Attracting and Retaining Employees: HRM Report for ABC Solutions

This report examines the core functions of human resource management (HRM), specifically focusing on employee retention and selection strategies for ABC Solutions, a multinational software and hardware solutions provider. The report begins with an introduction to recruitment and selection processes, highlighting the importance of job analysis in identifying necessary skills and competencies. It then details strategies for attracting a diverse pool of talented candidates, including employer branding, clear job descriptions, and leveraging existing employees as brand ambassadors. The selection process is analyzed, covering background checks, skill tests, personality assessments, and interviews. The report concludes with a discussion on appointment and rejection processes, emphasizing effective communication with candidates and the importance of comprehensive appointment letters. References to relevant literature are provided, offering a comprehensive overview of HRM practices in the context of a real-world business scenario.

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ATTRACTING AND RETAINING
PEOPLE (HRM) – 978323

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Table of Contents
Introduction.......................................................................................................................3
Recruitment & selection...............................................................................................................3
Case Background..........................................................................................................................3
Job Analysis.......................................................................................................................4
Attraction..........................................................................................................................4
Selection............................................................................................................................6
Appointment and Rejection...............................................................................................7
Legal Framework...............................................................................................................9
Orientation and Socialisation...........................................................................................10
Retention.........................................................................................................................11
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................12
References.......................................................................................................................13

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Introduction
Recruitment & selection
Recruitment and selection is one of the core functions of human resource management.
Recruitment and selection is a process of inviting job applications for vacant positions and
screening through the received applications to find the right fit for the right job (Farndale,
Nikandrou, & Panayotopoulou, 2018). Recruitment and selection is a strategic approach that
allows business organizations to keep their workplaces adequately staffed. Recruitment is
generally of two types i.e. internal and external (Surbhi, 2015). Internal recruitment aims at
fulfilling the vacancies in a workplace from within the organisation, such as promotions,
transfers, etc. whereas external recruitment aims at fulfilling the vacancies in a workplace
from outside the organisation, such as campus hiring, recruitment agencies, etc. (SHRM,
2018)
Selection is a process that uses a number of psychological, psychometric, written and verbal
tests to screen the candidates that apply for a job position. Selection process has become
highly important over a period of time as it allows business organizations to find the right fit
for the right job at the right point of time (Noe, Hollenbeck, Gerhart, & Wright, 2017).
Case Background
ABC Solutions is a multinational company based in Australia that provides software and
hardware solutions to some of the top IT companies of the world. The company was started
in 1997 with one small office in Melbourne and as of today, the company has managed to
expand its operations to 4 countries with 1 fully functional subsidiary in each of the country.
The company has a workforce of around 1500 employees, which includes the employees that
work in the call centres of the company to provide assistance to the customers.
Recently, the company has been experiencing a shortage in its research and development staff
as it has started a pilot project to introduce a series of business related software. The company
is planning to develop a software package that would allow the customers to create, edit and
share documents, presentations, worksheets, graphs, mails, etc. The product will be launched
within a year and will compete with rival software packages in terms of price. The company
is planning to offer its new software package at a price of 100$ with 5 license keys. The

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company needs additional workforce for designing and developing its new software, which
has created a need for the company to conduct recruitment and selection.
Job Analysis
Job analysis is a part of a recruitment process where the recruitment officers prepare a formal
document that contains information about the skills and competencies required in a person for
being selected for a job and the duties and responsibilities that a person would have to fulfil
while working in a particular job position (Morgeson, Brannick, & Levine, 2019). Preparing
a job analysis if the first step in a recruitment program and an efficient job analysis can
ensure the recruitment of a right fit for a company.
The job analysis will be conducted by the human resource management of the company itself,
which will start by identifying the jobs that are vacant or the positions that need to be
fulfilled. Once the job positions are identified, the next step will be to gather data related to
the position identified. One of the best methods of preparing a job analysis is the observation
method, which involves observing a person working at the same job position, while he or she
carries out his or her job duties and responsibilities (Voskuijl, 2017). Observation method
would be easier in this case because the company already has a number of designers and
developers working for it. The second method that can be used to prepare a job analysis is the
questionnaire method where the designers and developers already in the company can be
asked to fill in surveys, which will be aimed at collecting information about the duties and
responsibilities that they fulfil. Questionnaires can comprise of questions like materials and
equipment used at work, work conditions, knowledge and skills required, etc. Ultimately, the
management of the company can strengthen their job analysis by comparing the data obtained
from the two methods with the data available through secondary sources of data, such as
internet, labour department, etc. (Bajracharya, 2018) This would make the job analysis more
reliable and accurate.
Attraction
Attraction of employees is important during recruitment and selection programs as it allows
business organizations to choose from a diverse pool of talented candidates and increase the

