CREATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Concept of equal employment opportunity

Employees in an organization have the right to fair treatment in all matters of

employment. While principles of democracy require equality among the citizens, there is also
a need to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) and to undo the effects of past
discrimination in employment.

True equal employment opportunity is the absence of actual discrimination, or

discriminatory impact in all terms and conditions of employment and it includes
 recruitment, hiring, upgrading, promotion, transfer
 certification, tenure
 layoff, termination, contract non-renewals
 compensation and benefits l
 selection for training opportunities

The concept of equal employment opportunity is equal access to the procedure under
which some office or benefit not available to all is allocated, with stipulations about the
fairness of the procedure in view of its purposes. Equal opportunity is the absence of
discrimination, as in the workplace, based on race, minority status, color, age, gender,
national origin, religion, or mental or physical disability. The three dimensions of equal
opportunity correspond to three aspects of fairness i.e., procedural fairness, background
fairness and stakes fairness in competitions for social goods. Procedural fairness reflects a
concern with the basic rules of procedure that govern a competition. Background fairness
reflects a concern that there is a level playing field for all competitors. Stakes fairness
focuses on the rewards to winners and losers in the competition. The applicants are
considered for employment solely on the basis of their qualifications and competencies,
without regard to their race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, age, sex, marital
status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, socio-economic background
or sexual orientation.

There is a need to provide equal opportunities to all persons without discrimination.

This policy states the organization's position on equal opportunity in all aspects of
employment, including recruitment, training conditions of service, career progression,
termination or retirement and acts like a beacon to employees at all levels to act fairly and
prevent discrimination. The organisation’s greatest asset is its employees. It should be
committed to attracting, retaining, and developing the highest quality and most dedicated
work force possible in today's market. It strives to hire and promote people on the basis of
their qualifications, performance, and abilities, and is determined to provide a work
environment free of any form of illegal discrimination both direct and indirect, including
sexual harassment.
 There are a number of acts of parliament in different country that deal with
discrimination. The following conveys an understanding of these laws

UK Equal pay act 1976, Sex Discrimination Act 1975, Race Relations Act 1976 and
2000, Equal Pay Acts 1970 and 1983, Disability Discrimination Act 1995, Human
Rights Act 1998, Equality act 2006.

USA Fair employment Act 1941, Civil rights act 1964, 1968 and 1991, Age
Discrimination Act 1965, Employment Discrimination Act,

Australia Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Anti-
Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW), Racial and Religious Tolerance Act 2001 (Victoria)

Canada Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, Canadian Employment Equity Act,
Canadian Human Rights Act, Ontarians with Disabilities Act, Quebec Charter of
Human Rights and Freedoms
Law in UK

1. Sex Discrimination Act 1975

The Sex Discrimination Act 1975 (SDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of sex or
moral status in recruitment, promotion and training

 Direct sex discrimination occurs when a person of one sex is treated less favourably on
grounds of sex than a person of the other sex would have been treated in the same
circumstances
 Indirect sex discrimination can occur where a requirement or condition is applied
equally to men and women, but the proportion of one sex that can satisfy the
condition is much smaller than the proportion of the other sex.
 The third type of discrimination covered by the Act is victimization. This occurs when
an individual is discriminated against because they have exercised their rights under
the Act
2. Race Relations Act 1976

The Race Relations Act 1976 (RRA) makes it unlawful to discriminate on grounds of
race, colour, nationality or ethnic or national origin. This Act covers recruitment, promotion
and training. The Act covers direct discrimination, indirect discrimination and victimization.
Examples of indirect discrimination would include recruiting from sources, which exclude
areas of high settlement of minority ethnic groups or insisting on British qualifications. Word
of mouth recruitment in an organization where people from ethnic minority communities are
under-represented would also constitute indirect discrimination.

Section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, deals with the issue of illegal
working and makes it a criminal offence to employ a person who is not entitled to live or work
in the United Kingdom.

3. Equal Pay Acts 1970 and 1983

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 The Equal Pay Act (1970), amended in 1983 was to eliminate discrimination in pay
between men and women and work of equal value. The Act allows an individual to claim pay
equal to that received by members of the opposite sex on the grounds that they are doing.

4. Disability Discrimination Act 1995

The employment sections of the Disability Discrimination Act came into effect on 2nd
December 1996. This Act operates in a similar way to the Race Relations Act and the Sex
Discrimination Act, but also places a duty on an employer to make 'reasonable adjustments' to
premises or working practices to allow a disabled person to be employed. The definition of
disability is wide and includes physical disabilities, sensory disabilities (visual or hearing
impairment), learning difficulties, mental health problems as well as progressive conditions
such as Multiple Sclerosis and Aids.

5. Human Rights Act 1998

The Human Rights Act was incorporated into UK law on 1st October 2000 and is
intended to implement the European Convention on Human Rights in the UK. ‘The enjoyment
of the rights and freedoms… shall be secured without discrimination on any ground such as
sex, race, colour, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin,
association with a national minority, property, birth or other status.’

Laws in India

The Constituent Assembly debates recognized that a section of people in Indian

Society had been denied certain basic rights since ancient times and had therefore remained
economically, socially and educationally backward. As a result, this had created widespread
disparities between them and the rest of the society and a situation had emerged which
underlined the need for special measures to uplift their status. This understanding is clearly
reflected in the Constitution itself where a chapter under the title “Special provisions relating
to certain classes” in Part-XVI has been incorporated. Special provisions have also been made
for the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Part-X of the Constitution. The Constitution
provides for protection and promotion of their social, economic, educational, cultural and
political interests to remove the disparities and to bring them on par with other sections of
the society. In addition, many articles in Parts III, IV, IX, IX- A, Fifth and Sixth Schedule of the
Constitution reinforce these arrangements.

Article 14 provide that States shall not deny any person equality before law or the equal
protection of laws within the territory of India. Article 15 operationalises the concept of
equality in a manner which specifically touches upon the conditions of the Scheduled Castes
and Scheduled Tribes. It says:

1. The State shall not discriminate against any citizen on grounds only of religion, race,
caste, sex, and place of birth or any of them.

2. No citizen shall, on grounds only of religion, race, caste, sex, place of birth or any of
them, be subjected to any disability, liability, restriction or condition with regard to -
(a) access to shops, public restaurants, hotels and places of public entertainment;
or

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 (b) the use of wells, tanks, bathing places, roads and places of public resort
maintained wholly or partly out of State funds or dedicated to the use of the
general public.

3. Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for
women and children.

4. Nothing in this article or in clause (2) of article 29 shall prevent the State from making
any special provision for the advancement of any socially and educationally backward
classes of citizens or for the Scheduled Castes and the Scheduled Tribes.

There are various legislations that have been passed in India with a view to curb the
imbalance in gender hierarchy and aid in women’s empowerment. The constitution of India
guarantees various rights for women in this regard in Part III of the Constitution
(fundamental rights) and Part IV (Directives Principles of State Policy).

Article 14 states that there shall be equal protection of the law and equality before
the law which means that the Courts or any Law enforcement agency should not discriminate
between a man and a woman.

Article 15 guarantees the right against discrimination. The prejudice and bias against
women is rampant an issue to be countered by the right to equality, hence the right against
discrimination. Article 15(3) talks about the special protection for women.

Article 16 provides the right to equal opportunity in terms of public employment

irrespective of the sex of the person.

Article 19 guarantees freedom of speech and expression; to assemble peaceably and

without arms; to forms associations and unions; to move freely throughout the territory of
India; to reside and settle in any part of the territory of India; to practise any profession, or
to carry on any occupation, trade or business. This fosters the right to equality, by providing
the necessary freedoms needed to live in society.

Article 21 guarantees the right to life, the interpretation which has been broadened to
include the right to live with dignity.

Article 23 guarantees the right against exploitation. It prohibits traffic in human

beings.

The Directive Principles of State Policy form Part IV of the Constitution.

Article 38 empowers the state to secure a social order for the promotion of welfare of
the people. It also states that the state shall strive to eliminate the inequalities to secure
justice- social, economic, political.

Article 39 talks about the certain principles of policy that need to be followed by the
state which are securing adequate means of livelihood equally for men and women, equal
pay for equal work among men and women, and the health and strength of workers, men and
women are not abused.

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 Affirmative Action

The concept of affirmative action is defined as the steps taken by the government of
any country, in an attempt to create equal opportunities for all minority communities. In
other words, affirmative action aims to increase ethnic or other forms of diversity in the
social sphere of the society. Minorities are provided with benefits in the educational system,
job and health programs. The concept of affirmative action has more or less same meaning in
different countries, however, they are addressed by different terms. In countries like India,
affirmative action is called as reservation while in the countries like UK it is called as positive
discrimination. Every country has its own sets of rules and regulations, regarding the
implementation of the affirmative actions.

In the United States, affirmative action refers to policies that take gender, race, or
ethnicity into account in an attempt to promote equal opportunity and increase ethnic
diversity in workplaces and schools. The focus of such policies ranges from employment and
public contracting goals, to educational outreach and health programs. The purpose of
affirmative action is to achieve equal opportunity in the workplace. Affirmative action is a
program of positive efforts to identify and remove all barriers to equal employment
opportunity. The impetus towards affirmative action is twofold: to maximize diversity and its
presumed benefits in all levels of society, and to redress perceived disadvantages due to
overt, institutional, or involuntary discrimination. Affirmative action programs thus seek to
even the playing field by actively removing historic preferences and barriers to true equal
opportunity.

These are applied to less privileged class in USA like American Indian or Alaskan
Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific
Islander, Women, Persons with Disabilities, Special disabled veterans and Vietnam era
veterans. There are different actions undertaken by USA for affirmative action. Some of these
are :

 Recruitment of a diverse work force

 On-going review and evaluation of the hiring process: job descriptions, examinations,
and selection
 Pre-employment review, at the division level, of all hiring decisions to ensure fair
employment practices
 Monitoring of promotional opportunities for equal access
 Implementing programs and opportunities such as diversity awareness and leadership
training, the Summer Affirmative Action Internship Program equal opportunity,
affirmative action and sexual harassment, awareness training, Americans with
Disabilities Act training
 Adherence to procedures for fairly investigating and resolving employee complaints of
discrimination and harassment
 Development of specific affirmative action labor force goals and hiring objectives

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 Reservation for priority categories

Reservation in Indian law provides for a quota system whereby a percentage of posts

are reserved in employment in Government and in the public sector units, and in all public
and private educational institutions, except in the religious/ linguistic minority educational
institutions in order to mitigate backwardness of the socially and educationally backward
communities and the Scheduled Castes and Tribes who do not have adequate representation
in these services and institutions. The reservation policy is also extended to the Scheduled
Castes and Scheduled Tribes for representation in the Parliament of India.
The Scheme of the Constitution reflects a three-pronged strategy for changing the
status of Scheduled Castes [and the Scheduled Tribes] based on the traditional social order.
This consists of:
(a) Protection: Legal/Regulatory measures for enforcing equality and removing
disabilities; Providing strong punitive action against physical violence inflicted on
them; Eliminating customary arrangements which deeply hurt their dignity and person;
Preventing control over fruits of their labour and striking at concentration of economic
assets and resources and setting up autonomous watchdog institutions to safeguard
interests, rights and benefits guaranteed to them.
(b) Compensatory discrimination: Enforcement of reservation provisions in public services,
representative bodies and educational institutions.
(c) Development: measures to bridge the wide gap between the Scheduled Castes and
other communities in their economic conditions and social status, covering allocation
of resources and distribution of benefits. This strategy was subsequently
operationalised in the State policy and the commitment to this policy has been a
feature of Indian State ever since. The policy has been strengthened and revised and
its ambit made wider from time to time.
Seats in educational institutions and jobs are reserved based on a variety of criteria.
The quota system sets aside a proportion of all possible positions for members of a specific
group. Those not belonging to the designated communities can compete only for the
remaining positions, while members of the designated communities can compete for all
positions (reserved and open). For example, when 2 out of 10 clerical positions in railways are
reserved for ex-servicemen, those who have served in the Army can compete both in the
General Category as well as in the specific quota. The central government of India reserves
27% of higher education, and individual states may legislate further reservations. Reservation
cannot be exceeded 50%, as per the rulings given by the Supreme Court.

Arguments offered by supporters of reservation

 Reservations are a political necessity in India because vast influential sections of

voting population see reservations as beneficial to themselves. All governments have
supported maintaining and/or increasing reservations. Reservations are legal and binding.

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 As shown by Gujjar agitations, increasing reservations is also essential for peacekeeping in
India.

