SOLUTIONS MANUAL

CHAPTER Recruitment,

2 Selection and
Induction

Model Exam Questions

1 Describe the methods an employer could use to attract job-seekers to apply for the position
of human resource executive.
The methods that may be used to attract applicants for the position of human resource executive
include the following:
(a) Internal methods—the employer may have an existing employee who is interested to be
upgraded or transferred into the position. Someone may have taken a certificate or diploma
course in HRM on a part-time basis and would like the job. For this purpose, either an
employee audit may be made by searching through employees’ personal files or the availability
of the position may be announced to all employees through notice boards, intranet or other
method.
(b) External methods—the employer can advertise the position in local newspapers. The
advertisement should include the job description and person specification. An advertisement
can also be placed with one or more online recruitment agencies as HR people are expected
to use this media. Employees could be requested to inform friends or relatives who may
be interested. The employer could also contact campuses offering a diploma or degree
programme specializing in HR. A notice could be placed in the office of the Malaysian
Institute of Human Resource Management and on their website. Lastly, the employer could
check their files for any unsolicited applicants who may be suitable.

2 What selection techniques would be suitable when an employer wants to hire a graduate
engineer?
The selection techniques that would be suitable when an employer wishes to hire a graduate
engineer include:
(a) The completion of an application form which should provide factual data about the candidate.
(b) An interview to discuss the experience and knowledge of the candidate. Discussion may
focus on the candidate’s projects completed while a student, internships if any, and long term
career interests.
(c) A personality test to ensure fit between the applicant and the culture of the organization.
(d) A medical test to ensure that the applicant is physically fit for the work.
(e) References may be requested from the graduate’s lecturers.
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3 Do you agree that employers should have the right to choose the job applicant they believe to
be most suitable for the job, even if this means some candidates are discriminated against?
Justify your answer.
Discriminating against job applicants who are able to do a particular job, merely because of
certain characteristics irrelevant to ability to perform, is an unfair labour practice. It is also bad
for business.
Employers should positively try to hire people from a variety of backgrounds. Diversity brings
different ideas into the organization, which can be used to improve the product or service provided
by the employer. Employing people from different backgrounds can help an organization with its
marketing efforts, as these people will be able to reach out to different groups within society.
Discrimination is only rarely justified. In some jobs—and they are becoming more and more
rare—gender might be an issue. For example, a retail department store would generally want to
ensure they have female staff to assist in clothing sections, especially if female undergarments are
being sold. Most customers in Malaysia, and Asia generally, are conservative about such matters.
In a bookstore specializing in books related to a particular religion, it might be important to
have an assistant who follows the religion concerned as the assistant would be more likely to
be persuasive in their sales approach to customers. Age, by itself, is not likely to be an issue,
although legal requirements may make it necessary for an employer to discriminate against
young employees who may not be permitted to work in certain occupations or certain hours if
they are below a specified age. Older workers, providing they have the physical abilities to do the
job, can perform as well as a younger worker. However, customers may relate better to a younger
worker in certain cases, for example, in a record store selling the latest “pop” music, a younger
worker may be more knowledgeable concerning this genre of music. However, the key issue is not
the age of the worker but the knowledge that he has and whether he can sell the product.

4 Explain the value of a well-organized induction programme.

A well-organised induction programme brings certain benefits to the new employee as well as the
employing organization. These benefits include:
• It helps reduce employee stress and anxiety caused by being in a new situation. This will allow
the employee to become productive faster.
• It helps to create teamwork among employees, which leads to better quality work and higher
levels of output.
• It makes employees feel valued and welcome, which increases their satisfaction with their
choice of organization.
• It lessens the likelihood of the employee quitting after a short period of time because he or
she does not understand the job, or is not comfortable in the working environment. When
workers leave because they are unable to adapt to the workplace, the employer’s costs will rise
with the need to recruit and train new people.

5 Give examples of the key terms of an employment contract which must comply with the
relevant employment law. Suggest three benefits which are commonly offered to employees
which are not regulated by law at all.

Key express terms of an employment contract which must comply with the Employment Act
(EA) are:
• Maternity leave —All employees, irrespective of whether they are within the scope of the EA
(i.e. those earning not more than RM2,000 per month and manual workers, drivers and other
listed in the Schedule to the Act), are entitled by this law to a minimum of 60 days maternity
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leave. Up to 30 days may be taken before the employee gives birth and the remainder after.
There can be no limit on the number of times an employee is entitled to this leave, which by
international standards today is considered too brief. However, the leave will not be paid leave
if the employee has five or more surviving children at the time she gives birth. Further to be
entitled to paid leave, the employee must have worked for the employer at least 90 days.
• Paid sick leave is another benefit which is mandatory under the EA. The number of days of
paid sick leave to which an employee is entitled each year depends upon his length of service.
The sick leave provisions range from 14 days to 22 days per year. Any sick leave beyond this
provision will be unpaid. However, in order for an employee to be entitled to paid sick leave, he
or she must be certified sick, i.e. have an MC by a doctor appointed by the employer (known as
a panel doctor). If no panel doctor is appointed, the employee may visit any registered doctor.
Traditional health healers (bomohs and sinsehs) are not doctors registered with the relevant
medical authorities. The terms relating to sick leave are only mandatory for employees within
the scope of the EA.
• Annual leave, like paid sick leave, is an entitlement for employees within the scope of the EA.
Also like sick leave, annual leave increases with the length of the employee’s service ranging
from 8 days per year to 16 days per year after five years of service.
Benefits commonly offered to employees which are not regulated by law include:
• Paternity leave—leave for males when their wives give birth is typically provided for in
contracts of service although its duration may be limited to two to three days per year. Most
employers insist on a condition that paternity leave can only be taken when the spouse is
married to the male employee. There is a current trend in larger firms to extend the length of
paternity leave provided under contracts of employment.
• Other than paternity leave, many large organizations offer pilgrimage leave, which may be
limited to one occasion during the employee’s service with the employer. This leave may be
paid, partially paid or totally unpaid.
• Educational fee assistance is a cash benefit offered to employees which may be limited to
courses approved as relevant to the employer’s needs or for any study course that the employee
wishes to undertake.