Recruitment Practices and Related Issues

Before making the job vacancy public and posting it in any of the previously described recruitment sources, DeCenzo and Robbins (2005) explain, that it is important to conduct a job analysis. It is necessary to systematically explore all the activities within the job, because, as it is possible to see in Figure 3, facts obtained during this procedure are linked to other HR activities, including recruitment. DeCenzo and Robbins see job analysis as a technical procedure used to define a job’s duties, responsibilities and accountabilities.

Furthermore, this procedure generates 3 major outcomes: job description, job specification and job evaluation.

• Job Descriptions and Job Advertisements

The authors mentioned above, explain that job description is a written statement of what the jobholder does, how it is done, under what conditions and why. This document should in detail describe the job content, environment and conditions of employment. Furthermore, it acts as an important resource for describing the job to potential candidates (either verbally by recruiters and interviewers or in written advertisements). The job specification describes the qualifications that are required for successful performance in the position. Therefore it states the necessary knowledge, skills, education, experiences, certification and abilities. Individuals with these characteristics should perform the job more effectively than those without them.

Consequently, finding these attributes and their subsequent description to potential candidates during the recruitment process is important part of the HR practices as well. Finally, due to the job evaluation, it is possible to find the relative value of each job in the organization and thus, compare it to other jobs within and outside the organization. This can be important especially for the organization’s compensation system.

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (2004) also emphasize the role of the job analysis.

According to them, it is important for human resource planning. The planners analyze the needs and how to meet them and thus, they must have accurate information about the levels of

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skills required in various job, so they can tell what kinds of human resources will be needed.

In addition, it plays a major role in recruitment and selection, too. To identify the most qualified applicants for various positions, decision makers need to know what tasks the individuals must perform, as well as the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities.

Therefore, job analysis is fundamental for the description of vacancy characteristics and attributes of the job during the recruitment. It provides the basic knowledge for the recruiters who later present information about a company’s job vacancies to potential candidates.

Consequently, after having learned the vacancy characteristics, possible candidates should be able to decide whether they could be possibly suitable for the advertized job and thus, whether they should apply for it or not.

In Table 4 it is possible to find the basic attributes and characteristics related to job vacancies that can probably be communicated during the recruitment process. However, as Martina Janská (personal communication, January 4, 2008), recruiter of Komerční Banka, mentioned in an interview, the amount of the information being advertized very much depends on the costs and goals of the recruitment source. On a company’s website, candidates can usually find more detailed information about the job and organization’s business, culture and strategy than in the newspaper or journal advertisements - simply because once the organization’s website is created, posting the information there is almost costless.

Furthermore, some advertisements should only attract the attention of possible candidates (see Appendix 2) and encourage them to visit the company’s website to learn more about the current job vacancies. Nevertheless, there exist other advertisements (e.g. in job portals, newspapers and magazines) that should directly encourage possible candidates to apply for the job.

Figure 3: The Multifaceted Nature of the Job Analysis Job Analysis

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Table 4: Characteristics and Attributes of the Job Vacancies that can be possibly communicated during the recruitment process

Attribute Description Job Title Name of the position - after reading it candidates

should have a general idea about what they would do.

Job title should reflect the job description and

specification of the position. It is important part of the vacancy’s image.

Introduction of the company – of its business, industry, strategies and goals

This part is important especially when the company is not very-well known and thus, candidates should discover to what company they are applying.

Introduction of company’s staff characteristics

For example introduction of number, education or average age of employees.

Introduction of the job content Description of the job and its goals and responsibilities

Requirements on knowledge and skills

Introduction of knowledge and skills required for the job (e.g. IT skills, knowledge of programming languages, knowledge of the market and company’s competitors, language skills)

Requirements on personality competencies

Specific jobs may require specific personality competencies, such as presentation, communication or analytical competencies

Requirements on education Description of necessary level and / or field of education – e.g. university education, marketing degree, MBA, EMBA

Requirements on previous working experiences

Especially senior positions require several years of previous working experiences, to certain extent it may be a requirement for graduates jobs too Introduction of compensation system Companies can advertize level of compensation

(salary) that would candidate receive at the position

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Introduction of financial incentives Candidates may also find description of financial incentives in job advertisements - e.g. performance bonuses or commissions

Introduction of company’s benefits package

Description of benefits that company offers to its employees – e.g. extra week of holidays, meal vouchers, employees stock ownership program Introduction of possible career

prospects (development)

Some candidates want to see what future they would have in the company, how and where they could move in the hierarchy of the organization

Introduction of possible training and education system

Description of possible training required for / related to the position – e.g. language courses, hard and soft competencies training

Introduction of the company‘ s location

Description of the place where the candidate would work and of a possible means of transportation to the location

Introduction of the workplace Description of the office-space – its design, look and / or equipment

Introduction of the working hours Explanation of working hours related to the position – e.g. flexible working hours, tele-working (working via Internet / phone)

Introduction of the job application and selection process

Specification of the documents needed for the successful job application, length of the application process and responsible recruiter and his or her contact information

