Staffing is the act of recruiting, selecting, and attracting proficient individuals with the aim of accomplishing organizational objectives. The recruitment, selection, and attraction processes are crucial in hiring employees and providing assistance to an organization. The traditional method of recruitment involves promoting the organization to external candidates (James and Lloyd, 2008).
There are numerous methods and strategies available to locate and employ suitable personnel for a particular organization. It is essential for organizations to select techniques that align with their requirements in terms of recruiting, selecting, and attracting employees. Failure to utilize effective techniques can lead to a significant turnover rate. The conventional method of hiring can be characterized as the act of advertising the organization to external individuals.
The use of RJP’s and ELP’s, mentioned by Jenkins and Wolf (2002), is a common strategy employed by organizations to attract employees. These techniques were specifically designed to address the issue of early turnover, where employees leave within their first year. Acquiring and retaining talented individuals is crucial for the overall success of an organization, as emphasized by Patricia (2006).
Employers should exercise caution in their hiring decisions as the job market becomes more competitive and skills become more diverse. Making poor recruitment choices can result in significant negative consequences, including costly training and development, higher rates of underperformance, and increased employee turnover. Moreover, these effects can also have an impact on team morale, product and service quality, as well as the organization’s ability to retain talented individuals.
When an organization does not achieve its goals and targets, it can result in a loss of competitive edge and market share. At Goodman Fielder, the recruitment process is seen as complicated because each perspective and function has different requirements. Continuous adaptation and updating of the selection and recruitment process are essential to meet industry demands at Goodman Fielder New Zealand Limited.
Goodman Fielder New Zealand Limited (GFNZ) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Goodman Fielder Limited, a publicly listed food company in Australia and New Zealand. GFNZ is the main operating and controlling company of the Goodman Fielder Group in New Zealand. It is the largest food supplier to clients in New Zealand, with sales revenue of approximately NZ$1.1 billion and an EBIT of NZ$138.5 million for the fiscal year ending on 30 June 2010.
The HR personnel of GFNZ received and assessed information regarding the initial job role through interaction and movement. GFNZ follows a “multiple hurdle approach” in selecting candidates, which involves conducting interviews at different levels to assess various skills and qualifications. Candidates must pass each level to proceed to the next. This practice continues for the first three levels of interview, and candidates who pass all three are then sent to the organization for further interviews.
Members of the team conducted interviews to understand and interpret the hiring process. They also identified areas for improvement and proposed changes. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Recruitment Process Strengths: The recruitment process at GFNZ focuses on group participants and their potential. They found that the initial screening process is effective in assessing applicants’ abilities. It standardizes the process, saves GFNZ resources, and allows applicants to take the tests in their own town (Patricia, 2006).
Various groups of participants perceived that the GFNZ offers attractive benefits, including good pay, advantages, and a pension plan. This makes the job appealing for applicants. It is worth noting that the GFNZ starts new recruits at the constable level, which is higher than the cadet level. This higher starting rank contributes to the appeal of the GFNZ salary for new recruits. Additionally, participants acknowledged that the GFNZ conducts thorough background checks on applicants by hiring former police officers to assist with this process. This approach ensures that the GFNZ is able to select candidates with relevant experience and a strong work ethic, positively impacting the organization. Similarly, some participants recognized that the GFNZ attracts experienced applicants from the community. Furthermore, a few participants praised the GFNZ for conducting applicant interviews with a board consisting of two to three individuals.
Finally, some individuals also recognized that GFNZ offered candidates a high quality of life, which ultimately benefited the organization itself. The weaknesses in the recruitment process were identified by the candidates in the GFNZ members groups and can be categorized into the following ten groups, listed in order of how frequently they were observed and mentioned (Newell, 2005). The participants also provided recommendations for improving and advancing these areas.
The recruitment process includes the time between conducting a successful interview and receiving a job offer, as well as the start of training. Patricia (2006) suggests that this process often takes longer than expected. While some candidates, especially those in higher positions, were able to complete the recruitment process within days or weeks in the past, most participants now report a longer process ranging from several months to a few years.
It was not very common for candidates in each group to study for two years before being employed. Each group believed that this waiting period was unnecessary and discouraged good candidates, causing them to seek employment with other police departments or employers (Jenkins, and Wolf, 2002). Recruiting from external sources can be divided into informal and formal methods. Informal methods reach a smaller market than formal methods.
These techniques include rehiring former employees and selecting from the pool of “walk-in” candidates who have already submitted their resumes. Recommendations are also used as a cost-effective and quick method of hiring. Informal recruitment methods are commonly used for hiring white-collar and other positions where applicants often submit unsolicited applications (Alan, 2009).
Former students who participated in internship programs can also be easily and affordably accessed. Formal sources for finding external candidates include seeking the labor market more broadly. Traditional methods include advertising in journals, magazines, and newspapers, using employment agencies and executive search firms, and recruiting from colleges. Nowadays, job fairs and online recruitment platforms are becoming more frequent in reaching job seekers.
The process of recruitment begins with applicants specifying the job they are interested in, followed by screening tests, sourcing, assessment, interviewing, and matching. The steps involved include asserting, shortlisting, selecting, and concluding with an interview with the customer. These procedures are crucial for successful placement and ensure a positive experience for both the applicant and the organization. Additionally, recruitment consultants play a vital role in attracting applicants and connecting them with temporary or permanent positions within customer companies. These positions can range from entry-level to executive and director roles (Grugulis and Keep, 2004). Recruitment consultants work closely with customer companies to understand their specific recruitment needs and requirements. They attract applicants through various means such as advertising in multiple media platforms, headhunting, referrals, and networking. They also conduct interviews, perform background checks, and ultimately match suitable candidates with the customer companies.
