KWAME NKRUMAH UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

(COLLEGE OF ART AND SOCIAL SCIENCES)

SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

(DEPARTMENT OF MANAGERIAL SCIENCE)

COURSE: MAS 553 - HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

RESOURCE PERSON: MR. J.K. TURKSON

(SENIOR LECTURER)

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 COURSE OUTLINE

UNIT 1- INTRODUCTION

History/evolution of Personnel/Human Resource Management;

Factors that have affected the growth of Personnel/Human Resource

Management;

Some perceptions about Personnel/Human Resource Management.

UNIT 2- DEFINITIONS OF PERSONNEL/HUMAN RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT

Difference between the two; Controversies in HRM; Scope/Content of

HRM – General Managerial Scope/Content; General operative scope/

Content

UNIT 3 – STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Strategy; Definition

UNIT 4 – HUMAN RESOURCE (MANPOWER) PLANNING

Definitions; Key issues in human resource planning; Elements of

Human resource planning – future labour requirements, acquisition

ability, retention ability.

UNIT 5 – RECRUITMENT

Process of Recruitment

 Job Analysis – job description, job specification, job classification,

(Other dimensions/components of job)
 Sources of recruitment – internal and external
 Application forms/blanks (Curriculum Vitae)

UNIT 6 – SELECTION

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 Process of selection

 Screening/shortlisting
 Test administration – the various types
 Medical examination
 Interviewing – objectives, types, problems, guide to good interview
practice
 Background investigation
 Medical report
 Final selection
 Job offer/appointment letter/contract of employment

UNIT 7 – POST EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

 Assumption of duty
 Induction/Orientation/Indoctrination – coverage
 Placement
 Follow up
 Transfer – reasons for it
 Promotion and demotion – reasons for them, why some people
refuse promotion
 Termination, dismissal and vacation of post {Refer to the Labour Act 2003 (Act
651)}.

UNIT 8 – EDUCATION, DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING

 Definitions and relationships among education, development and training

 Management development – methods of developing managers
 Career development
 Training – policy, needs assessment, performance gap, training cycle, benefits,
transfer of knowledge from training, training evaluation, types/methods of
training

UNIT 9 – COMPENSATION AND REWARDS

 Difference between wages and salaries

 Methods of paying wages/salaries
 Various forms of incentives/rewards/fringe benefits etc.
 Considerations/factors in payment of wages/salaries
 Job analysis
 Job evaluation – systems/methods

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  Performance appraisal

UNIT 10 – PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT

 Definitions
 Phases
 Workplan
 Corrective action plan
 Performance management process – planning, execution,
Assessment/review
 Employee Performance appraisal – purpose/benefits, steps, methods/types,
weaknesses/problems.

UNIT 11 – HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE

 Issues relating to employees’ health, safety and welfare. Refer to the Labour
Act 2003 (Act 651).

UNIT 12 – OTHER MISCELLANEOUS TOPICS IN HRM

 Labour turnover, absenteeism, tardiness, lay-off, recall, redundancy

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSE

The following are the main objectives of the course:

1. To expose postgraduate students, particularly, the non-HRM students to general issues in

human resource management.

2. To enable postgraduate students in human resource management appreciate the fact that
human resource management is a course that permeates every aspect of functional
management. Therefore, every functional manager, irrespective of his department needs
it, hence being a core course for all MBA and other postgraduate programmes at the
university and other tertiary institutions.

ASSESSMENT FORMULAR

1. End of semester examination – 60 marks

2. Continuous assessment (40 marks). This may cover the following:
(a) Project work/Term Paper/Assignments/Quizzes etc. 35 marks
(b) Class attendance/Class contributions etc. – 5 marks

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NB. Every absenteeism constitutes one mark deduction from the 5 marks
allocated for attendance.

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 UNIT 1

INTRODUCTION

All organizations, whether industrial, commercial, educational or social are made up of people
who have different aspirations and sentiments. For this reason, it is necessary to have in such
organizations trained personnel who are knowledgeable in human relations or personnel matters
who will ensure that there is cordial interaction among the people in such organizations or
institutions. Because of this, Personnel/Human Resource Managers are needed not only in
business organizations but also in other organizations where people come together to interact
among themselves to achieve organizational objectives. Accordingly it is important for
organizations such as the Ghana Armed Forces, Achimota College, the Lions Club of Ghana, the
Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital and Kumasi Asante Kotoko Football Club to have
Personnel/Human Resource Managers. Personnel/Human Resource Managers in such
organizations are expected to ensure that there are harmonious human interactions and
relationships. The presence of people in such organizations requires a sound human relations
practice to be addressed by Personnel/Human Resource Mangers.

An expert (Owiredu Yeboah 1983), in Personnel Management once remarked ‘There is a

misconception of the role of Personnel Administration in Ghana to the extent that even some
heads of department and organizations do not exactly know the value or accept Personnel
Administration as an integral part of an administrative set up’.

It is now a misconception to regard Personnel/Human Resource Manager as a person who only

provides jobs through recruitment and selection, administers wages and salaries, liaises between
labour and management and performs other traditional functions associated with the position of
Personnel/Human Resource Management. This has led to some misunderstanding between
Personnel Management and Human Resource Management. Technological development has
brought about the need for qualified and well-trained personnel to handle personnel and human
resource-related issues. This has led to a functional shift from the traditional functions of
Personnel Management to that of Human Resource Management. For this reason, the term
Human Resource Management has become preferable to Personnel Management. This is
because Human Resource Management is not only concerned with the traditional functions of a
Personnel Manager or a personnel department, neither is it concerned with the head count of the
number of people in an organization but it also deals with the management of human resources
in an organization. That is Human Resource Management is concerned with the management of
human attributes or human assets such as skills, abilities, physical strength, knowledge,
intelligence, talents, initiative, innovations, creativity and other intangible assets inherent in
human beings.

History/Evolution of Personnel/Human Resource Management

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Personnel/Human Resource Management has existed since the inception of the industrial
revolution. The need for PM/HRM becomes very paramount when people of diversity come
together in a work environment to collectively work towards the accomplishment of
organizational objectives. History or evolution of anything tells what has happened before the
changes that have taken place.

Every academic subject has a history and evolves over time. Even the subject ‘History’ has a
history since it has evolved over time. The same historical and evolutionary principles apply to
Personnel/Human Resource Management as a subject.

The history of Personnel/Human Resource Management deals with the various changes that have
taken place in the field of Personnel/Human Resource Management. The history of
Personnel/Human Resource Management is analyzed under the following four time phases.

1. Late 19th Century (1875)

During this period, PM/HRM activities were haphazardly carried out. There was nothing like
Personnel Management or Human Resource Management. All issues that related to PM/HRM
were not given any important attention like the other areas of functional areas of management.
Consequently, labour-management relationship was full of antagonism and misunderstanding.
Disputes and grievances were the order of the day without any effective system or mechanism
for resolution. Working conditions were not attractive and there was no avenue for redress.
There was lack of co-operation between the government and the labour. This led to frequent
confrontations among the three actors of labour – labour, management and the government. The
collective effect of all the undesirable workplace practices was low productivity.

The role of Robert Owen (The Founder of Personnel Management

Robert Owen, who was regarded as the Founder of Personnel Management showed concern for
the unhealthy and appalling practices within the industrial setting and fought against them. He
started by conducting some experiments on how best to eliminate or minimize the problems that
frustrate effective PM practices.

2. First Quarter of the 20th Century (1925)

This period saw the emergence of trade union activities. The emergence of trade union activities
gave new dimensions to PM/HRM. The century saw new developments in the field of
PM/HRM. F. W. Taylor who was regarded as the Father of Scientific Management emerged on
the scene.

The role of Frederick Winslow Taylor (The Father of Scientific Management)

(a) Trade unions emerged through the role of F.W. Taylor which gave a new dimension to
Personnel/Human Resource Management.

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 (b) Taylor was concerned with making effective use of human resources and other resources.
(c) Was also concerned about critical, scientific and objective way of doing things.
(d) Also advocated for one best way of doing things and providing attractive compensation
package.

The century also saw the emergence of large industrial organizations which led to work
complexities. This also led to the need to find the most effective way of managing labour.

