Recruiting And Training New Employees
The recruitment as well as training of new employees has a bearing on the very success of a business. As the world becomes a global village, businesses are increasingly taking deliberate steps to ensure that they assemble a stellar cast of employees so as to remain relevant in the largely competitive marketplace. In this text, I concern myself with how to recruit and train new employees.
The recruitment process
The first step of the hiring process is recruitment. This is an extremely important step for an organization as it is meant to attract only those individuals who are fully qualified and have the specific requirements the job demands. According to Armstrong (2000), recruitment precedes all the other steps of the hiring process including selection and training and hence its relevance cannot be overstated. This is because once the organization is able to attract a given pool of talent; the selection process is made easier and the organization can from here zero in on the most qualified employees.
Recruitment approaches
Price (2007) notes that some of the two broad categorizations of recruitment include internal recruitment and external recruitment. Internal recruitment concerns itself with filling an existing vacancy within the organization from amongst the current pool of employees. On the other hand, external recruitment concerns itself with filling existing vacancies within the organization from amongst a pool of applicants who do not comprise the existing workforce of the organization.
It is important to note that each category has its benefits and disadvantages and hence the best approach a company should adopt must be hinged on its specific circumstances.According to McKenna & Beech (2002), when it comes to the recruitment of new employees, a number of approaches have been proven to be most appropriate. Below, I discuss some of the most effective employee recruitment approaches as well as strategies.
Referrals from employees
According to Cummings & Worley (2009), the recent global economic meltdown saw companies shift from paid advertisements as a recruitment approach in an effort to make cost savings. Indeed, it is estimated that in 2009, close to 30% of new job openings were filled through employee referral programs. The employee referral program basically seeks to source new employees through consultation with existing employees where the current employees are asked to forward the names as well as contacts of those they know can fill a certain vacant position within an organization.
In this case, employees may avail individuals from their personal contacts, friends as well as family. However, though the program has enormous benefits as far as cost savings are concerned, Price (2007) notes that care must be taken not to over-rely on the same. One of the risk factors of the employee referral program is misuse.
For instance, some managers may see the program as a way to reward their business associates, cronies or family members without any insistence on professionalism or qualifications.One of the most significant advantages of employee referral programs apart from cost savings is their inherent ability to increase the pool of potential employees for the organization. This is because the program tends to net even those who are not actively scouting for new positions. Further, according to Byars & Rue (2000) a company or organization that utilizes the employee referral program has a high chance of attracting the most qualified employees.
The premise here is that since the referring employee has a reputation to protect, he is most likely to refer only those individuals whose ability to perform is not in doubt. This is essentially because a chain of wrong referrals on the part of the employee can negatively impact on the reputation as well as career development of the said employee. However, as stated above, the company must not overly rely on employee referral programs and hence a balance of sorts must be found between the employee referral programs and other recruitment approaches.
Recruitment exercises at Universities as well as vocational facilities
This is another recruitment approach that has gained prominence in the recent past mainly due to the need for businesses to make cost savings. It essentially involves paying universities and other vocational centers a visit and seeking to introduce the organization and its various vacant positions to students. It is important to note that this recruitment approach has two main benefits for the organization. First and foremost, it can provide the organization with a pool of applicants on a need basis.
And secondly, it makes creates awareness of the various positions available to the target group hence availing top the organization a future pool of talent. According to Jackson & Schuler (2007), this recruitment approach is most appropriate when the vacant positions are entry level i.e. trainee level, apprentice positions etc. Further, as already stated above, most employers prefer this approach as it is inherently cheap as compared to other recruitment methods like placing adverts in the classified sections of the dailies or paying professional recruitment firms.
However, it is equally important to note that this recruitment method has a number of cons in that it cannot be used as the primary recruitment approach for the company. Hence just like is the case with employee referral programs, a balance of sorts must be found. Misra (2009) noted that recruiting at universities as well as vocational schools tends to be limiting as it is inappropriate for more senior positions as most of those targeted at this level have no track record which might be utilized to gauge their performance.
Advertising
This is one of the most popular recruitment methods. According to McKenna & Beech (2002) many companies in the global marketplace allocate a significant portion of their budget towards this important approach to internal recruitment. One of the most significant advantage of placing paid job adverts for prospective candidates to respond to include their ability to reach a significant portion of the market depending on the media chosen.
However, it can be noted that the decision of a business to advertise or not to largely depend on a number of factors including but not limited to the needed coverage as well as the advertising costs involved.With that in mind, an employer may decide to place job adverts in a wide variety of mediums including but not in any way limited to the dailies (local and international), journals (specialist or general), notice boards as well as job posters. According to Taylor, Hall & Torrington (2005), this is a recruitment method that calls for much creativity if cost savings are to be made.
For instance, a hospital seeking to fill a vacancy for a nurse would rather place an advert at a medical journal other than a journal or publication whose target is the general market. Same applies for a blue-chip company seeking an executive for its international operations or otherwise where in such a case it might consider placing job adverts in a management journal. Beardwell & Claydon (2007) are of the opinion that today, as the popularity of the internet continues to increase, there is a growing need to utilize the online platform to fill existing positions in a firm.
Employment agencies/executive recruiters
Employment agencies/ executive recruiters are sometimes simply known as ‘head hunters’ and their main brief includes scouting for the right candidate to fill a vacant position existing in a firm. Also known as recruitment agencies, employment agencies are contracted by the recruiting firm and are usually paid a certain predetermined fee for their services. However, most employment agencies specialize in a given area of recruitment i.e. engineering, financial analysis as well as nursing and hence this is one of the considerations that must be made by the recruiting company before engaging such services.
