Recruitment and Training: Modern Practices and Challenges, Thesis of Business English

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Business English Sara Helm and Rebecca Utteridge

PEARSON^ FT

Longman FINANCIALTIMES

Recruitment

• 1 E-recruitment
• 2 Social networking
• 3 The war for talent: Generation Y
• 4 Executive education Training
• 5 Evaluating training programmes
• 6 Apprenticeships
• 7 Executive pay Pay and reward
• 8 Benefits
• 9 Bonuses-and incentives
• 10 Ethnic diversity Diversity
• 11 Gender equality
• 12 Hiring locally or abroad
• 13 Building a strong HR brand StrCJ,1egy
• 14 E-firing
• 15 Job advertisement HR documents
• 16 Letter of appointment
• 17 Performance appraisal record
• 18 Staff satisfaction survey
• Check Tests
• Answer key
• Glossary

This unit looks at the ways in which employers are using technology in the

recruitment process.

Discuss these questions. 1 When you are thinking about your future career, how can you find out about the different companies and organisations you could work for? 2 What sort of process do you have to go through in order to get a job? Describe the various stages.

a Understanding the main points

Read the article on the opposite page and answer these questions. 1 Which modern technological resource are companies now using to recruit the next generation of employees? 2 Besides their own website, which two other types of site are companies using to attract and recruit graduates? 3 At which stage in the recruitment process is online testing useful? 4 In which two main ways is this generally useful to both employers and graduates? 5 Why is it important for companies to give quick automated feedback? 6 Why is it not sufficient for companies simply to use their own website to attract young recruits? "7 What are companies trying to achieve by engaging with potential employees outside of the company's own website domain? 8 According to the article, are all employers proficient at using web resources to attract and recruit employees yet?

IJ Understanding details

Read the article again and answer these questions. 1 Which well-known Internet site is playing a major role in Ernst and Young's recruitment strategy? 2 What is the world's largest online recruitment group? 3 Give a specific example of how online testing is useful, firstly to the company and secondly to the potential job applicant. 4 Which virtual world are some companies using in order to meet potential recruits? 5 How can potential recruits use that resource to meet and talk to company employees? 6 Which other two Internet forums do employers use to meet young people? 7 Once employers have made contact with young people, how do they keep those young people interested in them?

UNIT 1 ~~ E-RECRUITMENT

VOCABULARY ~" a Word search

Find three words in paragraphs A and B of the article which follow the word recruitment and match the

resulting phrases with their meanings. a set of companies whose job it is to help employers find new employees a plan for recruiting new employees a series of steps which results in the hiring of new employees

1 recruitment ~........ a)

2 recruitment p........ b)

3 recruitment 9........ c)

II Word families 1 Complete the chart with words from the article. verb noun (process) noun (individual) noun (company)

to recruit ........ 1 ........^2 ........^3

(^4 5) applicant

......... ....... ••••• ·••••i> •.·•••••••••••••·• Z

2 Complete the chart with the corresponding nouns. verb noun

to attract ........^1

to extend ........^2

to withdraw from ........^3

to follow up ........^4

to receive ........^5

II Word partnerships .. 1 Match the verbs and verb phrases (1-8) with the noun phrases (a-h) to form word partnerships relating to the use of online technology in the job application process.

1 to use a) inappropriate candidates

2 to complete b) web tools very effectively

3 to follow up with c)^ a practice test

4 to find out d) time and money

5 to weed out e)^ details^ about^ the job

6 to take f)^ the first^ stages^ of the application

7 to save g) against the standards of the company

8 to measure themselves h) automated feedback

2 Decide which actions in Exercise 1 belong to the candidate and which belong the company. One of them applies to both.

UNIT 1 ~~ E-RECRUITMENT

iii Sentence completion

Use phrases from Exercises A-C to complete these sentences. 1 We have just spent a month working out our for the coming year. We plan to take on 30 graduates and will recruit them all online. 2 We are a very popular company to work for. In fact, we were voted one of the top-ten last year. 3 Some companies are using online web tools to allow potential recruits to the first stages of their job application. 4 Practice tests enable potential applicants to themselves against the standards of the company. 5 Online tests allow employers to weed out so that they don't waste time or money visiting the company for tests and interviews. 6 Social networking can be a great way to top talent. 7 It is an important part of a company's task of building an employer brand to appeal to potential young.