It is worth noting that all the personalities who made contributions to the development of
PM/HRM were concerned with improving on what had been done by their predecessors. In this
direction, Taylor improved upon the existing compensation package with a view to motivating
workers to work hard. The century saw the emergence of large industrial organizations. This led
to work complexities and the need for effective PM/HRM became paramount. Labour became
very difficult to handle. This also led to the need to find the most effective way of managing
labour.

3. Second Quarter of the 20th Century (1950)

This period witnessed a remarkable improvement in the field of PM/HRM due to the
contributions of Robert Owen and F.W. Taylor. The World War II did a devastating blow to
labour. As a result, revolutionary changes were carried out to repair the damage done to labour.
Such changes included the formulation of rules and regulations to guide the actions and
behaviours of workers, management and governments at workplaces. The introduction of rules
and regulations to a large extent minimized industrial disputes and conflicts.

The period also saw the introduction of policies in the key areas of HRM/PM. For example, the
need for policies to guide the proper selection of employees through screening, tests and
interviews was emphasized. This paved the way for universalistic ethos of meritocracy rather
than particularistic criteria. Emphasis was also placed on good human relations as a way of
promoting harmony between labour and management. The period witnessed dramatic increase in
industrial disputes. Governments and business owners recognized labour unions as formidable
forces to reckon with.

This period also saw the emergence of Elton Mayo F.J. Roethlisberger and W.Dickson

The role of Elton Mayo, F.J. Roethlisberger and W. Dickkson (1939)

(a) They conducted the famous Hawthorne Experiments.

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 i. The experiments changed the ‘commodity concept’ of labour to that of ‘social
concept’. The commodity concept of labour literally implies regarding labour as
any ordinary commodity that could be bought on the market with money and used
anyhow without any human feeling or touch. The social concept treats workers as
fellow human beings who have to be treated with care and empathy.
ii. The experiments also highlighted on the importance of informal groups, decent
and humane leadership.
iii. The experiments further revealed that employees’ feelings, emotions and
sentiments were strongly affected by such work conditions as group relationships
leadership styles and support from management and such feelings could have
significant impact on productivity.
iv. Furthermore, the experiments delved into the impact of illumination on worker
performance and productivity.

In spite of the efforts by the pioneers in the field of PM/HRM, the period witnessed a dramatic
increase in industrial disputes. This was, as already stated, due to industrial complexities and the
fact that workers became enlightened and resisted the arbitrary boss whose aim was to
marginalize the worker in crucial decision making processes which affected the worker.
Workers also resisted all forms of cheating. As a result, government and business owners
recognized labour unions as partners and formidable forces in promoting industrial democracy

NB. Read on the details of Hawthorne Experiments in any management book

4. Present Era (After 1950)

The period after 1950 has seen a tall list of contemporary practitioners in the field of PM/HRM
who have built on the works of the pioneers. For example, Michael Armstrong is one of such
contemporary personalities who have made great strides in the field. The period equally
experienced a proliferation in industrial disputes between labour and management. Since
PM/HRM is considered to be the frontline among all the functional areas of management in
resolving industrial conflicts and disputes, it became a very important course to be pursued in
educational institutions.

The course also assumed inter-disciplinary dimension borrowing ideas from Law, Sociology,
Psychology, Economics and other fields of social science. The implication is that PM/HRM
practitioners should have basic knowledge in the above areas to be able to perform creditably.

From 1950, the industrial revolution led to the growth in the size of labour force. This posed a
great challenge to HRM/PM practitioners as a result of multiplicity of industrial disputes and
conflicts. This also led to the proliferation of trade unions since workers began to assert their
rights within the labour front. These developments required a new approach to PM/HRM in
dealing with labour-management problems

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Factors that have affected the growth of Personnel/Human Resource Management

(a) Increased complexities of organizational set-ups and their activities.

As already stated above, the industrial revolution brought in its trail, a myriad of labour-
management problems which required a new approach to dealing with such problems. Since it is
PM/HRM that is capable of dealing with such problems, the growth and importance of PM/HRM
became obvious. It is for this reason that the course PM/HRM has become one of the important
functional areas of management which people pursue in educational institutions.

(b) Proliferation of trade unions and federations.

Effective PM/HRM thrives on the existence of trade unions and federations of labour and the
role of the government since the three are the key actors in the labour front. Trade unions and
federations are the means through which workers can asset their influence over decisions that
affect their collective interest. When workers come together to form trade unions and
federations, the establishment of a Department on Personnel Management or Human Resource
Management promotes role complimentality in fostering cordial labour-management
relationships.

(c) Revolution in the industrial sector

As already stated, the industrial revolution led to the establishment of many productive work
related activities. This required the intervention of people who have the skill in dealing with
human related problems that arise out of revolution in the industrial sector.

(d) Changes in technical development

There cannot be technological development without human input. It should be noted that
PM/HRM is, among other things concerned with identifying the assets (talents, skills,
knowledge, abilities etc.) embedded in human beings. Human beings are required to promote
changes in technical development. It is PM/HRM that is capable of doing this.

(e) Government attitudes on policies on labour

The role of the government in promoting the importance and growth of PM/HRM cannot be
taken for granted. This is because government policies on labour can go a long way to impact
either positively or negatively on the labour front in which PM/HRM is an important actor.

(f) Socio-cultural and managerial techniques

Socio-cultural and managerial techniques can go a long way to affect the growth of PM/HRM.
The socio-cultural environment for example can influence the recruitment and selection
practices. The socio-cultural practice in some organizations on recruitment and selection is that
the PM/HRM should be the only department to be in charge of filling vacancies. Managerial

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techniques such as the way a manager relates to his subordinates could also affect the growth of
PM/HRM.

Reference: Ahuja, K.K., Advanced Personnel Management

Some misconceptions about Personnel/Human Resource Management

It is interesting to note that the course Personnel/Human Resource Management has in some
circles not been handled with the required importance as it is the case with other courses such as
Finance/Accounting, Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Production/Operations,
Marketing. The end result of this unfortunate situation is square pegs put in round holes. That is
unqualified people with irrelevant qualifications such as any of the above and others are pushed
to perform Personnel/Human Resource Management functions. This is done to the detriment of
the organization since such people lack the expertise required to effectively deal with human
resource-related issues such as labour-management relationship. This to a large extent accounts
for the numerous strikes that often characterize many organizations. It is for this and other
reasons that students who pursue non-management programmes, among other courses in higher
institutions of learning are exposed to basic principle of Human Resource Management. This
practice is absolutely desirable because all functional managers require basic knowledge in
Human Resource Management since they deal with human beings. Also such functional
managers need basic human resource management issues such as human resource planning,
performance management, motivation, training and development and welfare issues in their
respective departments. It is for this reason that the course has been designed in such a way to
address such critical issue.

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 UNIT 2

SOME DEFINITIONS OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT AND HUMAN RESOURCE

MANAGEMENT

INTRODUCTION

One of the controversies in the field of Management is the difference between Personnel
Management and Human Resource Management. Various authorities in the field have made
many attempts at distinguishing between the two. In some cases, the attempts have led to
confusion.

Some definitions of Personnel Management

Dale Yoder – “It is that phase of management which deals with the effective control of
manpower as distinguished from the other sources of power”.

Adwin Flippo –“Personnel function is concerned with the procurement of the personnel of an
organization in major goals and objectives”.

E.F.L Brech – “Personnel management is that part of management process which is primarily
concerned with the constituents of an organization”.

Society of Personnel Management (America) – “The art of acquiring, developing and

maintaining the competent workforce in order to achieve and accomplish the organizational
goals with maximum efficiency and economy”

Institute of Personnel Management (UK) – “Personnel management is that part of

management concerned with people at work and their relationship within an enterprise”.

General definition – That aspect of functional business management which seeks to maintain
human relationships in a favourable atmosphere and ensuring the physical and social well-being
of all categories of employees so that they can give their maximum contribution to the objectives
of their organizations.

Missing link in all the above definitions

 No mention is made of human assets – skills, talents, abilities, knowledge, energy,

intelligence, capability, initiative, innovation, creativity and other intangible human
attributes. It is the proper utilization of these assets for the achievements of organizational
goals that completes the definition of Personnel Management.
 Almost all the above definitions have ignored the important assets embedded in human
beings.

