A new year with new beginnings perhaps?  New to my website this month is my Resources page where you can access any of the free resources mentioned in our newsletters and read previous issues.  Check it out on www.hja-consulting.com.

I have a number of interesting topics to write about this year for the first time in this newsletter – appraisal skills, change management, team building and performance management amongst them.  However, if you would like to add to this list, please do let me know and it will be my pleasure to write about it – ‘Challenge Annette’ perhaps? 

For our New Year topic and thinking of new beginnings, I am going to look at recruitment and selection.  If you are an HR manager why not pass this newsletter on to some of your managers or team leaders who will be recruiting staff in the coming months?  If you’ve been forwarded this newsletter and would like to get your own free copy every month, just click here to subscribe.

Happy New Year to you!

Best wishes,

Recruiting and Selecting Staff

Despite the economic predictions of doom and gloom, unemployment figures for Oxfordshire remain extremely low – currently 1%.  This means that recruiting and selecting the right people from a diminishing pool is not only costly, but of paramount importance.  It has also been proven that an unstructured interview (when you just fly by the seat of your pants) has a success rate of only 15%.  You can double that success rate by following a structured interviewing process. 

So where do you start?  Here’s an overview of the process step by step:

1. Draw up a person specification for the job.

2. Decide how you can best attract a pool of people from which you can make your selection.

3. Short list those that you would like to interview by comparing the applications against the person specification that you have drawn-up.

4. Draw up an interview record form if you do not already have one.

5. Plan the questions you are going to ask.  The in-mode method for interviewing is ‘behaviour interviewing’.

6. Make your final selection by using some kind of rating system on the interview record form.

If this all sounds rather simple, click here and I'll send you a help sheet which goes into much more detail.  On the Resources page of my website you’ll also find books and videos I recommend.

For more help, attend HJA’s Steps for the Developing Manager: ‘Recruitment & Selection’ workshop.  Click here to request details.

Investors in People – How Do You Get Started?

Investors in People is a framework for good people management practices.  It is a Government backed quality standard – the only one in the world that looks at ‘people management’.  It was launched in 1991 and approximately 40,000 organisations in the UK have achieved the coveted award.  It has been successfully exported to over 20 countries. 

If you are exploring your people management practices – perhaps you are looking at introducing a new appraisal system, or you want to improve the way in which you plan, implement and evaluate training – then Investors in People will provide you with all the good practices that you need to make this work a success. 

So how do you get started?  You need to ascertain how you currently measure up against the Investors in People Standard.  You can do this in a number of ways:

1. Purchase ‘How to Become an Investor in People’ which includes a staff survey from the TSO on-line bookshop.  It costs £114.00.

2. Complete a diagnostic survey through Investors in People UK’s ‘Interactive’ – by clicking here.

3. Carry out a staff survey with a qualified facilitator working with a mix of your staff to find out their views and opinions about your organisation as an employer.

Obviously option 3 is the most thorough method, but it used to take a couple of days to complete, which made it costly.  At HJA, we have developed a process of running staff focus groups to achieve accurate results but in just half a day! 

We can then help you draw up an action plan to meet the good practices outlined in the Investors in People Standard.  See below for our special offers to help get you started.

Special Offers

Investors in People – Getting Started – focus groups and action planning - £295 + VAT if booked on two separate half-days but only £550 if booked on the same day (compared with the recommended rate of £700).

For existing holders of the Investors in People Award – a desk top review- find out how you measure up in a half-day meeting.  £250 against the recommended rate of £350 if booked by the end of January for a February or March date.

Events

Train the Trainer – 5th February 2008 at The Deddington Arms (hurry - only 1 place left) £225 + VAT per person, includes handouts, lunch and refreshments.

Introduction to Team Leadership – 30th January 2008 (5 places left) £225 + VAT per person, includes handouts, lunch and refreshments.  Comes with an optional follow-up coaching session at work approximately 4 – 6 weeks after the course.  Coaching session is £160 + VAT.  Book both workshop and coaching session at the special price of £350 + VAT. 

Time Management Bite-Size workshop – 13th February 2008 – morning only. £105 + VAT per person.  Book 3 or more £90 per person.

Recruitment & Selection workshop – 12th March 2008 £225 + VAT per person.  Book before 14th February and save £25 on this price.  Includes all handouts, refreshments and lunch.

Contact Annette to book or for more information.