Job Applications and curriculum vitae
When an employee has found a job they want to apply for it, so the next step is to make their application. Many other people may also be applying for the same job so it's important that the employee makes a good impression. When a candidate apply for a job it is likely that they will be asked to fill in an application form or send curriculum vitae (CV) with a covering letter. They might also be able to apply for a job online using an electronic application form, which is a good way to show their IT skills.
A CV is a short account about the candidate, your work experience and qualifications. It should ideally be about two sides of A4 paper, giving a potential employer key facts about the employee. They might send a CV to an employer when applying for a job in writing or online. If they have a disability which means that they are unable to produce a written or typed CV, they could send an audio version of your CV.
There is no set format, but you may find it useful to include the following:
- personal details
- personal profile/career history
- achievements
- work history
- training/qualifications
- interests/spare time activities
- references
Soon after the recruitment process, the selection process will kick in as a business must select the best workforce or individual available and are right for the job. The selection process can be broken down in the following stages:
- Writing letters inviting candidates to interview
- Preparing interview documentation
- Tasks for interviewees to undertake
- Carrying out an interview process
- Post interviews, taking up references and other security checks
- Informing successful/ unsuccessful applicants
- Gaining applicant acceptance
Shortlist
Shortlist involves a list of possible applicants for a job vacancy in a business. Those applicants, who do no meet the requirements of a business, will simply get rejected. Business possibly shortlist candidates into piles which are:
- Suitable- most of the criteria
- Possible- relevant criteria with some potential
This is an important process to a business because this will save time which businesses do not wish to lose but gain everything they can within a time constraint. Also, a better workforce will be in action with a better output, as it has been said if you put rubbish in, you will get rubbish out.
Writing letters inviting candidates to interview
Letters are sent to notify successful candidates for an interview which it gives a brief description of where and when the interview will take place. Some businesses require candidates to undertake tasks as a possible procedure before the interview. This is important to a business because candidates will need to know whether they are available at that required time, make decisions on how will they get there and whether they have a clash with other interviews offered by other businesses.
Preparing interview documentation
It is a duty for an interviewer or a panel of interviewers to draw up a list of questions to the interviewee. Equal opportunities regulate all the questions must remain the same to all candidates with equal amount of time to answer as well. The interviewee is judges against his person specification and the job criteria that meets against the job description. Some interviewing panels use a sheet that sets out their comments and the level of ability that the candidate has achieved which ranges from 1-5 like a score sheet.
Carrying out the interview process
Interviewees intend to get nervous and hesitate when answering questions because they fear that they may say something irrelevant, which may decrease their chances of getting the job. Interviewers have introduced an appropriate approach to this problem with a reasonable solution. The solution is that at the start of an interview, the interviewers use small talk such as how was your day? Or how was your travel? Any problems?
Some interview panels use beverages such as tea or coffee. The interviewee should always reply ‘yes,’ to one of the two or simply ask for a glass of water. If they are confident enough then he or she can request how many sugars or milk if any required.
Interview questions
Interviewees are asked a lot a questions which employers must ensure that to verify interviewees’ CV, uncover more information, evaluate communication skills and professionalism and establish the reference of their experience.
The interviewer must try to avoid questions that may discriminate the interviewee. It’s unlawful to discriminate on the grounds of:
- Age
- Gender
- Race
- Disability
- Martial status
- Nationality
- Sexual orientation
- Colour
- Religion
- Ethnic on national origins
Also the employer will need to try to avoid closed and double- barrelled questions. Both parities must speak clearly and be professional. The employer will need to remain positive and neutral throughout the process even if the question is misunderstood, the employer should repeat the question and allow time for responses but they should never try to finish a person’s sentence.
Body language
A person’s body language can predetermine if or he or she is interested or not. Sometimes it can partly relate to the eyes which has been said when trying to remember something the eyes moves to one side and when been creative the eyes moves to the other side.
Also signs of I can’t hear you or face expressions can show someone is confused. Someone that leans forward with his or her hand are under their chin seems they are interested but someone with their arms down, looking sideways can suggest that they are bored.
Other common examples of body language are folding of arms which suggest that they are unwilling to listen or someone that looks at their watch is impatient.
