The Pharmaceutical Business   10 of 13  
     4. Human resources - recruitment
Photo of interview
Figure 26. Interviews are a key part of the recruitment process.
Assignment trigger 7

What is the difference between recruiting internally and recruiting externally?

How would you decide which method to use?

Check your answer

Critically evaluate the recruitment operating structure used by Capsulike. How could it be improved?

Check your answer
RECRUITMENT PROCEDURES
Job behavioural profiles and the person specifications that they produce are a vital part of the recruitment process. They help managers in the organisation decide what they are looking for in applicants. This then allows them to design recruitment and selection processes that avoid costly recruitment mistakes. Most organisations develop standard operating procedures for recruitment and selection. Resource 8 shows extracts from the one used by Capsulike.
Interviews
Perhaps the most important stage in the whole recruitment process is the interview. Many organisations now carry out extensive training programmes to ensure that their staff are able to interview job applicants effectively. The first stage is interview preparation. The interview panel have to familiarise themselves with the application forms or CVs and draw up an interview form. The interview form is a checklist based on the points in the person specification. It is important that the interview has clear structure and this is usually worked out at the preparation stage. An example is shown in figure 27.
Interviewer techniques
Interviewing skills involve listening and questioning. Capsulike have come up with three ways of gathering information:
  • observation
  • behavioural questions
  • specific questions
Flow chart
Figure 27. Interview planning guide.
Assignment trigger 8

In groups, think up a range of different situations where, say, gender discrimination might occur.

Decide whether the discrimination you have identified is direct or indirect.

Try to write a set of guidelines to people involved with recruitment in an organisation to try and prevent such discrimination from occurring.
Technique
Observation We can use our eyes to notice:
  • Eye movements
  • Dilation of pupils
  • facial and bodily muscle tension
  • Subtle and not so subtle colour changes.
We can use our ears to tune in to:
  • Voice tone
  • Volume
  • Pace
  • Timbre.
We can use our feelings to pick up any signs of physical unease.
Behavioural
questioning		 Behavioural questioning is the powerful yet simple and obvious technique of focusing questions on past performance and behaviour as opposed to asking questions about possible or imagined future situations. The best predictor of future behaviour and performance is past performance and behaviour. Example of behavioural type questions are:
  • "What has been one of the most difficult situations you have had to manage in your current role?"
  • "How did you handle it?"
Specific
questioning		 Specific questions are based purely on the language patterns used by the speaker. Their purpose is to uncover the deep structure of other people's thinking - including their beliefs, attitudes and values, revealed by the surface structure of their words. For example:
  • Interviewee: "Our figures were up last year."
  • Interviewer: "What do you mean by figures?"
  • Interviewee: "I must have a company car."
  • Interviewer: "What would happen if you didn't?"
  • Interviewee: "Everyone thinks that appointing Jo is not a good idea."
  • Interviewer: "Everyone?"
  • Interviewee: "I think it's better to do it this way."
  • Interviewer: "Better than what?"
Figure 28. Extract from Capsulike's training manual on interviews.
Legal obligations and ethical responsibilities in recruitment procedures
Interviewers and others involved with recruitment have to be very aware of the issue of discrimination based on gender, race or age. The people involved are trained to recognise what constitutes this sort of discrimination so that they can avoid it. Figure 29 shows another extract from Capsulike’s recruitment training manual.
Assignment trigger 9

Exercise 1 - Specific Questioning
Write down eight or more unspecified statements which might be made during any part of the recruitment and interviewing process e.g. We need a person who can do business planning or I have had ten years experience in sales. Work in groups of three and ask each person to read one of their unspecified statements. The others ask precise questions to get to the deeper structure or meaning behind the statement e.g. "When you say 'do business planning' what specifically do you mean?" or "What type of experience?"

Exercise 2 - Behavioural Questioning
Write down eight behavioural questions you might ask in the interview.
Work in groups of three and ask each other the prepared questions. As the person gives an answer you might want to use some precise questioning as well.
Graphic and extract from document
Figure 29. Avoiding discrimination. Another extract from Capsulike's training manual on interviews.
Our experts' view Close

Internal recruitment involves filling a position with somebody who already works for the company while external recruitment involves employing someone from outside the company. The choice of method will be affected by the extent to which suitable applicants exist within the company and the extent to which the employing department believes it is important to recruit someone from outside who may have different ways of looking at problems, new ideas etc.
Our experts' view Close

Positive points - the standard operating procedure is clear, so everyone involved will know how to proceed. The operating procedure ensures that each stage in the process is carried out and this is likely to lead to less mistakes in the recruitment process.

Negative points - the procedure is very bureaucratic and long-winded. It would be difficult to respond quickly if a good candidate suddenly appeared. This might mean that on occasions good candidates might be lost.

Possible improvements might include arrangements for a fast track version of the procedure when exceptional candidates appear.