The recruitment and selection aim to target not just behaviour, but through behaviour change to affect a change in the culture of the organisation (). With the positive effects of the organisational culture reinforcement, the business objective and strategy could be achieved with gain the competitive advantage on human assets and the survival of the firm in the future.
The recruitment and selection is the first step and the key element of culture reinforcement. If those programmes are effective, the newcomers in the new firm could experience the congruence that ensure the full individual promotion then contribute to the development of the whole company.
Organisational culture & recruitment and selection circle.
Source: Lisa A, Mainiero and Cheryl L. Tromley, Developing Managerial Skills in Organizational Behavior (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1989), P. 403.
- Organisational culture, which is the starting point the circle, set up the principle for the recruitment and selection.
The values, norms, assumption of the organisational culture define what should happen, what is the best for the firm as well as how to behave.() Because the organisational culture show clearly the direction, which will help the employees to understand how to achieve business objectives, therefore it is essential for us to recognize that the organisational culture is the reflection of the strategy; it is the basis of the recruitment and selection programme.
The researchers and studies of the impact of culture indicate that the organisational culture provides and encourages a form of stability as well as a sense of organisational identity. Such kind of feelings, on one side, could influence positively on the employees, for instance, the attitudes, assumptions, and the expectation for themselves, and on the other side, it is able to attract, develop and retain top-quality employees for the organisation, then to gain the competitive advantage on human assets.
Different types of organisation in various industries have their own unique characters that are showed by cultures. For instance, …
- Effective and efficient recruitment and selection could find out the fit employees.
For the effective performance of the company, organisations could use a strategic approach to the recruitment, selection and development of their staff. Such kind of strategy is linked to their overall strategic objectives so that they can utilise their people as a sustained source of competitive advantage.
The fit employees are the candidates who are not only required relative career background, skills and work experiences, but also called the human values that fit the requirements of the culture. For instance “Because for an organisation to be truly effective, every single of it, each person, each activity, each department, must work properly together, because every person and every activity affects and in turn is affected by others.”()
(Appendice South West Airline)
…
Only the match between the human needs and the requirements of the organisation are satisfied simultaneously, the newcomers could function as it supposed to be, then it is possible for the employees to contribute to the whole operation of the company, after they explore their potential ability fully through enjoying their current position.
Key elements of a good recruitment and selection programme will involve the following point:
- Can the candidates do the job? Are they competent?
This requirement is to take great care in specifying the competences and behavioural characteristics required of employees.
- Will the individual do the job? Are they motivated?
A wider range of methods is appealed to see whether candidates could match the specification. Aptitude tests, personality questionnaires and group exercises are used which enable the qualifications and work history of candidates to be assessed and rated systematically. Subsequent testing of those who successfully completed the first stage is designed to assess individual attitudes as well as aptitude and ability.
- How is the individual likely to fit into the organisation?
Organisation fit! The better company’s operations in the overall level, the brighter the future of individual career. The corporate culture and the need for candidates are to be able to work within it.
(Appendices xxx)
This requires anticipating whether the culture your firm emphasizes will be rewarding for potential recruits.
- Effective employees’ performance could be helpful to improve the development of the culture.
How do right employees improve organisational culture when organization recruits and selects correct employees? To grow, even to survive, it is necessary to develop a company culture that attracts, inspires and retains good staff. Build organization and achieve its objectives through nourishing people, stimulating ideas and motivating everyone. The following two ways are used to reinforce and improve organisational culture.
- Reinforcing Culture through Intensive Socialization and Training
Socialization is the process by which an individual comes to understand the values, abilities, expected behaviors, and social knowledge that are essential for assuming an organization role and participating as an organization member. Socialization and selection processes are somewhat substitutable (Chatman, 1991).
Investing in training and staff development programs is good. Staffs will know new organization's vision, mission and values, the issues and major challenges facing company today.
