Introduction
Job study is an important function in human resources management, as it allows managers to understand duties and responsibilities in recruitment. Generally, job analysis is defined as a process of collecting, interpreting, and reporting pertinent facts about the nature of a job (Bailey, 2006). This paper will discuss the application of job design and job analysis in recruiting 20 mechanical engineers at the Coca-Cola Company. The process will consist of various strategies to ensure the hiring of the right and competent candidates. Generally, job analysis and job design help in establishing tasks and responsibilities for a given job (Garg & Rastogi, 2006).
Targeted plan and Qualifications
Mechanical engineers would be important technical persons in the production department. The successful candidates from this recruitment process would be hired at Coca-cola and provided with 8 months contracts on a full-time basis.
Specifically, mechanical engineers would be required to have at least two years of experience in a similar position. Additionally, they would need to demonstrate competency in fixing large industrial machines and other technical tasks in mechanical engineering. Qualified candidates would also need to be holders of a degree in mechanical engineering or a higher diploma of the same from a reputable institution. Moreover, they would be required to have the ability to work long hours and sometimes in harsh conditions as the job demands.
Duties to be handled by mechanical engineers at the Coca-Cola Company including evaluating mechanical systems to ensure efficiency, attending to mechanical failure of industrial machines at all times, servicing industrial machines, and preparing reports, if necessary, on the state of machines on a monthly basis through an intense system guide.
Recruitment and selection of Mechanical Engineers
Recruiting is defined as activities or practices that define the characteristics of applicants for a specific job. At Coca-cola, our strategic plan will be designed in such a way that it would lead to the recruitment of the right persons as per the specifications (Razi, 2006). When recruiting mechanical engineers, the company would clarify goals involved, specify functions and tasks to be handled, and update and assess the skills of current staff in order to maximize on core strengths that require matching the job with the scope of each employee’s responsibilities.
In this recruitment process, we will use online job platforms for advertising as well as word of mouth through employees since this is an in house recruitment. Following these adverts, many applicants are expected to submit their interests for this position, and the biggest task would involve short-listing the most qualified candidates. The recruitment process would entail sieving through applications to see which applicants match the requirements of the job description (Yamamura, Birk, & Cossitt, 2010).
In this case, the use of the elimination method would ensure we remain with at least 40 applicants whose competencies for the job are as expected. Although all these applicants possess the same requirements, it would be essential to go beyond elimination to trying to understand the potential input of each short-listed candidate. This will be achieved by comparing the goals and objectives of the position and its impact on the company. The shortlisted candidates will then be called for interviews during the selection process.
The selection process is usually exhaustive and rigorous for technical jobs. It includes steps like meticulous screening of applications and several rounds of oral and practical interrogation, including preliminary and final. Here, we will have to substantiate attitude, personality subject to the clarity of thought, logic, and persuasiveness as well as leadership and communication skills (Barclay, 2001). For example, in a research done in 49 UK organizations, behavioral criteria was recommended and appreciated by both the interviewers and interviewees (Barclay, 2001). Such job selection criteria may also be complemented with practical interview to assess technical skills of the applicants. Nevertheless, a proficiency exam will be undertaken in the selection process (Pravin, 2012).
In relation to our case, shortlisted candidates will go through a three stage selection process. These include aptitude test that measures the latent talents of a person crucial to performance of the job, intense interviews by managerial committee who will ask questions regarding this line of work, and last part would involve top management making final decision on the shortlisted candidates who are lucky to get the job. The selection process will entail reducing the number of existing candidates to a flexible number that the company can relate to (Hunt, 2007).
It is also worth noting that, selection process will ensure that mistakes are not made when short-listing candidates. Understanding individual’s strengths and weaknesses ensures diversity for the company. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted via phone calls and invited to undertake the aptitude test; after the results, the list will narrow down to 35 candidates to proceed to the next level of selection process. The aptitude test will be in form of a proficiency exam or a set of questions on various elements of mechanical engineering to test knowledge and skills. Staffing lays the foundation for a company’s human resource management strategy. Therefore, the selection process helps in development of staffing policies building capacity in an organization (Pravin, 2012).
The second stage will include managerial interview by a panel consisting managers from all departments relevant to the job. This interview will help the recruiting team to find out if the candidate is open to learn and accept criticism. This part of the interview will endeavor to understand if the selected candidate shares company’s objectives and understands the requirements of the position (Ullah, 2010). This stage would also include technical assessment where candidates would be provided with practical assignments to assess their ability to handle mechanical work. After this process, the list of candidates reduces to 30 who have the opportunity to work with the company.
The last stage will involve top management including the CEO and CFO of the company going through a series of questions to make decision or conclusion on candidates that have passion for the position or who are likely to add value to the company. This stage will signify the final selection, cutting the list to 20 candidates as indicated in the profile.
Conclusion
The recruitment process involves defining tasks, responsibilities and obligations within an organization. Using this process to recruit employees will protect the company from employing unqualified staff that may not add value. A well-structured staffing structure ensures employees meet the demands of employer. It also ensures all avenues are well-suited for the extensive recruitment of employees in a specific job. In recruiting mechanical engineers, the company would have to ensure that all candidates’ profiles match specifications of the job. All in all, it calls for concerted efforts from all individuals that have some vested interest in the advertised position to ensure that the recruitment process works smoothly and effectively.
References
Bailey, M. (N.d). Job design. Web.
Barclay, J. M. (2001). Improving selection interviews with structure: Organisations’ use of “behavioural” interviews. Personnel Review, 30(1), 81-81.
Garg, P., & Rastogi, R. (2006). New model of job design: Motivating employees’ performance. The Journal of Management Development, 25(6), 572-587.
Hunt, S. T. (2007). Hiring Success: The Art and Science of Staffing Assessment and Employee Selection. NJ, USA: John Wiley & Sons.
Pravin, D. (2012). Human Resource Management. New Delhi, India: Pearson Education India.
Razi, N. (2006). Employing O.D. strategies in the globalization of HR. Organization Development Journal, 24(4), 62-68.
Ullah, M. M. ( 2010). A systematic approach of conducting employee selection interview.. International Journal of Business and Management, 5(6), 106-112.
Yamamura, J., Birk, C., & Cossitt, B. (2010). Attracting and retaining talent: The importance of first impressions. The CPA Journal, 80(4), 58-60.