilities,
desired technical and physical skills, conversational ability and much more.
 It helps in selecting the most appropriate candidate for a particular job.

Job description and job specification are two integral parts of job analysis. They define a job fully
and guide both employer and employee on how to go about the whole process of recruitment and
selection. Both data sets are extremely relevant for creating a right fit between job and talent,
evaluate performance and analyze training needs and measuring the worth of a particular job.

Human Resource Planning

Human resource is the most important asset of an organisation. Human resources planning are the
important managerial function. It ensures the right type of people, in the right number, at the right
time and place, who are trained and motivated to do the right kind of work at the right time, there is
generally a shortage of suitable persons.
The enterprise will estimate its manpower requirements and then find out the sources from which
the needs will be met. If required manpower is not available then the work will suffer. Developing
countries are suffering from the shortage of trained managers. Job opportunities are available in
these countries but properly trained personnel are not available. These countries try to import
trained skill from other countries.
In order to cope human resource requirements, an enterprise will have to plan in advance its needs
and the sources. The terms human resource planning and manpower planning are generally used
interchangeably. Human resource planning is not a substitute for manpower planning. Rather the
latter is a part of the former i.e., manpower planning is integrated with human resource planning.

Definition Human Resource Planning:

According to E.W. Vetter, Human resource planning is “the process by which a management
determines how an organisation should make from its current manpower position to its desired
manpower position.
Through planning a management strives to have the right number and the right kind of people at the
right places, at the right time to do things which result in both the organisation and the individual
receiving the maximum long range benefit.”
Dale S. Beach has defined it as “a process of determining and assuring that the organisation will
have an adequate number of qualified persons available at the proper times, performing jobs which
meet the needs of the enterprise and which provide satisfaction for the individuals involved.”
In the words of Leon C. Megginson, human resource planning is “an integration approach to
performing the planning aspects of the personnel function in order to have a sufficient supply of
adequately developed and motivated people to perform the duties and tasks required to meet
organisational objectives and satisfy the individual’s needs and goals of organisational members.”
On the analysis of above definitions, human resource planning may be viewed as foreseeing the
human resource requirements of an organisation and the future supply of human resources and
making necessary adjustments between these two and organisation plans, and foreseeing the
possibility of developing the supply of human resources in order to match it with requirements by
introducing necessary changes in the functions of human resource management.
Here, human resource means skill, knowledge, values, ability, commitment, motivation etc., in
addition to the number of employees. Though accomplishment of organisational objectives and
goals is the primary concern of the human resource planning, concern for the aspirations of the
people and their well-being has equal importance in it. In fact, the human resources planning must
result in humanisation of work environment.

Features of Human Resource Planning:

1. Well Defined Objectives:

Enterprise’s objectives and goals in its strategic planning and operating planning may form the
objectives of human resource planning. Human resource needs are planned on the basis of
company’s goals. Besides, human resource planning has its own objectives like developing human
resources, updating technical expertise, career planning of individual executives and people,
ensuring better commitment of people and so on.
2. Determining Human Resource needs:
Human resource plan must incorporate the human resource needs of the enterprise. The thinking
will have to be done in advance so that the persons are available at a time when they are required.
For this purpose, an enterprise will have to undertake recruiting, selecting and training process also.
3. Keeping Manpower Inventory:
It includes the inventory of present manpower in the organisation. The executive should know the
persons who will be available to him for undertaking higher responsibilities in the near future.
4. Adjusting Demand and Supply:
Manpower needs have to be planned well in advance as suitable persons are available in future. If
sufficient persons will not be available in future then efforts should be .made to start recruitment
process well in advance. The demand and supply of personnel should be planned in advance.
5. Creating Proper Work Environment:
Besides estimating and employing personnel, human resource planning also ensures that working
conditions are created. Employees should like to work in the organisation and they should get
proper job satisfaction.

Human Resource Planning – Objectives:

The main objectives of HRP are:

(i) Proper assessment of human resources needs in future.
(ii) Anticipation of deficient or surplus manpower and taking the corrective action.
(iii) To create a highly talented workforce in the organization.
(iv) To protect the weaker sections of the society.
(v) To manage the challenges in the organization due to modernization, restructuring and re-
engineering.
(vi) To facilitate the realization of the organization’s objectives by providing right number and
types of personnel.
(vii) To reduce the costs associated with personnel by proper planning.
(viii) To determine the future skill requirements of the organization.
(ix) To plan careers for individual employee.
(x) Providing a better view of HR dimensions to top management.
(xi) Determining the training and development needs of employees.

