Analysis of Recruitment Issues at Blooming Gifts Company

Introduction

This study analyses the problems of recruitment in Blooming Gifts company, a call centre company. From the case study there are issues around worker motivation and performance due to poor working conditions. There is high sickness rate, poor employee turnover, poor employee performance and low employee output. Company directors are becoming increasingly worried with the low morale of employees and this has necessitated some analysis about the company’s recruitment and selection policies/strategies, managerial input in motivating workers and turnover issues. These issues are analysed below.

Question 1

Introduction

This section discusses recruitment and selection process and how this can be improved in relationship with Blooming Gifts. The concept of employer branding improvement is discussed also as it relates with Blooming especially the impact of such in attracting the right candidates to the company. Company directors must understand the importance of treating potential candidates as customers due to issues around quality, values and worker impact/retention.

According to the CIPD website, good recruitment is essential for organizational development and growth. An effective recruitment resourcing is essential for the successful daily functioning of the organization (CIPD, 2019). Therefore, it is essential for Blooming to adhere to these.

What is Recruitment?

Recruitment in organizations have been severally defined with specific advantages it brings to the organization. The Recruitment process is a matching activity between applicant and job which is dependent first on the organisationclearly defining and specifying a need, second on utilising appropriate recruitment methods effectively and thirdly on reviewing, evaluating and modifying the recruitment system in the light of experience(Pilbeam and Corbridge, 2014).

CIPD (2019), defines recruitment as the process which involves attracting and selecting individuals into a job role. It has to do with the process a company uses in finding and hiring most qualified candidates for a job opening. In order to promote effective recruitment practice, the human resources department ensures the provision of an effective recruitment process which includes for example, the job design, job opening, selection criteria, performance appraisal, reward systems, career and succession plans, promotions and transfer (Compton et al, 2009).

What is Selection?

Firstly, it is important to state that both recruitment and selection are an integral part of the organization’s human resource management. As stated above, recruitment has to do with the process a company uses in finding and hiring the most qualified candidates for a job opening while selection is the process of engaging various forms of assessments to pick candidates with the best potential for the job (Bartram, 2000).

Selection is the process by which managers and others use specific instruments to choose from a pool of applicants a person or persons more likely to succeed in the job(s), given management goals and legal requirements (French and Rumbles, 2010). It involves developing a system which an organization designs to support employing the right candidates (Torrington et al, 2017).

Differences between Recruitment and Selection

The difference between recruitment and selection is evident from the analysis above. Both recruitment and selection are an integral part of the organizations’ human resources management drive.

It has to do with the process a company uses in finding and hiring most qualified candidates for a job opening while selection is the process of engaging various forms of assessments to pick candidates with the best potential for the job (Bartram, 2000). Some assessments techniques include competency based interviews, literacy/numerical tests, gamification, online tests amongst others.

Improving Recruitment

Firstly, the recruitment process must be clearly stated and understood by the management team responsible (CIPD, 2019). The recruitment process used depends on the needs of the organization and what they expect from workers.

Specifically, to improve the recruitment process of an organization, the organization should create a role profile which defines the requirements for each role and what is expected and the kind of workers to fit in this role (Armstrong, 2017). After this is decided, then the company should decide where candidates should come from and then define clearly the terms of pay (Armstrong, 2017). Finally, a thorough analysis of the organization’s strengths and weakness in what can retain or put off workers  must be done in order to avoid mistakes of the past (Armstrong, 2017).

Improving Selection

According to CIPD (2019), two main process of selection includes shortlisting and processing. In order to assure effective shortlisting and processing, CIPD recommends that the process used by the organization should be such that only the right candidates are selected.

In order to assure effective shortlisting and processing, CIPD recommends that the process used by the organization should be such that only the right candidates are selected. This process could involve, defining the requirements, defining role profiles, engaging rigorous tests, interviews and obtaining references. It also requires that those who form assessment panel should have the necessary skills to do so (Armstrong, 2017; CIPD, 2019).

Importance of Branding in recruitment

Branding in recruitment recognises that candidates possess power and therefore organizations must treat jobseekers like marketers promoting the organizational culture and values (Hoile, 2017).  To recruit the right candidate, employers must therefore employ a people marketing strategy which means putting the job seekers at the centre of the recruitment process just as customers are to firms.

Starineca and Vorunchuk (2014), provides that branding in recruitment and selection gives some advantages to the organization such as productivity, profitability, employee retention, employer attractiveness, reduction of cost in the recruitment process amongst others.