II Understanding expressions Choose the best ex~lanation for each word or phrase from the article. 1 ' ... whose topics cover everything from psychometric testing to ...' (lines 6-8) a) mathematical tests b) tests which measure personality and attitudes 2 ' ... in areas such as numeracy ...' (lines 29-30) a) skill with numbers and mathematics b) ability to read numbers accurately 3 ' ... can weed out inappropriate candidates ...' (lines 31-32) ~ select suitable candidates b) eliminate unsuitable candidates 4 'If they don't measure up, ...' (line 35) a) aren't big enough b) aren't competent enough 5 'Tech-savvy, younger-generation individuals ...' (lines 59-60) a) with specialist technical skills b) knowledgeable about and able to use modern technology

OVER TO YOU ::~:~.;;,._~

1 Visit the websites mentioned and see if any companies you know of are using them to interact with potential recruits. Describe the ways in which they are doing this. 2 Visit the websites of any companies you know of and find out if they provide online services for potential applicants. Complete a practice test or two and see how you measure up.

Social

networking

hits the

workplace

by Alicia Clegg

A Career-minded people know that hav-

ing a wide circle of friends can be a

good thing in the job market. Now

employers are benefiting from the

5 address books of their employees by

rewarding those who talent-spot for

the company.

B Almost half of UK employers offer

staff an incentive to get friends and

10 associates to make pb applications,

according to the Chartered Institute of

Personnel and Development in the UK.

Also on the increase are programmes

which encourage former employees

15 to feed back recruitment leads and

consider rejoining the company in

the future.

C Growing enthusiasm for social

networking has made 'personal

20 introduction' popular. 'The market is

very-aware of the power of word of

mouth,' says Richard Spragg, Commu-

nications Manager at EPC-global.

'It is driven by businesses waking up

25 to communities such as MySpace and

Friends Reunited.'

D Employers measurably benefit from

referral programmes; they can cut

recruitment budgets. According

30 to one group HR director, in the UK,

20 per cent of recruits come through

employee referrals, which represent a

50-per-cent cost saving, while in India

about half come through referrals, and

35 the savings are closer to 75 per cent.

E Keeping costs down isn't the only

attraction of referral and ex-employee

hiring schemes. Just as important are

the benefits that flow from appointing

40 someone who is known to share the

UNIT 2 •.•. SOCIAL NETWORKING

values of the culture they are joining.

'The learning curve for becoming

effective is much shorter,' says Richard

Jordan, Head of Employer Brand at

45 Ernst & Young in London.

F One concern, however, is that refer-

ral programmes restrict the flow of new

ideas into organisations, because exist-

ing staff are likely to recommend

50 people who think like they do.

G As the popularity of referral

programmes which offer a reward has

risen, so has the size of the reward. A

case in point is professional services

55 firms, where bonuses can range from

£2,000 for the appointment of a secre-

tary to £10,000 for a partner. However,

another concern is that extravagant

bonuses may tempt staff to recommend

(Q names inappropriately.

H Some feel that friendship can

colour someone's view of a prospec-

tive mate's capabilities. When a

respected employee recommends a

65 friend, employers may be tempted to

assume that the candidate will make

an equally good colleague.

I Referral programmes are useful, but

certain rules are necessary. Rule one is

70 that referred candidates should be

assessed on the same basis and by the

same methods as external applicants.

Another safety measure is to hide the

source, where possible, through which

75 referrals have entered the selection

pipeline.

J Recommendations are valuable only

if they provide candidates with the

required skills. Recruiters must also

80 plan for how to deal with appointments

that go wrong. To limit their financial

exposure, some employers pay bonuses

only after a referred candidate has

completed a probationary period.

K One employer invites staff, part-

icularly those in areas of skills

shortages, to enrol as 'talent scouts'.

They then receive an online magazine

that highlights recruitment priorities

90 and offers tips on how to network.

They learn how to spot and approach

talented people in order to increase the

talent pool. In some people'S view,

though, not paying the recruitment

95 bonus until after a probationary

period is a clear case of management

avoiding responsibility.