Human Resource Planning Prerequisites

i. There should be a proper linkage between HR plan and organizational plan.
ii. Top management support is essential.
iii. Proper balance should be kept between the qualitative and quantitative approaches to HRP.
iv. Involvement of operating managers is necessary.
v. Proper alignment between short-term HR plans and long-term HR plans should be there.
vi. HR plan should have in-built flexibility in order to adopt environmental uncertainties.
vii. Time period of HR plan should be appropriate to needs and circumstances of the organization.

Human Resource Planning – Need and Importance:

I. Assessing Future Personnel Needs:

Whether it is surplus labour or labour shortage, it gives a picture of defective planning or absence
of planning in an organization. A number of organizations, especially public sector units (PSUs) in
India are facing the problem of surplus labour.

It is the result of surplus labour that the companies later on offer schemes like Voluntary
Retirement Scheme (VRS) to eliminate surplus staff. Thus, it is better to plan well about employees
in advance. Through HRP, one can ensure the employment of proper number and type of personnel.

II. Foundation for Other HRM Functions:

HRP is the first step in all HRM functions. So, HRP provides the essential information needed for
the other HRM functions like recruitment, selection, training and development, promotion, etc.

III. Coping with Change:

Changes in the business environment like competition, technology, government guidelines, global
market, etc. bring changes in the nature of the job. This means changes in the demand of personnel,
content of job, qualification and experience needed. HRP helps the organization in adjusting to new
changes.

IV. Investment Perspective:

As a result of change in the mindset of management, investment in human resources is viewed as a
better concept in the long run success of the enterprise. Human assets can increase in value as
opposed to physical assets. Thus, HRP is considered important for the proper planning of future
employees.

V. Expansion and Diversification Plans:

During the expansion and diversification drives, more employees at various levels are needed.
Through proper HRP, an organization comes to know about the exact requirement of personnel in
future plans.

VI. Employee Turnover:

Every organization suffers from the small turnover of labour, sometime or the other. This is high
among young graduates in the private sector. This necessitates again doing manpower planning for
further recruiting and hiring.
VII. Conformity with Government Guidelines:
In order to protect the weaker sections of the society, the Indian Government has prescribed some
norms for organizations to follow. For example, reservations for SC/ST, BC, physically
handicapped, ex-servicemen, etc. in the jobs. While planning for fresh candidates, HR manager
takes into consideration all the Government guidelines.

VIII. International Expansion Strategies:

International expansion strategies of an organization depend upon HRP. Under International
Human Resource Management (IHRM), HRP becomes more challenging. An organization may
want to fill the foreign subsidiary’s key positions from its home country employees or from host-
country or from a third country. All this demands very effective HRP.

IX. Having Highly Talented Manpower Inventory:

Due to changing business environment, jobs have become more challenging and there is an
increasing need for dynamic and ambitious employees to fill the positions. Efficient HRP is needed
for attracting and retaining well qualified, highly skilled and talented employees.
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING PROCESS

How to have the right number of people with right skills at right times? The process of human
resource planning helps in this regard. The human resource planning process consists of activities
relating to future demand for and supply of manpower and matching the two in the context of
overall organisational plans and objectives. Figure illustrates these activities.

Company Objectives

FEEDACK possible COMPANY OBJECTIVE

modification
DEMAND FOR
to company Present supply minus wastage
LABOUR
objectives HOW many ? external labour market factors
What kind?
When? Changes in hours.
Where? productivity of working
conditions

Possible and economic

increases in supply of labour
e.g. use of part-time workers

COMPANY OBJECTIVE
Recruitment/redundancy programme
Training and development programme
Industrial relations policy
Accommodation plan

The various activities involved in the process of human resource planning are now discussed one by one.

1. Analysing Organisational Plans and Objectives.

The process of human resource planning begins with analysing the overall plans and objectives of
organisation. The reason being the human resource plans stem from business plans. Analysis of
business plans into sub-sectional and functional plans such as technology, production, finance,
 marketing, expansion and diversification provides for assessing the human resource requirements for
each activity in each section and department.