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The above missing link has made Human Resource Management (HRM) a more preferred
concept since it takes care of all human assets.

Some definitions of Human Resource Management

Byars and Rue (1994) – “Human resource management encompasses those activities designed
to provide for and co-ordinate the human resources of an organization”.

Donnelly, James H. Jr. et al (1992) – “The process of accomplishing objectives by acquiring,

retaining, terminating, developing and properly using the human resources in an organization”.

Armstrong, Michael (2006) – “A strategic and coherent approach to the management of an

organization’s most valued assets – the people working there who individually and collectively
contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the business”.

Schuler (1995) cited in IEBM Handbook of HRM (2001), ‘HRM is the use of several
activities to ensure that human resources are managed effectively for the benefit of the
individual, society and the business’.

The importance of human beings is addressed by the following statements by their

respective personalities:

 Thomas J. Watson – “You can get capital and erect buildings, but it takes people to
build a business”.
 A leading American industrialist – “We do not manufacture automobile, areoplanes,
refrigerators, radios, televisions but we manufacture men and the men in turn
manufacture the goods”.
 Ms. Obiogeli Ezekwesili (World Bank Vice-President for Africa) – the success of the
country (Ghana) in the 21st century does not lie in the oil and gas or any other mineral
resource but in developing the human resource capacity to help improve the economy.
( Source – Daily Graphic No. 18695 of 19th November, 2011 p.13)

These statements and several others indicate the importance of human beings.

Difference between Personnel Management and Human Resource Management

It has already been established above that the emphasis on Personnel Management is on the
physical being and what he does. However, Human Resource Management emphasizes on the
resources human beings have.

 The definitions of Personnel Management do not emphasize on human assets – skills,

talents, abilities, knowledge, energy, intelligence, capability, initiative/innovation, and
other intangible human assets
 Personnel Management emphasizes on the management of the physical being.

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  Human Resource Management emphasizes on the human assets identified above in
addition to the normal scope of meaning of Personnel Management
 Human Resource Management is an all-embracing term of which Personnel Management
is a constituent part (Byars and Rue 1994).
 Torrington and Hall regard Personnel Management as ‘workforce-centred’ directed
mainly at an organization’s employees and Human Resource Management as ‘resource-
centered’ directed mainly at management needs for human resources to be provided and
deployed as cited by Mullins (1996).

Human Resource Management is an all-embracing concept dealing with the optimum number of
employees, their functions and most importantly the proper development and utilization of
human assets inherent in people. Personnel Management on the other hand is mainly concerned
with the general management of people and the conditions in which they work but Human
Resource Management goes further to develop all the human attributes and talents. Indeed,
Human Resource Management is broader in scope than Personnel Management

Some controversies in Human Resource Management

 Whether HRM should be integrated into all departments or should be given a distinct
department.
 Whether HRM should deal with the physical being or the intangible human assets/attributes
 Whether HRM is a science or an art
 Whether HRM is a line or staff function

The above controversies sometimes make people marginalize or disregard the importance of
HRM. This is because, some people sometimes perceive HRM to be an activity that could easily
be performed by other functional/departmental managers such as Finance Managers, Production
Managers, Marketing Managers etc. This accounts for the numerous labour-management
antagonisms leading to strikes and demonstrations. This is because such non-HRM experts do
not have the competencies to deal with human-related problems.

Scope/Content of HRM

 Scope or content of HRM basically deals with the coverage of HRM

 The scope is so wide that it requires people who have knowledge in many social science
subjects such as Sociology, Economics, Psychology, Anthropology, Labour Law, Principles
of Management etc.
 The scope knows no bound so far as human relations and development are concerned

The scope also covers the following:

 General managerial scope – Planning, Organizing, Directing, Controlling etc.

 General operative scope:

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- Policy initiation/ formulation
- Control over other departments on human resource matters
- Advisory services to the other departments
- Auditing services – enforcing compliance to human resource rules and regulations
- Service functions to the entire organization. The functions are basically the key roles
every HRM plays – Human resource planning, Recruitment, Selection, Training and
Development, Wage and Salary Administration, Performance Management, Health,
Safety and Management, etc.

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 UNIT 3

STRATEGIC HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (SHRM)

Introduction

The success story of every manager, whether in human resource, marketing, finance/accounting,
production/operations etc. depends on the manager’s strategies in getting things done.
Successful managers have ways and means of getting things effectively done. This has brought
to the fore the subject ‘Strategic Management’. Every manager needs Strategic Management to
be able to strategize to achieve success in his field. This makes strategy every manager’s game
plan. Without a strategy, a manager would not have a road map to follow and no action plan to
produce the desired results. To understand the concept of Strategic Human Resource
Management, it is necessary to understand the principle of strategy.

Strategy

According to Johnson and Scholes (1993), strategy is “The direction and scope of an
organization over the longer term, which ideally matches its resources to its changing
environment, and in particular, to its markets, customers and clients to meet stakeholder
expectations”. ‘A strategy is the pattern or plan that integrates an organization’s major goals,
policies and action sequence into a cohesive whole. A well-formulated strategy helps marshal
and allocate an organization’s resources into a unique and viable posture based on its relative
internal competencies and shortcomings, anticipated change in the environment, and contingent
moves by intelligent opponent’ (Quinn 1980). According to Armstrong (2006), strategy
determines the direction in which the organization is going in relation to its environment. It is
the process of defining intentions (strategic intent) and allocating or matching resources to
opportunities and needs (resource-based strategy). Business strategy is concerned with achieving
competitive advantage.

The effective implementation of strategy depends on the strategic capability of the organization’s
managers. This requires the capacity to create an achievable vision for the future, to foresee
longer-term developments, to envisage options (and their probable consequences), to select
sound courses of action to rise above the day-to-day detail, to challenge the status quo. Strategy
is expressed in strategic goals and developed and implemented in strategic plans through the
process of strategic management. Strategy is about implementation, which includes the
management of change, as well as planning (Armstrong 2006). An important aspect of strategy
is to achieve strategic fit.

A strategy whether it is a human resource strategy or any other kind of management strategy
must have two key elements: there must be strategic objectives (ie things the strategy is
supposed to achieve), and there must be a plan of action (ie the means by which it is proposed

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that the objectives will be met). Application of any strategy should be linked to the defined
vision, mission and the objectives of the organization.

Definitions of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM)

 Making those decisions that define the overall mission and objectives of the organization,
determining the most effective utilization of its resources, and crafting the executing the
strategy in ways that produce the intended results. (Grobler et al, 2005)
 Hendry and Pettigrew (1986) have provided the following four meanings for SHRM:
(a) The use of planning;
(b) A coherent approach` to the design and management of personnel systems
based on an employment policy and manpower strategy and often
underpinned by a ‘philosophy’;
(c) Matching HRM activities and policies to some explicit business strategy;
(d) Seeing the people of the organization as a ‘strategic resource’ for the
achievement of ‘competitive advantage’. Cited from Armstrong (2006).
 Formulating and executing human resource policies and practices that produce the
employee competencies and behaviours which the company needs to achieve its strategic
aims (Gary Dessler, 2008, 11th Ed.).

Definition (c) by Hendry and Pettigrew above addresses the real import of SHRM. The
definition ensures that all human resource activities dovetail or synchronize into the overall
activities of the organization. That is, all activities and programmes in the HR Department should
aim at facilitating the achievement of the overall corporate objectives. In the opinion of Dessler
(2008) Strategic Human Resource Management is ‘Formulating and executing human resource
policies and practices that produce the employee competencies and behaviors the company
needs to ahieve its strategic aims’. It also implies that all the sub-strategies of the HR
Department should fit into the overall strategic plan of the organization. It is not only HR
strategies that should fit into the overall strategy of the organization but also the strategies of all
the functional departments such as Finance/Accounting, Marketing, and Production/Operations
etc. should fit into the general strategy of the organization.

