Planning Recruitment and Selection in Human Resources Management

Introduction

Table of Contents

Human resource management is an organization’s function that entails all aspects that are associated with the human resource or workforce in a particular organization, company, or institution. It entails aspects like recruitment, coordination and control of the people working in an organization. Some of the issues linked with human resource management include hiring, compensation and benefits, safety and welfare, communication and motivation, employee performance management, and administration and training, among others.Human resource management is an essential function in every organization as it enhances its overall efficiency and effectiveness through the smooth running of all the activities and operations carried out in the organization. It falls under one of the major components of the management function, which is staffing, the other ones being planning, organizing, coordination, and controlling.The human resource in an organization is a valuable asset that determines the success or failure of the organization through their efforts towards utilizing other assets in the company. It is, however, only through their proper management that maximum efficiency, effectiveness, and profitability can be achieved (Elearn 2009). This piece of work discusses various aspects associated with human resource management, with much emphasis being given to planning, recruitment and selection processes.

Planning, Recruitment, and Selection in HR

The processes of human resource planning, recruitment and selection are very pivotal in any organization, irrespective of size. This is because they determine the quality of employees in the organization, who, in turn, determine how processes are carried out. Human resource planning involves making appropriate decisions regarding the positions an organization should fill and the best ways to fill them. It also entails determining the human resource needs of an organization with respect to the stipulated strategic plan.

Human Resource Planning

Human resource planning plays a significant role in determining the demand and supply factors of labor as well as the problems that are associated with the resolution of these factors. Human resource planning is influenced by an organization’s short-term as well as long-term operational and development needs. The employees’ and stakeholders’ needs and aspirations also play a great role in shaping the human resource planning function of an organization (Roberts, 1997).

Human Resource Recruitment

On the other hand, human resource recruitment entails attracting and encouraging eligible individuals to apply for different positions in an organization. It involves generating a pool of appropriate and qualified candidates for available job positions in an organization.It is a process that commences when the new recruits are identified and ends when the applications from these candidates are received. Recruitment is an essential process as it facilitates the attraction of qualified candidates to apply and discourages unsuited ones from being involved by providing the right job information. Recruitment also plays a role in protecting the organization’s image.

Human Resource Selection Process

The other crucial human resource management function is the selection process. The key issue here entails matching a candidate with the job in question to achieve the best performance. There are various tools that are applied in the selection process, for instance, interviews and referrals.The selection process is very important as it ensures that the right candidates are deployed in terms of qualifications and experience. This is achieved by matching the attributes in the application documents and the practical ones. The selection activities, all the way from the initial screening interview to the final physical examination and practices, are aimed at coming up with successful selection decisions.For the selection process to be effective, it ought to provide a perfect match between the organizational needs and candidates’ qualifications and interests. Effective selection ensures that there is quality performance of an employee right from the start. It also avoids too much expenditure for hiring by avoiding unnecessary processes. It also prevents an organization from legal implications (from incompetent and inappropriate hiring processes) that could be very costly and time-consuming (Elearn, 2009).

The Importance of Planning, Recruitment, and Selection in Human Resource Management

From the above description of the three processes of human resource management, planning, recruitment and selection; it is evident that they contribute greatly to better performance of the employees and the organization as a whole. They are all equally important, and we cannot determine which is more crucial.The processes are also interdependent, and they rely on each other. An effective planning process is likely to lead to effective recruitment practices, leading to an effective selection process. The reverse is also true, and a fault in one of the processes is likely to bring about failures in the others. Hence, the outcome results will be poor hiring, where the hired employees’ qualifications do not match the organizational needs. This leads to poor performance of the employees and that of an organization at large.

The Role of Recruitment, Selection, and Planning Processes – Example

To enhance the understanding of the importance of these processes, I give a situation in my workplace. Before the concepts of effective planning, recruitment and selection were adhered to in our organization, there existed a lot of problems, the leading one being employee turnover.It was then that the management thought of identifying the reasons behind this and how the problems could be solved. The main reasons for employee turnover were the mismatch of their qualifications with the job positions leading to bad performance and, thus, lack of job satisfaction.This was due to poor planning, recruitment as well as selection, where there was no proper identification of the organization’s needs, and hence these led to poor recruitment practices where the appropriate job information was not provided. This, in turn, led to poor selection, people would not perform as expected, and lack of job satisfaction led to instances of quitting. Another issue was a lack of motivation, where the employees never felt appreciated and valued (Mathis & Jackson, 2008).

Proper steps were taken, and the policies governing the processes of planning, recruitment and selection and the general human resource management were revised. This has improved the situation greatly, and there are very low turnover rates as most employees are suitable for their jobs and put in good working conditions that foster job satisfaction.The impact of the above scenario has taught me a lot in regard to carrying out practices, both official as well as personal. There is a need for an individual to carry out activities having in mind the consequences of each action. Right procedures are crucial, and nothing should be taken for granted.

The Importance of Optimization of HRM for Organization & Employees

As it is clear that human resource management is a crucial element for the success of an organization, it is therefore evident that there is a need to optimize the Human Resources Management role in an effort to shape organizational and employee behavior. There are various ways through which the human resource management function could be enhanced to bring about the desired performance.This could entail motivation of the employees, for instance, through the provision of favorable working conditions, ensuring job satisfaction, assuring them of job security, providing incentives, giving rewards for good performance as well as providing compensations, among others. Ethics and the spirit of working hard to achieve the best result possible is an aspect that should be cultivated among all stakeholders in an organization.There have been new learning and improvements in the field of human resource management. This has been in an effort to improve the situations in organizations. The management and other responsible personnel must understand the importance of the human resource or workforce in an organization with respect to their contribution to the organization.In the past, employment and compensation philosophy focused mainly on wages or payments. However, little consideration was given to the working conditions in which the employees worked, which is very important in enhancing the performance and success of an organization. Employees were treated merely as equipment that would be replaced every now and then.

Currently, the concept has changed, and employees ought to be treated more humanely to motivate them to perform better. Attracting and retaining quality and appropriate employees has become a major challenge faced by businesses in today’s economy, where competition is on the rise daily. An organization’s reward and compensation policy is, therefore, an important tool that should help it attract, motivate, and retain employees.The changes in perspective through which the employees are viewed are very advantageous, and it has seen many organizations succeed in their operations. Empowerment of employees, for instance, allows for job satisfaction where they feel well-represented, appreciated, and valued.These act as a form of motivation, and the employees are always willing to perform to their best for their own sake and that of the organization. This results in improved performance and overall success and productivity through the maintenance of efficiency, effectiveness as well as economy in the processes and practices of the organization (Roberts, 1997).

Conclusion

It is clear that human resource management is a very crucial function in an organization. The processes of human resource planning, recruitment and selection are very important as they determine the performance of an organization to a very large extent; they should, for this reason, be handled carefully to allow for their success and hence that of the organization as a whole. The processes are dependent on each other, and success in one leads to success in the other, and the reverse is also true.The changes in the practices involved in these three practices, plus others in the human resource management docket, have been fueled by the understanding of the importance that is associated with human resources and hence the need for proper selection, hiring, and retention. The recognition that employees are the driving force toward the success of an organization has also contributed positively to the process of human resource management.