Similarly, the analysis of organisational objectives also provides for human resources required by
an organisation. For example, if the objective of the organisation is rapid growth and expansion, it
would require more human resources for its all functional areas. Thus, it is evident that the human resource
planning needs to be made in accordance to the overall organisational plans and objectives.

2. Analysing Objectives of Human Resource Planning. The main purpose of human resource planning is
matching employees abilities to enterprise requirements, with an emphasis on future instead of present
arrangements. According to Sikula7, “the ultimate mission or purpose of human resource planning is to
relate future human resources to future enterprise need so as to maximize the future return on investment in
human resources”. For this, managers need to specify the objectives of human resource planning with regard
to the utilization of human resources in the organisation. While developing specific objectives of human
resource planning, certain
questions need to be addressed like:

 Whether the vacancies, as and when these arise, will be filled in by promotion, transfer or
from external sources?
 What will be the selection procedure?
 How will provisions be made for training and development of employees?
 How to restructure job positions, i.e., how to abolish the old or boring jobs and replace these
by the challanging ones?
 How to downsize the organisation in the light of changing business and industrial environment?

3. Forecasting Demand for Human Resources. The demand for human resources in an organisation
is subject to vary from time to time, depending upon both external and internal factors. External factors
include competition, economic and political climate, technological changes, government policy, etc. Among
the internal factors include growth and expansion, design and structural changes, management philosophy,
change in leadership style, employees resignation, retirement, termination, death, etc. Therefore, while
forecasting future demand for human resources in the organisation, these factors need to be taken into
consideration.

Forecasting demand for human resources is good for several reasons8 because it can help: (i) quantify the
number of jobs required at a given time for producing a given number of goods, or offering a given amount
of services. (ii) ascertain a staff-mix needed at different points of time in the future, and (iii) ensure adequate
availability of people with varying qualifications and skills as and when required in the organisation.
How to forecast requirement for human resources in the future? There are various techniques varying from
simple to sophisticated ones employed in human resource forecasting. These include:
1. Management Judgement
2. Work-Study Method
3. Ratio-Trend Analysis
4. Delphi Technique
5. Flow Models
6. Mathematical Models.

PROBLEMS / BARRIERS TO HRP

Human resource planning is as important is not so easy to make. The planners face various problems while
formulating human resource plans. The major ones are discussed as follows:

1. People perceive that people are available in abundance in our labour surplus economy. Then, why to
spend time and money in forecasting human resources? Surprisingly, this perception about human resource
planning is also held by the top management.

2. Another problem in human resource planning is that the demand for and supply of human resources is not
cent percent accurate. Experience suggests that longer the time horizon for forecasting human resource
requirements, greater is the possibility of inaccuracy in estimates of human resource needs.

3. Various types of uncertainties like labour turnover, absenteeism, seasonal employment, market
fluctuations and changes in technology render human resource planning ineffective. The reason being these
uncertainties make human resource forecast mere a guess far from reality.

4. Sometimes human resource planning suffers from a conflict between quantitative and qualitative
approaches used for it. Some people view human resource planning as a mere numbers game to track the
flow of people across the departments and in and out of the organisation.
Conversely, others take a qualitative approach focusing on the quality of human resources like career
planning development, skill, morale, etc.

5. Generally, human resource personnel are perceived as experts in handling personnel matters. But, they are
not experts more than often. Hence, human resource requirements estimated by such people are not realistic
ones. The organisational plans based on such estimates are endangered to be flopped.

6. As human resource planning is based on data relating to human resources, the same is not maintained in a
proper manner in some of the industrial organisations. Then, in the absence of reliable data, it becomes
difficult to develop effective human resource plans.
In sum and substance, problems in human resource planning arise both from inherent limitations of
forecasting, on the one hand, and from weaknesses of human who do it, on the other. But, both can be
overcome.
HUMAN RESOURCE PLANNING BENEFITS

Human Resource Planning (HRP) anticipates not only the required kind and number of employees
but also determines the action plan for all the functions of personnel management.