FT

UNIT 2 •• SOCIAL NETWORKING

VOCABULARY ~JIII

a Word search

1 Find words and phrases in the article which describe things employees or former employees can do to help find new recruits for a company.

1 to t. -5 (paragraph A)

2 to get friends and associates to m j Q (paragraph B)

3 to f. b recruitment 1. (paragraph B)

4 to r a friend (paragraph H)

5 to enrol as a t 5 (paragraph K)

6 to 1) (paragraph K) 7 to 5 and Q talented people (paragraph K) 2 Find words in the article which describe what companies offer staff in return for this help.

1 an i (paragraph B)

2 a r (paragraph G)

3 a b -(paragraph G) 3 Find words or phrases in the article which fit these meanings. 1 the referral of a friend or associate to the company you work for (paragraph C) ? i. 2 what a company is said to have made when a candidate is given a new job (paragraph G) Q.

.. 3 the process^ by which^ candidates^ are interviewed,^ then^ accepted^ or rejected^ (paragraph^ I)

the 5 p. 4 the period after a new employee is recruited, during which the company assesses whether they are right for the job and can continue to work for the company (Some employers do

not pay referral bonuses until this time has been successfully completed.) (paragraph J)

p p.

III Word families

Complete the chart with word partnerships from the article which include different forms of refer.

verb noun adjective adjective

to ........ 1 someone employee ........ 2 .......? candidate ........^4 programme

to a company

This unit looks at the way in which young recruits' expectations of a future

job and employer are changing.

BEFORE YOU READ -~k- Discuss these questions. 1 What are the main features that you would look for in a future employer? 2 What are the most important factors that you would look for in a job or career?

READING ~ III

II Information search

Read the article on the opposite page and tick (.,I) the item(s) that complete each sentence,

according to the article. 1 The youngest generation of company recruits are often referred to as: a) Generation X. b) the Millennials. c) Gen Y. 2 When they consider their future career, their priorities are: a) large company car. e) flexible work schedule.

b) high salary. f) ethical employer.

c) good work-life balance. g) global experience. d) eight weeks' holiday per year. h) career development opportunities. ,. 3 Companies find a variety of ways to allow Generation Y to help people who are less fortunate than themselves in ways such as: a) taking scuba-diving lessons. c) working for foreign charities. b) raising money for charity. d) backpacking round the world for a year. 4 Generation Y employees are generally more comfortable than older employees with modern work styles and communication technologies such as: a) Internet-based communications. d) e-mailing. b) text messaging. e) videoconferencing applications.

c) web applications. f) virtual teamwork.

II Understanding the main points

Read the article again and answer these questions. 1 Why are young employees keen to engage in flexible working? 2 Why are employers happy to allow their employees to work flexibly? 3 Which features of modern society do employers provide so that they can do this? 4 Is Generation Y expressing more or less concern for the planet and humanity than previous generations did? 5 What does this generation expect to do faster than previous generations of employees?

UNIT 3 •.•. THE WAR FOR TALENT: GENERATION Y

Generation Y: How to keep top talent engaged

by Sarah Murray

A In recent years, many employ-

ers have struggled to meet the

changing expectations of a generation

of young employees - Gen Y, or the

5 Millennials, as they are often known

• who famously expect a high salary

and plenty of work-life balance.

B Research has shown that a high

percentage of employees see flexible

10 working as being extremely impor-

tant, and an evep higher percentage

of employers believe that offering

employees a flexible work schedule

is one of the best ways to attract and

15 retain the best talent. Many workers

feel that the ability to work remotely

(from home) would reduce the

stress of their working life. In the

most forward-thinking of companies,

20 therefore, employees are encouraged

to redesign their working lives to make

them more flexible with the help of

state-of-the-art IT and mobile devices.

C However, as well as all the usual

25 demands, HR and recruitment directors

have noticed some significant changes

in the way young recruits are approach-

ing their careers these days.

D Firstly, Generation Y are placing

30 increasing importance on the

company as an ethical employer.

Nowadays, there's a lot of talk about

sustainability, whereas a decade

or two ago, it wouldn't have been

35 important. The responsibility of

companies to help solve some of the

world's social and environmental

problems is certainly rising up the

young graduate's agenda; they want

40 to be assured that the company has

ethical practices and policies that

match their own philosophies.