Recent business graduates often do not posses any previous experience from the labor market. Consequently, characteristics and attributes of the job that they can find using any of the previously described recruitment sources and the way how they understand them very much influence their feelings and decisions about the job offers. Therefore, after reading the job advertisement, they should be able to decide and assess for themselves whether they

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would be suitable candidates for the job or not. Or at least the advertisement should encourage them to find out more about the company and about its job offers. Furthermore, companies should also evaluate the needs and wants of recent business graduates and their values, be aware of them and afterwards point out the job characteristics that might be very much attractive for the graduates. Respecting their values and wants can be very different from the wants of senior employees and should help companies in the recruitment of this particular group acting in the labor market. For example, several studies (e.g. Broadridge, Maxwell &

Ogden, 2007) has identified that graduates can seek especially future career opportunities including opportunities for self-development, pay, training and development or also job security.

• Recruiter Behavior

According to Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (2004), the characteristics of the recruiter and the way he or she behaves can very much influence the company’s recruitment effort.

Nevertheless, the recruiter frequently becomes involved late in the recruitment process. Firstly, the candidates usually read about the job vacancies and the companies that are offering them in newspapers or on the Internet. And from this information they create an image about what they desire in a job, what the vacant job has to offer them and how they want to be treated.

Moreover, the main purpose of the recruiters, especially of the ones from personnel agencies who are not seeking candidates for their own company, is to “sell” the job. Consequently, many applicants approach the recruiters with some skepticism when they are listening to them and therefore the applicants try to find information about the job and the organization from other sources as well, such as friends, magazine articles or university professors.

In addition, Jackson and Schuler (2003) describe that in many instances, recruiters can make jobs that initially appear unattractive seem attractive. Positive impressions might be created by the status of recruiters and whether recruiters make applicants feel “specially”

treated. On the other hand, Jackson and Schuler also explain that some recruiters or recruiting practices or both can create poor impressions and make some jobs seem less attractive.

Timing is especially important. Slow or late decisions on a candidate’s job application may be a major reason for negative impressions and may draw negative conclusions about the organization. Besides that, the recruiter’s behavior creates an image of the whole company. If he or she behaved in a rude way, the candidate might have the impression that the whole organization’s culture is rude and consequently, lose interest in the company. Effective recruiters should show sincere interest in applicants and in return applicants show more

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interest in the job. Moreover, recruiters should avoid offensive behavior, because once again it could possibly lead to the wrong impression about the organization. Generally speaking, applicants respond positively to recruiters whom they perceive as warm and informative.

Recruiters should create a feeling in applicants that they care about them and at the same time they should be enthusiastic about the applicant’s potential to contribute to the organization.

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (2004) explain that most organizations must choose whether their recruiters are experts at particular jobs and therefore more credible when it comes to describing the job characteristics, or whether they are specialists in human resources. These specialists need to take extra steps to ensure that applicants perceive them as knowledgeable and credible. One example may be seen in the recruitment of IT specialists.

Nowadays, every company needs them and makes a huge effort to find them. In many countries, there exists a lack of IT specialists. However for people who have never been interested in information technologies, it can be very difficult to lead a credible discussion about a job vacancy or even a job interview with an IT specialist. If such a person perceived that the recruiter does not understand the job which he is promoting, he or she could very easily lose interest in the job and consequently in the company.

In the chapter of their book that focuses on recruitment, Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (2004) also clarify that recruiters affect results not only by providing plenty of information, but by providing the right kind of information, not just positive facts and figures that would attract a large pool of job candidates. They call it a realistic job preview. Burke and Ng (2006) agree with this and furthermore, recommend that companies should manage graduates’ expectations. Recruiters should speak about the job’s negative qualities too, but of course in some sensitive way. At the same time they should explain the reasons of the negative qualities, what is behind them and what is being done to remove them or to reduce their effects.

• Cooperation with Universities and Students (Internships and Business Games) Many students do not have enough time and opportunities to combine both work and studies while pursuing their university degree. Consequently, they lack the chance to see how business is done in a real environment. Therefore, universities are frequently trying to attract companies and establish co-operation with them. On the other hand, this co-operation is beneficial also for the companies. Thanks to good and tight relations with universities, they can easily target top graduates and subsequently add value to the company by hiring them.

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Furthermore, several researches (e.g. McIlveen & Pensiero, 2008; Burke & Ng, 2006) have demonstrated that university-industry collaboration can significantly influence graduate transition and employability.

The co-operation between universities may have several forms. A company’s experts and managers can give presentations on particular topics at universities and as a result broaden the knowledge of the students. Or the students can go for field trips to companies and discuss face-to-face issues related to their area of study and interest with companies’

employees and managers (Jackson & Mathis, 2007). Despite the benefits of the activities described above, there exist two other forms of possible relationships between business students and companies – internships and business games - that can be even more attractive to both sides.

Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart and Wright (2004) define internship as an on-the-job learning sponsored by an educational institution that is a component of an academic program.