Newcomers will be much more likely to ask their new colleagues for the information they need to hit the ground running in their new job without worrying about a loss of face since they already lost their face at that first meeting! Newcomers are grateful that their new colleagues accept them despite their faults. Further, knowing that others have gone through this unique initiation rite creates a bond that allows members to work together more effectively, and, by increasing their accountability to others, makes it more likely that newcomers will work hard to uphold established organizational norms. (Lee, 2000)
(Appendix xxx)—traing programme
- Reinforcing Culture through the Reward System
Culture is an organization’s informal reward system, and needs to be intricately connected to formal rewards. (Sandra, 2001)
Rewards should be offered to the outstanding staffs. But not all rewards are monetary. They may be public, private, formal, informal, planned, unexpected, elegant, simple, and unique. The most motivating rewards may be public celebrations of the people and actions that exemplify their organization's highest values. People thrive on appreciation, recognition and reward, thus company culture should provide different kinds of reward to satisfy their staff.
At Singapore Airlines for example, the Managing Director's Award is the most prestigious tribute an employee can receive. The award is given each year to those staff members whose action demonstrates the airline's commitment to total quality service. Winners are celebrated, photographed, interviewed, published, wined, dined and praised; yet receive no special monetary award. These people become the legends, heroes and role models of the organization. Their deeds are told and retold for years to come. Their actions and the public recognition they receive keep the airline's values flying high
Though specific rewards (and punishments) may be inappropriate for your organization, the lesson is that rewards need to be clear, consistent, and comprehensive.
Therefore, organization invests enough time and energy to help new staff start right, and actively help new staff settle in and get comfortable for long and productive careers. Employees who get thorough and thoughtful orientations will stay longer and contribute more throughout their careers. At the same time, the organization as well as its culture will reinforce and improve through employees’ fresh ideas, clear target, attitude and contribution in accordance with company.
Summary
Conclusion
The key to good business is good staff. Your competitors can copy your product or service, your location, or business strategies, but they can't copy your people. Getting the best person for the job each time you recruit and select.
The programme of recruitment and selection is one effective way to reinforce the culture within organisations. It is clearly that a correct application of recruitment and selection can contribute the aim to preserve and underpin the core cultures and values of the organisation, therefore, the performances, reflections to the customers could be promoted by the strong impacts of the organisational culture that will guide the behaviours and attitudes of the individuals and groups. Meanwhile, individuals and groups will influence with each other. The continuously development of the organisation will provide the stability and pride to the employees, which means the possibility for the organisation to attract, develop and maintain top-quality employees who are the essential assets to achieve the business objective successfully.
On the other hand, none of the employee or the firm could be benefit from a ineffective recruitment and selection. A failed and wrong-directed programme of recruitment and selection will lead to a waste of company assets and society human resources as well as the restriction to the individual development. Therefore, the recruitment and selection programme plays significant role in the reinforcement and development of organisational culture so that it must be regarded as the first stage to ensure the health of firm’s culture.
Appendices
Stock Adviser: Job Description and Personal Specification
Customer Assistant: Job Overview
South West Standards of Appearance and Uniform
Probationary Periods
Conduct & you
The law and you: main consumer laws
Training Program
Welcome Introduction
Welcome Marks and Spencer Principles
Domestic Information
Domestic Standards of Personal Appearance
General Store Information
Attendance at Work
‘&more’ Credit Card – Product Questions & Answers
Application Form Skills Enhancement Group
Marks & Spencer Performance Management
Marks & Spencer Reward and You (April 2002)
Onyourmarks (October 2003)
Marks And Spencer A Survey – How did we do?
References
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Back, B. (2000) Cisco systens, class presentation. Haas school of Business, Berkely, CA
Chatman, J, A. (1991). Matching people and organisations: Selection and Socialization in public accounting firms. Administration Science Quarterly, 36, 459-484
Diana C. Pheysey. (1993). Organisational cultures. Routledge, London
Sandra E. Cha (2001). Leading by Leverage culture. Harvard Business School, Harvard university, Boston. Financial times- preatice Hall publishers, 11-13
John, M, Michael Matteson. (1999) Organisational behaviour and management 5th ed. Irwin McGraw-Hill, New York
John, P, Wanous, (1980) Organisation entry. Addison-Wesley Publishing Co. London
Lee, L. (2000, February 7). Tricks of E*Trade Business Week. P. EB18
Michael Armstrong, (2001). A handbook of personal management practice. 8th ed. Kogan Page Limited. London