Chapter Two:

HR Planning, Job Analysis,

Recruitment, Selection
&Placement
 Meaning and Definition of Job Analysis
• “Job analysis refers to the process of studying
the operations, duties and organizational
aspects of jobs in order to derive specifications
or as they called by some, job descriptions
(Michael L. Jucius).
• A job analysis is a systematic exploration of the
activities within the job. It is a basic procedure,
one that is used to define duties,
responsibilities and accountabilities of the job
(Decenzo and P. Robbins).
 Definition…..
• job is a collection of tasks that can be performed by a
single employee to contribute to the production of
some product or service provided by the organization.
Each job has certain ability requirements associated
with it. Job analysis process used to identify these
requirements (Herbert G Herman)
• Job analysis is the procedure through which you
determine the duties and nature of the jobs and the
kinds of people who should be hired for them.
• Thus, job analysis involves the process of identifying
the nature of a job (job description) and the qualities
of the likely job holder (job specification).
 Steps in Job Analysis
1. Determine the Use of the Job Analysis
Information: Start by identifying the use
to which the information will be put,
since this will determine the type of data
you collect and the technique you use to
collect them.
2. Collection of Background Information:
The make-up of a job, its relation to other
jobs, and its requirements for competent
performance are essential information
needed for a job evaluation.
 Steps …..
3. Selection of Jobs for Analysis:
•To do job analysis is a costly and time consuming process.
•It is hence, necessary to select a representative sample of
jobs for purposes of analysis.
•A job may be selected because it has undergone
undocumented changes in job content.
•The request for analysis of a job may originate with the
employee, supervisor, or a manager.
4. Collection of Job Analysis Data: Job data should be
collected either form the employees or from other
employees such supervisors or from the outside persons,
known as the trade job analysis who are appointed to
watch employees performing a job.
 Steps …..
5. Processing the Information: Place it in a form that will
make it useful to those charged with the various
personnel functions.
6. Preparing Job Descriptions and Job Classifications: It is
a statement showing full details of the activities of the job.
• Separate job description forms may be used for various
activities in the job and may be compiled later on.
7. Developing Job Specifications: It is a statement of
minimum acceptable qualities of the person to be placed
on the job.
It specifies the standard by which the qualities of the
person are measured.
 Methods of Collecting Job Analysis
Information
• Information to be collected for job analysis may
be collected by the trained job analysis, superiors
concerned and job holders themselves.
• Job information is collected through the
following methods:
 Methods of Collecting Job …
1. Participant Diary/Logs:
• Workers can be to keep participant diary or lists of things
they do during the day.
• For every activity he/she engages in, the employee records
the activity (along with the time) in a log.
• This method provides more accurate information if done
faithfully.
2. Interview:
A. individual interviews with each employee;
B. group interviews with groups of employees having the same
job;
C. supervisor interviews with one or more supervisors who are
thoroughly knowledgeable about the job being analyzed.
 Methods of Collecting Job …
3. Critical Incidents: In this method, job holders are
asked to describe incidents concerning the job on the
basis of their past experience.
• A fairly picture of actual job requirements can be
obtained by distinguishing between effective and
ineffective behaviors of workers on the job.
4. Technical Conference Method:
• Here, specific characteristics of a job are obtained
from the experts.
• Although it is a good data gathering method, it often
overlooks the incumbent worker’s perception about
what they do on their job.
 Methods of Collecting Job …
5.Job Performance: The job analyst actually performs the job
under study to get first-hand experience of the actual tasks.
• Used only for jobs where skill requirements are low and can
be learnt quickly and easily.
6. Functional Job Analysis: (FJA) is employee- oriented
analytical approach of job analysis.
The main features of FJA include the following:
• The extent to which specific instruction are necessary to
perform the task
• The extent to which reasoning and judgment are required to
perform the task
• The mathematical ability required to perform the task and
• The verbal and language facilities required to perform the
task.
 Methods of Collecting Job …

7. Observation Method: A job analyst watches employees

directly on the job.
• This method is suitable for jobs that involve manual,
standardized, and short job cycle activities.
• This method also requires that the entire range of
activities be observable; possible with some jobs.
8. Questionnaires: Properly drafted questionnaires are sent
out to job-holders for completion and are returned to
supervisors.
• The idea in issuing questionnaire is to elicit the necessary
information from job -holders so that any error may first
be discussed with the employee and, after corrections,
may be submitted to the job analyst.
 Potential Problems with Job Analysis