Closing the interview
When closing the interview both parties must still remain professional which a hand sake at the end or a friendly ‘thanks for listening,’ from the interviewers will be an ideal approach to end an interview. If the interviewee is not successful, employees can approach the employers and ask questions on where they had gone wrong and any improvements if necessary. This will set an example of a good interviewee which the interviewer may get impressed as they are willing to learn and may have a job prospect in the business
Post interviews, taking up references and other security checks
After the process of selection is completed, the best possible candidate will be selected for the post. The chair of the interview panel will contact the candidate over the phone to see if he or she is willing to take the job. After the decision is made, immediately this becomes as a formal acceptance. But before the final offer is made the employer will want to take up references as how the candidate complies with his or her working environment in previous employments.
Also, security checks may be required on the candidate for any past criminal records as a safety precaution towards their safety of their employees in the business.
Informing successful/ unsuccessful applicants
It is important to inform successful and unsuccessful applicants because they will feel aggrieved if not told or told promptly. Also this may create a bad impression on the business, which may lose customers as the candidate could be their customers and other potential candidates who may want to work for the business in the near future.
Gaining applicant acceptance
As I have mentioned before the formal acceptance is done over the phone by the chair of the interview panel. This must be done quickly as their first choice candidate may have applied for a similar job with a different organisation. If the business is too late or the first choice candidate declines the offer for some apparent reason, then they move on to the second best applicant.
Once the successful applicant is selected and recruited, the employee is introduced to his or her new workplace, job and the people who he or she will be working with. This is known as the induction process. This is important to a business because the induction helps new employees to start work without any problems but generally it is aimed to make the employee fit in with people in the business.
The induction process is not as simple as it looks. The human resources department must prepare an induction programme that is suitable for the onset of the employee starts work. The induction programme may include:
- An awareness of the workings and objectives of a business;
- An awareness of health and safety issues;
- Requirements when absent, ill or late;
- Introductions to management and workmates;
- Identification of any immediate training needs.
An awareness of the workings and objectives of a business
The general idea of an induction is to get new employees to feel welcome, part of the team and feel that they play a vital role in a business. As well as getting new employees feel appreciated, businesses must enforce the awareness of issues such as the business’s policies and regulations, their rights and entitlements to work but most important of all is the employees to be familiar with health and safety requirements.
This will ensure that the new employees don’t feel any less important from their previous line of employment and will enable them to start working as soon as possible with efficiency and effectiveness.
An awareness of health and safety issues
The Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA, HASWA or HASAWA) is a United Kingdom law enacted in 1974 that set basic principles which must be followed by both employees and employers to help ensure a safe working environment. Businesses must ensure that there are no hazards that can endure the person’s mental and physical being.
The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
This act refers to the storage, the handling and use of substances that are harmful to health such as cleaning materials.
Requirements when absent, ill or late
It is important for employees to know what is required in the state of them being absent or late for work. This is important to the business because it can directly affect production as they may not have enough people to do the tasks.
In many retail businesses, employees must inform their supervisors one hour in advance in case of an absence and an explanatory note. In the situation of lateness, their supervisors will need to be informed by telephone to as where they are and cover can be provided temporarily. Any employee absent more than a week is required to bring a doctor’s certificate as their sickness benefits is a government entitlement which failure to do so, their job and sickness benefits will be in risk.
Introductions to management and workmates
During the induction process it is preferable that new employees are introduced to their managers and workmates. This will form an understanding between the new employees and his or her colleagues and hopefully form a good relationship, which will give a good impression on the business
Identification of any immediate training needs
During the induction, employees will have the slightest idea of the software and processes that the business operates with. The employer will explain and refer back to employee’s CV and might elaborate on the information provided by employees about their level of expertise. Now employers for most organisations require employees to have some level of attainment in ICT.
Microsoft Office may be common to some but they may have not received training or experienced on how to use it to their full advantage. For example when writing the same letter but to different addresses, the user does not need to save the Word document several times or edit the Word document several times because there is a feature on Microsoft Word which is called mail merge.
These issues like the effective use of Microsoft Office can be identified on what ability the employee can achieve or is the employee sustainable over time. If the employee however does not have a clue then the training will be carried out formally as a course so to ensure the employee can do his or her job properly.
Businesses use incentives to motivate its workforce, in order for them to remain in competitive form. These incentives include:
Financial Incentives such as:
- Wages, salaries and bonuses
- Profit sharing
- Share options
Non-financial Incentives such as:
- Goal setting
- Perks and status symbols
- Appraisal
- Meeting training needs
Financial Incentives
In business recruitment, selection, induction processes are expensive as they all require time and money. So therefore from management point of view a payment system should recruit the right number of employees with their quality of labour. If the numbers of employees or the employees themselves are not right, it will lead to job leavings which it will be expensive to advertise and train new workforce.