The major benefits of human resource planning are:

i. It checks the corporate plan of the organisation.
ii. HRP offsets uncertainties and changes to the maximum extent possible and enables the
organisation to have right men at right time and in right place.
iii. It provides scope for advancement and development of employees through training,
development, etc.
iv. It helps to anticipate the cost of salary enhancement, better benefits, etc.
v. It helps to anticipate the cost of salary, benefits and all the cost of human resources facilitating
the formulation of budgets in an organisation.
vi. To foresee the need for redundancy and plan to check it or to provide alternative employment in
consultation with trade unions, other organisations and government through remodeling
organisational, industrial and economic plans.
vii. To foresee the changes in values, aptitude and attitude of human resources and to change the
techniques of interpersonal, management, etc.
viii. To plan for physical facilities, working conditions and the volume of fringe benefits like
canteen, schools, hospitals, conveyance, child care centres, quarters, company stores, etc.
ix. It gives an idea of type of tests to be used and interview techniques in selection based on the
level of skills, qualifications, intelligence, values, etc., of future human resource.
x. It causes the development of various sources of human resources to meet the organisational
needs.
xi. It helps to take steps to improve human resource contributions in the form of increased
productivity, sales, turnover, etc.
xii. It facilitates the control of all the functions, operations, contribution and cost of human
resources.

Human Resource Planning – Factors:

Several factors affect HRP. These factors can be classified into external factors and internal factors.
External Factors:

i. Government Policies – Policies of the government like labour policy, industrial relations policy,
policy towards reserving certain jobs for different communities and sons-of the soil, etc. affect the
HRP.
ii. Level of Economic Development – Level of economic development determines the level of HRD
in the country and thereby the supply of human resources in the future in the country.
iii. Business Environment – External business environmental factors influence the volume and mix
of production and thereby the future demand for human resources.
iv. Level of Technology – Level of technology determines the kind of human resources required.
v. International Factors – International factors like the demand for resources and supply of human
resources in various countries.
vi. Outsourcing – Availability of outsourcing facilities with required skills and knowledge of people
reduces the dependency on HRP and vice-versa.

Internal Factors:

i. Company policies and strategies – Company policies and strategies relating to expansion,
diversification, alliances, etc. determines the human resource demand in terms of quality and
quantity.
ii. Human resource policies – Human resources policies of the company regarding quality of human
resource, compensation level, quality of work-life, etc., influences human resource plan.
iii. Job analysis – Fundamentally, human resource plan is based on job analysis. Job description and
job specification determines the kind of employees required.
iv. Time horizons – Companies with stable competitive environment can plan for the long run
whereas the firms with unstable competitive environment can plan for only short- term range.
v. Type and quality of information – Any planning process needs qualitative and accurate
information. This is more so with human resource plan; strategic, organisational and specific
information.
vi. Company’s production operations policy – Company’s policy regarding how much to produce
and how much to buy from outside to prepare a final product influence the number and kind of
people required.
vii. Trade unions – Influence of trade unions regarding number of working hours per week,
recruitment sources, etc., affect the HRP.

RECRUITMENT

Meaning:
Recruitment is a positive process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to
apply for the jobs in the organisation. When more persons apply for jobs then there will be a scope
for recruiting better persons.
The job-seekers too, on the other hand, are in search of organizations offering them employment.
Recruitment is a linkage activity bringing together those with jobs and those seeking jobs. In simple
words, the term recruitment refers to discovering the source from where potential employees may
be selected. The scientific recruitment process leads to higher productivity, better wages, high
morale, reduction in labour turnover and enhanced reputation. It stimulates people to apply for jobs;
hence it is a positive process.
Recruitment is concerned with reaching out, attracting, and ensuring a supply of qualified personnel
and making out selection of requisite manpower both in their quantitative and qualitative aspect. It
is the development and maintenance of adequate man- power resources. This is the first stage of the
process of selection and is completed with placement.

Definition:

According to Edwin B. Flippo, “It is a process of searching for prospective employees and
stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organisation.” He further elaborates it,
terming it both negative and positive.
He says, “It is often termed positive in that it stimulates people to apply for jobs, to increase the
hiring ratio, i.e. the number of applicants for a job. Selection, on the other hand, tends to be
negative because it rejects a good number of those who apply, leaving only the best to be hired. ”
In the words of Dale Yoder, Recruitment is the process to “discover the sources of manpower to
meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for attracting that
manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient working force.”
Kempner writes, “Recruitment forms the first stage in the process which continues with selection
and ceases with the placement of the candidates.”
In personnel recruitment, management tries to do far more than merely fill job openings. As a
routine the formula for personnel recruitment would be simple i.e., just fill the job with any
applicant who comes along.
Joseph J. Famularo has said, “However, the act of hiring a man carries with it the presumption that
he will stay with the company-that sooner or later his ability to perform his work, his capacity for
job growth, and his ability to get along in the group in which he works will become matters of first
importance.” Because of this, a critical examination of recruitment methods in use should be made,
and that is the purpose of this chapter.