1. There Lack of Management Support: The biggest problem

arises when a job analyst does not get proper support from the
management.
• The top management needs to communicate it to the middle
level managers and employees to enhance the output or
productivity of the process.
2. Lack of Co-operation from Employees: It is almost impossible
to get real and genuine data without the support of employees.
• If they are not ready to co-operate, it is a sheer wastage of
time, money and human effort to conduct job analysis
process.
• The need is to take the workers in confidence and
communicating that it is being done to solve their problems
only.
 Potential Problems ….

3. Inability to Identify the Need of Job Analysis: If the

objectives and needs of job analysis process are not properly
identified, the whole exercise of investigation and carrying out
research is futile.
• Managers must decide in advance why this process is being
carried out, what its objectives are and what is to be done
with the collected and recorded data.
4. Biasness of Job Analyst: A balanced and unbiased approach
is a necessity while carrying out the process of job analysis.
• To get real and genuine data, a job analyst must be impartial
in his or her approach.
• If it can’t be avoided, it is better to outsource the process or
hire a professional job analyst.
 Potential Problems ….
5. Using Single Data Source:
• A job analyst needs to consider more than one
sources of data in order to collect true
information.
• Collecting data from a single source may result
in inaccuracy and it therefore, defeats the
whole purpose of conducting the job analysis
process.
 Human Resource Planning:
Meaning and Definition
• “HRP is the process by which management
determines how the organization should move
from its current man power position to desired
manpower position (Vetter).
• HRP is concerned with two things: Planning of
manpower requirements and Planning of
Manpower supplies. (Gordon Mc Beath)
• HRP is the process of forecasting an organization’s
future demands for and supply of the right type of
people in the right number.
 HRP is a Four-Phased Process
1. The first phase: Gathering and analysis of data
through manpower inventories and forecasts.
2. The second phase: Establishing manpower
objectives and policies and gaining top
management approval of these.
3. The third phase: Designing and implementing
plans and promotions to enable the organization
to achieve its manpower objectives.
4. The fourth phase: Control and evaluation of
manpower plans to facilitate progress in order to
benefit both the organization and the individual.
 Importance of Human Resource Planning