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 UNIT 4

HUMAN RESOURCE (MANPOWER) PLANNING

Introduction

At certain stages of every organization’s development, there are changes in the structure of its
employee base. The changes can take the form of employment of new employees;
development/training of the new and existing employees; measures to maintain employees
through attractive motivational factors; and existing out the employees when they become less
productive. A common feature of many organizations is that many people are underutilized
leading to redundancy. From another dimension, there are shortages of labour to deal with a
large volume of work leading to work overload for some staff. These and other related matters
require human resource planning which is a human resource management activity aimed at
ensuring that human resources/assets are effectively utilized.

Human resource planning ensures that plans are made for the recruitment and selection of the
required number and type of people at the right time. It also involves the analysis of the skill,
selection and employment of human resource requirement of an organization or the economy as
a whole. Unemployment situation in every economy may be how human resource planning is
carried. Policy directions from the government is important in ensuring that educational
institutions admit students into programmes such as medicine in which there is shortage of
personnel. Admission of students into programmes that would breed unemployment should also
be discouraged.

Definitions

Human resource planning determines the human resources required by an organization to

achieve its strategic goals (Armstrong, 2006). It is ‘the process for ensuring that the human
resource requirements of an organization are identified and plans are made for satisfying those
requirements’ (Bulla and Scott, 1994). HR planning is based on the belief that people are an
organization’s most important strategic resource. HR planning also deals with issues relating to
the was in which people are employed and developed in order to improve organizational
effectiveness. It is also the process of anticipating and providing for the movement of people
into, within and out of the organization (Snell and Hohlander 2010).

Human resource planning answers questions such as:

 What type of skilled labour is needed to do this particular work?

 Where should the particular type of skilled labour be found?
 What type of training /development/education should be adopted to develop the labour
force?
 For how long will a certain category of labour force be required?

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  What sort of compensation should be given in case of premature termination of
appointment?
 If a certain category of labour will not be required after a certain period, can it be easily
redeployed?

The above questions and issues should form the recruitment, selection and employment policy of
an organization for the purpose of addressing the benefits that should be derived from
employees. This approach is referred to as a dynamic or a systematic approach to human
resource planning as opposed to the static system which does not take into account all the above
questions and other related issues

If we know that, by a particular target year such as 2015, we shall require a certain number of
people in each of a number of crucial employment categories, and if we make certain
assumptions about the duration and type of education required for each category, the we can
theoretically set about adjusting the education system to ensure that the required labour force will
be available at the appropriate time. This means that human resource planning is very crucial at
the national level in relation to the educational system.

Ghana’s bold attempt to restructure her educational system particularly at the primary, junior
and secondary levels to suit the social-economic conditions is quite laudable. At the macro level,
it is very much essential for the government ministry in charge of human resource planning to set
in motion an effective and dynamic manpower planning strategies to ensure that there is
optimum utilization of labour force at the national level.

Elements of human resource planning

Human resource planning involves three main activities or elements. These are stated below.

(a) Future labour requirements

Future labour requirements of an organization depend on such factors as:

 Market demand for an organization’s product

 Intention to expand by adding another product line to the existing line
 Intention to reduce the volume of operation by deleting a product line
 Technological changes which may demand the employment and deployment of a new
type of labour

(b) Acquisition ability

Acquisition ability refers to the capability of an organization to employ the right type of labour
force. The success of this depends on speculative factors such as:

 Availability of alternative jobs elsewhere

19
  Opportunity for advancement
 Compensation package
 Structure of the population as regards age group, ratio of male to female
 Structure of the organization – if it is the tall organization structure type, there appears to
be hope to rise along the organization ladder.

(c) Retention ability

Manpower retention ability refers to the ability of an organization to keep the existing human
resource. This also depends on factors such as:

 Compensation package
 Avenue for promotion
 Rewards and benefits
 Opportunity for further studies

Some of the above factors for acquisition and retention and several others are applicable to each
other.

Human resource planning has now become one of the important functions of every Human
Resource Manager since it gives them the opportunity to forecast or project for the right number
of people with the appropriate skills, knowledge and potential to be employed to work at the
appropriate time. Human resource planning also helps management to satisfy its labour
requirements promptly and with a minimum degree of cost. It also helps an organization to carry
out a systematic audit of its human resources with a view to maintaining an optimum number of
qualified employees needed by an organization. It also helps to tailor training requirements to
the labour needs of an organization. This will create a balance between inflow and outflow of
human resources in an organization.

Succession planning

A very important aspect of human resource planning is succession planning. More often than not,
organizations do not put contingency arrangements in place to fill unexpected vacancies resulting
from vacation of post, dismissal, retirement, incapacitation resulting from protracted sickness
etc. Succession planning is basically a plan for identifying who is currently at post and who is
available and qualified to take over in the event of retirement, resignation, dismissal or sickness
(Cole, 1993). The objective of succession planning ‘is to ensure that the organization is prepared
to fill key positions when the incumbents leave for any reason (Jackson et al, 2009). For
employees, succession planning provides useful information about the direction their career is
likely to take if they continue to work in the organization. According to Sneel and Hohlander
(2010) succession planning is ‘The process of identifying, developing, and tracking key
individuals for executive positions’.

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 UNIT 5

RECRUITMENT

Introduction

Some people loosely refer to recruitment as employment. This is technically wrong.

Recruitment does not imply that employment has taken place. Recruitment is an integral part of
the employment process. The employment process is technically made up of recruitment and
selection. The process is so winding and cumbersome that few employers could take the pain to
go through. Many organizations outsource their employment requirements to professional
consultants.

Definitions

 Jackson et al (2009) – Recruitment ‘involves searching for and obtaining qualified

applicants for the organization to consider when filling job openings’
 Snell and Bohlander (2010) – ‘Recruitment is the process of locating potential individuals
who might join organization and encouraging them to apply for existing or anticipated
job openings’.

The above definitions are clear indications that recruitment does not amount to having selected a
job seeker to fill a vacancy but a facilitative process of ensuring that a qualified person is
employed.

Process of recruitment

The recruitment process involves a tall list of activities. The activities may cover job analysis
(job description, job specification and job classification), identification of the sources of labour,
job posting, job bidding (invitation for application forms/submission of curriculum vitae). The
recruitment process ends at the stage where the job seekers have submitted their filled
application forms or curriculum vitae.

Job analysis

A job is made up of a collection of tasks. For example, the job of manufacturing sitting room
furniture is made up of various tasks such as machining (cutting of parts), sanding
(smoothening), polishing and upholstering. Job analysis is made up of job description, job
specification and job classification. Job analysis refers to the determination of the skills, talents,
knowledge, abilities, qualifications, responsibilities, experiences, and other human attributes
required to do a piece of work. It also helps to determine the working relationships among
workers in terms of who should perform a particular type of work. It also helps to differentiate
one job from the other.

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  Components of job analysis
i) Job description
It is a summary of all the basic tasks to be performed on a job. Job description is
regarded as ‘task centered’ since the emphasis is on the job rather than on the person
doing the job or task. Jo description is the process of determining what a job entails
in terms of specific duties and responsibilities, working conditions, how the job is to
be done, title of the job, location etc. According to Jenks (1991), ‘Properly drawn job
descriptions can help in the recruitment, selection and hiring of new workers,
supervisors, managers and technical personnel because they spell out the exact
qualifications, education, skills and experience candidates need in order to be
successful on the job’.

The major advantage of job description is that it avoids overlapping of jobs since each
employee gets to know what is expected from him. It may also be used to give new
employees orientation towards basic responsibilities and duties.

The major disadvantage is that it may not give an accurate reflection of the jobs
particularly at the higher level. Sometimes, a disagreement may arise between
superiors and subordinates on the content of a job description.

ii) Job specification

Job specification deals with the human or personal characteristics required to do a

particular work. It is thus regarded as person-centred. Such human or personal
characteristics include qualifications, educational and training attainments,
experiences, interests, aptitudes, personality required, ambitions and other human
traits.

iii) Job Classification

Another extension of job analysis is job classification which deals with categorizing
jobs into different grades and assigning appropriate wage or salary to each grade. For
example, a job requiring a high degree of initiative and discretion may be grade as
‘A’. This is usually at the managerial level. A job requiring middle level initiative
may be classified as ‘B’ that is, sub-managerial or supervisory in nature. A job
requiring middle level technical knowledge especially at the artisan grade may also be
classified as grade ‘C’ and a job requiring a low level of initiative and no technical
knowledge may also be classified as ‘D’ that is at the menial level.