According to Price (2007), contracting the services of recruitment agencies remains one of the best ways to source for individual to fill the higher level or management positions within the organization. Further, they can be seen as a way of reducing costs associated with recruitment as well as a time saving approach to the recruitment process as in most cases, only a few names are submitted to the recruiting company for consideration as opposed to the other recruitment methods or approaches where the recruiting company has to sort through voluminous applications and come up with the best candidates; an approach which might be time consuming as well as labor intensive.
Training new employees
According to Armstrong (2000) after the recruitment process, an organization must ensure that the new employees are accustomed to the systems as well as procedures of their new workplace. This is to say that irregardless of the professionalism that informed the recruitment as well as selection process, employees cannot perform optimally in their new positions without the proper abilities, skill as well as knowledge required of them.
Hence to enhance the performance of employees in their new workplace, the importance of training cannot be overstated.Muncherji & Dhar (2009) define employee training as all the actions undertaken by the employer in an effort to ensure that the employees execute the tasks allocated by the employer in a certain way. It is important to note that contrary to popular belief, training should not be limited t new employees only.
However, for our case in this text, we shall concern ourselves with training for new employees only.Cummings & Worley (2009) are of the opinion that to facilitate employee training, organizations should come up with an employee training plan which must include a number of things including but not in any way limited to a conducive learning environment. To come up with a conducive as well as ideal learning situation, the organization must embrace the following approaches.
- Employee training should be made a continuous process
- The learning process must be guided and have a direction
- The learning process must be made sequential
- Employees must be given the opportunity as well as time to practice what they learn
It is important to note that the training of new employees must not stop on their supposed completion of the ‘training process’ I discuss below. It must be an ongoing process to ensure that such employees are responsive to the various changes in job requirements.
The training process of new employees
Below, I briefly discuss a new employee training model which looks at all the vital steps in the training process.
The identification of training needs
According to Ulrich (2005) no meaningful training of new employees can take place without the apparent identification of the training needs of the new employees in relation the job description. Mathis & Jackson (2008) are of the opinion that the organization can identify the training needs of a new employee by integrating three human resource factors i.e. the needs of the whole organization, the specific job characteristics and lastly the specific individual needs. The identification of the key component areas in which the employee needs training in order to effectively perform his or her duties effectively is hence of utmost importance as it helps in the development of training manuals as well as a means of evaluation.
The formulation of a training program as well as training goals
It is important to note that the formulation of the training program should be hinged on the needs assessment I have already discussed above. This program must identify the skills as well as behaviors which the training initiative should help the new employee to acquire. It hence follows that the training program should be founded on the need to take the new employee from where he or she is currently is t here the company or organization would want him or her.
Training methods
According to Armstrong (2003), there are two primary training approaches which organizations may adopt in respect to new employees. This included on-the-job training and off-the-job training. On-the-job training is essentially training availed to new employees in the course of performing their duties. This approach is preferred by those organizations which do not want to loose time as the new employee is trained. It is most common for senior positions of management.
When it comes to off-the-job training, the company can organize special seminars, lectures as well as conferences for new employees as they seek to equip them with necessary skills for the effective performance pf their duties. However, according to Gold & Bratton (2001) most companies do not prefer to use this approach to train their employees as it may end up being a tad too expansive. Another approach synonymous with new employee training is orientation.
According to Kandula (2004), research indicates that close to 60% of new employees who quit their jobs do so in the initial two weeks since their confirmation. Hence employee orientation which can be taken as an approach to employee training is extremely important and it should focus on a number of things including but not in any way limited to the various personell regulations and rules, organization’s key officers as well as members and last but not least, the mission, history and culture of the organization.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is important to note that the whole hiring process should be done with the specific needs as well situation of the company in mind. There is essentially no company that is identical as the next and hence the recruitment as well as training needs of each organization are inherently unique and different. However, each process should be taken with the professionalism it deserves so as to guarantee the company a stellar cast of employees.
References
Kandula, S. (2004). Human Resource Management in Practice: With 300 Models, Techniques and Tools. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd
Gold, J., & Bratton, J. (2001). Human resource management: theory and practice. Routledge
Armstrong, M. (2003). A handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers
Mathis, R.L. & Jackson, J.H. (2008). Human resource management. Cengage Learning
Ulrich, D. (2005). The future of human resource management: 64 thought leaders explore the critical HR issues of today and tomorrow. John Wiley and Sons
Cummings, T.G. & Worley, C.G. (2009). Organization development & change. Cengage Learning
Muncherji, N. & Dhar, U. (2009). Partners in Success: Strategic Hr and Entrepreneurship. Institute of Management, Nirma University of Science and Technology
Armstrong, M. (2000). Strategic human resource management: a guide to action. Kogan Page Publishers
Price, A. (2007). Human Resource Management in a Business Context. Cengage Learning EMEA
Beardwell, J., & Claydon, T. (2007). Human resource management: a contemporary approach. Prentice Hall/Financial Times
Taylor, S., Hall, L. & Torrington, D. (2005). Human resource management. FT Prentice Hall
McKenna, E.F. & Beech, N. (2002). Human resource management: a concise analysis. Financial Times Prentice Hall
Misra, R.N. (2009). Human Resource Management after Globalization. Discovery Publishing House
Jackson, S.E. & Schuler, R.S. (2007). Strategic human resource management. Wiley-Blackwell
Byars, L.L. & Rue, L.W. (2000). Human resource management. Irwin/McGraw-Hill
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