1. Future Personnel Needs: Helps to determine

the future personnel needs of the
organization.
2. Part of Strategic Planning: HRP provides
inputs in strategy formulation process in terms
of deciding whether the organization has got
the right kind of human resources to carry out
the given strategy.
3. Creating Highly Talented Personnel: Enables
the company to recruit the right person with
right skills to the organization.
 Importance…..
4. International Strategies: An international expansion
strategy of an organization is facilitated to a great
extent by HR planning.
5. Foundation for Personnel Functions: HRP provides
essential information for functions of recruitment,
selection, training and development, personnel
movement like transfers, promotions and layoffs.
6. Increasing Investments in Human Resources:
Organizations are realizing that human assets can
increase in value more than the physical assets.
An employee who gradually develops his/ her skills and
abilities become a valuable asset for the organization.
 Importance…..
7. Resistance to Change: Employees are always
reluctant whenever they hear about change
and even about job rotation.
Organizations cannot shift one employee from one
department to another without any specific planning.
8. Uniting the Viewpoint of Line and Staff
Managers: HRP helps to integrate the
viewpoints of line and staff managers.
Though HRP is initiated and executed by the corporate
staff, it requires the input and cooperation of all
managers within an organization.
 Importance…..
9. Succession Planning: Human Resource Planning
prepares people for future challenges.
• Other Benefits:
– HRP helps in judging the effectiveness of manpower
policies and programs of management.
– It develops awareness on effective utilization of
human resources.
– It facilitates selection and training of employees.
– Encourages the company to review and modify its
human resource policies and practices and to
examine the way of utilizing the human resources for
better utilization.
 Steps in Human Resource Planning
1. Environmental Scanning: Refers to the systematic
monitoring of the external forces influencing the
organization.
The following forces are essential for pertinent HRP.
• Economic factors: including general and regional
conditions
• Technological changes
• Demographic changes: including age, composition
and literacy,
• Political and legislative issues: including laws and
administrative rulings Social concerns, including child
care, educational facilities and priorities.
 Steps in Human Resource ….
2. HR Demand Forecast:
Demand forecasting is the process of estimating the
future quantity and quality of people required to
meet the future needs of the organization.
3. HR Supply Forecast:
Supply forecast determines whether the HR
department will be able to procure the required
number of workers.
 Steps in Human Resource ….
4. HR Programming:
• Demand and supply need to be balanced in order that the
vacancies can be filled by the right employees at the right
time.
5. HR Plan Implementation:
• HR implementation requires converting an HR plan into
action.
• A series of action such as recruitment, selection and
placement, training and development, retraining and
redeployment, retention plan, succession plan etc are
implemented
6. Control and Evaluation: The achievement of the
organization will be evaluated and monitored against the plan.
 Factors Affecting Human Resource Planning
1. Type and Strategy of the Organization: Type of the
organization determines the production processes
involve, number and type of staff needed and the
supervisory and managerial personnel required.
• If the organization has a plan for organic growth then
organization need to hire additional employees.
• On the other hand if the organization is going for
mergers and acquisition, then organization need to
plan for layoffs, as mergers can create, duplicate or
overlap positions that can be handled more
efficiently with fewer employees.
 Factors Affecting Human ……
2. Organizational Growth Cycles and Planning:
• All organizations pass through different stages of
growth from the day of its inception.
• The stage of growth in which an organization is
determines the nature and extends of HRP.
• Small organizations in the earlier stages of
growth may not have well defined personnel
planning.
• But as the organization enters the growth stage
they feel the need to plan its human resource.
 Factors Affecting Human ……
3. Environmental Uncertainties: Political, social and
economic changes affect all organizations and the
fluctuations that are happening in these
environments affect organizations drastically.
• Personnel planners deal with such environmental
uncertainties by carefully formulating recruitment,
selection, training and development policies and
programs.
• The balance in the organization is achieved through
careful succession planning, promotion channels,
layoffs, flexi time, job sharing, retirement and other
personnel related arrangements.
 Factors Affecting Human ……
4. Time Horizons:
• HR plans can be short term or long term. Short
term plans spans from six months to one year,
while long term plans spread over three to
twenty years.
• The extent of time period depends upon the
degree of uncertainty that is prevailing in an
organizations environment.
• Greater the uncertainty, shorter the plan time
horizon and vice versa
 Factors Affecting Human ……
5. Type and Quality of information:
• The information used to forecast personnel
needs originates from a multitude of sources.
• The forecast depends to a large extent upon the
type of information and the quality of data that is
available to personnel planners.
• The quality and accuracy of information depend
upon the clarity with which the organizational
decision makers have defined their strategy,
structure, budgets, production schedule and so
on.
 Factors Affecting Human ……
6. Nature of Jobs Being Filled:
• Personnel planners need to be really careful with
respect to the nature of the jobs being filled in the
organization.
• Employees belonging to lower level who need very
limited skills can be recruited hastily but, while
hiring employees for higher posts, selection and
recruitment need to be carried out with high
discretion.
• Organization need to anticipate vacancies far in
advance as possible, to provide sufficient time to
recruit suitable candidate.
 Factors Affecting Human ……
7. Outsourcing:
• Several organizations outsource part of their work to
outside parties in the form of subcontract.
• Outsourcing is a regular feature both in the public
sector as well as in the private sector companies.
• Many of the organizations have surplus labor and
hence instead of hiring more people they go for
outsourcing.
• Outsourcing is usually done for non critical activities.
• Outsourcing of non- critical activities through
subcontracting determines HRP
 Recruitment and Selection
Meaning and Definition
• Recruitment is the next step in the HR function, the
first being the manpower planning.
• Recruiting makes it possible to acquire the number
and types of people necessary to ensure the
continued operation of the organization.
• Recruiting is the discovering of potential applicants
for actual or anticipated organizational vacancies.
• Recruitment is the process of searching for
prospective employees and stimulating them to
apply for jobs in the organization. (Edwin B. Flippo)
 Meaning……..
• Recruitment is a form of competition. Just as
corporations compete to develop, manufacture,
and market the best product or service, so they
must also compete to identify, attract and hire the
most qualified people. Recruitment is a business,
and it is a big business. (Lord)
• Recruiting is a process to discover the sources of
manpower to meet the requirements of the
staffing schedule and to employ effective
measures for attracting that manpower in
adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection
of an efficient working force. (Dale Yoder)
 Features of Recruitment
1. Recruitment is a process or series of action
• Recruitment process generally starts when the
personnel department receives requisition for
recruitment from any department the company.