Importance of Branding to Selection

Employer branding focuses on attracting and retaining the best potential employee, that is, those who would align most closely with the organization’s goals and objectives (Barrow and Mosley, 2005).

Branding is important in selection because it creates the opportunity for the organization to employ only workers who demonstrate behaviours and attitudes that align to the organization’s brand (Russell and Brannan, 2016). Through an integrative and participatory selection process where potential employees demonstrate how they align with the company’s brand, the employer is able to observe the candidates and fire even before hiring those who would likely not be fit for the role and the brand (Russell and Brannan, 2016).

Application to Case Study

The above analysis have important lessons for Blooming Gifts with respect to the concerns and problems facing it. From the case study, it is clear that morale amongst employees is low and this is affecting quality delivery and output. There is also need to improve the recruitment and selection process. Employer branding strategy in the recruitment and selection process should be considered to improve the recruitment process.

Firstly, Blooming needs to make itself attractive to work in as an organization with good working conditions (Bandarouk et al (2012). There must be evidence of strong leadership that recognises work-life balance, worker development, payment/rewards, worker welfare and job security (Pahor and Franca, 2012).

In order to address the problems of the organization, working conditions need improvement. When the working conditions improve, workers would be motivated to work and will recommend the organization as a place to work to others. The right environment must be provided where workers can thrive and be motivated. When workers are happy to work, then the organization can set goals and decide the kind of workers that would fit its goals. Rigorous recruitment and selection process should be utilised. The organization’s reputation and branding would reflect on the quality of candidates to be employed and the expectations on employees.

Conclusion

This study has analysed the problems currently being faced by Blooming gifts. Evidence from the case study shows that worker morale is low, sickness leave is high and management is concerned that it is struggling to get ‘good staff’, employee performance is low and impact on service is poor.

This study recommends that the quality of management must improve if the right kind of workers would be attracted and retained. Hoile (2017), states that the organization must consider its employer brand and reputation to attract the best candidates. Finally, with all said, a rigorous recruitment and selection process is required to improve the kind of employees employed in Blooming. Some of the steps provided include defining the requirements, attracting the candidates, sifting the applications appropriately, interviewing, rigorous testing of candidates, assessing the candidates and obtaining references.

Question 2

What is Absence?

Absence from work is the time employee needs to be off work for various reasons (Beta, 2019).  Some of these reasons could range from anything from short term and long term sickness, medical appointments, bereavement, childcare issues amongst others (Beta, 2019).

Huczynski and Fitzpatrick (1989), states that the causes of absence can be categorised under three main dimensions which includes- job situation factors such as the scope of the job; personal factors such as employee values and personality and lastly attendance factors such as reward systems. Whatever the case, there are adverse effects to absenteeism, for example CIPD (2015), in their absence survey, shows that in the UK average cost of absence cost the employer over £554 pounds per employee. According to Black and Frost (2011), short term sickness absence is more common in the UK and with about 20% of employees off work for more than four days and only 4% going off sick fir more than four weeks.  Absence at work due to sickness is increasing significantly in the UK costing the economy over a loss of over 29billion pounds (ONS, 2014). This shows that there is need to urgently devise means of managing absence at work across board whether public or private organizations. Other factors such as long hours of work, workload, pressure and even poor management style have been identified (Michie and Williams, 2003). The question is, how can worker absenteeism be reduced or managed?

How can Managers manage absence at the work?

Various scholars have provided various solutions to the problem of employee absence from work. Michie and Williams (2003) provide that generally, managing absence is management responsibility and in order to manage absence and reduce it, there is need to have an effective management absence policy which is clear, available and understood by all employees. (Cuchiella, et al, 2014), provide that communication drive, employee motivation drives and initiatives targeted at health and wellbeing are essential (Cucchiella et al, 2014).

Two main arguments are looked at hereon how managers can address absence at work. The two perspectives include taking a punitive action or employing a welfarist perspective.

Punitive Approach

According to the Collins dictionary, the word punitive means to punish. Put in the perspective of organizational strategy to prevent or reduce absence from work, it means taking actions to punish workers who are always absent from work in order to encourage work attendance.

