Introduction
The success of a company largely depends on the quality of its workforce. Good human resource policies and guidelines are imperative in ensuring that Johnson-Venter attracts qualified and experienced personnel to help in the achieving the vision of making people’s lives better. Recruitment of the right individuals for the open posts of the company can add value to Johnson-Venter and therefore good selection is determinant of whether the company makes a profit or a loss. (Cooper et all, 2003, p.2).
Johnson-Venter currently has five open positions, three for modern apprentices and two for engineers which have risen as result of expansion of the company. To get the right candidates for the posts, the company’s HR department has generated job descriptions and person specifications that will ensure that it attracts only the best and right personnel to fill the positions. These job descriptions have been generated after a thorough analysis of tasks to be carried out, evaluation of suitable person characteristics both physical and mental as well as other qualities and attitudes that are desirable for the posts.
Engineers Job description (2 posts)
The Engineers will be under the supervision of the chief mechanical engineer. The education and experience required for the two posts include, a bachelor’s degree in mechanical or electrical engineering, a minimum of 3 years experience in a similar industry, excellent knowledge of up to date mechanical and electrical systems.
The key duties and responsibilities for the two posts include, troubleshooting installations, coordination of diesel engines maintenance and manufacture of the electrical generation systems, inspection of the combustion engines, design and develop machines and test tools. Other duties include supervision of production of the power producing machines, performance of technical work as well as ordering and receiving maintenance and service parts for the production machines. The key role will be monitoring the plants systems and solving the problems within the manufacturing department as well as testing the mechanical devices.
The person specifications include: Creative ability, good analytical skills and detail oriented individual, excellent communication skills, knowledge of engines maintenance and electrical safety and ability to interpret and apply generators repair manuals.
Modern apprentices (3 posts)
The modern apprentices will be under the supervision of the heads of department in which they will be based and will be trained in jobs in craft and as technicians for a period of two years.The tasks involved include, carrying out repairs of equipments, routine installations of systems, engineering drawings, assisting electrical contractors and carrying out routine maintenance of the heavy machines. In addition, they will be required to perform key duties which entail checking wirings of the electrical systems, liasing with customers on the machine related queries and keeping the management informed about the progress of the plants.
The requirements for the posts include formal training in the manufacturing or electrical fields or one year experience in the manufacturing industry.
The person specification: Good problem solving and analytical skills, excellent interpersonal skills, possess good organizational skills, results oriented, ability to work under pressure, demonstrate teamwork ability and competent in the technical field. The individual should also be a fast learner and committed to excellence.
Appropriate selection and recruitment procedures will be undertaken so as to ensure the company gets competent and reliable individuals. The posts will be adequately advertised so as to attract people from diverse groups and places and to facilitate selection of the best candidates for the posts. (Arthur, 1998, p.52)
After a review of Johnson-Venter recruitment and selection procedures, there is need for changes so as to reduce costs incurred through advertising in print. The recruitment policy should be based upon the goals and needs of the company and should provide an appropriate framework for implementation based on the current demands and supply of labor (cooper et al, 2003, p.2).Good selection and recruitment ensures a match with the role. The following are recommendations suitable for the effective administration of the human resource role of a selection and recruitment.