 Although Reservation schemes do undermine the quality of education but still

affirmative, Action schemes are in place in many countries including USA, South Africa,
Malaysia, Brazil etc. Affirmative Action programs are beneficial to the under-
privileged. The studies said that Blacks who enter elite institutions with lower test scores
and grades than those of whites achieve notable success after graduation. They become
more active than their white classmates in civic and community activities.

 Although Reservation schemes do undermine the quality of education but still

Affirmative Action has helped many - if not everyone from under-privileged and/or under-
represented communities to grow and occupy top positions in the world's leading
industries. Reservation in education is not THE solution; it is just one of the many
solutions. Reservation is a means to increase representation of hitherto under-represented
caste groups and thereby improve diversity on campus.

 Although Reservation schemes do undermine the quality of education but still they are
needed to provide social justice to the most marginalized and underprivileged is our duty
and their human right. Reservation will really help these marginalized people to lead
successful lives, thus eliminating caste-based discrimination which is still widely prevalent
in India especially in the rural areas. (about 60% of Indian population stays in Villages)

 Anti-reservationists have made a gross mix-up between brain-drain and reservation.

Brain-drain is mainly attributed to the "want" to become more rich very fast. Even if we
assume that reservation could be a fraction of the cause, one must understand that brain-
drain is a concept which is meaningless without nationalism, which is separatism from
humankind as a whole. If people leave the country whining about reservation, they don't
have enough nationalism and brain-drain does not apply to them.

 There concerns among anti-reservationists about meritrocracy and aptly so. But
meritrocracy is meaningless without equality. First all people must be brought to the same
level, whether it elevates a section or delevels another, regardless of merit. After that,
we can talk about merit. Forward people have never known to go backward due to
reservations or lack of "meritrocracy". Reservations have only slowed down the process of
"Forward becoming more richer and backward becoming more poorer". In China, people
are equal by birth. In Japan, everyone is highly qualified, so a qualified man finishes his
work fast and comes for labour work for which one gets paid more. So, instead of whining
about reservation, the forward people must be at least happy with the fact that they are
white-collared throughout their life.

Arguments offered by anti-reservationists

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 Caste Based Reservation only perpetuates the notion of caste in society, rather than
weakening it as a factor of social consideration, as envisaged by the constitution.
Reservation is a tool to meet narrow political ends.

 Allocating quotas is a form of discrimination which is contrary to the right to equality.

 The policy of reservation has never been subject to a widespread social or political
audit. Before extending reservation to more groups, the entire policy needs to be properly
examined, and its benefits over a span of nearly 60 years have to be gauged.

 Poor people from "forward castes" do not have any social or economical advantage
over rich people from backward caste.

 Many cite the Mandal Commission report while supporting the idea of reservations.
According to the Mandal commission, 52% of the Indians belong to OBC category, while
according to National Sample Survey 1999-2000, this figure is only 36% (32% excluding
Muslim OBCs).

 This policy of the government has already caused increase in brain drain and may
aggravate further. Under graduates and graduates will start moving to foreign universities
for higher education.

Recruitment

Recruitment is the process of identifying that the organisation needs to employ

someone up to the point at which application forms for the post have arrived at the
organisation. So it is the process of identifying and attracting potential candidates from
within and outside an organization to begin evaluating them for future employment. It is
defines as :

 Recruitment is a process of searching for prospective employees and

stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organization.
 Recruiting is the discovering of potential applicants for actual or anticipated
organizational vacancies.
 Recruitment is a process to discover the sources of man power to meet the
requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures of
attracting man power in adequate measures to facilitate effective selection of
an efficient workforce.

Once candidates are identified, an organization can begin the selection process.
Selection then consists of the processes involved in choosing from applicants a suitable
candidate to fill a post. This includes collecting, measuring, and evaluating information about
candidates’ qualifications for specified positions. Organizations use these processes to
increase the likelihood of hiring individuals who possess the right skills and abilities to be
successful at their jobs. Recruiting individuals to fill particular posts within a business can be

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done either internally by recruitment within the firm, or externally by recruiting people from
outside. Better recruitment and selection strategies result in improved organizational
outcomes. The more effectively organizations recruit and select candidates, the more likely
they are to hire and retain satisfied employees.
Objectives

The objectives or recruitment are

1. To attract people with multi dimensional skills and experiences that suits the
present and future organizational strategies.
2. To induct outsiders with a new perspective to lead the company.
3. To infuse fresh blood at all levels of organizations
4. To develop an organisation culture that attracts competent people to the
company.
5. To search appropriate persons whose skill fits the organisation values.
6. To devise methodologies for assessing psychological traits
7. To seek out non conventional development grounds for talent.
8. To search for talent globally and not just within the country.
9. To design entry pay that competes on quality and not on quantum.
10. To anticipate and find people for positions that does not exist yet.

Process of Recruitment

The process of recruitment aims at increasing the number of applicants and selecting
the suitable candidate, in which the process of recruitment will automatically eliminate the
unsuitable candidate. So process of recruitment consists of three sub systems in recruitment.
Those are :

(1) Source of recruitment : This is to find out and develop the sources where the
required number and kind of employees are/will be available.
(2) Techniques of recruitment to attract candidates : This is to develop suitable
techniques to attract the suitable candidates and employing the techniques to
attract candidates.
(3) Stimulating the conditions to apply : This is to stimulate as many candidates as
possible for the jobs irrespective of the number of candidates required.

Factors affecting recruitment

Recruitment affects by both internal as well as external factors. Below table presents the
important factors which affect recruitment.

Internal factors External factors

1. Employer’s brand 1. Socio-economic factors
2. Company’s pay package 2. Supply & demand factors
3. Quality of work life 3. Employment rate
4. Organizational culture 4. Labour market conditions
5. Career planning and growth 5. External like political, legal and
6. Company’s size governmental factors.
7. Company’s products / services
8. Company’s operation (geographically)

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 9. Company’s growth rate
10. Role of trade unions
11. Cost of recruitment
12. Company’s name and fame.
The first activity of recruitment i.e., searching for perspective employees are affected
by following factors :
1. Organizational policy, regarding internal recruitment.
2. Local conditions (sons of the soil).
3. Influence of trade unions.
4. Government regulations
5. Influence of recommendations, nepotism etc.

The other activity of recruitment is affected by internal factors like

1. Working conditions
2. Promotional opportunities
3. Salary levels, type and extent of benefit.
4. Other personal policies and practices.
5. Image of the organisation
6. Ability and skill of the management to stimulate the candidate.