Consultants provide proposals and advice to customers and applicants regarding salary levels, training requirements, and career opportunities. They also fulfill the role of identifying and advertising vacancies when an employee is resigning or leaving GFNZ for various reasons such as finding another job, retirement, sick leave, or receiving a promotion as a manager. In such cases, the Human Resources department of GFNZ will identify the vacant position and create a person specification and job description for prospective candidates.
Then GFNZ will advertise their vacancy through their website and other media such as national express. For internal candidates, they will advertise their vacancy on the intranet, via email, or even by sending a letter to the department or home. Screening of applications will be done to identify the candidates who are the best fit for GFNZ. Candidates can submit their application through post, email, or by handing it in at the store. Once the human resources and the manager of the workplace have received the candidate’s application, they will carefully review each CV, which provides a summary of the candidate’s qualifications, experience, and history.
The CV will be assessed and compared with the job’s person specification. GFNZ also offers a job type match tool on their website to determine eligibility for employment. Internal applicants will have their full information already known to the organization, making it easier for GFNZ to determine suitability. Employers at GFNZ will have more information about internal candidates, streamlining the interview process (Chevalier, 2000).
The Assessment Centre is the next stage for both internal and external applicants. Those who pass the initial screening process will be asked to attend an interview with the manager and a member of HR. This interview is uniform for all candidates, and they will need to present themselves and discuss how they can contribute to GFNZ’s growth. Additionally, their personal skills will be evaluated by both the HR department and manager to determine if they are compatible with the organization.
The selected internal and external candidates will participate in an assessment center held at the store. During this assessment, they will be required to complete various tasks and exercises, which will be evaluated by managers and members of the Human Resources department. The purpose of this assessment is to gauge how well the candidates work with others and how they would perform as employees at GFNZ. Given the numerous tasks involved, this process may take a half day in order to thoroughly evaluate each candidate’s suitability.
Internal candidates have an advantage in the assessment because they have previous experience. The second interview is similar to the first but focuses on academic qualifications, experiences, and personal skills stated in their CV. For internal candidates, employers also talk to their previous employer in GFNZ for additional information (Matthews and Ruhs, 2007).
In this Interview, candidates can also ask questions at the end of the interview. Internal candidates will have their interview with a member of HR and the candidate’s manager, as well as the manager of the department the applicant is applying to. The employers will discuss the candidate’s experience at GFNZ. It is suggested to give more emphasis on situational analysis to assess the candidate’s reaction to different work-related situations. Questions such as “what would you do if” can provide valuable insights about the candidate.
Behavioural analysis can assist in understanding the candidate’s personality (Matthews, and Ruhs, 2007). Past behaviour can be examined to determine suitability for a customer service position. Questions such as “Provide an example from your past when…” can be utilized in this analysis. Successful applicants will undergo health, reference, and criminal background checks. Upon passing these checks, they will receive a letter and contract confirming their employment and specifying their start date.
Internal applicants will receive notification via email or at their current workplace and will be provided with information about the new position. Overall, at GFNZ, there is a focus on employing new recruitment techniques and methods. While some districts still use manual strategies, the trend is shifting towards automated processes, which are becoming more widespread. As these automated mechanisms become more prevalent, they will continue to gain popularity and improve in quality.
Regardless of the strategies chosen, the goal is to recruit dedicated individuals into organizations and ensure that government services are timely and effective, products are consistently high-quality, and organizations can achieve their established objectives.
References
1. Alan, Nankervis, (2009), Effective Recruitment and Selection Practices, 5th ed, Edition 5, Publisher CCH Australia Limited, 45-49
2. Chevalier, A. (2000), ‘Graduate Over-Education in the UK’, Discussion Paper No 7; Centre for the Economics of Education, London School of Economics.
3. Grugulis, I. , Warhurst, C. , and Keep, E. 2004. ‘What’s happening to ‘skill’? ’ in Warhurst, C. , Grugulis, I. , and Keep, E. (eds. ), The Skills That Matter, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 1-18
4. Hoggarth, L, 2006. ‘Staying in work and moving up: Evidence from the UK Employment Retention and Advancement (ERA) demonstration’, DWP Research Report No. 381, London: Department of Work and Pensions.
5. James, S. nd Lloyd, C. 2008. ‘Supply chain pressures and migrant workers: deteriorating job quality in the United Kingdom’, in Lloyd, C. , Mason, G. , and Mayhew, K. (eds. ) Low-Wage Work in the United Kingdom, New York: RSF, 211-246
6. Jenkins, A. , and Wolf, A. 2002. Why Do Employers Use Selection Tests? Evidence from British Workplaces, London: London School of Economics, Centre for the Economics of Education
7. Matthews, G. and Ruhs, M. 2007. ‘Are you being served? Employer demand for migrant labour in the UK’s hospitality sector’, COMPAS Working Paper No.
WP-07-51, Oxford: University of Oxford, Centre on Migration, Policy and Society 8. Newell, S. 2005. ‘Recruitment and selection’, in S. Bach (ed. ), Managing Human Resources, and Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 115-147 9. Nickson, D. , 2008. ‘A job to believe in: recruitment in the Scottish voluntary sector’, Human Resource Management Journal, Vol. 18, No. 1, 20-35 10. Patricia, Leighton, (2006), Effective Recruitment: A Practical Guide to Staying Within the Law, Publisher Thorogood Publishing, 78-81