E Employers are responding by

offering a growing number of

45 opportunities for staff to embark on

community work. These include

fundraising or volunteering, career

breaks or participation in internation-

al fellowship programmes through

50 which they can spend time working

for non-profit organisations in

developing countries.

F Another deciding factor for

Generation Y is the desire to be

55 exposed to a greater range of experi-

ences and responsibilities at an earlier

stage in their career. As well as 'tick-

ing the environmental and social

box', volunteering and community

eo programmes can help address this

issue. In addition, job rotations and

accelerated leadership programmes

can develop young recruits' skills

and broaden their horizons by taking

65 them away from their main roles

and exposing them to other areas of

the business.

G Global experience is also highly

valued by Gen Y recruits. Vodafone,

70 for example, places high-potential

individuals in its other operating

companies around the world as part

of their career development. While

there is a cost to this strategy, if

75 younger recruits are not given these

opportunities, they may take them up

anyway. Take the example of a young

employee who wanted to develop his

career by working in India and was

80 prepared to go on his own if Vodafone

would not facilitate the move.

H However, while the demands recruits

place on their employers may present

new challenges, Generation Y also

85 bring with them highly valuable new

skills, particularly when it comes to the

ease with which they use technology.

Global operations require a growing

amount of virtual teamwork using web-

90 based communications channel and

video conferencing technology. 'These

are things that young people take for

granted,' says Matthew Whitbourne,

Senior Inventor at IBM and European

95 Manager of the Extreme Blue

summer work experience scheme,

which allows talented students to

gain valuable experience working

on technical research projects. 'As

100 employers, we have to be more creative

about this.'

FT

6 What might the risks be to a company if employees aren't given the international experience they want? 7 Why is it important for employers to be attractive to the younger generation in particular?

UNIT 3 ~~ THE WAR FOR TALENT: GENERATION Y

iii Sentence completion

Use words and phrases from Exercises A-C to complete these sentences. 1 In order to attract and retain - individuals, the best employers offer a fast-track ................ programme. 2 This means that young recruits will get a very broad range of work challenges very quickly, which they achieve through a series of This may even involve going abroad and acquiring

3 On the other hand, some Gen Y recruits are also clearly looking to reduce the stress of their

4 One way to achieve this is to take advantage of modern IT and to manage a work schedule, which may involve working from home several days a week. 5 However, Gen Y don't only think of themselves. They are equally concerned that their employer should reflect their philosophies, such as helping to solve some of the world's economic and problems. 6 In response to this, many employers offer opportunities for helping others through unpaid ........ programmes.

II

,.

Understanding expressions

Choose the best explanation for each phrase from the article.

1 ' ... rising up the young graduate's agenda ...' (lines'38-39)

a) becoming more important to b) increasing the amount of job interviews they go to

2 'As well as "ticking the environmental and social box", ...' (lines 57-59)

a) improving their social life ,. b) meeting their desire to help people and the planet

3 ' ... and broaden their horizons by ...' (line 64)

a) provide opportunities for travel b) give them wider experience

4 'These are things that young people take for granted, ...' (lines 91-93)

a) expect to be on offer b) allow us to do

1 What do you think about the expectations which Generation Y have about their company and their career? Do they reflect your own career aspirations and expectations? Do you have any other priorities? Explain your ideas. 2 Visit the website of a few companies you are interested in and write a short report on whether they provide the kind of career development, volunteering opportunities and working styles described in the article.

This unit explores the executive education and leadership programmes on

offer to employees and managers in large Australian organisations.

BEFORE YOU READ ~

Discuss these questions. 1 Why do you think companies provide: a) executive training to existing employees? b) leadership development programmes to new graduate recruits? 2 Some companies develop and run their own training programmes, whilst others engage external partners to help them. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each approach?

a Understanding the main points Read the article on the opposite page and say whether these statements are true (T) or false (F). Correct the false ones. 1 Well-established training providers are conducting courses in Asia for Australia-based managers. 2 Customised programmes are the most rapidly expanding area in executive education in Australia. 3 An increasing number of employers are choosing programmes delivered by facilitators with an extensive training background. _. 4 The residential courses run by MGSM for Qantas are part of a wider training programme. S Some programmes prepare less-experienced employees for future leadership challenges. 6 The BHP leadership development programme was designed for existing managers. 7 Participants in the Accelerated Learning Laboratory focus on tasks and issues specific to their work.