Sources of recruitment

The source of recruitment is divided into internal sources and external sources.
Internal sources i.e., internal recruitment is within the organizational pursuits. The external
sources or external recruitment is outside organizational pursuits.

(1) Internal recruitment

Internal source of recruitment is related to the recruitment of personnel already in

the pay roll of an organization. This enhances the general level of morale of existing
employees and providing to the company more reliable information about the candidate.
Among the internal resources, may be included promotion, transfers and the response of the
employees to the notified vacancy. The advantages of internal recruitment are as follows:

1. Absorbing people already acquainted with the organisation culture.

2. Having tried and tested people on whom the organisation can depend.
3. The organisation is unlikely to be greatly 'disrupted' by someone who is used to
working with others in the organisation.
4. Considerable savings can be made. Individuals with inside knowledge of how a business
operates will need shorter periods of training and time for 'fitting in'.
5. Internal promotion acts as an incentive to all staff to work harder within the
organisation.
6. The services of the employees are recognized with motivation and morale.
7. It creates job security and opportunity for advancement and thus reduces turnover.
8. It minimizes job training.

Internal sources of recruitment suffer from certain demerits. These are as follows.

 It limits the choice to few employees only.

 The likes and dislikes of superiors play an important role in recruitment.

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  It creates frustration among the unselected employees.
 There is risk attached with an outsider who may only be a success 'on paper.
 There will be replacement of the person who has been promoted

(2)External recruitment

The external sources for recruitment lie outside of the organisation & include the following :

(a) Advertisement

 Internal advertising can be drawn for the nascent talent within your own
organisation.
 Advertise externally through the press or local radio, news paper, trade
journals, magazines.
 Put a card up in the local newsagents or put a jobs page on the WWW.
 Put a poster up in the workplace to be seen by the public.

(b) Outside agency

 Use employment exchanges, employment agencies and job centres

 Use a head-hunter (recruitment consultant who keeps a book on capable
people and who buys them lunch from time to time for a confidential chat
that "may be beneficial to your future").
 Labour contractors may be used to hire workers.

(c) Campus recruitment

 Built up links with educational institutions for campus selection - schools,

colleges, universities.
 Copies of internal vacancy notifications can be sent to different institutes
and collect their profile.
 Networking - build up your own list of who is a potential future employee and
recruit via the old boys/girls network. Note the profiles of people
contributing to professional journals and bring them into the network

(d) References

 Keep and sift again through previous applications

 Ask current employees to nominate people they can recommend.
 Respond to unsolicited letters and CVs

(e) Field rips

 An interviewing team may make trips to towns and cities which are known to
contain the kind of employees required.
 We may attend employment fairs.

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 External recruitment makes it possible to draw upon a wider range of talent, and
provides the opportunity to bring new experience and ideas in to the business. The external
sources of recruitment have the following merits :

1. Fresh talent and skill come to the organisation

2. The organisation has a wide range of candidates to choose from a large market.
3. External source provide requisite type of personnel having required skill & standard.
4. New employees may try to change the old hobbies
5. New employees may be selected on the latest terms and conditions of the organisation
6. Highly qualified and experienced employees may help to boost the performance of the
organisation

The demerits of external sources of recruitment are as follows :

1. It reduces morale of existing employees because outsiders are preferred to fill up

superior vacancies.
2. It denies career advancement for existing employees.
3. There is risk of faulty selection due to improper valuation.
4. The company may end up with someone who proves to be less effective in practice
than they did on paper and in the interview situation.
5. Training is essential for outsides as they are not acquainted with the policies and
procedures of organisation.
6. It is more costly.

There are potential advantages and disadvantages of internal and external recruitment

Potential advantages Potential disadvantages

Internal  Worker morale and motivation is
enhanced
 Organisation has a better
opportunity
 to assess knowledge & skills of the
 candidate
 Candidate has existing knowledge
 about the organisation
 • Less orientation may be needed
External  New ideas and insight
• New knowledge and experience
 Larger pool of talent to recruit from
 May generate unhealthy
 competitiveness for promotions
• Additional training may be required
• Pool of candidates may be restricted
• Those not selected may feel rejected
 and discontented
 Recruiting and selecting may be more
 time-consuming
• Longer adjustment period may be
needed
• Induction costs may be higher
 Less opportunity to assess knowledge
& skills

Modern sources and techniques of Recruitment

There are different modern methods of recruitment process used by various corporate
houses in addition to the traditional sources of techniques. These sources are :

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 1. Walk – in
2. Consult – in
3. Head hunting
4. Body shopping
5. Business alliances
6. E-recruitment
Overview of the Recruitment and Selection process

 Vacant post identified and reviewed

 Decision to fill vacancy made
 Prepare Job Description
 Prepare Person Specification
 Advertise & Prepare Recruitment Information Pack
 Decide selection panel
 Receive application forms
 Short listing by designated selection panel
 Inform applicants not shortlisted
 Inform shortlisted candidates about interview dates, date for the selection test (where
applicable) and any other details
 Take up references of shortlisted candidates
 Panel preparation for interviews & Conduct selection interviews/tests
 Make decision to appoint successful candidate
 Undertake appropriate checks and administrative procedures
 Inform successful and unsuccessful candidates about the selection decision and
arrange for contract to be issued
 Successful candidate commences duty

Recruitment of skilled and effective staff is a central workforce development.

Recruitment and selection is not only about choosing the most suitable candidate. The
recruitment and selection experience can also impact on the likelihood that a candidate will
accept a job offer and on their subsequent commitment to remaining with the organisation.

Effective recruitment steps

Three steps to develop an effective recruitment process are:

Step 1: Ensure an up-to-date job description which contains information related to:
• Specific tasks and activities required for a job
• The knowledge, skills and abilities required for effective performance by
the job incumbent.
Step 2: Develop an effective recruitment strategy which considers:
• Appropriate sources of recruitment (i.e., advertisements, personal
referrals, employment agencies, direct applications)
• Appropriate recruiters (e.g., supervisor or co-worker).
Step 3: Evaluate the recruitment strategy to determine its efficacy. For example:
• Conduct a cost-benefit analysis in terms of the number of applicants
referred, interviewed, selected, and hired
• Compare the effectiveness of applicants hired from various sources.

Challenges to recruitment of effective staff include

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 • Lack of qualified applicants
• Inadequate salary packages
• Lack of resources (including funds)
• Limited scope for advancement and promotion
• Lack of job security
• Remoteness of services
• Stigma attached to working in the field.

