What is COMPONENTS OF THE RECRUITMENT POLICY

In today’s rapidly changing business environment, a well defined recruitment policy is necessary for organizations to respond to its human resource requirements in time. Therefore, it is important to have a clear and concise recruitment policy in place, which can be executed effectively to recruit the best talent pool for the selection of the right candidate at the right place quickly. Creating a suitable recruitment policy is the first step in the efficient hiring process. A clear and concise recruitment policy helps ensure a sound recruitment process. 

It specifies the objectives of recruitment and provides a framework for implementation of recruitment programs. It may involve organizational system to be developed for implementing recruitment programs and procedures by filling up vacancies with best qualified people.

COMPONENTS OF THE RECRUITMENT POLICY

• The general recruitment policies and terms of the organization

• Recruitment services of consultants

• Recruitment of temporary employees

• Unique recruitment situations

• The selection process

• The job descriptions

• The terms and conditions of the employment

A recruitment policy of an organization should be such that:

• It should focus on recruiting the best potential people.

• To ensure that every applicant and employee is treated equally with dignity and respect.

• Unbiased policy.

• To aid and encourage employees in realizing their full potential.

• Transparent, task oriented and merit based selection.

·         Weight age during selection given to factors that suit organization needs. ·         Optimization of manpower at the time of selection process. ·         Defining the competent authority to approve each selection. ·         Abides by relevant public policy and legislation on hiring and employment relationship. ·         Integrates employee needs with the organizational needs. FACTORS AFFECTING RECRUITMENT POLICY Organizational objectives. Personnel policies of the organization and its competitors. Government policies on reservations. Preferred sources of recruitment. Need of the organization. Recruitment costs and financial implications.

The Importance of Marketing

Financial success often depends on marketing ability. Finance, operations, accounting, and other business functions will not really matter if there is not sufficient demand for products and services so the company can make a profit. There must be atop line for there to be a bottom line. Many companies have now created a Chief Marketing Officer, or CMO, position to put marketing on a more equal footing with other C-Level executives such as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Press releases from organizations of all kinds-c-from consumer goods makers to health care insurers and from non-profit organizations to industrial product manufacturers-trumpet their latest marketing achievements and can be found on their Web sites. In the business press, countless articles are devoted to marketing strategies and tactics.

Importance of Marketing in Business

The first importance of marketing and that is self evident is that the consumers get an opportunity to know about various products that are available in the market. Due to marketing they may have to pay a higher price but in case, there was no marketing or advertising, how would the consumers know about the products? The importance of marketing industry, that employ a large number of people, is in itself a crucial factor as it sustains economic balance. 

Marketing fosters healthy competition among brands and this increases the level of competence among firms. Consumers are able to enjoy better products and they are at affordable prices. Marketing helps in earning and revenue generation of many companies, either directly or indirectly. For example, consider advertising, which can be considered to be a subset of marketing, influences television, newspapers and hoardings. 

With the internet writing a new chapter in the history of marketing, online marketing has evolved to be a multi-billion dollar industry. The importance of marketing can be best understood when we consider the competition in the market. If there is no marketing, only the dominant companies will exist in the market and they can move on to dominate the prices and establish monopoly over the product. 

With large number of companies fighting for quality, the consumer can demand low price and high quality. In other words, a balanced market is created due to healthy competition. Marketing also helps in innovation of new products, designs and quality so that consumers buy only the latest products. This drives the firms to focus on the research and development areas. Not surprising hefty amounts are invested in the R & D of products.

Importance of Marketing Strategy

The importance of marketing plans outweighs any other decision that can be taken in the realm of marketing strategies. Yes, marketing plan is essential to grab the market segment before any other player captures the market. What are the target groups? Which segment of the market presents higher revenue generating opportunities? These are some of the questions that marketing teams ponder over, in the pursuit of achieving a good plan. This is where the importance of marketing research comes into picture. The market research team analyzes and understands the requirements of the consumers. Conducts polls and researches and comes up with data and statistics that help to logically target a market. Another factor that governs the marketing plans is the marketing mix elements. Marketing mix elements are the sets of factors that help firms to achieve their targets of reaching the products to the consumers and also achieve organizational objectives. The importance of marketing mix is, that it takes into account the four P's of marketing, that are Product, Price, Promotion and Place of distribution.

Importance of Developing a Marketing Strategy Plan

A business idea usually stems from creating a product or service as a solution to a problem and filling an existing unmet demand. Every business success plan requires a marketing strategy. Certain elements of a business need to be researched before launching the initial business venture. 

Not all businesses are alike, so a marketing strategy that works for one business may not necessarily work for the other. Therefore, every business has to create a marketing strategy that is specific to its audience, product and service.

