Job advertisements are announcements of a job opportunity placed in various media to inform potential candidates of a job vacancy. Job adverts usually contain small amounts of text including the job title, location, key roles and responsibilities and how to apply. Some employers include the salary and benefits in the advert too. However, some employers prefer to wait until they offer the job before revealing the salary.

• Internal adverts mean only existing employees can see it and apply for it. Examples of how a firm may place an internal advert are on a notice board or via staff emails.

• External adverts mean that people outside of the organisation can also apply for job vacancies. Examples of how a firm may advertise externally include the company website, newspapers, industry periodicals and recruitment agencies.

job analysis is the process of identifying the tasks that are needed to complete the operations of a business and the skills and experience needed from staff to complete those tasks to a high standard.  Through this process, a business may find areas where staff are unavailable or unqualified to complete certain tasks the HR department can make a judgement on whether recruitment is needed.

A job description is a document that outlines the main roles and responsibilities of a job role. It may include the job title, the location, who the employee will report to, who will report to them and a summary of duties. A job description is often available alongside a job advert. If a job advert is posted online, a recruiter may post a link to the job description for people who are interested in further detail. This is useful to an applicant as they can make a more informed decision on whether it is a job that they would be interested in.

A person specification is a document that outlines the skills, knowledge, experience and attributes of an ideal candidate for an advertised job role. They are often categorised into essential and desirable. When shortlisting applications for a role, the HR team will look to reject applications from candidates without the essential skills, knowledge, experience and attributes. Depending on how strong the field of applicants is will effect whether they reject people who do not have the desirables. A person specification is often available alongside a job advert with the job description. It is useful for candidates as they can self-assess whether they are appropriate for the role and can support HR staff in the shortlisting and selection decisions.

A CV (curriculum vitae) is a document produced by an individual to outline their education, qualifications, past work experience, interests and referees. This is a short document, usually one or two pages, that can be sent to prospective employers. Individuals usually add to their CVs over their lifetime as they gain more qualifications and experience. Employers can very quickly get an overview of an individual’s strengths and suitability for their organisation.

An application form is a document that is completed by a person applying for a job. The form includes fields decided by the organisation as important information to know about candidates. This may include past work experience, qualifications and referees. Although an application form may request similar information that is included in a CV, an employer can design an application form to request more detailed information in specific areas. For example, it may be important to understand an applicant’s teamworking ability which is something they may not go into detail with on their CV.

A letter of application or a cover letter is a document sent to accompany an application form or CV to introduce the application and enhance with further information. The letter should explain the applicant’s interest in the position and company as well as the reasons why they are an appropriate candidate for the role. The letter of application is an opportunity for an applicant to gain further interest from the potential employer by expanding on any of their experience that was not asked for in the application form or would have cluttered the CV.

Online recruitment refers to any recruitment activities that use the internet. Businesses have a range of options to advertise positions online including their own website, online recruitment agencies and social media sites such as LinkedIn. By advertising job positions online, organisations can attract a wide range of candidates from around the world. Job applications can be submitted online through online forms or by email. This can speed up the application process compared to physical mail and make it easier for multiple people to view the same job applications as part of the shortlisting process. Online interviews are becoming more popular using programmes such as Skype and Zoom. This reduces the time needed for candidates to travel to interview and allows staff from different offices to take part on interview panels.

Selection

 The selection process is the series of steps taken by organisations to appoint the most appropriate candidate for a job vacancy. This process varies from organisation to organisation but typically involves;

• Advertising the position

• Reviewing application documents (e.g. application forms and CVs)

• Shortlisting

• Interviewing

• Selection and appointment

The initial Selection Process

The first stage of the selection process is to remove any applicants who do not meet the basic requirements for the role. This is often referred to as initial screening and is aimed at reducing the number of applicants being considered for the role. Reducing the number of applicants to be considered allows managers to focus more on the suitability of each candidate that does meet the criteria.

The initial screening process will usually be conducted by HR staff who will assess whether the applicants have the essential skills, qualifications and experience from the person specification.

Initial screening methods include telephone screening interviews and short online tests. The process will be adapted depending on the role being recruited for.

Shortlisting

Selection Activities

Psychometric testing is a method of assessing a person’s cognitive abilities and personality traits. The results from psychometric testing may be used by recruiters to inform their judgement of an applicant’s ability to perform a job role and how well they may fit into an existing team.

Telephone interviews are conversations between HR staff or managers and candidates who have applied for a job. This is usually an early part of the screening process rather than in place of the face to face interview itself. This has the benefit of not wasting time travelling and conducting an interview with somebody who is unlikely to be offered the position but also has the drawbacks of not being able to fully communicate attributes.

Group interviews are situations where managers interview multiple candidates at the same time. This is a good opportunity for managers to see first-hand how they interact with others which can give them a better impression of how they will fit into a team than if they were to interview them alone. Problem solving scenarios can be set for the group to solve as a team which allows managers to see any natural leaders that emerge, how different people deal with conflict, attitudes to work and any other traits managers feel are important.

Short tests at interviews may be used by some employers if they feel they would add value to the process or if there is a specific set of skills or knowledge the recruiter would like the candidate to demonstrate. The candidates may be given a task that is related to their job role such as the preparation of a report or checking a document for errors. Managers can see how well they write communicate effectively and their attention to detail. Some employers may feel that it is important for candidates to have a certain level of industry knowledge and feel it is helpful to give a short test at interview to assess this.

Presentations at interview are an opportunity for a candidate to showcase a range of skills and industry knowledge. Candidates may be asked to present a subject to a small or large group of staff on a given subject. This could be about why they are suitable for the position or it could be on an aspect of the role that they are applying for. For example, when recruiting a new marketing manager, they may be asked to present ideas for a marketing campaign to a given target market. Skills that can be demonstrated in a presentation include the ability to work to a brief, to engage an audience, industry knowledge and attention to detail. Candidates have more freedom of what to include that in an interview so can use this as an opportunity to showcase their knowledge, experience and passion for a subject. Managers may give the candidates the subject of the presentation in advance to give them time to prepare but if they want to observe their ability to respond under pressure, they may give them the subject on the day with shorter preparation time. 

Assessment centres (assessment day) is a range of tasks designed to assess a candidate’s suitability for a role. They usually consist of a range of individual and group tasks where candidates have the opportunity to demonstrate the skills related to the job they are applying for.

Exercises include group discussion, written exercises, in-tray exercises, role plays and case studies.

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