Also employees’ structure of pay must in a way encourage motivation and performance which will follow on for additional rewards and benefits.
Wages, salaries and bonuses
Flat rate
This is paid monthly or weekly basis with a set number of hours. Used commonly for permanent full time or part time staff.
Time rate
This is paid by a set rate per hour. Commonly used for flexible employees and temporary part time staff. If hours are worked over, they are paid at an overtime rate.
Bonuses
A bonus is an incentive to workers as recognition of their effort and hard work and if they exceed certain target then there are other extra bonuses that are awarded. It can retain the ability of workers to stay competitive and focused on their targets so production can run smoothly. The bonus is paid out of the businesses’ profit, which employees will know how well the business is doing.
Performance related pay
This type of pay has been recently introduced which is vigoursly assessed against working objectives with a specific level of attainment. This has been widely used in police forces, universities, insurance companies and banking.
Profit Sharing
This is an incentive tool has been widely used in many organisations. Bonuses are paid on the basis of the company’s performance.
Share options
When joining a company, employees are encouraged to buy company shares as they can be rewarded against the business’s performance. They receive dividends which are paid twice yearly.
Fringe Benefits
In order to attract and keep employees, businesses use pay and conditions of a workplace to attract employees. As well as them two combined, fringe benefits are awarded as an additional bonus which may include:
- Pension schemes
- Canteen services/ meals
- Holiday entitlements
- Discount on company products
- Private healthcare
- Sports, leisure and social facilities
Non-financial Incentives
Fringe benefits can be non-financial incentives as well financial incentives. For example the company’s pension scheme involves taking a certain percentage out of the employee’s salary or wages, which then the company saves that money in an interest account. This is important to a business because it will give an impression to the employees that the company is looking ahead, which this will keep a good relationship with the business on a long term basis.
Goal setting
Goals are set towards employees as to create a sense of some level of team or individual achievement. This is an important motivational factor as it can relate to employees exceeding or achieving their targets which if there is some level of consistency, they may be internally promoted. So therefore the cost of recruiting, selecting and inducting is reduced and time is saved.
Perks and status symbols
A perk is an extra which some businesses give. Such as an employee at Cadbury’s world can have a certain amount of free chocolate or their family or friends get a free tour of the factory.
A status symbol simply relates to the employees level of sophistication and achievement in the business. Also it could relate to the level of authority he or she has in the hierarchal structure. From having a sign on the door to a bigger office, people react instantly as they are marked special.
Appraisal
Another type of goal setting is appraisal which is designed to review in coming periods. This can be done through the process of performance appraisal or staff appraisal.
Performance appraisal
This is done systematically through the providence of feedback which can be analysed for adjustments.
Staff appraisal
This process consists of stages which is conducted by a line manager or team leader who meets the job holder and discuss what is expected and needs improving.
Meet training needs
Some employees feel that they are not valued or cared for at work which most businesses have introduced mentoring and coaching as the solution. Trainees will be likely to get into problems which mentoring kicks in to help the situation. Mentoring involves trainees being paired with more experienced employees. Statistics alone does not help to improve performance; personal coaches will be assigned to individuals in the workplace. The coaching will identify opportunities to improve performance and tackling jobs.
Motivational theories
As well as motivating employees with financial and non- financial rewards, motivational theorists Maslow, Herzberg and McGregor show that true motivation cannot be bought.
Maslow
Maslow suggested that there is a hierarchy of needs can be split in to five sections. This is the following:
- Basic needs- basic requirements such as a good working environment and a minimum wage to help employees to survive.
- Security needs- requirements of safety, secure job, protection from unfair treatment such as bullying or verbal abuse, a lunch and morning break and a pension scheme.
- Group needs- there are individuals who work best alone and others who work best in groups because to have a sense of belonging to the business. People will need to be grouped into teams with a team leader.
- Self-esteem needs- this is based on individual desires. Their wish of gaining respect from others, recognition of their hard work with praises and reward.
- Self-fulfilment- placed at the top as it is the employee’s work of style and knowledge. They must exceed their targets to the full ability.
Herzberg
Herzberg referred his motivational theory to KITA (kick in the ass) that motivate people. He believes that when we want to really do something but not told to do so, this is motivation. He has identified dissatisfiers and satisfiers that could affect employees output and ability to change.