Undesirable consequences of poor recruitment

Poor recruitment choices (i.e., poor person-job fit) can have a range of undesirable
consequences for the organisation and the worker including:
• Higher rates of turnover
• Reduced performance effectiveness
• Lowered job satisfaction
• Reduced work motivation.

Use of Recruiting Sources

The sources for recruiting is dependent upon the type of skills needed and the levels
of the jobs. The table shows recruiting sources used by skills and levels.

Unskilled & Skilled Professional Managerial

semiskilled
Internal search Internal search
Informal contacts Informal contacts Informal contacts Informal contacts
Walk-ins Walk-ins Walk-ins Walk-ins
Public employment Public employment Public employment Public employment
Agencies Agencies Agencies Agencies
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement
Private employment Private employment
Agencies Agencies

Selection
Selection is a process of hiring the best from the options available. Selection is a
deliberate effort of organizations to select a fixed number of personnel from a large number
of applications. So the primary aim of the selection is to choose those persons who are most
likely to perform their jobs with maximum effectiveness and to remain with the company.
Hence, there is always an attempt to find the best candidate for the job.

Selection is defined (by Yoder) as “candidates are screened by the employer and the
short listed applicants go on to the next hurdles, while the unqualified ones are eliminated.
The selection process is of one or many ‘go-no-go’ gauges”.

Selection Procedure

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 The selection procedure is the system of functions and devices adopted in a company
to ascertain whether the candidates specifications are matched with the job specifications
and requirements or not. The selection procedure is focused on discovering knowledge,
experience, skills, abilities and personal characteristics of the candidates. During the
selection procedures the candidates are interviewed, tested and submitted to standard
psychological instruments.
The main Objective of a selection procedure is to determine whether an applicant
meets the qualification for a specific job, and then to choose the applicant who is most likely
to perform well in that job. The entire process of selection begins with an initial screening
interview and concludes with a final employment decision. When a selection policy is
formulated, organizational requirement like technical and professional dimensions are kept in
mind.

Steps in selection procedure:

1. Reception of applications or preliminary screening

2. Application bank that gives a detail about the applicant’s background and life history
3. A well conducted interview to explore the applicant’s background
4. The physical examination
5. Psychological testing that gives an objective look at a candidate’s suitability for that job
6. A reference check
7. Final Selection approved by the manager
8. Communication of the decision to the candidate.

Therefore the Selection Process can be pictorially represented in a flowchart as below:

Establishing Selection Process Identifying & choosing selection

criteria

Evaluating information for

Gathering information about
assessing applicant
potential employees

Making decision to select or reject

Communicating decision

Thus the selection process should be planned such that human resource is efficiently used.
The right person for the right job and inducting her/him into the organization or department
successfully is the basic criteria of the entire process.

An overview of selection techniques

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Evidence-based best practice for three of the most commonly used selection techniques is
outlined below.

1. Curriculum vitaes / resumes and written applications

A curriculum vitae (CV) / resume provides valuable information relating to a person’s

professional qualifications and experience. All information in the CV should be verified where
appropriate (e.g., asking applicants to explain gaps in employment history). Requesting job
applicants to address specific selection criteria (i.e., essential and desirable) can improve the
efficiency of reviewing CVs.

2. Conducting interviews

Structured interviews are recommended. A structured interview involves asking each

candidate the same set of questions and assessing their responses on the basis of pre-
determined criteria. Questions and assessment criteria should be based on accurate, updated
job descriptions. It is also helpful to develop criteria to categorise responses (e.g., as
excellent, good, average and unsatisfactory). An interview panel consisting of a
representative selection of people may also be helpful. Two common types of structured
interview questions are:

a. Situational questions ask candidates about hypothetical scenarios that may be

encountered in the job and how they would respond in that situation
b. Experienced-based questions focus on specific examples of the candidate’s prior work
experiences and their responses that are relevant to the job in question.

For example, situational interview questions may include:

• Your case load has increased to the point of being unmanageable - how would you address this?
• What would you do if a client did not attend an appointment?
• You are the team leader and two team members have had an argument with one another about the
way the work tasks should be assigned. How would you handle this?
• If you disagreed with the work practices of a coworker or team member, how would you deal with
this situation?
• A client arrives to a session intoxicated. How would you manage this?
• A client complains to you that another staff member has acted inappropriately. What would you do?
• During a counselling session, it becomes apparent that a client has problems to manage that are
beyond your skill level (e.g., mental health issues or abuse). How would you handle this?

Examples of experience-based questions include:

• Please describe a situation where you had to deal with an aggressive client and outline how
you dealt with this. What were some of the strengths and weaknesses in your approach?
• Can you give an example of when you had to manage a complex project and describe the
strategies you used to do this?

Developing criteria to assess candidates’ responses

To effectively distinguish between candidates, it is recommended that structured questions
are accompanied by a pre-determined scoring key. The scoring key should contain examples
of excellent, good, average, and unsatisfactory answers against which candidates’ answers
can be compared. Advantages of pre-determined scoring criteria include:
• Reduced reliance on interviewers’ memory or written notes

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• Increased clarity regarding the criteria against which candidates are assessed (i.e., what is
a “good” answer?)
• Consistency of assessment across candidates and between interviewers (if a panel is used).

3. Reference checks
Referees are useful for identifying past employment problems and clarifying the accuracy of
information presented in an interview or CV. Only a small percentage of all reference checks
are negative, therefore, it is often difficult to differentiate between candidates on the basis
of reference checks alone.

Steps in Selection Procedure

A wide selection of techniques is available which range from intensive activities, to the more
commonly used interviews and reference checks. However steps commonly followed in
selection procedure are as follows :

(a) Application Blank

(b) Initial interview of the candidate
(c) Employment tests
(d) Interviews
(e) References check
(f) Physical or medical examinations
(g) Final interview and induction

(a) Application Blank : An application lank is a traditional, widely accepted device for
getting information from a prospective applicant. The application blank provides
preliminary information as well as aid in the interview by indicating area of interest
and discussion.
(b) Initial interview of candidate : The probable candidates can be called for preliminary
interview by the organizations to evaluate and to gather additional information.
Preliminary interview may become a necessity, when a large number of candidates
apply for a job.
(c) Employment Tests : Tests are used in the selection procedure for further assessment
of a candidates nature and abilities. These tests can reduce the selection cost by
reducing large number of applicants to manageable levels. There are different type of
tests present and these are : (1) aptitude test, (2) interest test, (3) intelligence test,
(4) performance test or achievement test and (5) personality test.
(d) Interviews: The successful candidates of the employment tests can be called for
interview. The interview consists of interaction between the interviewer and the
applicant. It is an attempt to secure maximum amount of information from the
candidate concerning his suitability of the job under consideration.
(e) Checking references : Checking references is to find out from the past records of the
candidates. However, there are problems like inaccuracy of the assessment by the
referees with limited knowledge or they may be biased to inform. Sometimes,
reference checking is taken as a routine or also omitted.
(f) Physical or Medical Examination : If there is a need, it is applied as a part of
selection procedure. In government and quasi government organizations, getting
medical tests is a must before reporting for duty. It is also a part of the selection
process for all suitable candidates in many organizations.

