British Airways: Why are recruitment and selection important?

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“Why is effective recruitment and selection important to your chosen organisation? Critically examine different selection techniques in terms of their usefulness to your chosen organisation.”

The organization chosen for the research is British Airways (BA). BA is one of the world’s leading airlines, providing passenger and freight services to 149 destinations in 72 countries around the world. Recruitment and selection are essential processes for most companies in general and British Airways in particular. According to Torrington and Hall (2005: p 788): “Recruitment is a process whereby a business seeks applicants either generally or for particular vacancies. Potential applicants are interested but there is no mutual obligation.” Therefore recruitment could be considered as one way process which enables management to decide among the appropriate candidates. Selection, however, described by Torrington and Hall (2005: p 788) as: “The process whereby not only does the employer choose between two or more interested applicants, but applicants also select, deciding how much further they wish to pursue their original enquiry. The end of the process is a legally binding agreement.”         Hence, the process is transformed towards participation of both: the recruiting company and the individual suitable for the position, focusing on the actual choice of the most suitable employee for the organization and the appropriate company in terms of needs and ambitions for the individual. British Airways (Corporate Responsibility Report 2006: p 6) claims: “Our employees are critical to the success of our company.” Therefore, being one of the world’s biggest airlines, the importance of recruitment and selection processes is essential for BA in order to ensure that not only employees are appropriately chosen, but the service experience, influenced by staff suitability, is beneficial for the passengers.

Human Resource Management (HRM) models are used by British Airways in order to ensure that company strategies are achieved through suitable recruitment and selection processes as well as other HRM procedures. BA operates in terms of managing human resources based on two rather diverse models: Harvard and Michigan. The Harvard interpretation considers employees as resources and motivation and pay as a reward system. Moreover, competence, commitment, congruence and cost effectiveness are core of policies to be achieved. British Airways are continuously emphasising the importance of employees for the success of the business. Since 1980s the company attempted to improve the quality of “flying experience” by motivation and investment to the Human Resource Management Department. As, for example, the investment towards “Win hearts and minds of employees” program, which by the middle of 1990s ensured the improvement towards the organization’s profits as well as the desirability of employment among workforce. Currently, due to well established “BA Way” approach which introduced new perspectives in recruitment area, as for example e-recruitment, British Airways successfully continues to promote the selection of suitable candidates available. Moreover, BA () indicates, that: Currently 58 per cent of employees feel motivated to help British Airways achieve its business goals… with aim to achieve 75 per cent…” Hence, the company is concerned with employees’ enthusiasm impact on performance.

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However, the Michigan model with a harder, less humanistic approach, suggests that employees are resources in the same way as any other business resource. And, therefore, should be, according to Human Resource Management Guide (2007): “Obtained as cheaply as possible, used scarcely and developed and exploited as much as possible.” BA () stresses that: “Recruitment is closely monitored to ensure that it is only authorised if the company is confident that the business need is critical, and there are no suitable internal candidates available.” Moreover according to BA Annual Report (2006: p 35): “The British Airways Training Department delivers in ...

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