1 

   Market Research

o    One of the main reasons for researching the market is to find out what is current, what the future holds and how to create a strategy for success. A marketing strategy allows you to use market research you have collected to send a clearer message to your targeted prospects that shows them that you know what they want. Pursuant to the market research, a marketing strategy helps a business to identify, package and showcase all the benefits of the product and services to the prospect.

Creating Tactics

o    A marketing strategy allows you to create tactics better than those of your competition. You would study the competition through market research to find out what is being done and how you can do it better. You will be able to develop your own innovative techniques that give you an edge over your competitors who may have been in the market longer than you have and have not revised their marketing strategy to fit the current changes in the market.

Communication

o    Without customers, a product or service cannot exist for long. A marketing strategy helps a business to reach its targeted audience. It allows the business to effectively communicate to the prospective consumer. It is a way to announce and inform the public of a product or service and show consumers how they will benefit from what you are selling.

Opportunties for Market Positioning

o    A market strategy will provide opportunities to position your business in the marketplace, which means that since you cannot be all things to everyone, you can commit your product or service to a small group of people in an attempt to create a brand. You will be able to better examine the response to your strategy and be able to fine-tune it by possible conducting surveys using those same small groups.

Sustaining a Business

o    A marketing strategy will contribute to the sustenance of a business even during market volatility, market changes and economic downturns. You will be able to measure your success better when there is an implemented strategy. It also allows you to be more customer-focused, be able to create a unique selling point and value as well as to remain consistent and goal oriented.

The Effect of Motivation on Employee Performance

The performance of employees will make or break a company; this is why it is important to find a variety of methods of motivating employees. "Motivation is the willingness to do something," wrote Stephen Robbins and David A. DeCenzo in their book "Supervision Today." "It is conditioned by this action's ability to satisfy some need for the individual." The most obvious form of motivation for an employee is money; however, there are other motivating factors that must be considered.

1. Employee Differences

   • Every employee within a company is different and, therefore, is motivated to perform well for different reasons. Due to the differences within an organization, it is important for a manager to get to know her employees and understand what motivates their performance. "If you're going to be successful in motivating people, you have to begin by accepting and trying to understand individual differences," Robbins and DeCenzo report in their book "Supervision Today."

   The Job

   • One motivator for employees is a feeling that the job itself is worthwhile. According to Dr. Sunil Ramlall in his article "A Review of Employee Motivation Theories and their Implications for Employee Retentions with Organization", these employees feel personally responsible for their work and believe that is a meaningful job. Employees who take personal responsibility for their work and believe that it is making a positive impact will strive hard to perform very well.

   Work Environment

   • Employees have a desire to be part of a company with a positive and encouraging work environment. Motivating input and strong working relationships during the workday will provide an environment that employees will want to be a part of. According to "Supervision Today," this involves focusing employees on achievement and maintaining equity in the workplace. This idea of equity has to do with the perception employees have of their importance in relation to others within the company. If employees do not believe they are treated with equity they will not perform well.

     

     
     

   Public Recognition

   • Sandy Smith, in "Motivating Employees in Tough Times," points out the importance of recognizing employees who work daily to live out the values of a company. Employees like to receive acknowledgment and praise from managers of a job well done. Companies that make public recognition a part of their normal protocol will create an environment for employees to perform well. Praise is an excellent motivator.

   Conclusion

   • Money is the most important motivator for employee performance but it is important for companies to find other ways to motivate. This involves getting to know their employees and what drives them, then making sure managers utilize appropriate motivational techniques with each employee. When appropriate motivation techniques are used, employee performance will improve.

     

     
     

How to Increase Employee Motivation

How to increase employee motivation? It's simpler than you might think. The trick is identifying the right employee motivation strategies for your company and being willing to tailor it to individual group needs.

What Motivates Employees?

Theories about what motivates us human beings vary from psychologist to psychologist, however one commonly referenced theory-Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs-can be applied to several situations, include employee motivation.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs defines five basic need levels: physiological, safety, social, ego and self-actualization. His theory is based on the idea that the lower level needs, starting with physiological needs, must be fulfilled before higher need levels can be addressed.

While the theory may seem simplistic, it can provide insights for managers looking to motivate staff. When put into layman's terms, the Hierarchy of Needs lends itself easily to the business world.

·         Physiological. Food, water, sleep.

·         Safety. Salary, job security, insurance, other benefits.

·         Social. Human interaction and friendships.

·         Esteem. The employee's feelings about their individual reputation and achievements driven by a desire to experience higher self worth.

·         Self-actualization. Purpose and meaning.

What does this mean for businesses? That in order to motivate employees, all five need levels must be addressed within the organization. Obviously, these needs will vary by individual and that individual needs may change over time. Managers should strive to focus in on the key needs for each employee and emphasize what the company offers that addresses those needs.

