RECRUITING AND ORIENTING THE WORKFORCE
--From Administrative Office Management, Keeling & Kallaus
SOURCES OF OFFICE WORKERS
Selecting the sources of office employees is based on these criteria: interviewing
a minimum number of applicants to save the employers time; carefully screening reliable sources to reduce turnover; and creating
a workforce that is cooperative, progressive, productive, and happy.
RECRUITING, SELECTING, AND RETAINING WORKFORCE
1. Determining the Needs for Human Resources
- Personnel Requisition
- Job Specifications
- Sources of Supply.
2. Recruiting
- Referrals,
- Advertising
- Applications
3. Selecting
- Interviewing
- Testing
- Checking References.
4. Retaining
- Orienting Employee handbook, Orientation checklist, Sponsors, Meetings, Follow-ups.
- Supervising Motivating, Building morale, Counseling, Setting goals, Delegating,
Establishing ethics and value system, Planning career goals.
- Training Initial or entry, Upgrading, Retraining, Supervisory training and
development.
- Salary Administration Job analysis, Job pricing, Incentives, Benefits.
- Performance Appraisal Promotion Transfer, Retention in present position,
Demotion, Termination.
SELECTING OFFICE WORKERS
- Personnel Requisition Form
This form specifies the number of persons required and the kind of work to
be done. If job specifications have been prepared, they are studied in order to obtain specific information concerning the
job requirements. This study is completed before any search for a job applicant begins. The department head prepares this
document.
- Application Form
The information called for on an application form is usually grouped under
the headings of personal information, education, business experience, references, and general remarks. Careful use of application
forms permits a preliminary screening of applicants for position, thus saving the interviewers time.
- The Interview
During the interview you can select specific areas to discuss or clarify.
You should guard against arriving at hasty conclusions regarding the applicants personality, intelligence, skills, abilities,
and motivation. You should try to remain as objective as possible and resist drawing conclusions about the applicant until
the interview is well under way and you have obtained enough evidence to justify your feelings. During the interview, you
can evaluate the applicants personal appearance in relation to the job opening and to any dress codes your firm may have established.
- Record of Interview
The record of interview contains in an organized formal all the information
acquired during the interview. The record aids you, as an interviewer, in remembering all the facts and making a thorough
analysis regarding an applicants employment. If the personal interview was favourable and there is a possibility of employment,
you may schedule a follow-up interview during which you use the interview record.
- Reference Checks and Letters of Recommendation
Former employer named as a reference may provide only information such as
dates of employment, the persons job title, location of job site, and possibly the salary. Telephone calls are an excellent
means of checking references when time is of the essence and thorough information is essential.
- Record of Employment
The record of employment, typically maintained in the human resources department
of medium-size and large companies, consists of the employees resume and a history of employment with the firm. In addition
to providing personal data and other informatio9n usually found on the application, the record of employment is kept up to
date by recording such information as employees absences, promotions, transfers, and salary increases. Much of the information
kept on the record of employment is needed at the time of employee appraisal and also for preparing statistical reports required
by government agencies.
PREEMPLOYMENT TESTING
The use of tests in selecting office workers is based on these two principles:
- Tests for selecting, placing, evaluating, and promoting office employees
must be administered and interpreted in an unbiased, objective manner.
- Tests are not exclusive devices but supplementary tools in the total assessment
of personnel.
TYPES OF EMPLOYMENT TESTS
- Intelligence tests designed to measure mental and reasoning ability.
- Aptitude tests designed to measure the ability to perform a particular kind of tasks and to predict future performance
on the job or in training.
- Achievement tests designed to measure the degree of proficiency in a given type of work such as typewriting and related
clerical skills.
- Personality and psychological tests designed to measure abstract concepts such as aggressiveness, honesty, integrity,
independence, conformity, and passivity.
- Interest tests designed to identify a persons likes and dislikes to aid in career counseling.
Test Reliability and Validity
- Reliability The test should measure consistently the items it is designed
to measure. This means that the same general score can be expected if the test is given to the same person more than once.
- Validity A test has validity if it can be shown to serve the purpose for
which it was intended.
ORIENTING THE STAFFOrientation
refers to a carefully planned, systematic, and effective introduction of new workers to their jobs so they may start working
with a minimum of delay, misunderstanding, and error.
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