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(g) Final Interview and Induction : The selected candidates will be informed about the
organizations, future prospects, individual responsibilities etc before finally inducted
into the job. After necessary information, the candidate will be appointed by
providing necessary appointment letter with salary structure, pay, terms and
conditions as well as service benefits.
Tests & Interview

The tests are devices, designed to measure traits that a person possesses. The results give us
"norms". Test designers and those administering them hope that test outcomes (data) help to
determine capacity to perform a job or predict future job/occupational success.

Designers, suppliers and users of tests say that when administered properly they provide

 A useful additional of information about a candidate - indicators of the right

attainments, intelligence and aptitudes for the post. This supplementary information
can be compared with that gained from traditional obviously subjective and limited
methods such as the interview.
 Large number of applications from new graduates for a few posts that use scores from
a popular test will weed out candidates in a neutral, impersonal way.

A tester needs

 The full pack of resources and manuals associated with the test
 The skill to be able to interpret the result. Interpretation demands an understanding
of the tests limitations and the meaning of the statistical reliability associated with
norm group comparisons.

There are five major types of tests. Those are (a) Aptitude Tests, (b) Achievement Tests, (c)
Situational Tests, (d) Interest tests and (e) Personality tests. Some of the important tests are
described below.

A. Aptitude Tests

Aptitude tests seek to measure candidate qualities or traits (physical, social,

conceptual, analytic, practical). The outcome of the test will aim to assist in
predicting the candidate's capacity (potential) to develop those competences/skills
that are needed to perform a task/job/role well.

B. Intelligence tests

Aptitude test overlaps with the interest of employers who to seek to test/measure
aspects of the intelligence of candidates. Various intelligence tests give an IQ score.
They seek to measure a range of intelligence-related capacities for: verbal, numerical,
spatial and general reasoning i.e. abilities to perform mental tasks (the outcomes of
cognition).

C. Achievement Tests

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 These tests are conducted when applicants came to know something as these tests are
concerned with what one has accomplished. These tests are more useful to measure
the value of specific achievement when an organisation wishes to employ experienced
candidates. These tests can be job knowledge test or work sample test. In this test,
problem understanding, analysis and synthesis is being tested against a specification.
The candidate should be capable of achieving.

D. Situational Tests

Situational test evaluates a candidate in a similar real life situation. In this test, the
candidate is asked either to cope with the situation or solve critical situations of the
job. Some of the situational tests include group discussion. From group discussion, or
group activities, the behaviour of participants is interpreted as being "creative"
(more or less).

E. Interest Tests

These tests are related to likes and dislikes of the candidate in relation to the job,
work, occupations, hobbies, and recreational activities. This test analyzes different
interests and disinterests in the job by the candidate. The assumption is that there is a
good correlation between interest of a candidate in a job and job success.

F. Personality tests

Personality is socially constructed. Psychometric test researchers have tried to

correlate "personality types" against job performance. So there is way to measure the
presence of the personality trait then if there is a good correlation with job
performance then we will be able to predict job performance more reliability.

G. Creativity tests

There is creativity tests on the market designed to "measure" how flexible someone is
in reacting to given situations. However, creativity involves imagination, originality
and ability to see new opportunities and relationships. Creative people may not have
original ideas but use the ideas of others organise to bring these ideas into fruition.
Can paper based tests reveal these qualities? Can tests involving one right answer do
this?

Interview

The interview is an examination - a face-to-face encounter via which each side seeks
to make a decision about the other. The employer is in the dominant position. Even where
the short-list is very short and the employer is desperate to fill the post - it is unlikely that an
applicant perceived as being a rogue or maverick will be employed. The employer at all times
will seek to protect their interests. The face-to-face selection interview is the traditional
method - yet it is fraught with problems of subjectivity, interpersonal judgment,
interpretation and misinterpretation.

The technical and social purposes of the interview are

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  For interviewers : to gather further information about candidate competence and
qualities. Make a judgment about the person in relation to the job and the job to
person.
 For applicants : to obtain further information about the job and the employer. Where
there is a competitive labour market (lots of demanding jobs to be filled but few
candidates ready to move with the right ability and experience), then the candidate
may not be desperate for the job. Confident candidates will bide their time to find the
right job and will come to the interview(s) seeking lots more information.
 Public relations : There is a public relations side to recruitment - certainly for
household name and local employers - and that is to treat applicants with respect and
courtesy. Even applicants who are rejected when reflecting need to be able to say
they were treated well, given every opportunity to present themselves to good
advantage. Every candidate needs to feel they have been treated fairly and equitably
and that the interviewers made their judgments on the basis of objective criteria and
with the fullest information to hand.

Justification

1. The interview plays key part in differentiating between candidates for the same job
2. The interview serves the employing organisation is a social entity. Owners/members
want to determine who they are going to be working with. Selectors have positions of
power within the organisation. They want to appoint the most competent person
technically but not someone who will not "fit into the culture".
3. The interview - for candidates who are short-listed - provides a setting in which
documented information, test measurements and interpersonal, social value-
judgments are made.
4. Factual information is exchanged and clarified by both sides at an interview e.g. what
did the applicant decide on a specific career move, what expertise do they have on a
given area and what is the evidence for this?
5. The interview brings together data from several sources - application forms or
curriculum vitae, test results, job data. These can be assessed and intangibles - would
this person fit into the team. A social meeting is necessary.
6. Applicants want to present themselves rather than be judged mechanically e.g. on the
basis of a clinical test or form

Types of Interview

There are different types of interview. Those are :

(a) Preliminary interview Informal interview

Unstructured interview
(b) Core interview Background information interview
Job and probing interview
Stress interview
Group discussion interview
Formal and structured interview
Panel interview
Depth interview
(c) Decision making interview

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 (a) Preliminary interview : This interview is conducted at any place to secure the basic
and non-job related information. Here the candidate is given freedom to interact with
the organisation representative to ask or inform about the information on various
items or area.
(b) Core interview : It is the interaction between the candidate and the line executive or
experts on various areas of job knowledge, skill, talents etc. The interview may take
various forms.
(c) Decision making interview : After core interview over, the candidate will face decision
making interview with the Production manger, with HR manager to ascertain the
interest of the candidate, towards the organisation, work adjustment, capabilities,
emoluments, allowances and facilities. The joint decision of the managers to chairman
or the appointment authority for the performance as well as suitability of the
candidate.