• Locating and developing the sources for recruitment.
• Identifying the perspective candidate.
• Communicating the information about the
organization and job.
• Encouraging the identified candidate to apply for the
position offered.
• Evaluating the effectiveness of the recruitment
process.
 Features…..
2. It is a linking activity as it brings employer and
prospective employees together.
3. It is a positive function.
4. The basic function of recruitment is to locate
the sources of people required to meet the job
requirements.
5. Recruitment is a two-way function as it takes
both recruiter and recruits together.
6. It is a pervasive function- It covers all levels and
all categories of people and management and
operational staff
 Factors Governing Recruitment
Factors affecting recruitment can be classified as
internal and external factors.
A. Internal Factors
• Wage and salary policies;
• The age composition of existing working force;
• Promotion and retirement policies;
• Turnover rates;
• The nature of operations involved the kind of
personnel required;
 Factors Governing ……
A. Internal …..
• The level and seasonality of operations
• Future expansion and reduction programs
• Recruiting policy of the organization
• Human resource planning strategy of the
company
• Size of the organization and the number of
employees employed;
• Cost involved in recruiting employees, and finally;
• Growth and expansion plans of the organization.
 Factors Governing ……
B. External Factors
• Supply and demand of specific skills in the labor market;
• Company’s image
• External cultural factors
• Economic factors: such as a tight or loose labor market,
the reputation of the enterprise such allied issues
determine the quality and quantity of manpower
submitting itself for recruitment.
• Political and legal factors also exert restraints in respect
of nature and hours of work for women and children,
and allied employment practices in the enterprise and
so on.
 Source of Recruitment
A. Internal Sources
• It would be desirable to utilize the internal
sources before going outside to attract the
candidates.
• This will provide possibilities for horizontal and
vertical transfers within the enterprise
eliminating simultaneous attempts to lay off
employees in one department and recruitment
of employees with similar qualification for
another department in the company.
 Merits of Internal Sources
• It creates a sense of security among employees.
• It improves the morale of employees.
• It promotes loyalty and commitment among employees.
• The employer is in a better position to evaluate those
presently employed than outside candidates.
• It encourages self-development among the employees.
It encourages good individuals who are ambitious.
• It encourages stability from continuity of employment.
• It can also act as a training device for developing middle
and top-level managers.
• Time and costs of training will be low.
• Relations with trade unions remain good.
 Demerits of Internal Sources
However, this system suffers from certain defects as:
• Internal sources may “dry up”, and it may be difficult
to find the requisite personnel from within an
organization.
• It often leads to inbreeding, and discourages new
blood from entering and organization.
• As promotion is based on seniority, the danger is that
really capable hands may not be chosen.
• The likes and dislikes of the management may also
play an important role.
• Since the learner does not know more than the
lecturer, no innovations worth the name can be made.
 B. External Sources
• Necessary to bring in some ‘new blood’ to
broaden the present ideas, knowledge, and
enthusiasm.
• Thus, all organizations have to depend on
external sources of recruitment.
Among these sources are included:
• Employment agencies.
• Educational and technical institutes, and
• Casual labor or “applicants at the gate” and nail
applicants.
 Advantages of External Recruitment
• It will help in bringing new ideas, better techniques
and improved methods to the organization.
• The cost of employees will be minimized.
• The existing employees will also broaden their
personality.
• The entry of qualitative persons from outside will be
in the interest of the organization in the long run.
• The suitable candidates with skill, talent, knowledge
are available from external sources.
• The entry of new persons with varied expansion and
talent will help in human resource mix.
 Disadvantages …..
• Orientation and training are required as the
employees remain unfamiliar with the
organization.
• It is more expensive and time-consuming.
• If new entrant fails to adjust himself to the
working in the enterprise, it means yet more
expenditure on looking for his replacement.
• Motivation, morale and loyalty of existing staff
are affected
• It becomes a source of heart-burning and
demoralization among existing employees.
 Methods of Recruitment
• Methods of recruitment are different from the
sources of recruitment.
• Sources are the locations where prospective
employees are available.
• On the other hand, methods are way of
establishing links with the prospective employees.
• Various methods employed for recruiting
employees may be classified into the following
categories.
 Methods of ….
1. Direct Methods
• One of the widely used direct methods is that of
sending of recruiters to colleges and technical
schools.
• Most college recruiting is done in co-operation
with the placement office of a college.
• The placement office usually provides help in
attracting students, arranging interviews,
furnishing space, and providing student resumes.
 Methods of ….
2. Indirect Methods:
• The most frequently used indirect method of
recruitment is advertisement in newspapers, journals,
and on the radio and television.
• Advertisement enables candidates to assess their
suitability.
• It is appropriate when the organization wants to reach
out to a large target group scattered nationwide.
• When a firm wants to conceal its identity, it can give
blind advertisement in which only box number is
given.
 Methods of ….
3. Third-Party Methods:
• The most frequently used third-party methods
are public and private employment agencies.
• Public employment exchanges have been largely
concerned with factory workers and clerical jobs.
• They also provide help in recruiting professional
employees.
• Private agencies provide consultancy services
and charge a fee.
 Employee Selection
• Employee selection is the process of
interviewing and evaluating candidates for a
specific job and selecting an individual for
employment based on certain criteria.
• Employee selection can range from a very
simple process to a very complicated process
depending on the firm hiring and the position.
• Certain employment laws such as anti-
discrimination laws must be obeyed during
employee selection.
 The selection process
• This information is secured in a number of steps
or stages.
• The objective of selection process is to
determine whether an applicant meets the
qualification for a specific job and to choose the
applicant who is most likely to perform well in
that job.
• Selection is a long process, commencing from the
preliminary interview of the applicants and
ending with the contract of employment
(sometimes).
 The selection process……
1. Application Pool: Application pool built-up through
recruitment process is the base for selection process.
The basic objective at the recruitment level is to attract as
much worthwhile applications as possible so that there are
more options available at the selection stage
2. Preliminary Screening and Interview: It is highly
noneconomic to administer and handle all the applicants.
– It is advantageous to sort out unsuitable
applicants before using the further selection steps.
– For this purpose, usually, preliminary interviews,
application blank lists and short test can be used.
 The selection process……
3. Application Blank or Application Form: Used for getting
information from a prospective applicant which will enable the
management to make a proper selection.
Information is generally taken on the following items:
• Biographical Data: Name, place of birth, age, sex, nationality,

