Scott Broomunit 13 D104/04/2019

Scott BroomUnit 13 D104/04/2019

D1 - Evaluate the usefulness of the documents in the interview pack for a given organisation, in facilitating the interview process.

Introduction

In this assignment I will be discussing the usefulness of different types of documents that are used in the process of selection and recruitment, I will be linking the evaluation back to how it benefits Saga as well as any drawbacks that the documents have. I will ensure that I will be referring back to Saga, management, the interview itself and the final decision making process.

Personal Specification

This document is used to let the applicant, Saga and management know what kind of skills and personal attributes rea needed to perform that tasks that they have been given, if the applicant feels that they do not fit the attributes and skills needed then they will be less likely to go for the job therefore narrowing the list of applicants that Saga have to go through. Alternatively an applicant may feel that they are suitable for the job as they are good with communicating and interacting with customers, they will feel that they will be perfect for the job; this is good for Saga as they have an applicant with the right mind-set and attributes that would reflect brightly on Saga. Saying that people will always still apply even though they don’t fit the mould and Saga will have to get the information out them through the application pack or in the interview stage; however the personal specification will still shorten the list and make the selection easier for Saga. This document can be used in both the interview and the decision making process, this allows the interviews understand what the interviewee is like and whether they would be useful and therefore decide whether they will be given the job or not. It will give the interview an idea of what questions that they will ask the applicant.

Advantages / Disadvantages
The personal specification will act like a check list as they can see if any of the wanted skills are mentioned within the CV of the applicant. The more matches with the specification, the better the candidate will fit the mould.
The personal specification will give the interview more questions to ask solely focusing on the needs of the desired role. / One disadvantage is that for the personal specification to be helpful you will need a CV to see whether they meet the requirements where as some people would have applied online.
Another disadvantage is that it would take a very long time to create ensuring that all the requirements are put down on paper and that some attributes are not missed out as they might be key in what Saga are looking for.

In my opinion a personal specification is a good tool to narrow the selection process plus it also gives the interviewer more focused questions to give the applicant and therefore making sure that it is the right candidate for the job,it will also help management also make a judgement on all of the candidates this is important as management are the one who will have to work with them if they were to get the job.

Job Advert

Saga will utilise a job advert so that they can inform people that there is a position to be filled, this will be one of the first stages to gain new candidates for the job, candidates will look at the advert and will want to know all the basics about what the company does and what type of role they are looking at. Saga would also use this to advertise their business this would include a logo or images to attract potential customers or possible candidates; they would have worded the application so that it also promotes the smooth running of their business. Saga will do this in both online advert but will also do posters and leaflets.

Advantages / Disadvantages
One advantage is that the advert will let people know that the job is being advertised and it will also tell people what they are looking for in terms of personal attributes.
It is also good for the managers and the organisation as it will deter come candidates when they know what the job entitles. / A disadvantage is that the printing and posting of such an advert will cost money which could be spent elsewhere. Plus it will also take someone a long time to be able to promote this job by gathering the correct material as well as the time need to format and cross check the information.
It doesn’t in the long run help any of the managerial team as it doesn’t provide them with any material to ask questions.

Overall the advert is helpful as it will attract potential candidates as well as deter the ones that don’t fit the mould, this help the managerial team as it will shorten the list of candidates and make the decision process much easier and quicker. In addition to this if Saga have a lots of interest they may want to open up even more positions well knowing that they will have more of a chance of getting better candidates for the jobs in the future. On the other hand a job advert will not reach everybody as some people do not take any notice of any visual signs however people hear most about jobs through word of mouth so it may be better to alert the employees that there is a position open and then they might know people that would suit the job especially as the employees know what it takes to work in Saga.

Job Description

Saga will use the Job description to tell applicants in more detail about what they will be asked to do; this will just enhance what the job advert has already stated I may also include in more detail about the hours in which you may be required to work, Saga will include what they expect from their candidates and employees in terms of behaviour and what they are expected to perform. These responsibilities will sieve out the unsuitable candidates out as some people may refuse to do job such as cleaning or basic admin which they believe they shouldn’t have to do; therefore narrowing the amount of applicants they receive making Saga’s job easier.

Advantages / Disadvantages
One of the advantages of this is that this will help the organisation and the management come up with suitable questions for the interview. This will also help them to make the decisions at the end of the interview. Plus the job description gives all the candidates a strong idea of what they will be expected to do Saga, the interviewer and management will hope that this deters the people that are unsuitable, plus it allows Saga to create a mould in which they want people to fit.
The job description will give the interviewer material to ask questions ensuring that they fit the mould that Saga has created e.g. team worker and good communication skills. / The job description in the long run doesn’t really help when selecting candidates as some may have tailored their CV or altered their interview questions so that they appear to fit the Saga mould. Meaning that some good candidates can be missed due to some people misrepresenting themselves. Plus I will only give the interview simple closed questions that are focused on skills and this isn’t the best way in which the interviewer could open the candidate up to gather a true understanding on the attitude and attributes that the candidate has.So without the other information this by itself will not be overly effective, so overall this will not give them a lot of information to go on and is not the most affective in the decision making or the interview.

I believe that the job description is useful when the candidates are looking at the job as it will give them a strong idea of what they will be expected to do when applying to Saga, plus management and the interviewer will hope that this will deter certain candidates that are not interested in the jobs they are expected to do however this isn’t always the case as people will still turn up. It helps the interview itself by helping the interviewer come up with questions which may link to the job description in order to help get the best answers and extra information about who the candidate really is.

Saga Application Form

The application is very important and is a vital tool for Saga as it allows them to ask question that they will want to ask, this will allow Saga to be able to pick out the people that would fit best within Saga that have the right history in terms of previous jobs and qualifications. The application form will allow Saga to judge whether they have applied well knowing that they have met the personal specification or whether they are just applying blind and have not considered any of the wanted attributes. The application form will allow them to find out about any criminal convictions, any limitations within their skill set and whether they have any disabilities that Saga would have to adapt their environment for; in addition to this it will tell Saga whether they will need to train any of these applicants.

Advantages / Disadvantages
The main advantage of application forms is the ability to instantly compare the skills and experience of the applicants especially when every candidate is gives the same questions and sections to fill out.
Plus if Saga has made the application they can ask for the exact details you require. You can prioritise certain information over others; for example, if skills matter more to the role than employment history, you can change the layout to suit that. In addition to this many candidates don’t adjust their CVs for each job application and send the same one out for everything - application forms can be designed to suit a particular job role. Application forms get to the point where CVs can ramble on with information that is not relevant. / One disadvantage of application forms is that they are time-consuming to both create and fill out. Designing a suitable form is very difficult as it much make sure the candidates fit the mould, therefore it takes time to get right and creates a lot more admin work.
Another disadvantage with an application form is that it is very role specific and can limit options of the candidate and Saga could lose a good potential candidate.

Overall the application form is very good to get detailed information plus it makes it easier for Saga and the managerial team to make comparisons between candidates this is good as it shortens the application process. One of the only downsides is that it has been create for a specific position meaning that it would not highlight a candidate that would suit other jobs.

Conclusion

In this task I have look at the different documents sued in the selection process whilst evaluating each one by linking it back to Saga , the interview, the managerial team and the decision making process.