Scholars have elaborated on the punitive approach in reducing work absence. Chatterji and Tilley (2002), provide that hard management policies aimed at reducing absence such as reducing the pay of employees when sick increased fear amongst employees which could lead to workers coming to work sick with the effect that this lowers productivity. Similarly, Taylor et al, (2003), says hard policies reduces the morale of workers and therefore leads to lower output and more absence.

Welfare Approach

One of the greatest contributor to the welfare approach in organizations is Elton Mayo who championed the course of employee motivation through attention and care for employee welfare. Elton Mayo’s Hawthorne experiment found out that employees tend to give more when management pay attention to their concerns (Elton Mayo, 1924-1933).

The implication of Elton Mayo’s theory is that human beings have feelings and employers must recognise this. When related to work absence, workers expect employers to cooperate with why they have to be absent. According to CIPD (2019), some absences are inevitable and the most effective way of managing worker absence is to promote motivation, good health and job satisfaction. Some approaches suggested which falls under this category are for employers to provide good working physical conditions, pro-active measures to support staff, training, effective management absence policies amongst others.

Maslow (1943), provided a hierarchy of needs which explains worker’s motivation. Every employer needs to understand that workers have needs that they want to satisfy and without organizational support to satisfy these needs, workers may lose morale and motivation leading to less input.

How Can you Manage Absence at workplace?

Huczynski and Fitpatrick’s (1989) absence management model may be helpful for Blooming call centre which includes- accessing the problem of absence, locating the absence problem, identifying and prioritise the causes of absence, evaluate the causes from the above, design the absence control programme, implement the absence control programme and monitor the effectiveness of the absence control programme (Hucznski and Fitpatrick, 1989).

The benefit that this will bring to Blooming and its call centre is that it will be able to identify the particular causes of absence from work and develop more effective means of addressing it. The right policies will be developed that suits the problem.

What can you do to stop absence?

Absence cannot be stopped because there are justifiable reasons why some workers would require to be absent from work from time to time such as sickness (CIPPD, 2019). As far as absence is justifiable and authorised, then worker can go absent (CIPD, 2019). However, absence can be reduced. CIPD mentions some factors that can help reduce absence at work such as providing a good working environment, high health and safety/welfare standards, promoting training and teamwork, improving absence recording system amongst others

Again as stated above, a thorough analysis of why people go absent is necessary in order to develop the right solutions (Hucznski and Fitpatrick, 1989). Torrrington et al, 2013) has also provided that accurate absence information is needed, regular absence review and trigger points, absence targets and bench marking, better understanding of absence etc.

Application to Call Centre

The evidence from Blooming Call Centre is that there is high absence rate amongst employees. The working environment is pressured and employees are given stringent targets. The evidence shows that the incidence of absence rate can be reduced if management improve the working environment of the call centre. Management of Blooming call centre appear needs a proper analysis of absence data in the company (Torrington et al, 2013). Management needs to understand the frequency of absence and what the major reasons there absence are. Torrington et al, (2013), states that having the absence data and record information will help to formulate a proper management method for addressing the major causes of absence in a company. This is instructive for Blooming. The employees at the interview stage do very well but when employed performance drops. This shows that there is something with the organization’s management. Other factors are regularly reviewing their absence policies, providing consistency in absence management, improving welfare standards, training and development amongst others.

Conclusion

Huczynski and Fitzpatrick’s (1989) view is critical in the sense that the job situation has a key role to play. After employees get employed, what kind of environment do they have to work in? Absence from work is inevitable in many cases but as in the case of Blooming, when it is increasingly consistent, could it be that the working arrangement is unfair (CIPD, 2019)? Also, as in the case of Maslow (1943), could it be that HR managers in Blooming need to understand that workers have needs that the organization must consider?  Even if Blooming adopts a punitive approach, it could improve presentism but lead to low productivity. Therefore, understanding the problem and developing the right policies to address the problem is important.

Question 3

Introduction: This section analyses the high employee turnover rate and the reasons why this is so. According to CIPD (2019), employee turnover can negatively impact the performance of an organization, hence, it is important for organizations to develop its recruitment and retention strategies effectively.

What is Turnover?

In this case study, the evidence shows that employee turnover is high as they do not stay long in the job. According to Price (1977), turnover is defined as the ratio of the number of employees who have left an organization during the period being considered divided by the average number of people at that same period. Woods (1995), says turnover is usually referred to by managers as a time when an employee leaves and that vacant position requires filling.

While the impact of employee turnover varies from industry to industry and while it is vital that fresh blood and talent are brought in from time to time to freshen up ideas, sustained turnover rates can become negative (Torrington et al, 2013).

