Importance of recruitment and selection

Your business will always benefit from being able to appoint new employees from a wide pool of well qualified and experienced candidates, and the best way to access that pool is by

• Deciding what skills and qualities you want in a new employee.
• Ensuring that any advertising is designed to attract candidates with those skills and qualities.
• Having a short listing and interviewing process that will allow you to make an objective assessment of the candidates.

The following steps should be taken when recruiting:

• Prepare a job description to list the requirements of the role.
• Prepare a person specification detailing the skills and competencies that the role requires.
• Decide on an appropriate advertising strategy.
• Ensure all candidates complete an application form or send a CV for information consistency.
• Draw up a shortlist of candidates who match your skill and competency requirements.
• Interview candidates fully, keeping detailed notes and a proper record of the interview and scoring matrix.
• Send a letter to the best candidate offering employment.
• Always take up and check references before confirming the appointment.
• Always check a candidate’s eligibility to work in the UK before confirming the appointment.
• Inform unsuccessful candidates in writing.

Remember that unsuccessful candidates can sue an employer if they believe that the reason they were not offered the job was because of discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.