Therefore, when students take part in this program, they can gain experience related to their area of study. Moreover this experience can help them to clarify what they want to do after their graduation and at the same time learn necessary working habits and how they should orient themselves toward everyday life in the workplace (see Appendix 4 for an example of an attractive and well-described internship).

Business games and case studies can be used to develop management skills and broaden professional knowledge as well (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart & Wright, 2004). During business games, participants must gather information, analyze it and make decisions that influence the outcomes of the game. Furthermore, it requires that students come together to discuss the cases and the progress of the game. Through these meetings, they need to present their own ideas and opinions and defend them, persuade others and consequently it represents a simulation of a real work experience.

Business games are popular in both countries. Taiwanese team from National Sun Yat-sen University finished second (MBA category) in one of the most prestigious international business games, L’Oreal E-Strat, in 2007 (L’Oreal E-Strat, 2007). In the same year the Czech team, from the previously mentioned University of Economics in Prague, won the international finale of Global Management Challenge Euromanager. This competition is supported by companies such as Microsoft, Nestle, PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Erns&Young and Deloitte (Global Management Challenge, 2007). Therefore students, who were successful in the game, were at the same time successful in drawing the attention of the companies and

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recruiters mentioned above. Consequently they can have a much easier way to enter these organizations. Simultaneously, these companies gain access to students who have already proved their skills and capabilities. Subsequently, if the company decides to hire these students, they almost cannot make a mistake. On the other hand, winning such a popular competition can bring over-self-confidence, pride and high expectations of the business graduate and thus, he or she can suddenly become very expensive.

• Government Influence

DeCenzo and Robbins (2005) explain in detail the role of the government. Many countries have laws and regulations that forbid companies to seek out preferred individuals based on non-job-related factors such as physical appearance, sex, marital status or religious background. However these factors can later secretly affect the final selection. In case of this hidden discrimination, it is often very difficult to uncover.

The Czech Labor Code (Ministerstvo Práce a Sociálních Věcí, 2007) strictly forbids both, direct and indirect discrimination. Employers must treat all employees and job applicants equally and the organizations cannot disadvantage them because of their gender, sexual orientation, racial or ethnical origin, nationality, citizenship, social origin, ancestry, language, health condition, age, religion, property, marital or family status, political or other opinions, membership or activities in political parties and political movements, in labor unions or other organizations of the employers. Discrimination because of pregnancy or maternity is considered to be gender discrimination. Actions encouraging or inducing constraint on discrimination are also viewed as discrimination. However, if some characteristics are essential, necessary and decisive for the work execution, preferring a job applicant or employee with these characteristics is not considered as discrimination. In the event of inequality of men and women, temporary actions (e.g. in case of recruitment and selection, training and education) leading to equal representation of women and men at the workplace are not regarded to be discrimination. Nevertheless, an employer’s procedures cannot discriminate employees of opposite gender whose qualities and skills are better than the qualities of simultaneously hired employees.

Despite the laws and regulations, discrimination still exists in the Czech Republic. Of course in most cases it is very well hidden. According to journalist Ondřej Benda (2006) or Klára Lichá (2005), Career Consultant in Adecco, discrimination of women in terms of ‘glass ceiling’ for salaries or because of maternity are still present in Czech society. Additionally age

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discrimination is common, too. Especially employees above 50 years of age and recent young graduates without any previous work experience can have serious difficulties in finding a new job.

The Taiwan Labor Law (Council of Labor Affairs, 2007) also deals with discrimination.

In Article 5 it describes that an employer is prohibited from discriminating against any job applicant or employee on the basis of race, class, language, thought, religion, political party, place of origin, place of birth, gender, gender orientation, age, marital status, appearance, facial features, disability, or past membership in any labor union. Moreover, it explains that when recruiting or employing employees, the employer shall not engage in making false advertising or disclosure, withholding any job applicant or employee 's identification card, work certificate, or any other certifying document against his/her free will or assigning any job applicant or employee to engage in any work that is in violation of public orders or descent morals.

Despite existing laws and regulations, discrimination exists in Taiwan, too. Angelica Oung (2007), Taipei Times reporter, described a case of obese Taiwanese women who are being discriminated against and who are currently facing serious difficulties in finding new jobs. Another example may be found in the China Post’s (2007) article that speaks about a firm based in Taichung that was fined because of age discrimination. The company posted a job advertisement for a sales representative in local newspapers stating that the candidate should be between 26 and 40 years of age. This is, of course, an obvious case of discrimination and therefore a violation of the law.

• Concluding Remarks

The candidates’ unmet expectations can contribute to a high turnover rate. And this shows to be the case of the recruitment of recent business graduates. On one hand they often have very high expectations about their first job after graduation. On the other one, they may not have a clear idea about what they really want to do and what occupation they want to pursue.

The candidates’ unmet expectations can contribute to a high turnover rate. And this shows to be the case of the recruitment of recent business graduates. On one hand they often have very high expectations about their first job after graduation. On the other one, they may not have a clear idea about what they really want to do and what occupation they want to pursue.