THE FROG’S EQUATION: BUSINESS STUDIES FOR IGCSE

Manpower
Recruitment
Work of human resources:
 recruitment and selection of the best candidates for vacancies
 wages and salaries must attract and retain the right people and motivate
 industrial relations must be effective to resolve disputes and put forwards
ideas
 training programs involving assessing and fulfilling the training needs
 health and safety laws must be complied
 redundancy and dismissal

Recruitment and selection:

1. vacancy arises
2. job analysis
3. job description
4. job specification
5. job advertisement
6. application forms and short listing
7. interviews and selection
8. vacancy filled

Job analysis: identifies the responsibilities and tasks relating to a job

With the information that is collected a job description is produced.

Job description: outlines the responsibilities and duties to be carried out.

Includes-
 title of job
 department of business in which will be worked
 who the job-holder is responsible to
 who he is responsible for
 the purpose of the job
 the main duties of the job
Can include-
 conditions of employment(salary, hours, pension etc)
 training
 opportunities for promotion

1
Paula Hohne-Tarragona
THE FROG’S EQUATION: BUSINESS STUDIES FOR IGCSE

Job specification: the required qualifications, skills personal qualities for a job.
Includes:
 level of educational qualifications
 amount of experience and type of experience
 special skills, knowledge or particular aptitude
 personal characteristics, personality

Advertising vacancy
Internal recruitment: vacancy is filled by someone who is an existing
employee.
Advantages-
 saves time and money
 person is known to firm, reliability, ability and potential known
 person knows the way of working and what is expected
 motivating for other to see others get promoted
Disadvantages-
 no new ideas or experience for the business
 may create jealousy and rivalry

External recruitment: vacancy is filled by someone who is not an employee

Places for advertisement-
 local newspaper- usually for clerical or manual positions, people
locally could fill the positions, no high skills required
 National newspaper- more senior positions, few local people could
fill the vacancy. Highly paid jobs for people willing to move.
 Specialist magazines/journals- used for particular technical
people. these people might move from other countries to get the
job
 Recruitment agencies- they advise advertise and interview people
for jobs and when a vacancy arrives they will put forward
candidates. used when particularly skilled workers are needed
 job centers- job vacancies are advertised, usually for unskilled
jobs

Job advertisement:
Includes- information about the job (duties, qualifications, salary,
conditions, method of application)
Depending on the type of job the advertisement will be placed on one
place or the other.

2
Paula Hohne-Tarragona
THE FROG’S EQUATION: BUSINESS STUDIES FOR IGCSE

Application forms/CVs: applicants for the job will sent filled in application
forms or application letters with CVs. The business will use this to draw up a
short-list of people who will do an interview.

Interviews: the people on the short-list will be interviewed and asked for
reference (school or former employer)
*the main purpose is to assess the applicant’s ability to do the job, the personal
qualities and the general character of the person
*tests may also be done- (skill tests, aptitude tests, personality tests, group
situation)

Training
Induction training: introduction to the business for a new employee, explaining
firm’s activities, customs and procedures, introducing them to fellow workers.

On-the-job training: training given at the place of work by watching another,

more experienced employee doing the job
*suitable for unskilled workers, individual tuition given, trainer will be less
productive

Off-the-job training: training is given away from the place of work, usually by
specialist workers
*can be cheaper as workers work normally during the day, though they
pay the course.

Workforce planning: establishing the workforce needed by the business for

the foreseeable future in terms of number and skills

Dismissal and redundancy

Dismissal: worker is told to leave the job because work is unsatisfactory

Redundancy: when an employee is no longer needed and loses their job.

Redundancy pay is often given.

3
Paula Hohne-Tarragona