Recruitment
- The recruitment process: identify the vacancy, write a job description (the duties of the job) and a person specification (the skills, qualities and qualifications needed), advertise, shortlist candidates from their applications or CVs, interview or test them, then appoint.
- Internal recruitment fills a job with someone already in the business. It is cheaper and quicker, the person is known, and promotion can motivate staff, but it brings no new ideas and leaves another vacancy.
- External recruitment brings in someone from outside. It brings new ideas and a wider choice, but is slower, more expensive and riskier.
Ways of working
- Full-time, part-time, zero-hours contracts (no guaranteed hours), temporary and fixed-term contracts, freelancers and contractors, flexible working and remote working.
Training
- Induction training introduces new staff to the business, its rules, and health and safety.
- Formal training includes courses. Informal training happens on the job, often by learning from experienced staff. Staff can also learn by themselves.
- Performance reviews set targets and identify training needs.
- Training creates skilled, productive and motivated staff, improves quality and service, and reduces staff turnover. But it costs money and time, and trained staff might leave for other jobs.
Key terms
- Recruitment
- The process of finding and appointing new staff.
- Job description
- A list of the duties and responsibilities of a job.
- Person specification
- A list of the skills, qualities and qualifications needed for a job.
- Internal recruitment
- Filling a job with someone already working in the business.
- External recruitment
- Filling a job with someone from outside the business.
- Induction
- Training that introduces new staff to the business.
- Zero-hours contract
- A contract with no guaranteed hours of work.
- Staff turnover
- The rate at which staff leave a business.
- Performance review
- A meeting to discuss an employee's progress and targets.