height, weight, identification marks, etc

• Educational Attainment: Education, training acquired in
special fields and knowledge gained from
professional/technical institutes.
• Work Experience: Previous experience,
• Salary and Benefits: Present and expected.
• Other Items: Names and addresses of previous employers,
references, etc.
 The selection process……
4. Selection Tests: Many organizations hold different
kinds of selection tests to know more about the
candidates or to reject the candidates who cannot be
called for interview etc.
Selection tests may give information about their
aptitude, interest, personality, which cannot be
known by application forms.
Types of tests are;
• Aptitude Tests: These measure whether an
individual has the capacity or talent ability to learn
a given job if given adequate training. These are
more useful for clerical and trade positions.
 The selection process……
• Personality Tests: At times, personality affects job
performance. These determine personality traits of the
candidate such as cooperativeness, emotional balance
etc.
• Interest Tests: These determine the applicant’s
interests. The applicant is asked whether he likes,
dislikes, or is indifferent to many examples of school
subjects, occupations, amusements, peculiarities of
people, and particular activities.
• Performance Tests: In this test the applicant is asked to
demonstrate his ability to do the job. For example,
prospective typists are asked to type several pages with
speed and accuracy.
 The selection process……
• Intelligence Tests: This aim at testing the mental capacity of a
person with respect to reasoning, word fluency, numbers,
memory, comprehension, picture arrangement, etc. It
measures the ability to grasp, understand and to make
judgment.
• Knowledge Tests: These are devised to measure the depth of
the knowledge and proficiency in certain skills already achieved
by the applicants such as engineering, accounting etc.
• Achievement Tests: Whereas aptitude is a capacity to learn in
the future, achievement is concerned with what one has
accomplished.
• Projective Tests: In these tests the applicant projects his
personality into free responses about
pictures shown to him which are ambiguous.
 The selection process……
5. Interview: An interview is a procedure designed to get
information from a person and to assess his potential for the job he
is being considered on the basis of oral responses by the applicant to
oral inquiries by the interviewer.
• Interviewer does a formal in-depth conversation with
the applicant, to evaluate his suitability.
• It is one of the most important tools in the selection
process.
• This tool is used when interviewing skilled, technical,
professional and even managerial employees.
• It involves two-way exchange of information.
• The interviewer learns about the applicant and the
candidate learns about the employer.
 The selection process……