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effectiveness of their recruitment drive. In absence of attraction strategies, ABC Solutions
might not receive adequate number of job applications and would be unable to recruit the
desired number of candidates for its workplace. Some strategies that can be used by the
management of ABC Solutions to attract a greater pool of talented candidates are given
below:
First of all, attraction of a large pool of candidates is dependent on the ability of an
organisation to establish itself an employer of choice in the market. ABC Solutions will have
to work hard to establish itself as an employer of choice in the market, which will only
happen with due course of time. The management of the company will have to ensure that it
deals with its human resources in the best possible manner and is able to offer them adequate
development opportunities for becoming an employer of choice in the market.
Secondly, the preparation of clear job descriptions and person specification will also help in
attracting a greater pool of talent that would be suitable for the job in question. Clear job
descriptions can appeal to those candidates who have the skills and the competencies for the
job being advertised, which increases the pool of candidates who apply for a job.
Thirdly, using diversity initiatives in the job advertisements can also be helpful in attracting a
larger pool of talented employees. ABC Solutions can also ensure that it mentions about the
recruitment and selection process being unbiased, which will actually be helpful in attracting
a diverse pool of talented employees.
Fourthly, ABC Solutions can use its existing employees to act as brand ambassadors.
Existing employees are the closest stakeholders for a company and they are the ones that can
help in setting up a reputation in the market as an employer. Existing employees can use
different platforms, such as LinkedIn, Glassdoor, etc. to advertise the culture of an
organisation and how it can add value to the career of the candidates. Such strategies can also
help in attracting more candidates in a recruitment process.
Fifthly, ABC Solutions will have to identify the right target audience and the media that can
be used to reach out to them. Attracting a larger pool of talented employees is possible only

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when a company knows what kind of people it wants to hire, where can it find them and how
can it reach out to them.
Selection
Selection is one of the most important parts of a recruitment process, where the candidates
are required to go through a series of tests that helps the recruitment officers in forecasting
their ability to fit in the job in question (Thite, 2019). The selection strategies that will be
used by ABC Solutions will actually decide the effectiveness of its recruitment program and
its ability to recruit the right people for the job in question. Some selection strategies that can
be used by ABC Solutions are discussed below:
First of all, background checks are one of the best strategies to start a selection program.
Time is one of the most important resources in a selection process and ABC Solutions should
not waste its time on candidates that do not have the right skills, education, competencies,
experience, and other such specifications that had been mentioned in the job analysis (Acuna,
2018). Background checks will help the company in comparing the person specifications of
the candidates with the job analysis and proceeding with only those candidates who have
meet the required criteria (Larkin, 2016).
Secondly, an initial skill and job related test is a must for the types of job that are in question.
As the company is looking for designers and developers for its new projects, it needs to
assess the technical skills and competencies of the candidates, which can be done using a
multiple choice question paper. This would ensure that the candidates with high technical
skills and competencies are able to advance in the selection program (Cook, 2016).
Thirdly, the company can conduct a personality assessment test, where it can use different
psychological and psychometric tests to check the personality traits of the candidates. Some
of the tests, like the big 5 personality test, Myer-Brigg’s type indicator, the Winslow
Personality Test, etc. can be used to identify important personality traits, such as openness to
new experiences, conscientiousness, introversion/extraversion, challenger, individualist, etc.
in the candidates (Weiner & Greene, 2017). These traits can be used to forecast the ease with
which the candidates will be able to perform in their job roles and fit in the culture of the
organisation. Assessing the personality of the candidates can also help the managers in