Orientation

Orientation or induction is a technique by which a new employee is rehabilitated into the

changed surroundings and introduced to the practices, policies, and purposes of the
organisation. A formal orientation tries to bridge the information gap of the new employee,
who is a stranger to the organisation.

So orientation is required for overcoming employee anxiety, reality shocks and for
accommodating employees. The requirement is because of the following reasons.

 New employee experience a lot of anxiety in an organisation. This is a natural

phenomenon which can be overcome through orientation.
 All employees join an organisation with certain expectations and assumptions.
Effective orientation program can help to realize the reality by providing a more
realistic expectation.
 Proper employee orientation helps to accommodate the new employee with
existing employee by developing new acquaintances and understanding of the
various aspects of the job.

Steps in the Induction Program

The induction program will have the following programs

1. Welcoming the new recruit to the organisation.

2. Providing knowledge about the company and its conditions.
3. Giving the company’s manual to the new recruit.
4. Showing different locations and department where the new recruit will work.
5. Providing details about various groups and the extent of unionism in the company.
6. Giving details about pay, allowances, leave benefits and other fringe benefits.
7. Defining the career prospects of the new recruits.

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 Promotion

Promotion is a reward for the employees faithfulness and hard work. If there are no
chances of promotion for a servant, he will' not work hard. Going up or advancement in rank,
status, duties, power, responsibilities and also increase in salary is referred as promotion.
Promotion changes the rank, status, designation and salary of an employee. It should be
remembered that transfer from one post to another post of the same status or responsibility
is not promotion. Similarly annual increment i.e. annual increase in the same salary scale is
also not promotion. Promotion means change of status as well as pay scale. The definition of
promotion are as follows :

 A promotion is the transfer of an employee to a job which pays more money or one
that carries some preferred status.
 Promotion is a term which covers a change and calls for greater responsibilities,
and usually involves higher pay and better terms and conditions of service and
therefore a higher status or rank
 Promotion is the upward assignment of an individual in an organization’s hierarchy,
accompanied by increased responsibility, enhanced status and usually with higher
income.

A promotion system serves two fundamental purposes. First, it selects more able
individuals for positions of greater responsibility (the job assignment or matching function of
the promotion system) and, secondly, it motivates employees at one level to strive harder to
reach the next one.

Types of Promotion

There are different types of promotion and these are as follows :

(1) Limited Promotion : It is the promotion with higher pay within the same occupational
unit on the same job by upgradation.
(2) Dry Promotion : It is the promotion without any pay hike, might be with a new title.
(3) Multiple Chain promotion : Multiple chain promotion provide a systematic linking of
each position to several other position. Such promotions identify multi promotional
opportunities.
(4) Up and out promotion : It is the choice to the employee to accept promotion or seek
employment elsewhere.

Principles of promotion

Different principles for promotion systems are used in different organizations. Some of the
important systems are as follows. These may be used as alternatives or in combinations.

1) Principle of Seniority
2) Principle of Merit
3) Principle of Seniority-cum-Merit
4) Principles of promotion by selection

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 5) Principles of time bound time bound
6) Principles of temporary promotion.

(1) Principle of seniority

Seniority means length of service in a particular post or scale or grade. It is a very

simple principle. The length of service or seniority is the sole basis in making promotions.
According to it, one who has longer length of service must get the promotion. The senior most
person is eligible for promotion first. Seniority based systems promote the candidate (or
candidates) in a manner with either: 1) the most experience in the job, 2) the most
experience in the organization, or 3) the most experience in the industry. The advantages of
this principle are as follows.

 The principle of seniority is very simple to apply.

 It can be measured quantitatively.
 It is most objective.
 It leaves no scope for favouritism or nepotism.
 It gives respect to age and experience.
 It is in accordance with the established practices in society.
 A younger person does not become a boss of the older and more experienced
persons.
 It is more democratic because it gives a chance of promotion to everybody
irrespective of merit.
 Everybody cannot become meritorious but everybody is bound to become senior
with the passage of time.
 It is safe for every employee and, therefore, seniority principle is readily
accepted by the staff as against the merit principle.
 It reduces risk for the organisation to induce new persons.
 It offers clear career paths and succession planning, and low turnover in the
promotion process.
 When there is little variation in the initial ability of employees, seniority acts
as a useful proxy for performance.

This principle has certain disadvantages also and these are as follows

 Those who are senior are not necessarily fit for promotion.
 Mere length of service is not a criterion of fitness.
 Experience is gained by a person in the first few years of service, but
afterwards his experience does not increase indefinitely with the length of
service.
 Seniority and experience are not a rational criteria.
 Seniority principle does not ensure that only fittest person will be posted at
higher posts.
 Inefficient and conservative persons may get promoted to higher post adversely
affecting the over-all performance of the government services.
 Seniority principle is not rational and just.
 Hard work, efficiency and initiative of the energetic young persons are not
rewarded.

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  Physically weak, aged and less energetic persons are promoted to higher
positions where hard work, alertness and energy are required.

(2) Principle of merit

Principle of merit is contrary to the principle of seniority. This principle implies that
the most meritorious, best qualified and most competent person must be selected for
promotion to the higher post. The principle of merit has the following advantages :

 The able and competent persons only deserve promotions and incompetent
persons should be left behind.
 This principle selects the most suitable person for promotion, energy,
initiative.
 Hard work, energy and efficiency are rewarded by merit principle.
 This increases efficiency and competitive spirit in the administration.
 It motivates the employees at the lower levels to work hard and take interest
in their work.

The drawback of this principle is as follows

 It is difficult to implement objectively.