Sources of recruitment

22
Sources of recruitment otherwise known as sources labour supply refer to the various avenues
from which a Human Resource Manager may identify a person for employment. There are two
main sources of recruitment. These are internal and external.

a) Internal

Internal source of recruitment deals with recruiting from within the same organization. The
following are the main sources of internal recruitment:

i. Job posting

Job posting is concerned with prominently displaying current job openings to all employees in
the organization. It is usually done through bulletin boards, word of mouth, intranet, telephone,
memorandum and other means of internal communication. When the job has been posted, the
next stage is bidding that is applying for it.

The main advantage of internal recruitment is that it boosts the moral of the affected
employee(s). It also reduces the hiring costs of new employees. In addition, the process is less
winding compared to the external source and also recognizes the value of experience and the
length of service an employee has serviced.

b) External

External source of recruitment deals with recruiting prospective employees from outside the
organization. The following are some of the external sources of recruitment:

i. Institutions of learning

Institutions of learning refer to educational institutions such as schools, colleges, polytechnics,

universities and other institutions of learning. The main problem or disadvantage associated with
this source is that prospective employees may lack the required working experience.

ii. Unsolicited applicants

Job seekers sometimes apply for non-existing jobs. There might not be any vacancies for them
to apply but they do apply. Application letters of such job seekers when properly preserved, may
serve as future source of external recruitment.

iii. Advertising

Advertising is the most popular source of external recruitment of labour. This is often done
through the print and the electronic media. Some organizations when advertising conceal their
identities by providing advertising number supplied by the advertising company in the care of
such company. For example: Graphic Communication Advert No. 8972. The main reason
among others is to prevent people from making advance contacts for employment favours.

23
iv. Employee recruiting

Employee recruiting is sometimes referred to as employee referrals. It is an external recruitment

practice where employees are encouraged to locate and recommend qualified personnel to
management for recruitment. This method of recruitment is selective since the exiting recruiting
employee will inform only their friends and relatives to the detriment of non-acquaintances who
may be better qualified and experienced. This method of recruitment is likely to breed clique
and this is very dangerous to an organization.

v. Private employment agencies/consultants

In recent times there has been a proliferation of private employment agencies. Employers who
cannot go through the cumbersome process of recruitment may engage an employment agency or
consultant upon the payment of the prescribed fee to do the recruitment on their behalf. In this
case, the employer is required to supply some vital information such as the required
qualifications, years of experience, minimum salary and some basic conditions of service. With
the required information, the private employment agency or consultant will go through all the
recruitment and selection practices to get the required employee for the client.

vi. Public employment agency

This is a public institution established under an Act charged with the responsibility of matching
job seekers against employers who have vacancies to fill. In Ghana, the legal requirement is
provided in the Labour Act 2003 (Act 651). In Ghana is source of external source of recruitment
is patronized by artisans and other low grade job seekers. High profile job seekers such as
Accountants, Engineers, Lawyers and the like will rarely seek for employment through this
source.

vi. Notices at the main gates of factories, offices and shops

Some organizations post advertisements at their main gates to attract job seekers. Such job
seekers may either walk in and make enquiries about the job vacancy and may write applications
for consideration if they are interested.

vii. Internet (Online)

An emerging trend these days is for organizations to recruit through the internet or online. It is
the most fastest and convenient way of getting an application to the employer.

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Application form

When a job seeker has identified the appropriate source of recruitment, the next stage is either to
pick a blank application form from the organization intending to recruit, fill and submit bearing
in mind the closing date or the deadline for submission.

Content of application form

The content of every application form may reflect the demands and requirements of the
organization which intends to recruit. As a result, the content of every application form may vary
from one organization to another. The following may constitute the main content of many
application forms

a. Personal Identification/Data

i. Name of applicant ii. Date of birth iii. Marital status

iv. Number of wives v. Number of dependants vi. Next of kin

vii. Nationality viii. Hometown/tribe ix. Languages spoken

x. Height xi. Weight xi. Family disease

xii. Pregnancy status

x. Contact address – postal, residence, office email, telephone etc.

In many advanced countries such as the United States of America, apart from a request for a job
applicant’s name, it is illegal to demand answers to almost all the other personal identification
issues. A job seeker has the right and the option to refuse to provide information on all of them
and lose the job or to provide them and stand the chance of getting the job

b. Education/Training Data

i. Schools/Colleges/Universities attended with dates

ii. Any other relevant professional qualification/training

iii. Conferences/workshops/seminars etc. attended

c. Work Employment Data

i. Employment history - places worked with dates and reasons for leaving

ii. Details of present job if any – current salary, allowances, other conditions of

service – fringe benefits etc.

25
d. Others

i. Interests/hobbies ii. Any physical deformity iii. Medical history

iv. Criminal Record

The application form affords the employer the opportunity to demand certain personal
characteristics and behaviours such as physical status, personality traits, criminal record, etc.
These may appear to be discriminatory as frown upon by laws in many countries. However all
employment practices are characterized by discrimination. It is for this reason that the police and
the army in particular state in their advertisements for recruitment that interested applicants
should be of certain height, age, qualification. Sales persons are also required to be of pleasant
personality, tolerant, having the ability to speak many languages/dialects etc. Because of the
principle of vicarious liability, the employer has the right to determine who he should employ.

It is a good precaution to keep a photocopy of filled application form before submission. This is
to remind the job seeker of what information he has provided when invited to attend an interview
which may delay. The photocopy version of the filled and submitted application form will serve
as a reference point when some fabrications and unsure statements are provided in the
application form. It is not advisable to fabricate information since detection through investigation
would be embarrassing and cause one the job even though one may emerge as the best candidate.
Application form should be simple and easy to understand so that candidates can fill without
much difficulty. It should also request for relevant information

Curriculum Vitae

This could be an alternative to application form since it equally provides detailed information
about the job seeker along the lines provided in the application form such as Personal Data,
Schools/Colleges/Universities attended, Work employment Data, Any professional training,
Conferences/Workshops/Seminars attend, Others.

The practice of having curriculum vitae prepared over a year and submitting any time one
applies for a job vacancy is highly unprofessional. Every job vacancy has its peculiarities. It
therefore makes sense that curriculum vitae should be couched to suit the demands of the job
advertised. Imagine a curriculum vitae that has earned one a lectureship appointment being
submitted for consideration for the post of Administrative Manager in a manufacturing
organization. The two positions are not in any way analogous. However, the same curriculum
vitae may be suitable for the post of Training Officer/Manager in any organization.

Employers have the option to decide whether to provide for application form or to request
curriculum vitae. It is a matter of choice.

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PRACTICAL QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

1. If you are the Human Resource Manager in an organization, for what FIVE reasons would
you conceal your identity when you advertise for a vacancy?

2. For what FIVE reasons would you request for curriculum vitae instead of providing
application form for job seekers to apply for a vacancy you have advertised?

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 UNIT 6

SELECTION

Introduction

The selection process begins from the stage where the employer beings to screen or shortlist all
the submitted applications forms or curriculum vitae of all the job applicants. There are
situations where people apply for jobs for which they do not qualify in terms of qualifications,
experience, age and other requirements. This makes it imperative for the employer to sort out
those who have qualified in terms of the advertised requirements. It is a good practice for
desper4ate job seekers to apply for jobs for which they may be deficient in certain requirements
since they may have certain unique competencies that may be admirable to the employer and
may qualify them for the job.

The selection process provides enough justification to the legal maxim of: “If the employer
should be held vicariously liable for the tort of the employee then he should show great
circumspection, caution and carefulness in the selection process of interviewing is the most
important element”. If the employer relies on “particularistic criteria” instead of “universalistic
ethos of meritocracy”, the employer may end up employing the wrong person and may belatedly
regret for his action.

There is a tall list of selection process ranging from screening/shortlisting through practical tests
to interviewing. The choice of a range of selection will depend on the type of position to be filled
and the policy of the organization. For example selection can take the form of discussion at lunch
without the job applicant being aware that he is being interviewed for the position he has applied
for.