Recommendations
Use of multiple techniques: The Company currently uses advertisements in print as the main mode of advertising the open posts. The use of this as the main mode of recruitment limits the company to only the individuals who will get the advert. According to Gareth (2004, p.7) use of multiple techniques ensures that diverse groups and people get awareness of the available posts. This ensures that the company gets a variety of the qualified personnel to choose from. The other modes of recruitment should entail the direct methods of liaising with learning institutions that train the required personnel and develop relationships with them to hire the students who meet the desired criteria. These institutions are likely to provide the necessary candidates as they will offer the best suited ones who have demonstrated the desired skills in a particular field. The company should also reduce the advertising budget allocated for print media and direct it to the other forms of media like radio for the higher posts and also the internet. The company should make adequate use of the internet to achieve this. The company’s website would be an effective internet source since many job seekers as well clients and the general public are likely to navigate through the web as they seek information about the company. Other web based recruitment agencies would also play an important role in communicating about the vacancy to the general public. In addition to reaching many people the company benefits due to reduced costs. Balance in advertising the posts should also change in order to ensure effectiveness in the recruitment process. (Arthur, 1998, p.52)
Centralization of the recruitment function. The consolidation of the recruitment and the selection functions in one office creates efficiency and effectiveness in the hiring process since the personnel involved work together as a team and in consultation with one another. It saves the time required to consult others and hence speeding up the process. Centralization of these functions ensures that the HR department performs the selection in an organized manner. (Articlebase, para.4)
Another recommendation concerns the timeline set for the recruitment process. A review of the company’s timeline for this process indicates that little time is put on the selection process hence the haphazard mode of recruitment. The process should involve four phases each with its own timescale. (Executive group, 2007, para.2)The four phases are; pre-recruitment, recruitment, selection and post selection. The pre-recruitment stage should be between one to two weeks. Proper job analysis is done during this period and the company prepares for the recruitment process. Identification of the recruitment strategies like the medium of advertising is conducted at this stage as well as establishment of the selection panel, their roles and responsibilities. (Compton&Nankervis,2009,p.15).The recruitment period should take a maximum of six weeks within which advertisement for the post, acknowledgement of applications and short listing are undertaken. The selection period take three weeks which involve conducting the short listing process, determining the selection methodology as well as making the appropriate choices and decisions regarding the post. During this third phase, referee checks are also done. The final stage which is post selection stage involves making the recommendation for the appointment and issuing the offer to the selected candidate. Records are then kept for reference and the candidate is thoroughly oriented about the job upon the return of the acceptance form. The selection process should promote equity, accountability and diversity. (ILO, 1994, P.66)
The company lacks a proper framework for the executive appointments. Based on this fact, it is imperative for Johnson-Venter to form a committee comprising of senior executives and specialists to participate in making the final selection of the candidate for an executive post. Compton & Nankervis (2009, p.25) state that the higher the post, the more senior the group of executive comprising the committee. This should often be preceded by an assessment through use of consultanty.The need for the committee arises from the fact that these senior posts of the company are vital in running the company and a mistake in the selection would cost the organization huge losses. For the senior posts at Johnson-Venter, an executive search would also ensure that the company is presented with individuals with strong claims to the specialized positions.
To ensure that the company gets the right and qualified candidate for a particular post, various diverse selection procedures should be adopted. This ensures the company gets individuals whose values match those of Johnson-Venter. Recruits with values that match with those of the company adjust more quickly to their posts (Chatman, 1991, para.1).The key methods include interviews, work sample tests and psychological tests. The work sample tests evaluate the individuals’ capacity and knowledge of the work while the psychological test helps in determining the cognitive abilities and personality of the applicants. (Cooper et all, 2003, p.15).
An induction program is another key recommendation for the Johnson-Venter selection and recruitment process. The company lacks a proper induction program to ensure new recruits settle into their roles fast and become productive and competent. A systematic induction process ensures motivation of the new employees and reduces expenses arising from repeated recruitment and training. (Human resource solutions, 2009, para.2).A high quality induction package is therefore essential for both the benefit of the company and the new recruits. It should consists of the organization flow chart, mission statement, descriptions of job goals and the codes of conduct expected at the work place among others.(Compton & Nankervis p.187).According to Robertson(2003,para.1),induction activities provide new employees with the information needed for them to be productive. In addition, they acquire knowledge on the company’s policies on safety and security.
Conclusion
In summary, job descriptions and person specifications play a vital role in determining the kind of an employee the organization needs. They should therefore be generated after a thorough job analysis in order to avoid errors. Various recommendations on the suitable recruitment and selection procedures include use of multiple techniques, centralization of the recruitment function, and flexible time-scale for the selection process, executive searches, diverse selection procedures and introduction of effective induction programs among others. The adoption of these recommendation will bring efficacy in the recruitment process and thereby assist Johnson-Venter in achieving its vision of “making people’s lives better by unleashing the power of Johnson-Venter.”
Reference
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