 Merit is a complex concept as it includes intellectual attainment along with
personality, capacity for leadership, strength of character, etc.
 It is not easy to measure the merit objectively.
 Merit principle of promotion excludes senior and experienced persons from the
competitive chance of improvement.
 Experience, seniority and age are set aside by the merit principle.
 Older persons cannot compete in the written examination or interviews etc.
against the younger persons.
 The administrative experience and skills attained by a person in the service
with the passage of time, is totally neglected by the merit principle.

(3) Principle of seniority-cum-merit

Both the principles of seniority and of merit have some advantages as well as
drawbacks. In practice, therefore, a third method is adopted where the seniority and merit
principles are combined for making promotions. Hence, it is considered as best method of
promotion. A sound management system will pursue a policy of properly balancing these two
factors i.e., seniority and merit. One way to adopt this method is the 'fittest amongst the
seniors' is selected for promotions. Another way of combining these two principles is that :
the minimum qualification and competence is tested and then all other things being equal the
senior most of them is preferred for promotion. This means the "senior most amongst the
meritorious" persons is selected. It is observed that in most of the countries including India,
the general pattern of promotion is based on the following lines :

1) Promotions to the higher posts are made on the basis of merit principle only.
2) Promotions to middle level posts are made on the basis of seniority-cum-merit
principle.
3) Promotions to lower level posts are made on the basis of seniority principle.

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(4) Principle of selection

Promotion by selection is a process through which employees are promoted after

undergoing rigorous tests and screening. A committee is usually scrutinized all qualifications,
merits, experiences, past records, for the promotion to the next higher cadre. The
employees will be put under various tests and interviews for this. So no service seniority,
better qualification or experience will come into picture.

(5) Principle of time bound selection

In this method, employees will be promoted according to the standards of time set for
promotion to the higher cadre subject to the condition that they possess the requisite
qualification and experience for the higher cadre post. There may be some internal tests or
examinations but neither seniority nor merit will be considered here for promotion.

(6) Principle of temporary promotion

In this case, officers are promoted temporarily if there is any vacancy present in
higher cadre and no suitable candidates are present. There is no guarantee for permanent
promotion to cadre. However, if the progress is satisfactory, then there is scope for
permanent promotion. In some cases, eligible candidates are given temporary promotion for
higher posts with the condition that they will complete everything satisfactorily.

(7) Principle of up-or-out systems.

Up-or-out systems (UOS) are commonly found in universities, professional service firms,
and the military. In the traditional UOS, candidates are evaluated after a set period of time.
The performers above certain performance criteria are promoted while those failing to make
the grade are dismissed from the organization. In theory, the system could also include a
middle group of candidates that are neither promoted nor dismissed but this is seldom seen in
practice.

Transfer

A transfer is a change of the job assignment without any change in responsibility, or

status or compensation. It might involve change in place also. The transfer may be by
organisation initiated or employee initiated for better activity. Transfer is so defined as

 A lateral shift causing movement of individuals from one position to another without
involving any marked change in duties, responsibilities, skills needed and
compensation.

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  A lateral movement of an employee, not involving promotion or demotion, between
departments or divisions. A transfer therefore does not involve a material change in
responsibility or compensation.
 A change in assignment, in which the employee moves to another job at the same
level of responsibility, demanding about the same skill and same level of pay.
Types of transfer

There are different types of transfers depending on the purpose for which transfers are
made. There are nine types of transfers.

No. Types  Characteristics


1 General  Followed after a given period of service in a post or in a place
 It is present in big organizations or government departments

2 Production  It is made from one department to another department

 To provide skilled employee suitable positions or to avoid lay
off

3 Replacement  It is replacement of shorter service employee

 It is affected due to retirement, resignation, death or
dismissal

4 Shift  Shifting of workers from one shift to another shift

5 Remedial  Replacement of faulty placement or for different kind of work

involved

6 Versatility  Enhance the versatility of the employee for higher job

enlargement or versatile working force.

7 Penal  Transfer on punishment for the erring employee

8 Request  Transfer on humanitarian grounds with request.

9 Mutual  Mutual transfer between two employees on request

Transfer policy

A systematic transfer policy will provide the following guidelines

 It should clarify the types and circumstances with conditions under which transfers will
be done.
 The appropriate authority should initiate, approve and implement the transfer.
 The policy will indicate the type of transfer.
 The policy should indicate the need for the transfer.
 The policy will indicate, whether it will be in a sub unit, departments, divisions or
between plants or locations.

26
  The transferability should examine in terms of job descriptions and responsibility,
specialization, individual background, training and needs.
 The policy should indicate the pay scale, the wages and perquisites of the transferred
job and if there is any differences.
 The transfer order should be done with proper communication and the time specified
for the assignment of the new job.
Separation

Separation means cessation of service of agreement with the organisation. Separation

can be the result of (1) Resignation, (2) Discharge, (3) Dismissal, (4) Retrenchment, (5) Lay –
off, (6) Golden handshake, (7) Retirement.

No Types Characteristics

1 Resignation Voluntary separation, termination initiated by the employee,

voluntary by employee,

2 Discharge Permanent separation due to poor performance, violation of

rules or conduct.

3 Dismissal Termination initiated by the organisation by way of

misconduct, punishment or long absence, unsatisfactory
performance, misconduct, want of qualification.

4 Retrenchment Termination of service due to redundancy for economic reasons

in a going concern or due to superfluous workforce.

5 Lay – off Failure, refusal or inability of an employer to give employment.

Indefinite separation beyond the control of the employer.

6 Golden Retrenchment with a voluntary retirement with a fast lumpsum

handshake for return

7 Retirement Superannuation

Outplacement

Outplacement is a term used to describe the efforts made by a

downsizing company to help its redundant employees through the redundancy
transition and help them re-orientate to the job market. Downsizing is the ‘conscious
use of permanent personnel reductions in an attempt to improve efficiency and/or
effectiveness’. Downsizing is being regarded by management as one of the preferred
routes to turning around declining organizations, cutting cost and improving
organizational performance. So it is the process of facilitating a terminated
employee's search for a new job by provision of professional services, such as
27
counseling, paid for by the former employer. This is usually done by an external
agency or a consultant.  

Although actual outplacement activities vary from one organization to

another, depending on their needs and capabilities, essential activities usually
include r‚ sum‚ preparation instruction, career and personal counseling, and office
space with secretarial assistance and use of telephone and fax. Some organizations
sponsor job fairs and advertise their available employees. The purpose of
outplacement activities is to assist separated employees in coping with the pressures
of termination while helping them to seek new employers. 

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