Process of Recruitment:

Organizations, depending on their structure and specific needs, may have special procedures that
they integrate into their recruitment process.
Prior to the recruitment process, the organization must first identify the vacancy and evaluate the
need for that position.

Steps of recruitment process

Step 1: Conduct of a job analysis

Basically, this step will allow the human resources manager, hiring manager, and other members of
management on what the new employee will be required to do in the position that is currently open
for filling up. This has to be done in a systematic manner, which is what the job analysis is for.
According to human resource managers, the position or job description is the “core of a successful
recruitment process”. After all, it is the main tool used in developing assessment tests and interview
questions for the applicants.
a. Build a job description.
Before anything else, the organization must first know exactly what it needs. Or who it needs. It
could be that the organization deemed a need for a job that is not included in the current roster of
jobs. Hence, the need to create a new one.
Job analysis involves identification of the activities of the job, and the attributes that are needed for
it. These are the main parts that will make up the job description. This part has to be done right,
since the job description will also be used in the job advertisement when it is time to source out
talents.
The job description generally includes the following:
Title and other general information about the position
Purpose of the position in the unit, department, and organization as whole
Essential functions of the job or position
Minimum requirements or basic qualifications
b. Review the job description.
Once the job description has been created, it is a good idea to review it for accuracy, and to assess
whether it is current or not.
There are three positive outcomes from conducting a review of the job description:
To ensure continuous improvement of the organizational structure. This can be an efficient way of
conducting organizational audit, to determine which jobs are redundant and thus no longer needed,
and which ones are needed.
To evaluate competencies for each position. Jobs evolve. In as much as circumstances and work
conditions change, so will the requirements for the job. It is possible that a job may require a new
competency from the worker that it did not need before. By evaluating the competencies, the impact
of the job within the organizational structure is ensured.
To evaluate the wages or compensation for each position. Without management knowing it, the
worker or employee performing a specific job may be undercompensated, leading to dissatisfaction.
By reviewing the job description, management can assess whether the job is getting paid an amount
that is commensurate to the skills and competencies required.
c. Set minimum qualifications for the employee who will do the job.
These are the basic requirements that applicants are required to have in order to be considered for
the position. These are required for the employee to be able to accomplish the essential functions of
the job. Therefore, they should be relevant and directly relate to the identified duties and
responsibilities of the position.
The organization may also opt to include other preferred qualifications that they are looking for, on
top of the minimum or basic qualifications.
d. Define a salary range.
The job must belong to a salary range that is deemed commensurate to the duties and
responsibilities that come with the position. Aside from complying with legislation (such as laws on
minimum wages and other compensation required by law), the organization should also base this on
prevailing industry rates.
For example, if the position is that of a computer programmer, then the salary range should be
within the same range that other companies within the same industry offer.

Step 2: Sourcing of talent

This is the stage where the organization will let it be known to everyone that there is an open
position, and that they are looking for someone to fill it up.
Before advertising, however, the organization must first know where to look for potential
candidates. They should search out the sources where the persons that can potentially fill the job are
going to be available for recruitment. That way, they will know where to direct their advertising
efforts.
Various methods are employed by organizations in order to advertise the open position.

Networking. Word-of-mouth is the best form of advertising, and when it takes the form of
networking, it becomes more effective. In recruitment, this is often done through representatives of
the company attending college and career fairs, letting them know about the opening in their
organization. This is a tactic employed by large software and tech companies that want to hire
fresh, young and brilliant minds into their organization. They personally visit colleges, targeting the
top students. They also use their connections within the industry to attract the attention of talents
with the highest potential.
Posting. Recruitment often involves the application of candidates both from within and outside the
company. Thus, in order to attract the best possible talents, it is recommended that the posting of
the open positions be made internally and externally. Internal posting usually takes the form of the
vacancy announcement being displayed in bulletin boards and other areas within the business
premises where the employees and visitors to the company are likely to see it. Posting externally
may be in the form of flyers being distributed, or vacancy notices being displayed in other areas
outside of the business premises. Companies with websites often post open positions on their
company site, while some also use job boards.
Print and media advertising. One classic example of this would be the Classifieds section of the
local daily or weekly newspaper. Companies looking for people to fill up open positions make the
announcement in the newspapers, providing the qualifications and the contact details where
prospective applicants may submit their application documents. When trying to attract the attention
of suitable candidates, the organization makes use of various tools and techniques. If it wants to get
the best candidates, then it should not be haphazard about things.
Developing and using proper techniques. The company may include various offerings in order to
attract the best candidates. Examples are attractive salaries, bonus and incentive packages,
additional perks and opportunities that come with the job, proper facilities at work, and various
programs for development.
Using the reputation of the company. Perhaps the best publicity that the company can use to
attract candidates is its own reputation in the market. If the company is known for being a good
employer – one that aids in its employees’ personal and professional growth and development –
then it is a good point for the company to capitalize on in advertising its open positions.