Impact of Employee Turnover

A sustained turnover of employees has some negative effects and some of them are presented by Torrington et al (2013), with some implications for Blooming gift call centre. They include that it can be very expensive to replace people who have left. The recruitment process require funding such as advertising, administrative work, cost of conducting the selection process, induction of new employees and training of new employees (Torrington et al, 2013). High turnover can also have effects on profitability if not properly managed (Hogan, 1992). Due to customer dissatisfaction from low output of staff, customers may begin to patronise other companies. Already, at Blooming gifts call centre, customers are already presenting with dissatisfaction with the quality of service delivery which signals danger for the company.

Having stated the above, Torrington et al, (2013), provides that certain turnover can present some favourable outcomes such as for example, poor performers leaving and their replacement can lead to a more effective workforce. For example, at Blooming gift, workers who are unjustifiably redundant and low in morale can be replaced by more effective workers who understand the employer brand and are willing to contribute positively. Also, line managers who are ineffective can be replaced by new leaders who can bring in fresh ideas and innovation in managing employee absence and behaviour.

Finally, whether it is good or bad, organizations must ensure that the working environment is conducive and that there is effective management. Organizations should not be seen to contribute to workers leaving. In this case study, unfortunately, Blooming gift have not shown enough character with providing the right environment for employees and the right support to excel in the work, hence motivation is low and there is continuous exodus of workers.

Why do Employees Leave?

Workers leave for various reasons. In this case study, workers have complained of low pay, working environment is pressurised, very stringent targets given to employees which they must meet, tasks are routine and repetitive, and communication with managers is poor. These in turn lead to high turnover, worker retention and organizational commitment.

As provided by Torrington et al (2019), workers can leave when their expectation of the company is not fulfilled. Other reasons are the job situation, low pay, working environment, lack of management support, lack of training and development amongst others.

What can be done to make Employees stay?

Worker retention and organization commitment from employees is important. As has been mentioned in section two of this analysis, the recruitment and selection process must be effective (Cuchiella, et al, 2014).

According to Ogori (2007), to minimize worker turnover and to make them stay, employers must show a commitment to engage with employees. They must be able to optimise the value of employee engagement and support the employees which could in turn motivate the employees to stay (Ogori, 2007). Torrington et al, (2013) provides that business units were active employee engagement was in practice, those units more than twice succeeded over those without active employee engagement.

Finally, in addition to the above, scholars have provided other solutions, for example, White (2009), adds that pay could motivate workers to stay. Organizations which provide the most attractive pay, retain their staff but in the case of Blooming Gift call centre, pay is low, morale is low and sickness is high. Breaugh (2008), mentions the need to manage expectations especially at the early stages of employment so that workers do not come into the organization, find out that the job does not match expectations and leave. Other solutions include, developing a friendly HR practice (CIPD, 2009), effective training and development programme (Green et al, 2002), improving the quality of line management (Peccei, 2013), amongst others.

Application to Case Study

Blooming gifts is having trouble retaining staff as they do well in interview but do continue with the same morale. The problem with this could be that Blooming gift calling centre have not channelled its recruitment policies to address the specific problems causing workers to leave (Ongori, 2007).

Clearly, from the case study, there are problems around the working environment as the environment is pressured and the targets are stringent. In addition to this, managers are less supportive not willing to listen to employees. Employees in Blooming gift feel that the managers do not want to hear about their concerns leading to communication breakdown.

Conclusion

This study has analysed recruitment and selection issues in organizations and how it might impact absence from work. The context for this analysis was Blooming gift call centre which is experiencing high turnover of employees. Motivational levels do not continue from when interview is first conducted to when the workers start the job. Many reasons for this have been discussed in this study. Firstly, it is unavoidable for workers not to go on sickness leave. Therefore, sickness absence cannot be stopped but it can be managed and reduced. This means that the organization must analyse its job situation and why workers go absent. It can then develop the right policies to address this. Whatever, the case may be, employers must value their employees and listen to their concerns. This appears to be absent with Blooming.

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• See also
• (Beta, 2019), Accessed 10th November on  https://beta.acas.org.uk/absence-from-work
• ONS (2014), 131million days were lost due to sickness absences in the UK in 2013, assessed 11thNovember,  https://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20160105211813/http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/lmac/sickness-absence-in-the-labour-market/2014/sty-sickness-absence.html