In this assignment, I will evaluate the usefulness of the recruitment and
selection document in facilitating the interview process at Sainsbury’s to
select the best recruit and talk about the usefulness of these documents.
Job Advert & job description:
A job advert is an announcement about a specific job which is available. A
job description is a document that sets out the purpose of the job, where
the job fits into the organisation structure, the main duties and
responsibilities of the job and key tasks to be performed. In many cases,
the job description is included in the job advert.
It is usually created by the human resources manager of Sainsbury’s,
executive search firms or employment agencies. The purpose of the job
advert is to find one or more individual to fill a specific job post. Job
adverts intend to attract the right candidate for a vacant position. A job
advert should include the company name, job title, salary, place, job
description, contract hours… Such an advert can be found on online job
search websites like reed.com or indeed.
A job advert is useful for both candidates and the employer as it provides
the vital set of information mentioned above. As a result, the latter, who
is viewing the job advert, can thereby decide whether the job is
appropriate for them or not. It will allow them to determine whether they
are available during the specified time, or if they will be able to travel to
the place of work and thus make a decision: either to apply or not. From
the employers’ point of view, as the job advert also includes a job
description, it allows them to shortlist candidates depending on their
skills, experience, availability…
On the other hand, there are also drawbacks associated to the job advert.
For instance, occasionally the information provided in the document may
be insufficient or inaccurate. For instance, most of the time, people are
very much interested in knowing the salary in order to make a decision.
However, on certain job adverts, the salary is only stated as being
‘negotiable’, which will cause doubts and put off the person from applying.
Job adverts can also be an issue to employers. Typically, a job description
has to be a summary and narrow. As a result, in many cases it cannot
include everything about what the job entails. Therefore, when someone
is employed for the job, the employer has to stick to what is mentioned in
the job advert and description. If the employee is asked to perform a task
which is not mentioned in the documents, then this can be considered as
a violation of the labour law.
, A person specification:
A person specification is a profile of the candidates required for the work.
A person specification is written by the firm and outlines the type of
person the firm wants. It might contain the educational qualifications,
previous experience, general intelligence, specialised skills, interests,
personality and physical requirements.
This document is useful for candidates as it informs them about what the
candidate needs to be able to successfully fulfil the role of the job.
Therefore they can decide whether the job is suitable for them or not. The
person specification is also an advantage for the company and employers
as the essentials for the job are specified and thus the hiring process is
made much easier. Therefore, this already acts as a selection criteria and
shortlist the number of applications which they will receive, thus saving
them time, money, effort and resulting in worthwhile applications.
Nevertheless, there are also limitations linked to this document. That is,
when an employer creates a person specification for a job position, the
latter should adhere to several guidelines. The employer should never
include any requirements or specifications that are not applicable to the
job position being filled and all details provided should be bias and
discrimination free, in order to avoid legal consequences.
A completed application form:
A completed application letter is a written document submitted with a job
application explaining the applicant's interest and credibility in the open
position. The form has to be filled to include basic information such as
name, contact details, address, qualifications, experience, skills… During
the last part of the application form, more open-ended questions will be
asked. For instance: ‘Why have you applied for this job?’
An application form is vital as it is one of the main documents which
employers use during the recruitment and selection process. The
employer will review the details in the application form to select the
candidate who seems the most appropriate for the job position.
On the application form, there are open and closed questions which are
beneficial to the employer as it allows them to see your education history,
references, work history, and often a personal statement explaining why