Screening/shortlisting

As already stated the first stage of the selection process is screening or shortlisting. It is the
stage where the employer determines job applicants who have measured up to the demands of
the job in terms of qualifications, experience, age and other personality traits. If the job vacancy
advertised is “juicy” high-profiled such as Director of Finance in very rich oil company, job
applicants should be very circumspect of how they fill their application forms or prepare their
curriculum vitae. Such a vacancy is likely to attract many people and as a result more than 100
applicants may apply. In a situation like this trivial issues like quality of handwriting, grammar,
spelling, and failure to cross a “t” and dot an “i” in the case of filled application form may be
used against a candidate who fails to do so. Candidate should therefore exercise the greatest
degree of caution when submitting application for employment. However qualified you are it is
necessary to show due diligence when applying for a job.

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Test administration

Various forms of test are available and the choice of a particular type will depend on the nature
and type of position advertised. The following are some of the tests available that could be used
to select a candidate for a job. The following are some of the tests that could be used to select a
candidate for a job.

(a) Medical test/examination

It is a type of test that is conducted to determine one’s health condition. It is usually conducted
by a recognized Medical Practitioner at the request of the employer. It is conducted among other
requirements to determine whether the candidate has any venereal or contagious disease such as
tuberculosis that may infect the existing staff of the organization. Medical tests are very
important to food processing organizations and high commissions and embassies for the grant of
immigrant visas. A highly controversial issue is whether an organization should reject a
candidate who has tested positive to HIV/Aids through medical test.

(b) Trade test

This test also deals with determining the practical proficiency of an artisan such as Mason,
Carpenter, Welder, Electrician, Plumber etc. This type of test is usually practical in nature since
the candidate is put on the job to perform aster which an assessment will be made of his
performance in terms of speed and accuracy. For example a Carpenter who has applied to work
in a furniture company may be given some chair parts to assemble within a time frame after
which an assessment will be made on quantity and quality of output. This type of test is rarely
applied in administrative (while collar) job positions.

(c) Intelligence test

It is also a type of test used to determine one’s level of intelligence particularly intelligence
quotient. It is the type the military uses for people to be conscripted into the Military
Intelligence and police Criminal Investigations Department. Certain jobs require people who are
highly intelligent and it is this type of test that is applied to select such candidates. Trained
Psychologists usually administer it.

(d) Aptitude test

It is a type of test that measures characteristics such as dexterity in using a particular machine or
equipment. It also measures one’s natural talent for a particular job.

(e) Psychological test

It is a type of test used to determine a person’s emotional build-up and reasoning faculty. It also
determines a person’s mental balance.

29
It is the nature and type of job that would determine the type of test to be administered.

Interview

It is the most critical stage of the selection process since it creates an opportunity for both the
employer and the job seeker to interact for determining the job seeker’s suitability for the job
applied for. It is a face-to-face conversational encounter with a purpose. It could be a person-to-
person or group of person-to-person contact with a specific purpose to achieve.

Objectives of an interview

Objectives of an interview deals with the purpose or the reason for conducting an interview. The
following are some of the main objectives for conducting an interview.

a. To determine the technical competence of the candidate

b. To enable both the employer and the candidate to exchange relevant information pertaining to

the job applied for.

c. It enables the employer to know the physical build-up of the candidate.

d. It enables the employer to determine the level of intelligence of the candidate. This will

however, depend on the type of questions asked

e. If the interview is conducted at the premises of the organization, it enables the candidate to

have a practical feel of the prospective environment in which he will be working

f. It helps the employer to make a judicious selection of the best candidate all other things being

equal. It is not all interviews that lead to the best selection of candidates for a job.

Types of interview

There are various types of interviews. The following are some of them.

a. Structured/Patterned interview

It is the type that uses structured type of questions. That is the questions are already prepared to
suit the type of job for which candidates are interviewed. The interviewer rigidly follows the
already prepared questions without any deviation. Such interviews use closed-ended questions
which may elicit either a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No’ answer. The candidate is required to be specific in his
answers. Such interview have no room for guess answers. It therefore has the advantage of
providing the required answer.

b. Unstructured/Non-patterned interview
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This type of interview is the reverse of the structured or the patterned type. It does not use a set
of prepared questions. Questions asked provide the candidate with an opportunity to express
himself freely. The interview is non-directive since it does not direct the candidate what specific
answer he should provide. It provides the candidate with an opportunity to talk about many
issues. It makes use of open-ended questions such as: Could you tell us why you want to join
our company?

Within the structured and the unstructured, there are many other types of interviews. The
following are some of them.

i. Stress interview

This type of interview asks “off-the-wall” questions that exert too much pressure on the
candidate. The questions asked could be intimidating and subject the candidate to tension. The
interviewers appear to be hostile to the point of sometimes shouting at the candidate. This type
of interview could be applied to criminals who are being investigated with the intention of
compelling them to confess to a serious offence committed. Political detainees are sometimes
subjected to this type of interview. Jobs that are stressful may warrant this type of interview but
rarely used these days. In a stress interview, the interviewer seeks to make the candidate
uncomfortable with occasionally rude questions. The aim is supposedly to spot sensitive
candidates and those with low or high stress tolerance. The interviewer might first probe for
weaknesses in the candidate's background, such as a job that the candidate left under
questionable circumstances. You then zero on these weaknesses, hoping to get the candidate to
lose his composure. Thus a candidate for a customer relations manager positoon who obligingly
mentions having changed four jobs in the past 2 years might be told that grequent job changes
reflect irresponsible and immature behaviour. It the candidate responds or reacts with a
reasonable explanation of why the job changes were necessary, the interviewer might move to a
new topic. On the other hand, if then cool and respectful candidate explodes with anger the
interviewer might deduce that the candidate has a low tolerance for stress especially in a
marketing-related activities.

ii. Telephone interview

Technology has now made it easy for interview to be conducted through the use of telephones. It
is a stressful experience to travel hundreds and sometimes thousands of miles away to attend
interview. Telephone has made it very easy to interview candidates. The associated problems are
quite obvious. For example, the employer does not have access to the physical appearance of the
candidate and vice versa. Body language is also absent. For this type of interview, it is desirable
that the candidate has in front of him a copy of his filled and submitted application form or
curriculum vitae.

iii. Skype and video conferencing interview

31
Interview could also be conducted through skype and video conferencing where both the
employer and the candidate exchange information through physical appearance. In this case,
body language is easily discernible.

iv. One-on-one/Individual/Personal interview

One-on-one interview is a situation where the employer as a person or through his Human
Resource Manager or any other person engages the candidate in an interview at personal level.

v. Panel/Group/Committee interview

It is a type of interview, which one person conducts. It is the traditional and the most popular
type of interview used to fill vacancies. In some cases, the number of people may be
unreasonably large which may intimidate the candidate.

vi. Task-oriented interview

Every task has its peculiarities. This makes it imperative to tailor an interview to suit the
demands of the task else, the employer may end of employing the wrong person. For example, if
the task is Salesmanship, tolerance and respect are some of the important human qualities
required of every salesperson. For this reason, the prospective salesperson must have these
qualities. The interviewer must therefore ask questions that would bring out these qualities form
the person interviewed. A provocative question (off-the-wall question) may be desirable to
determine how the person being interviewed would react to such a question. This type of
interview may also require the interviewer to give the interviewee a task for him to demonstrate
his creative abilities.

vii. Case interview

Case interview makes use of case study as a way of creating a practical work situation, which
would require the interviewee to make meaning out of the case. The interviewer creates a
scenario and challenges the interviewee to react to the scenario.

viii. Experience interview

To many organizations, experience is a vital element, which determines job offer. An interview
may centre on one’s experience with a view to determining one’s capability for a job.

ix. Exit interview

Some people resign from their jobs without indicating the actual reason for resignation. As a
good human resource management practice, it is professionally proper for every Human
Resource Manager to develop the culture of informally having some discussions with an
employee who has tendered in his resignation in order to determine the actual reason for which

32
the person is resigning. This will help to take measures to address the problem if it is likely to be
detrimental to the organization.

x. Job promotion interview

In some organizations, promotion is not automatic. It is based on merit. One’s merit could be
determined through promotion interview especially when more than one person have qualified to
be promoted to fill one vacancy.

xi. Mock interview

As a prelude to the actual interview with a view to determining its effectiveness, a mock
interview may be carried out. At the end of the interview an evaluation may be carried out
which may reveal some flaws which may be rectified before the actual interview. In an
academic life situation, a mock interview may be conducted as a simulation exercise to expose
students to the dynamics of the interviewing process. It is a very important learning exercise if
properly conducted.

xii. Serial interview

Interview may be conducted in series such as First Round, Second Round and Final Round. This
normally happens when where are many candidates to be interviewed who are equally qualified
for the job.

