Recruitment, Selection & Training (Edexcel A Level Business): Revision Note

The recruitment and selection process

• Recruitment is the process of attracting and identifying potential job candidates who are suitable for a particular role

  • Recruitment activities include job advertising, job fairs, social media outreach and referrals from current employees

  • The goal of recruitment is to create a pool of qualified candidates who can be considered for the role

• Selection is the process of choosing the best candidate

  • Selection activities often involve reviewing curricula vitae (CVs) and conducting interviews or assessment tasks

  • The goal of selection is to hire the most suitable candidate for the job

The recruitment and selection process

• Businesses should determine exactly what is required, and part of that is developing a job description and a person/job specification

  • A job specification outlines the qualifications, skills, experience and personal qualities required from a candidate for a specific job

    • E.g. problem solver, good communicator, able to code in Java

  • A job description outlines the duties, responsibilities and requirements of a particular job

• These documents are used throughout the recruitment and selection process

Internal recruitment

• Internal recruitment is the process of hiring employees from within the organisation

  • It can involve the promotion or redeployment of staff to fill a vacant post

  • Vacancies are advertised internally on staff notice boards, in newsletters or via in-house electronic communications

Advantages and disadvantages of internal recruitment

External recruitment

• External recruitment is the process of hiring employees from outside the organisation

  • External recruitment can bring fresh ideas, experiences and perspectives to the organisation

  • It overcomes some of the disadvantages of internal recruitment 

  • However, it is often more expensive than internal recruitment

  • There is also a greater degree of uncertainty, as external candidates are unknown to the business

Comparison of external recruitment methods

Advertising a vacancy

• Businesses with a strong social media presence can use these platforms to advertise cost-effectively, e.g. Facebook, LinkedIn, TikTok

• Depending on the nature of the business, there may be specialist recruitment portals through which they can advertise

  • These tend to be relatively expensive but target the right people

  • E.g. The Times Educational Supplement (TES) is one of the main publications used to recruit teaching staff

Receiving applications

• The application stage involves collecting information from potential candidates

  • A business may have its own application form, which should gather information such as personal details, qualifications and work experience

  • Applicants may also be asked to submit their CV and a cover letter explaining why they believe they are the right person for the role

• Someone within the business must be nominated to manage the application process

  • This person (possibly together with others) will draw up a shortlist of candidates from the many applications received

  • The shortlist usually includes three to five candidates who are invited to interview

The selection process

• This process varies significantly between organisations

• Businesses must decide on the most appropriate method that will help them identify the best candidate

• The most commonly used methods include interviews and assessment tasks

Interviews and assessment tasks

Costs of recruitment, selection and training

• Recruitment, training and selection are essential processes for any business to attract, develop and retain a skilled workforce

• These processes involve significant costs for businesses, which can impact their overall profitability and competitiveness

Costs of recruitment, selection and training

Recruitment costs

• Recruitment costs refer to the expenses incurred in the process of hiring new employees

• These include advertising, recruiting, interviewing and screening candidates

• High labour turnover rates can significantly increase these costs

  • When employees leave, the business has to spend money and time recruiting and training new employees to fill the vacant positions

Training costs

• Training costs refer to the expenses incurred in the process of providing training to new or existing employees

• These include the cost of trainers, training materials and facilities

• The effectiveness of training can impact these costs

  • If the training is not effective, employees may require additional training or take longer to learn new skills, which can increase the cost of training

Selection costs

• Selection costs are the expenses incurred in the process of selecting candidates for employment

• These include background checks and visa costs

• High labour turnover rates can increase selection costs as the business has to spend more regularly

Types of training provided by businesses

• Different types of training have their advantages and disadvantages for the business

Types of training

Induction training

• Induction training is a type of training that new employees receive when they start working for a company

  • It introduces them to the company, its culture, policies and procedures, and their job roles and responsibilities

    • E.g. when a new employee joins Marks & Spencer, they receive induction training that covers customer service, product knowledge, store policies and safety procedures

On-the-job training

• A type of training that takes place while employees are working in their job roles

  • It allows employees to learn new skills and knowledge from colleagues while performing their job duties

    • E.g. A sous chef at The Ivy Restaurant in York may receive on-the-job training from the chef to learn how to prepare new dishes, use new equipment or improve their cooking techniques

Off-the-job training

• A type of training that takes place outside of the workplace

  • It can be in the form of workshops, seminars, conferences or online courses

    • E.g. Teachers can attend exam board training days at which they learn how to better teach the syllabus and help their students prepare for their exams