The dissatifiers are:
- Unpredictable company policy and administration
- Low pay
- Poor working conditions
- Division in relationships between the different levels of the business
- Unfriendly relationships with the chain of command
- Unfair management and supervision
- Unfair treatment of employees
- Impossibility for development of the individual
The satisfiers are:
- Recognition of effort and performance
- The nature of the job itself- any meaning or challenges?
- Sense of achievement
- Assumption of responsibility
- Opportunity for promotion
Herzberg suggests employees should be handed with greater responsibility with tasks from the levels of hierarchy. This will help build creativity and somehow give their jobs some meaning.
Douglas McGregor
McGregor suggested that there are two types of managers, using theories X and Y. He believes theory X managers have the view that:
- Average person dislikes the job, so management needs to encourage improvement of performance with incentives.
- People just hate their job, which they need to be threatened or forced to get things done
- The average person works best when given instructions so therefore has little ambitions to succeed in life.
He also believed theory Y managers have a contrasting view and believe in handing the responsibility to employees. He believes theory X managers have the view that:
- Work is generally enjoyable which the workplace needs to be right;
- Employees identify company objectives which will motivate them to work hard to achieving them;
- Self-fulfilment is the best reward which managers will need to create opportunities for employees to handle themselves;
- Willingness to learn and not afraid to take responsibility;
- People at work can rarely use their full potential as it is not required.
McGregor saw that there is a lot of potential in organisations which they will need to know how to use it to their full advantage.
The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 and 1986
There are two kinds of sex discrimination that are direct discrimination when you are treated unfairly because of your sex and indirect discrimination when conditions that appear to apply to everyone actually discriminate against you on the grounds of your sex. For example, an advert saying that only people more than six feet tall can apply for a certain job would exclude far more women than men because so this would class as indirect discrimination. In 1986 sex discrimination act covered on the martial status when applying for a job in the way you are asked to carry out your job in your chances for promotion and training if you are dismissed or made redundant. Employers must not say that some jobs are for men or for women because there is less hard labour nowadays.
The Race Relations Act 1976
The Race Relations Act is concerned with people's actions and the effects of their actions, not their opinions or beliefs. Discrimination occurs when someone is treated less favourably on grounds of their colour, race, nationality or national or ethnic origin. It is not necessary to prove that someone intended to discriminate against you, it is sufficient only to show that the outcome of their action was that you received less favourable treatment.
The Race Relations Act identifies the two main types of racial discrimination:
- Direct racial discrimination
This occurs when you are able to show that you have been treated less favourably on racial grounds than others in similar circumstances. To prove this, it will help if you can give an example of someone from a different racial group who, in similar circumstances, has been treated more favourably than the employee him or her self. Racist abuse and harassment are forms of direct discrimination.
As defined in the race regulations, indirect discrimination on grounds of race or ethnic or national origin occurs when a person applies to another person.
The Disability Discrimination Act
The Disability Discrimination Act is a law that makes it illegal to discriminate against disabled people. Under the DDA discrimination can occur when:
- a disabled person is treated less favourably than someone else
- the treatment is for a reason relating to the person's disability
The DDA also requires employers, service providers and those in education to make reasonable adjustment for a disabled person. E.g. elevators or disabled ramps constructed by the entrances and exits. Failure to do this may also be discrimination.
The Equal Pay Act 1970
The purpose of the Equal Pay Act is to eliminate discrimination between and men women in the same employment in pay and other terms and conditions of their contracts of employment such bonus payments, holidays and sick leave. The Act provides for equal pay between women and men in the same employment by giving a woman the right to equal opportunity in the terms of her contract of employment when she is employed on similar work of a man of the similar nature.
The Employment Rights Act 1996
This act confirms the legal rights of employees and covers the contract of employment, pay slips, time off work, suspension from work, maternity rights if the employee is a women of course, termination of employment, unfair dismissal and redundancy.
Pay
Employees are usually paid weekly which is called wages or monthly which is called a salary. Extra payments are only given if the employee agrees with the employer to work over time and bonuses are made usually during holidays or meeting certain targets.
Dismissal
A dismissal can only be made if the employer feels that the behaviour of the employee is unacceptable or breaks the terms on his or her contract which the only alternative will be to sack the employee. But a unfair dismissal will occur if the employer has not been given a verbal warning first time round and second time round a written warning detailing the offence for which the employee is being disciplined for, which after all this if the employee continues to commit the offence then the employer can legally take action, which may consist of suspension, dismissal or demotion of the employee’s current job which the demoted job will have a lower wage.
Contract
The contract must state the employee’s details, the current employer’s details, the pay, type of job, the date to start work and the termination of the contract if it is temporary.