Areas/dimensions of interview

There are many areas or dimensions under which interviews may be conducted. The following
are some of them.

i. Self interview

This is an area of interview where the interviewer asks probing questions about the character of
the candidate due to some information available to the interviewer. The information may be
positive or negative. Questions are directed at the interviewee’s personality and he is required to
answer them as frankly as possible.

ii. Strengths and weaknesses interview

Every employer would like to know the strengths and weaknesses of the prospective employee
he wants to engage. For this reason, he would couch the interview to reveal such strengths and
weaknesses. The effectiveness of this interview would depend on how the interview is
conducted. If appropriate questions are not asked, the candidate’s strengths and weaknesses
would not be exposed. Background check on the candidate would facilitate the success of this
area of interview.

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iii. Work history interview

Everybody who has worked before has work history, which may be positive or negative, or a
blend of the two. Engaging a new employee entails some amount of risk. For this reason, it is
necessary for the interviewer to probe into the working life of the candidate. Before the
interview, the interviewer should have information from all the places the candidate has worked.
Information from referees may not be reliable since nobody would provide the names of referees
who are not likely to provide positive information about him. The available information would
constitute a good basis for questioning the candidate.

iv. Behaviour interview

Behaviour describes the way one conducts himself in a given situation. When does one behave
when he is criticized for poor performance? When does one behave when he is recommended
for promotion? These are extreme decisions that would have different impact on the way one
behaves. Depending on the required behavior required to perform a particular job, appropriate
questions and scenarios should be posed to the candidate to determine how he would behave
under such conditions.

v. Salary interview

Salary issues often present interesting discussions at interviews. More often than not, new job
seekers who are already working pretend as if their intention to resign and seek for another job is
not influenced by salary considerations. All manner of reasons other than salary considerations
are cited to be the main reason(s) for resigning. The interviewer would like to know how much
the candidate being interviewed is earning as a basis for negotiation. Sometimes, it is difficult to
reconcile what the candidate earns currently (higher) and what the organization intends to offer
now (lower). Whatever be the case, it is a matter of negotiation between the two parties.

vi. Communication interview

Communication skill is a vital element for certain positions such as Secretaryship, Public
Relations Practice, and Teaching/Lecturing. Some people find it very challenging to put some
message across even though they may be technically qualified. To determine how one’s
communication skill fits into a particular vacancy, this type of interview may be conducted. For
example, the ascent of an American indigene and an African indigene may affect communication
between the two people. Communication interview would therefore determine whether one’s
communication skill fits into the job, he is applying to do.

vii. Company activities interview

34
Knowledge about the activities of a company one is applying to work with is an asset since it is
obvious that some questions would centre on it. It is for this reason that some people take the
pain to search for information about a company they intend to work with. Knowing about the
company and its activities gives an interview candidate an advantage.

viii. Competence/technical knowledge interview

The cardinal purpose of every interview is to determine the competence of a candidate. Every
interview should therefore aim at probing into the competence of candidates who have applied
for a job. This will help to select the best for the job offer. Interview questions should therefore
aim at revealing the competence or the technical knowledge of the candidate.

ix. Current affairs

Interview in this area is often regarded as less important since it is perceived that questions may
be irrelevant to the position one has applied for. For example, current affairs questions on socio-
cultural issues in relation to the vacancy of Site Engineer may be deemed unrelated. However it
is the nature of questions that would determine whether they are relevant or not. Such questions
should not be given bigger weight on the scoring sheet.

x. Task/job interview

Every job or task has it peculiarities and the jobholder is supposed to have adequate knowledge
about such peculiarities. It is an interview in this direction that would help to determine whether
a candidate has adequate knowledge on the task or not

Guide to good interview practice.

The ability of an employer to select the right candidate for a job vacancy will be determined by
the measures put in place to conduct the interview. Some interviews are not able to produce the
right candidate. This may be due to the fact that proper measures were not put in place to
conduct the interview. It is therefore desirable for every interview organizers to put in place
measures that would promote successful interview. The following guide should be considered
when an interview is to be conducted. At the point of the interview, a thorough screening should
have been carried out to prune down the number of applicants for the job. This is necessary in a
situation where many applicants have applied for the job

(a) Good preparation

 Choose a quiet venue free from distractions

 On the day of the interview, all interviewees should be warmly received at the reception
 Interviewees may be provided with snack if affordable

35
 Interviewees should be briefed on the procedure for the interview
 Disengage all telephones - both cell and land
 Visitors/staff should not be allowed in when the interview has started
 Decide on the type of interview to be used
 Develop clear characteristics of the ideal candidate in terms of technical knowledge,
interpersonal skills, experience, maturity and other personality traits required.
 If the interview is the group type, decide on the number of panelists bearing in mind their
qualifications and experience.
 Obtain adequate information about all the candidates through references and rigorous
background information search.
 Copies of the curriculum vitae or the resume of all the candidates should be circulated to
all the panel members ahead of the interview date.
 Panelists should meet before the interview to design strategies, rules and regulations for
the interview.

During the interview

 Panelists should avoid intimidating questions that may scare the candidate and make
them nervous unless for a very good reason.
 Questions asked should be short, precise and should reveal the strengths and weaknesses
of the candidate.
 Panelists should ask more job-centered
 Panelists should listen more to the candidate than talking
 Candidate should be given the opportunity to ask questions
 If a candidate is introvert, encourage him to talk through open-ended questions
 Conversely, if a candidate is over talkative, he should be tactfully controlled
 Provide equal opportunity/time for each candidate to express himself
 If indications are that a candidate is not good, there is no need to waste time on him/her
but care should be taken not to discount a potentially good candidate
 If the interviewee requires vital information to enable him make up his mind to accept the
offer of employment if found suitable, he/she should not be denied.

Sample questions

 Tell me something about yourself

(Follow up the life story with general questions like what follow to warm the candidate
up)
 What are your major strengths and weaknesses?
 Why do you want to join our organization as the Human Resource Manager?
 Why do you want to leave your current organization?

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  What do you like/dislike about your current job/organization?
 Tell us some of the challenges you face on your job
 What is your most spectacular achievement with your organization?
 What special skills do you have that make you believe you can do this work?
 Where do you see yourself 5 years from now?
 What have you gained from your previous work experience?
 What has been your greatest failure?

At this stage, technical questions may follow from panelists with technical knowledge in the
field for which the candidate is being interviewed.

Questions from interviewees

It is a risky exercise to leave your job and take up another job in another organization. Such a
crucial decision requires a sober reflection since many people have resigned from their jobs,
joined another organization and regretted. For this reason, anybody who wants to change job
should subject such a delicate decision to scrutiny. Answers to the following questions
should guide the interviewee whether he should resign and join the organization or not.

 Where would you place your priorities for the duties of this job?
 What will be my daily job description?
 What will be the working culture?
 To whom would I report?
 How often would my performance be appraised or evaluated.
 What happened to the last person who held this position?
 What is the company’s policy on promotion?
 What opportunities exist for training and development?
 Does the position require transfer and travelling?
 What is the most challenging aspect of the job I am applying for?
 What would I like most in working with your company?
 What opportunities exist for personal growth and development?
 Describe the typical first year assignment
 What is the company’s record on employment stability ie labour turnover?
 How would you describe your company’s culture and general management style?
 What are your expectations from a newly employed person?
 What qualities are you expecting from me?
 Can you tell me more about the position I am applying for?
 Why is this position vacant?
 How would you define success from the position after one year?
 What do you expect from me to make you successful?