6. Background Investigation:
• The next step in the selection process is to
undertake an investigation of those applicants
who appear to offer potential as employees.
• This may include contacting former employers to
confirm the candidate’s work record and to obtain
their appraisal of his or her performance/
contacting other job-related and personal
references, and verifying the educational
accomplishments shown on the application.
 The selection process……

7. Physical Examination: Candidates are sent for physical

examination either to the company’s physician or to a medical
officer approved for the purpose.
Such physical examination provides the following information.
• Whether the candidate’s physical measurements are in
accordance with job requirements or not?
• Whether the candidate suffers from bad health which should
be corrected?
• Whether the candidate has health problems or psychological
attitudes likely to interfere with work efficiency or future
attendance?
• Whether the candidate is physically fit for the specific job or
not?
 The selection process……

8. Approval by Appropriate Authority: On the basis

of the above steps, suitable candidates are
recommended for selection by the selection
committee or personnel department.
• Though such a committee or personnel
department may have authority to select the
candidates finally, often it has staff authority to
recommend the candidates for selection to the
appropriate authority.
• Organizations may designate the various
authorities for approval of final selection of
candidates for different categories of candidates.
 The selection process……
9. Final Employment Decision: After a candidate is finally
selected, the human resource department recommends
his name for employment.
• The management or board of the company offers
employment in the form of an appointment letter
mentioning the post, the rank, the salary grade, the
date by which the candidate should join and other
terms and conditions of employment.
• Some firms make a contract of service on judicial paper.
• Usually an appointment is made on probation in the
beginning. The probation period may range from three
months to two years.
 The selection process……
10. Evaluation: The selection process, if properly
performed, will ensure availability of competent
and committed personnel.
A period audit, conducted by people who work
independently of the human resource department,
will evaluate the effectiveness of the selection
process.
 Orientation/Induction
• Orientation is a term used for the organizationally
sponsored, formalized activities associated with an
employee’s socialization into the organization. (John
Bernardin)
• Induction (orientation) is a technique by which a new
employee is rehabilitated into the changed surroundings
and introduced to the practices, policies, and purposes
of the organization (Billimoria).
• Orientation is one component of the new employee
socialization process. Socialization is the ongoing
process of instilling in all new employees prevailing
attitudes, standards, values, patterns of behavior that
are expected by the organization and its departments.
 Orientation …
Generally the information given during the
orientation programme includes-
• Employee’s layout
• Type of organizational structure
• Departmental goals
• Organizational layout
• General rules and regulations
• Grievance system or procedure
 Employee Placement 
• After the employee is hired and oriented, he/she must be
placed in his/her right job.
• Placement is understood as the allocation of people to the job.
• It is assignment or re-assignment of an employee to a new or
different job.
• Placement includes initial assignment of new employees and
promotion, transfer or demotion of present employees.
• The placement is arising out of promotion, transfer, demotion.
• Assignment of new employee to a job apparently seems to be
simple task.
• The employer advertises inviting applications from candidates
for a specific post.
 Principles of Placement
1. Man should be placed on the job according to the
requirements of the job.
2. The job should be offered to the person according
to his qualification. This should neither the higher
nor the lower than the qualification.
3. Made aware of the penalties if he commits the
wrong.
4.While introducing the job to the new employees, an
effort should be made to develop a sense of loyalty
and cooperation in him so that he may realize his
responsibility better towards the job and the
organization.
 Principles…..
5.The placement should be ready before the
joining date of the newly selected person.
6.The placement in the initial period may be
temporary as changes are likely after the
completion of training. The employee may be
later transferred to the job where he can do
better.
Thank you!