Introduction
There are several factors to consider when planning for a recruitment exercise. The most important factor is the necessity of the job. If the job can be redistributed to the existing workforce, then the recruitment process is unnecessary. It is also important to ensure that the institution gets applications from the most suitable people for the job. Therefore, it is imperative to begin by notifying members of the organization about the vacancy in case they are interested in it. The other people to consider are former employees who were let go due to litigious reasons, employment agencies, and former applicants. This consideration ensures that applicants are qualified for the job. A recruitment message also has to be sent out through media containing the qualifications that the applicants should have, the job title alongside its responsibilities and pay, the process of application and the deadline, the name of the organization, and the specific department. It is also important for the institution to determine whether the job should be part-time or full-time depending on the input needed.
Residential Care
According to Ridout, residential care is mostly offered to vulnerable groups of people who live in out-of-home settlements staffed with qualified careers (43). Such people have mostly faced traumatic experiences such as abuse and neglect. They need professional caregivers who can handle them in a way that increases their chances of recovery. One of the requirements before hiring the staff is to confirm the identity of the applicant. The applicant should also provide references, which include the name of the recent employer. Their criminal record must be explored together with the gaps in the records of their employment. Some of the children brought into such homes suffer from mental, physical, or psychological illnesses. For this reason, one of the factors to consider before hiring such personnel is their qualifications. They must be experienced in handling extreme and emergency cases. The applicant must also be registered with the relevant body. It is also important to assess the health of the applicant. Finally, applicants must hold a work permit (Martin, Charlesworth, and Henderson 75).
Domiciliary Care
The recruitment of staff in domiciliary care should be conducted in a very rigorous manner because the occupation is sensitive. The first requirement will be to confirm the identity of the applicant and explore their criminal record. Such caregivers must have no criminal history. Their references should also be explored to find out how they performed previously together with the reason for their termination of employment if any. It is also important to investigate the gaps in their employment. Before hiring, their health assessment should be carried out. Their qualifications must be considered because the job requires highly qualified and experienced individuals. It is also important that they be registered with the relevant regulatory body and that they possess a work permit (Ridout 56).
Application of Regulatory Instruments on various stages of recruitment
According to Ridout, the initial recruitment stages start from the sending out of the recruitment message, the short-listing stage, the selection stage, and the first three months of employment, which involves the monitoring and feedback stage (82). During this period, the process should be carried out without discrimination based on gender, disability, age, sexual orientation, marriage status, maternity, race, pregnancy, religion, or gender reassignment. The Equality Act of 2010 protects applicants from such discrimination.
The protection of the rights of the applicants should always be given priority. The institution should refrain from hiring staff members who fall under the bracket of vulnerable people such as the mentally ill, elderly, and minors. The institution must have facilities that incorporate staff members who suffer from various disabilities in line with The Safeguarding Vulnerable Groups Act of 2006. Applicants should not be exposed to hazardous conditions at any cost. Finally, at every stage of recruitment, the freedom of the applicants should be considered. Their fundamental freedoms should be protected, as provided for in the Protection of Freedoms Act of 2012.
Assessment Center Performance
This technique of selection is applied to a group of applicants by qualified assessors to determine the capacity and performance of the participants using an array of diagnostic exercises and tests to come up with a profile of the applicants’ aptitude or ability to add value to the prospective organization. This technique is not only used for recruitment. It is also used to assess staff during promotion and internal development of the institution. Although this method is effective, it is not always accurate. Applicants who fail to do well in this assessment process may be well qualified but fail to perform well due to some factors.
Interview Performance
An interview is an oral examination that an applicant of a job undertakes for the institution to determine whether they are qualified to take up positions in the organization. For the company to hire the best candidate, the interview must be thorough and well-conducted. An interview can take three forms. It can either be unstructured, having a few questions. Although it is commonly used, it is not very reliable. The questions asked may not be sufficient to determine the qualifications of the applicant. Because of its poor validity, the institution may end up choosing poorly qualified applicants only based on their impression.
A semi-structured interview has more prepared questions. However, they are very flexible to accommodate deviations and follow-up questions. This interview is more valid. It is better suited to provide ample information about the applicant. Additionally, it allows the interviewer to weigh the strengths, weaknesses, as well as personalities of the interviewees. Structured interviews have questions, which are identical for every applicant. Overall, interviews are an effective selection technique, but if poorly conducted, the institution may end up hiring under-qualified applicants. Thus, the organization needs to deploy qualified interviewers.
Personality Profiles
Personality profiles entail the outline of the essential and desirable criteria as far as the qualifications of applicants are concerned. The criterion set out includes skills, experience, qualifications, and personal qualities that are required for the job. The essentials are what the applicant must have while the desirables are the things that the applicants have, which improve their chances of getting the job. Qualifications mean the certificates that the applicant has while qualities are the characteristics of the person. Experience refers to the things that the applicant has done before concerning the job. This technique of selection is effective because it uses the profile of the applicant, which holds all the information needed. Therefore, it is easier to compare the profiles of all applicants to come up with the most qualified person within the shortest amount of time (Martin, Charlesworth, and Henderson 21).
References
Martin, Vivien, Julie Charlesworth, and Euan Henderson. Managing in Health and Social Care, London: Routledge, 2010. Print.
Ridout, Paul. Care Standards: Practical Guide, London: Jordans, 2010. Print.