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 What are the measurements for success in this company?
 What are your initial expectations?
 What are the strengths and weaknesses of your company
 May I know the basic conditions of service – wages/salaries, allowances, fringe benefits
etc.

(Adapted from Emory University – The Career Centre)

Closing stage of the interview

i. The chairman should express appreciation to the candidate for turning up to attend the
interview and desiring to work with the organization.

ii. The chairman should assure the candidate that he would hear from the panel in due
course.

iii. If the candidate did not ask any question during the interview, the chairman may ask him
if he has any question(s) to ask.

Final stage of the interview

i. Each member should write up on the performance of each candidate based on the scoring
format.

ii. The final write up should be ranked in order of merit

iii. Based on a favourable medical and referees' reports and any background investigation
report, the best candidate may be offered the job.

iv. Unsuccessful candidate should be tactfully informed with the assurance that in case of
any future position relevant to his qualification and experience, he would be considered.

Final selection

It is the stage where the best candidate is selected from the lot. It is a very critical stage that
gives credence to the legal maxim of 'vicarious liability'. The final selection should always
be subject to the medical, referee(s) and other background investigation reports. For this
reason, it is not always the case that the best candidate in terms of ranking would be selected
since any shortcoming in medical report, referee(s) report(s) or background investigation
may deny the candidate the job

A controversial issue in final selection is who should have the mandate to decide who should
be given the job offer - the head of department or the chief executive officer of the
organization. (Provide a forum for the students to discuss).

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Medical report - the need for it

i. To assess the health condition of the candidate for the sake of cost of medication if the
organization absorbs cost of medication.

ii. To determine the physical condition of the candidate in respect of the job applied for.
For example, the police, the military and food processing organizations are very particular
about the health condition of job applicants.

iii. It is a guide for rejecting a candidate with contagious or highly infectious disease.

Would you reject an HIV/Aids positive candidate? Why?

Background investigation from referees - the need for it

i. To determine the candidate's competence, character and other personality traits.

ii. To determine any criminal record.

iii. To confirm or validate some information stated in the application form or curriculum
vitae.

When should the referees report be required - before or after the interview?

What is the best source(s) for confidential information?

Background investigation reports from whatever source should be treated

confidentially.

Job offer

Job offer is the stage of the employment process where the best candidate is given the job in
the form of contract of employment or appointment letter spelling out:

(a) The job description

(b) Basic conditions of service

(c) When the candidate intends to assume duty

"It is a very important precaution to wait for the best candidate selected to assume duty
before writing to inform the other candidates that they have not been successful."
Discuss the basis for this precaution?

QUESTION

"If the employer is to a large extent vicariously liable for the tort of his employees, then
it is incumbent upon him to show a great deal of circumspection in the selection process
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of which interviewing is a constituent and the most important ingredient". Discuss the
implications of this statement with emphasis on the reasons why the employer should
be circumspect in the selection process"

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 UNIT 7

POST EMPLOYMENT PRACTICES

Introduction

Even though the employment process ends at the stage where the final selection is made
followed by job offer, there are other activities that consolidate and complete the process.
These activities would validate the employment process.

Assumption of duty

The appointment letter giving job offer to the successful candidate should demand from the
candidate when he intends to assume duty. In a situation where the successful candidate is
already in employment, he has to resign from his current employment by giving notice of his
intention to resign or in lieu of notice, payment of an amount of money. The date for assuming
duty should have been agreed upon at the interview session.

Induction/Orientation/Indoctrination

Induction, which is also known as orientation or indoctrination is the process of making the new
employee acclimatize himself to the new work environment. The new employee should not feel
like an alien in his new work environment. He should quickly be integrated into the new
environment. This is done by introducing the new employee to the existing employee and the
existing employee to him. Induction may be conducted by the Human Resource Manager or the
immediate head of the new employee as the policy of the organization may be. Induction should
be objectively carried out. As much as possible, the officer carrying it out should be careful not
to create any false impression about the organization since a later realization of the truth may
damage the reputation of the officer who carried it out.

Coverage of induction

Induction may cover the following:

(a) History of the organization

(b) Type/nature of goods/services produced

(c) Organizational structure showing his department and the chain of command

(d) Rules, regulations and conditions of service as contained in the Collective Bargaining
Agreement.

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Placement

Placement is introducing a newly-employed candidate to his office and job schedule/duties and
assigning him responsibilities after a few days' on-the-job training when desirable. It is regarded
as the employment process where the successful candidate is given the job applied for.

Follow-up

In order to consolidate and validate the efforts that have gone into the employment process, it is
desirable to take measures to ensure that the newly-employed candidate fits well into the new
setup. This is technically referred to as follow-up. It is an activity where the new employee's
immediate superior or supervisor carries out regular and periodic checks on the performance of
the new employee to find out how he is faring on his new schedule. However experienced a new
employee is, it may still be desirable for a follow-up to be carried out on his performance since
he finds himself in a new work environment where certain processes and demands may be
different from his former workplace. Follow-up helps to determine the strengths and weaknesses
of the new employee. When follow-up shows that the new employee is a misfit, a remedial
measure, which may include retraining may be carried. Make haste slowly to discount the new
employee is follow-up shows that he is a non-performer. Do everything possible to enable him fit
into the system.

Transfer

It is the reassignment of an employee from one branch, department, section or unit of the same
organization to another. It is usually from a job of a similar or comparable status, compensation,
responsibility to another. Transfer may be on a horizontal basis but may be to a different
location with promotion (vertical upward). Some employees may personally seek for transfer for
personal enrichment, more interesting jobs, greater convenience, better working hours, better
location or jobs offering greater advancement possibilities. Some organizations have the policy
to carrying out massive internal transfer as a way of exposing many employees to as many
activities of the organization as possible. This is a very important human resource planning
practice since the exposure the employees get predisposes them to take up many analogous
positions in the organization. A new employee may be transferred to a new job if he is better
suited for that job. It may also be carried out as a remedial measure to rectify an error in
employment. Organizational change leading to the closure of a branch, department, section or
unit and opening of a new plant (plant migration) may necessitate transfer.

Promotion

It is the reassignment of an employee to a job of higher rank with a greater scope of

responsibility. Most people hope for promotions which usually mean more pay, responsibility
and often job satisfaction. For employers, promotions can provide opportunities to reward
exceptional performance and fill open positions with tested and loyal employees. Yet the

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promotion process is not always a positive experience. Unfairness, arbitrariness or secrecy can
diminish the effectiveness of the process. Promotion may be influenced by several decisions. The
first decision is whether promotion should be based on seniority (age or length of service) or
competence or a combination of the two. It is the organization's policy that will determine
whether promotion should be based on seniority, competence or a combination of the two.
Current trends place emphasis on competence as a basis for promotion. A very important device
for measuring competence is performance appraisal provided it is effectively carried out. Since
employees work to the level of their incompetence through promotions as postulated by "Peter
Principle", it is necessary to manage competence through training and development. Promotion
should be carried out only when there is a vacancy. A situation where people are promoted to
non-existing vacancies is unacceptable since it adds to wage and salary bill.

Why some people reject/refuse promotion

It may sound absurd to hear that some people reject or refuse promotion but it happens in
reality. The following are some of such reasons.

(a) If self-appraisal reveals that one has not got the competence and the ability to ascend to a
position which is distressed, one may decline the promotion. It may be better to decline the
promotion than to take it and fail.

(b) Some people by nature do not like extra responsibilities due to may be private interest. In
such a situation, an employee may decline promotion.

(c) Some employees, by the nature of their qualifications, experience and placement occupy
"juicy" positions that bestow certain pecks and incentives to them. For such employees, it is rare
for them to willingly accept promotions however attractive the higher position may be. Since
they have no option but to accept the new higher position with a pinch of salt.

Promotion technically implies that management has recognized the excellent performance of an
employee and feels obliged to elevate him to such higher position with enhanced compensation
and other conditions of service. Management should therefore not take kindly to a situation
where an employee covertly or overtly declines promotion. This development provides a fertile
ground for suspicion since it is unthinkable for a normal person to decline promotion since
promotion is a cherished desire of every employee who is hardworking.

Demotion

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