Step 3: Screening of applicants

This is most probably the part of the recruitment process that requires the most amount of work.
This is where the applicants’ skills and personalities are going to be tested and evaluated, to
ascertain whether they are a good fit for the job and its description.
Preliminary screening. It is often the case, especially in large organizations, where one open
position will receive hundreds to thousands of applications from candidates. In an ideal world, it
would be good for the hiring managers to be able to interview each and every single one of them.
However, that is also impractical, and very tedious. Not really advisable, especially if the
organization is in need of manpower in the soonest possible time. Thus, there is a need to shorten
the list of candidates, and that is done through a preliminary screening. Usually, this is conducted
by going through the submitted resumes and choosing only those that are able to meet the minimum
qualifications. It is possible that this would shorten the list of applicants, leaving a more
manageable number.
Initial interview. The candidates who were able to pass the preliminary screening will now
undergo the initial interview. In most cases, the initial interview is done through phone. There are
those who also conduct interviews through videos using their internet connection. Often a basic
interview, this may involve the candidates being asked questions to evaluate or assess their basic
skills and various personal characteristics that are relevant to the open position.
Conduct of various tests for recruitment. The hiring managers may conduct tests on the skills of the
candidates and how they use these skills and talents. Other tests that are often employed are
behavioral tests and personality assessment tests.
Final interview. Usually depending on the number of candidates for the job, and the preference of
the hiring managers and senior management, a series of interviews may be conducted, gradually
narrowing down the list of candidates. This may go on until the company has finally come up with
a shortlist of candidates that will undergo a final interview. Often, the final interview requires a
face-to-face meeting between the candidate and the hiring managers, as well as other members of
the organization. Top management may even be involved during the final interview, depending on
the job or position that will be filled up.
Selection. In this stage, the hiring managers, human resources representatives, and other members
of the organization who participated in the process meet together to finally make a selection among
the candidates who underwent the final interview.
Step 4: Finalization of the job offer
The last step of the previous phase involves the selection of the best candidate out of the pool of
applicants. It is now time for the organization to offer the job to the selected applicant.
Making the offer: To make things more formal, a representative of the company or of the human
resources department will contact the candidate and inform him that he has been selected for the
job. In this stage, complete details of the compensation package will also be made known to the
applicant.
Acceptance of the offer by the applicant: The applicant should also communicate his acceptance of
the offer for it to be final. Take note that, if the selected applicant does not accept the job offer and
declines it, the recruitment process will have to start all over again.

Step 5: Introduction and induction of the new employee

The moment that the applicant accepted the job offer, he has officially gone from being an applicant
to an employee of the organization. The induction process will now begin.
Usually, the beginning of the induction process is marked by the signing of the employment
contract, along with a welcome package given to the new employee. The date for the first day that
the employee will have to report for work and start working in the company will be determined and
communicated to the newly hired employee.
However, it doesn’t end there. The employee will still have to undergo pre-employment screening,
which often includes background and reference checks. When all these pre-employment
information have been verified, the employee will now be introduced to the organization.

Selection: Meaning

In Human resource management, the selection refers to choosing the right candidates from the pool
of eligible candidates to fill the vacant job positions in the organization.

Finding the interested candidates who have submitted their profiles for a particular job is the
process of recruitment, and choosing the best and most suitable candidates among them is the
process of selection. It results in elimination of unsuitable candidates. It follows scientific
techniques for the appropriate choice of a person for the job.
In others words, selection can also be explained as the process of interviewing the candidates and
evaluating their qualities, which are required for a specific job and then choosing the suitable
candidate for the position.
The selection of a right applicant for a vacant position will be an asset to the organization, which
will be helping the organization in reaching its objectives.

