Companies usually get responses in the form of application letters, telephone applications and or a Curriculum Vitae (CV). Many companies ask for a letter of application accompanied by a CV. A CV lists the candidates various skills, qualifications, work experience and their hobbies and interests. It is a great way for companies to get an insight in to the candidate.
Once the business feels that they have received a sufficient amount of applications then they will start ‘short listing’. This involves taking the letters of application, CV’s etc. and picking the candidates they feel fit the job role best. These candidates will then be called in for interview. Those that do not get called in for interview will have had poorly presented letters of application and or do not fit the job/person specification.
Companies can use many different methods to interview candidates. This depends entirely on the company’s culture and type of organisation. Interviews are usually carried out formally although some interviews are more relaxed and less formal. Below is a list of the types of interviews companies can use:
Formal Interviews
These interviews are usually carried out by a panel of people rather than on a one-to-one basis. Guidelines are usually strict in these interviews to ensure that applicants are chosen in the fairest way possible.
Informal Interviews
These interviews are carried out on a one-to-one basis and the interviewer asks general questions. Minimal preparation is needed for this type of interview.
Demonstrations/Presentations
A business may need the applicant to demonstrate particular skills that will be needed in the job. This could be demonstrating the fact that they can present information to a group of people or are creative and imaginative.
Aptitude Tests
These are short tests that are taken by the candidate to prove such things as literacy and numeric skills.
Personality Tests
These are tests designed to get an idea of the type of character the candidate is. There are no right or wrong answers the interviewer would want to see how the candidate responded to various situations or tasks.
Teamwork Exercises
Sometime companies interview more than one candidate at a time and set them tasks to work together. The idea being that the interviewers can pick out leadership skills and see how they respond to team working.
Application to HSBC
HSBC’s main form of recruitment is recruitment agencies. These agencies are a popular choice as administrative paperwork is significantly reduced. These are also popular choices when a company needs to employ a person on a temporary basis as the recruitment agency deals with the recruitment and dismissal when the workload has been completed. Agencies can be costly and some agencies take up to 20% of the applicants wage. HSBC need to ensure that they pick a reputable agency as if they pick a bad agency their company image could be damaged. The main reason HSBC use recruitment agencies is because they have a shortage of human resource managers and using these agencies cuts down a lot of the administrative paperwork. The recruitment agency is as effective as employing several more staff members and is therefore beneficial to the company.
HSBC also advertise in newspapers when they have a job vacancy. As I have said a company can expect a fair amount of responses from advertising in newspapers. Some of the main features that can be included in newspaper adverts are listed below:
- Annual Wage – this allows people to see an exact figure that they can potentially earn. This may attract a lot of people if the figure meets their salary needs
- Job Description – this actually lists what the job will involve and the candidate can get an idea of what the job will be like
- Benefits – this shows the candidate what benefits come with the job. This could be a company car, staff discounts etc. and is a great tool in attracting people to a certain job
Another main source of recruitment is the company’s website. Here the candidates can find information about the culture at HSBC and can also submit applications and CV’s online. These are sent directly to the human resources department at the local HSBC site and feedback is given via letter or email. Advertising on their website saves a lot of money for HSBC and also if candidates apply online admin costs are reduced. Also the company can put a lot of information on the website compared to newspaper adverts and candidates can get a real taste for the company’s culture.
When a company receives a large amount of applications it is the job of the human resources department to sort through each one marking them off according to the job description and person specification. If candidates pass the pre-screening stage then they are usually called in for interview.
- Competency Based Interviews
These are the type of interviews that test the competency and ability of applicants. HSBC use these type of interviews. These interviews will be based around the job description and person specification and those applicants that do not fit the criteria will be refused. The candidate will be assessed on his or her competency through various questions. The results of these questions will be noted and turned into a score the person with the highest score will be offered the job.
Candidates who have made it through the pre-screening process are often sent away to assessment centres. At these assessment centres candidates are monitored in teamwork exercises to see how each candidate works in a team. It allows the company to see whether the individuals take the lead role, dominate or simply follow orders. As HSBC is a financial company candidates may be tested for numeracy skills. The company may also look at attributes such as politeness, telephone manner and literacy.
