REPORT ON TESCO - RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

TESCO - RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION

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R.P.D.Dulanjalee Sachittra

Management Case Studies & Seminar

CBA/080/192

7 pages( inclusive of the cover page)

1. Define the terms recruitment and selection. How do these processes

enable an organization like Tesco to get the right people to fill its posts?

Human resources are an integral part of the organization because the

success of the organization will be determined based on the efficiency and

quality of the people. Recruitment and selection process is a strategic function of

a human resource department of an organization therefore, it’s important to have

a strategic approach to allow the company to make the best out of this process.

Recruitment refers to the process of identifying that the organization needs to

employ someone up to the point at which application forms for the post have

arrived at the organization. On the other hand, selection refers to the process

involved in choosing from applicants a suitable candidate to fill a post.

Organizations use various methods and sources for the recruitment process

and they can be classified in to two as internal and external recruitment. Tesco

has a structured process of recruitment and selection, to recruit right people for

the right position in order to match the needs of Tesco.

Tesco has set an efficient strategy, when they were setting objectives for

workforce planning. It has also has a cost effective means of attracting applicant

through, Website, Job centre place or store boards. Any applicant who wishes to

apply for local jobs, management posts and head office positions can access to

Tesco’s website and follow a simple application process. The company also

provides a ‘job type match’ tool on its careers web page. People interested in

working for Tesco can see where they might fit in before applying. Tesco has also

maintained the capability to attract candidates by first dividing each

organizational process requirement and hence put for each process its

specification to serve its future expansion opportunities. The selection process

comprises of three parts namely screening, assessment centre and final

interview, which assesses the applicants from technicality and personality

aspects and leaving no gaps to get the right person in first time. The process

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followed by Tesco, will enable them to acquire the right people they are looking

for to reach the whole organization objective.

2. Describe how job descriptions and person specifications are helpful in

the selection process? What other purposes might a job description be

used for?

A job description will set out how a particular employee will fit into the

organization and a job specification goes beyond a mere description, in addition,

it highlights the mental and physical attributes required of the job holder. A well-

designed Job Description and Person specification will provide the basis for job

advertisements in a selection process because it’s the job advertisement which

helps job applicants and post-holders to know what is expected from them. The

above two elements of workforce planning are helpful to Tesco’s

selection process in the following ways:-

They provide enough and required information to attract the suitable

person to the suitable post.

They will help the applicants to identify the professional, educational and

other relevant qualifications required to do the job.

These two elements also help the organization to set measures, targets,

goals and standards for the job performance.

They will also ensure that applicants are judge against a certain criteria

and can reduce bias selections.

A job description could also be used for the following purposes as well:-

This document will provide as a document which can be later referred to

review the performance of an employee and set targets to progress their

career development.

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This will also define the roles and responsibilities and to whom or for

whom you will be responsible providing a basis for employment

relationship.

This will also outline the tasks and roles the successful recruit will have to

perform in his/her job role.

This will also inform applicants about the post and to provide necessary

and required information required for recruitment process.

This will outline the contribution the post makes to achieving

organizational and departmental objectives.

3. Analyze Tesco’s methods of attracting and recruiting candidates.

Outline what you consider to be the main strengths and weaknesses of

one of these methods.

Tesco uses both internal and external recruitment methods for attracting

and recruiting the candidates.

Internal Recruitment procedure

Tesco First looks at its internal talent plan which takes in to consideration of

the employees who are currently serving Tesco, who would like to progress

through their career. This encourages people to work their way through and up

the organization. Through an annual appraisal scheme, individuals can apply for

‘bigger’ jobs. Employees identify roles in which they would like to develop their

careers with Tesco.

Tesco uses three types of internal recruitment namely:-

Promotion

Transfer

Rehiring former employees

If any employee is qualified enough to give a promotion amongst the existing

employees will significantly reduce the cost and management time when

compared with the external recruitment process. Transferring the relevant

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personnel will help Tesco to have a multi – skilled and flexible workforce. By

rehiring the employees, the company is filling a vacancy, whom had prior

experience and whom may already be familiar with certain key operating

procedures.

The job vacancy is hence advertised in the Tesco’s intranet for about two

weeks.

External Recruitment procedure

If Tesco fails to find a suitable candidate for the required vacancy internally,

then it uses the external recruitment procedure. This process will bring in new

individuals from outside and Tesco advertises the vacancies via the Tesco

website, offline media, Television, radio or by placing advertisements on Google

or in magazines such as The Appointment Journal. Tesco makes it easy for

applicants to find out about available jobs and has a simple application process

and the website has an online application form for people to submit directly. Also,

People interested in store-based jobs with Tesco can approach stores with their

CV or register though Job centre Plus. The store prepares a waiting list of people

applying in this way and calls them in as jobs become available. By selecting best

candidate for the required job, the organization will get quality performance of

employees.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF INTERNAL RECRUITING

The methods of attracting and recruiting in Tesco have a strengths and

weaknesses.

Strengths:-

The main strength is that Tesco practices ‘‘talent planning.’’ And this will

encourage people to work their way through and up the organization and

retain the skilled base of employees with in Tesco.

Considerable savings can be made both in terms of money & time.

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Internal promotion acts as an incentive to all staff and encourages its

employees to work harder within the organization.

The organization is unlikely to be greatly 'disrupted' and the risk attached to

employing an outsider is much low.

Weaknesses:-

Replacement for the promoted person will be sometimes difficult.

External recruitment will bring in new blood to an organization such as new

ideas and innovative solutions which may not be found within the promoted

individuals.

Promotion of one person in a company may upset someone else and could

lead to consequent conflicts within superior and subordinate.

4. Evaluate the benefits for Tesco of using both interviews and

assessment centres in the selection process.

Employees play a vital and major role in shaping up and improving the

performance the performance of an organization therefore, selecting the best

applicant is crucial. One of the benefits using both interview and assessment

centre is that an organization could identify the most suitable and required

employee to fill the vacancy for the job role. Employees are an intellectual asset

to a company, because if employees are unable to solve a task given to them this

will have a considerable impact on the performance levels of the organization.

Therefore, in order to get the best applicants for the job, Tesco to use both

interview and assessment centre which could be viewed as a smart way to filter

applicants.

Assessment centre plays a big role in selecting employee because this

method would help a company to evaluate workers in both the scenarios that is

before selection and after selection. We cannot guarantee 100% that the

applicants are saying the truth about their background, so Tesco makes a

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decision to conduct a second Interview so that the interviewer could observe the

applicants themselves. The benefit of using interview is that Tesco could see

personal skills and other non-measurable qualities which cannot be stated in an

individual’s CV such as behaviour, attitudes, self confidence, and body language.

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