Different authors define Selection in different ways. Here is a list of some of the definitions −
  Employee selection is a process of putting a right applicant on a right job.
 Selection of an employee is a process of choosing the applicants, who have the
qualifications to fill the vacant job in an organization.
 Selection is a process of identifying and hiring the applicants for filling the vacancies in an
organization.
 Employee selection is a process of matching organization’s requirements with the skills and
the qualifications of individuals.
A good selection process will ensure that the organization gets the right set of employees with the
right attitude.

Steps Involved in Selection Procedure:

A scientific and logical selection procedure leads to scientific selection of candidates. The criterion
finalized for selecting a candidate for a particular job varies from company to company.
Therefore, the selection procedure followed by different organizations, many times, becomes
lengthy as it is a question of getting the most suitable candidates for which various tests are to be
done and interviews to be taken. The procedure for selection should be systematic so that it does
not leave any scope for confusions and doubts about the choice of the selected candidate.

1. Inviting applications:
The prospective candidates from within the organization or outside the organization are called for
applying for the post. Detailed job description and job specification are provided in the
advertisement for the job. It attracts a large number of candidates from various areas.
2. Receiving applications:
Detailed applications are collected from the candidates which provide the necessary information
about personal and professional details of a person. These applications facilitate analysis and
comparison of the candidates.
3. Scrutiny of applications:
As the limit of the period within which the company is supposed to receive applications ends, the
applications are sorted out. Incomplete applications get rejected; applicants with un-matching job
specifications are also rejected.
4. Written tests:
As the final list of candidates becomes ready after the scrutiny of applications, the written test is
conducted. This test is conducted for understanding the technical knowledge, attitude and interest
of the candidates. This process is useful when the number of applicants is large.
Many times, a second chance is given to candidates to prove themselves by conducting another
written test.
5. Psychological tests:
These tests are conducted individually and they help for finding out the individual quality and skill
of a person. The types of psychological tests are aptitude test, intelligence test, synthetic test and
personality test
6. Personal interview:
Candidates proving themselves successful through tests are interviewed personally. The
interviewers may be individual or a panel. It generally involves officers from the top management.
The candidates are asked several questions about their experience on another job, their family
background, their interests, etc. They are supposed to describe their expectations from the said job.
Their strengths and weaknesses are identified and noted by the interviewers which help them to
take the final decision of selection.
7. Reference check:
Generally, at least two references are asked for by the company from the candidate. Reference
check is a type of crosscheck for the information provided by the candidate through their
application form and during the interviews.
8. Medical examination:
Physical strength and fitness of a candidate is must before they takes up the job. In-spite of good
performance in tests and interviews, candidates can be rejected on the basis of their ill health.
9. Final selection:
At this step, the candidate is given the appointment letter to join the organization on a particular
date. The appointment letter specifies the post, title, salary and terms of employment. Generally,
initial appointment is on probation and after specific time period it becomes permanent.
10. Placement:
This is a final step. A suitable job is allocated to the appointed candidate so that they can get the
whole idea about the nature of the job. They can get adjusted to the job and perform well in future
with all capacities and strength
Difference between Recruitment and Selection

Comparison Recruitment Selection

An activity of searching for potential A process of selecting the best

Meaning candidates and encouraging them to candidates and offering them the
apply. job.

Negative – seeking out ways

Positive – seeking out an increase in
Approach to reduce the applicant pool until one
the applicant pool.
ideal candidate is identified.

Inviting more candidates to apply for a Choosing the most suitable candidate
Objective
vacant position. and rejecting the rest.

Key Factor Advertising the job. Appointing the candidate.

Sequence First. Second.

The organization makes an applicant

Vacancies are notified by the
go through various levels (submitting
organization through various sources,
Process a form, writing a test, undergoing an
and then an application form is made
interview, etc.) to deem whether
available to candidates.
they’re an appropriate fit.

The recruitment policy specifies the

The selection policy consists of a
objectives of recruitment, providing
series of methods/steps/stages by
Specifications rules and regulations for the
which the evaluation of the candidate
implementation of the recruitment
will be done.
program.

Recruitment only implies

Selection involves the creation of a
Contractual communication of vacancies and open
contractual agreement between the
Relation positions – therefore, no contractual
employer and employee.
relation is established.

Method Economical. Expensive.