HSBC take an active interest in all of their employees and potential employees. For this reason the company issues questionnaires to be filled in by current employees or applicants. This is a good form of feedback for HSBC as they get a good idea of what employees want and need and what applicants are looking for in a job. The questionnaires issued to applicants are designed to get a better view as to whether they are capable for the job. The questionnaires also aims to find out if the applicants have any disabilities that will prevent them from doing the job fully and helps to avoid discrimination. Even things such as allergies need to be highlighted as if HSBC overlooked this and an employee was to fall ill due an allergic reaction caused by the workplace the company could be prosecuted.
HSBC have to abide by every law that is set on how employers treat their employees. Employees are a lot more aware of their rights in the workplace today and employers have to be careful they do not abuse the rights of any employee. HSBC ensure that each employee is aware of his or her statuary rights. These are issued in a handbook and cover things such as legal and general laws that affect them while at work and other information such as pay and employee holidays. HSBC’s current working hours are 35 hours per week. Employees are allocated 25 days standard leave. The company also adheres by the minimum wage, which for people of ages 18+ is £4.85 per hour.
HSBC also use 5 main documents during the recruitment and selection process. These documents are:
Person Specification
- Pre Selection Scoring Sheet
- Application for Employment
- Interview
- Advert
Job Description
When advertising a job HSBC will create a job description. The job description gives a brief insight into the job and allows candidates to see if they would be suited in that type of employment. Occasionally the job description is used after a candidate is successful in getting a job as a guide to ensure the job is as it was described.
Person Specification
The person specification outlines what type of person would be suited for the role. It enables the candidate to see whether he/she has the right skills and attributes for the job and allows HSBC to specify the exact type of person they are looking for.
Pre Selection Scoring Sheet
Here a scoring sheet is used during interviews to assess whether the person is worthy of the job the person is given a score according to how they perform. The areas that are covered in this document and the points awarded for each are as follows:
- Relevant work experience (Max 4)
External interests/cultural activities)
- Recent experience (Max 12)
- Other skills (Max 1)
- Overall impression of the application form (Max 4)
- Academic Qualifications (Max 4)
If the candidate is awarded a sufficient score they stand a good chance of getting the job. An example of this scoring sheet can be seen below:
Application for Employment
This is the form filled in when a candidate applies for a job. It includes sections on:
- Personal Details
- Academic/professional qualifications
- Employment History
- Financial Service and Markets Act 2000
- Equal opportunities monitoring
Here the candidate will fill in details on name, address, telephone number etc. They will fill in details on whether they want to work full-time or part-time. Also they will fill in the position they are applying for and their preferred location.
- Academic/professional qualifications
Here candidates will put down any relevant qualifications they have that may help them obtain the job. These could be GCSE’s, A-levels or degree qualifications.
Here the candidate will put down any previous or current jobs they have had. They will be asked what their current salary is and whether or not they have ever been self-employed.
- Financial Service and Markets Act 2000
Here the candidate is run through a series of questions relating to the Financial Service and Markets Act 2000. They are asked questions such as, have you ever had membership to the FSA? They are then asked to sign the form.
- Equal Opportunities Monitoring
Here the candidate is asked to give detail of their age, sex and any disability they might have. This avoids HSBC being discriminative in any interviews.
Interview
The interview is a key process and enables HSBC to get the right person for the job. They can access the various competencies and qualities of each candidate and get a clear understanding of whether the candidate is suited to the job. The interview process also enables HSBC to get an idea of the personality of the candidate which is an important part to see if the person can get along with others in the workplace.
Advert
The advert is a key part to recruiting at HSBC. The advert aids the company in attracting relevant candidates and allows HSBC to give information on the type of job and the roles that it will entail. The advert shows the potential salary that employees can earn and the other benefits that will come with the job. It gives all the relevant contact information and the closing dates for application.