Managers as Motivators

As a manager, it's essential that you have a solid understanding of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to motivating your staff. A few points to keep in mind include:

·         Fear can be a good motivator, but it's only effective for a short period of time. Over the long run, fear stifles creativity and fosters a more negative working environment.

·         You can't really motivate your employees, but you can create an atmosphere that reward employees for taking the initiative to meet or exceed the department's or company's goals.

·         What motivates you won't necessarily those who work for you. Each individual will have slightly different needs and motivational (or de-motivational) triggers.

Developing an Effective Employee Motivation Program

It's not uncommon to think that developing an employee motivation program is going to cost money and a lot of it. But some of the most basic-and effective-employee motivation tools are free. Simply acknowledging an employee's contribution to the overall success of a project or the company goes a long way toward boosting morale and improving attitudes.

Exposing employees to opportunities to learn new skills or abilities is another effective motivator. And cross training employees benefits the company as well as makes employees feel valued. The more skills an employee has, the more far-reaching their impact is within the company. Additionally, sending staff members to seminars or other events related to their position or function is a win/win: the employee feels valued and returns a better-informed, more capable member of your staff.

Filling open positions in your company from within is also an effective motivator. By giving employees first opportunity to apply for the job or jobs, you send the message that you value the talent that's already on board and want to nurture it. The added bonus for the company is that employees who are promoted have a shorter learning curve and ramp-up time than outside candidates-the higher the position is, the more training time the company saves.

Employee Motivation Rewards

If you're considering instituting employee motivation rewards, you have several options that keep expectations realistic and still get staff members excited. Depending on your company's structure and budget, you might consider:

·         Launching an Employee of the Month, Quarter or Year program. The reward itself need not be a huge investment and may be in the form of widespread recognition and/or additional paid time off.

·         Organizing special events when goals or milestones are achieved or exceeded or for no formal reason at all. Make it as big as an off-site gathering or as small as a surprise, catered lunch.

·         Handing out movie theater ticket or rental vouchers, gift cards or other prizes for random jobs well done.

Some companies choose to use their bonus structure as their primary employee motivation reward program. Placing too much importance on the bonus structure however, can backfire when bonuses are expected.

For example, if your company issues bonuses near the holidays, its impending arrival-or failure to arrive-can function as a de-motivator, especially during difficult economic times. Why work harder to turn things around when the reward isn't immediate or is far less than expected? If you have other programs in place and keep employees informed of business conditions, you stand a better shot at reducing the fallout from any bad news you may deliver and still provide them with other motivational rewards.

HR Role

Business and Strategic Partner

In today’s organizations, to guarantee their viability and ability to contribute, HR managers need to think of themselves as strategic partners. In this role, the HR person contributes to the development of and the accomplishment of the organization-wide business plan and objectives.

The HR business objectives are established to support the attainment of the overall strategic business plan and objectives. The tactical HR representative is deeply knowledgeable about the design of work systems in which people succeed and contribute. This strategic partnership impacts HR services such as the design of work positions; hiring; reward, recognition and strategic pay; performance development and appraisal systems; career and succession planning; and employee development.

To be successful business partners, the HR staff members have to think like business people, know finance and accounting, and be accountable and responsible for cost reductions and the measurement of all HR programs and processes.

HR Role: Employee Champion/Advocate

As an employee sponsor or advocate, the HR manager plays an integral role in organizational success via his knowledge about and advocacy of people. This advocacy includes expertise in how to create a work environment in which people will choose to be motivated, contributing, and happy.

Fostering effective methods of goal setting, communication and empowerment through responsibility, builds employee ownership of the organization. The HR professional helps establish the organizational culture and climate in which people have the competency, concern and commitment to serve customers well.

In this role, the HR manager provides employee development opportunities, employee assistance programs, gain sharing and profit-sharing strategies, organization development interventions, due process approaches to problem solving and regularly scheduled communication opportunities.

  

HR Role: Change Champion

The constant evaluation of the effectiveness of the organization results in the need for the HR professional to frequently champion change. Both knowledge about and the ability to execute successful change strategies make the HR professional exceptionally valued.

Knowing how to link change to the strategic needs of the organization will minimize employee dissatisfaction and resistance to change.

The HR professional contributes to the organization by constantly assessing the effectiveness of the HR function. He also sponsors change in other departments and in work practices. To promote the overall success of his organization, he champions the identification of the organizational mission, vision, values, goals and action plans. Finally, he helps determine the measures that will tell his organization how well it is succeeding in all of this.

HR Role: Change Champion

The HR business objectives are established to support the attainment of the overall strategic business plan and objectives. The HR  managers have to,

§  Re-engineering the HR process

§  Re-structuring HR organization

§  Re-design HR methods

§  Building flexible HR functions

                       

To be successful business partners, the HR staff members have to think more creatively and the measurement of all HR programs and processes.