II Understanding details Scan the article again quickly to find information to complete these notes.

'Prog rQ I%l%e: four-clQtl ~lII-tell.S~ve~ecut~ve ecllA.cQt~olll-course 'Prov~cler: MeLbourlll-t e;1A.S~lII-eSs scnooL (M"BS)

'ProgrQl%l%e: tnree-tleQr LeQclersn~p cleveLopl%elll-t progrQ I%l%e 3

'Prog rQI%l%e: AcceLerQteci LeQ rlll-~111- Ul borQtortl 'ProvLclers: 'PQrtlll-trs: ALI%: 10

UNIT 4 ~~ EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

VOCABULARY ~ a Word families Complete the chart. verb noun (person) noun (activity)

to facilitate ........^1 facilitation

to train trainer ........^2

to lead ........^3 ........^4

to participate ........^5 ........^6

to partner (with) ........^7 ........^8

to collaborate ........^9 ........^10

D Word search Find words or phrases in the article with the same meaning as the words in italic.

1 A limited number of employees have participated in the senior executive programme. (paragraph A)

2 The aim of the course is to enhance their awareness and understanding of management processes.

(paragraph A)

3 We are hiring a facilitator from a local business school. (paragraph C)

4 Kate Lonergan supervises the outsourcing of training and development. (paragraph D)

5 Many companies are choosing courses which provide a solid grounding in practical skills. (paragraph F)

6 An experienced facilitator is leading the course. (paragraph F)

7 We rolled out our new training programme last September. (paragraph I)

8 Following the course, participants will be able to put new skills into practice. (paragraph K)

II'" Scrambled words Use the definitions to help you unscramble the phrases from the article. 1 a course with accommodation at the training venue (paragraph B) DEEATIRINLS EOCSUR 2 training designed to meet the specific needs of the participants (heading / paragraph D) EDTRIALO MGSMPRAREO IUSCODTEMS MGSMPRAREO 3 how executives identify their own strategies for achieving specific goals (by receiving guidance rather than advice) (paragraph G) UTEEEIVCXCNCAHGIO 4 learning by observing fellow employees performing a task (paragraph G) ON-ETH-BOJ RIGINNTA

UNIT 4 •.•. EXECUTIVE EDUCATION

iii Vocabulary development

Match these phrases (1-6) with their meanings (a-f). 1 off-the-job training a) a learning process through which an individual receives expert advice and guidance from a more experienced person

2 open courses b) training which is recognised by an official organisation

3 mentoring c) training which is held outside the place of work (developed

and delivered by the company or an external training provider)

4 in-house programmes d) an education programme which is delivered through a

combination of training approaches, such as e-learning, e-mentoring, workshops and on-the-job training to provide convenience and choice to employees

5 flexible learning e) training which is held at the place of work (developed and

delivered by the company or an external training provider)

6 accredited training f) courses and seminars which are available to the public

II Sentence^ completion Use words and phrases from Exercises C and D to complete these sentences.

1 A allows people with similar training needs to live, learn and network together outside the office environment. 2 Various professions require their members to undergo programmes to ensure that a specific standard of training has been reached. 3 is a convenient way for employees with a variety of learning needs or time constraints to develop their skills and knowledge. 4 is often an effective way to pass on the benefits of years of experience to junior talent in a pe-rsonal and confidential way. 5 usually have a specific learning goal, but they are not tailored to one individual or organisation. 6 - - helps employees to gain deeper knowledge by observing others performing different processes and procedures.

1 While many companies send their employees on open courses, customised programmes are becoming increasingly popular. Make a list of the advantages and disadvantages of each type of programme. 2 Describe a course, training programme, seminar or lecture that you have attended or been involved in. What type of course was it? What were the objectives? What educational or professional background did the participants have? What background did the facilitators have? Did it involve an outside agency? In your opinion, how successful was the course?