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assessing other important job attributes of the candidates, such as the tendency to quit, etc.
(Salgado & De Fruyt, 2017).
Fourthly, once the candidate have bene screened on the basis of their technical capabilities
and personality types, the company can conduct personal interviews where a group of
interviewers will personally ask questions to the passing candidates and will ascertain their
selection. Personal interviews acts as an on-the-spot test, which allows employers to assess
the ability of a candidate to be selected for a job. In case the employers feel that they require
more information about a candidate, they can get it through the interview process (Root,
2017). Personal interviews also help employers in assessing the candidates in areas such as,
communication skills, confidence level, knowledge, ability to deal with stress, problem
solving, etc., which helps the employers in taking the right selection decision. Another major
advantage of personal interviews is that it allows employers to gain information on the
expectations that the candidates have from them, while the employers are also able to provide
them with detailed information on the job in question (Gilchrist, 2017).
Appointment and Rejection
Once the company will be done with the selection process, it would have a list of candidates
that would have been selected to work in the company while there will also be candidates that
would have been rejected. ABC Solutions will then have to send appointment letters to the
candidates who would be selected and deal with the rejected candidates accordingly.
First of all, the company will have to ensure that it is able to notify the selected students by
appropriate communication media. For example, the company can put up a list of the selected
candidates on its official website, send them notification e-mails regarding their selection,
calling them and informing them about their selection, etc. A well designed system of
informing the candidates can help in improving the reputation of the company as an employer
because it is the first impression that a company will leave on its selected candidates. Next,
the company will have to send out appointment letters, along with employment contracts to
the employees. Sending out appointment letters and employment contracts needs careful
planning as they should comprise of all the necessary details that the selected candidates
would be required to know. Some of the points that must be mentioned in the appointment
letters are:

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- Date of appointment i.e. from when will the candidates be required to join the
company
- Job description and role
- Salary of the candidate
- Working hours
- Station of appointment i.e. the city or the country where a selected candidate would be
placed
- Initial allowances, such as housing, food, etc.
- Any training, development or orientation programs that the selected candidates would
have to go through before joining the workplace.
Inclusion of all these points in the appointment letter will provide a detailed clarity about the
job profile and the work of the company and would remove any kind of ambiguity that can be
there in the minds of the selected candidates. It will also provide them with a detailed idea of
how they have to prepare themselves to join the company.
It is also important to design an efficient employment contract, which should comprise of the
following points:
- The date of commencement of the job
- The salary of the candidate, along with all monetary and non-monetary benefits
(Murray, 2019)
- The working hours, in accordance with the legal policies of Australia
- Number of paid and unpaid leaves allowed
- Terms of employment and termination i.e. under what circumstances can the
employees (Graduateland, 2016)be terminated and the procedure that would be
followed for terminating an employee
- Notice period for termination or resignation
- Confidentiality clause, which means that the selected candidates would not be allowed
to share inside information of the company to the outside world (Power, 2017)

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All the employment fields that are important for an organisation and the ones that can cause
legal trouble for a company at a later stage, should be properly mentioned and duly signed by
the employer as well as the selected candidates.
Rejection of the candidates is another area that requires careful planning and execution
because rejection cannot sit well with some of the candidates at times. Rejection of
candidates should be done gracefully so that they do not feel offended or talk bad about the
company in the market (Heathfield, 2018). ABC Solutions should consider carrying out
rejection in an efficient manner so that the rejected employees can be considered for future
vacancies too. First of all, the management of the company should reject candidates as soon
as possible so that they are able to show that they value the time of the candidates. Informing
the rejected candidates promptly at the right time can be a good way to inform them about
their rejection rather than not sharing any information or making them wait for weeks. For the
candidates who are rejected in the last round, a phone call is the best way to inform them
about their rejection. It provides the management with an opportunity to thank the rejected
candidates for their valuable time and efforts and that they will be contacted in future if
required (The Undercover Recruiter, 2018). Thirdly, it is best to avoid getting into the details
of the reasons that lead to the rejection of a candidate. At times, letting them know too much
about the factors that lead to their rejection can be used as a source of discrimination by the
rejected candidates and can cause legal trouble for the company. Lastly, asking for the
feedback of the rejected candidates can be helpful in strengthening the recruitment and
selection process and can also be helpful in establishing a better image as an employer and
relations with candidates (Thompson Technologies, 2016).
Legal Framework
Legal framework plays a huge role in the recruitment and selection program. The recruitment
program being planned by ABC Solutions will be governed by the legal framework
developed by the government of Australia. Certain legal framework areas of recruitment and
selection program that the management will have to keep the in mind are:
First of all, the management will have to ensure that it does not discriminated amongst the
applicants in any form, such as gender, cultural background, age, etc. Discrimination in any
form is strictly prohibited and is punishable under law. Secondly, the company will have to

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look into the Australian legal framework while deciding the pay of the candidates, their paid
and unpaid leaves, minimum working hours, etc. All these job related factors are governed by
the employment act of a country and business organizations are strictly required to follow
these in all circumstances. Thirdly, another important legal consideration that has been
impacting recruitment and selection programs is the Data Protection Act or the Privacy Act
1988 , which prevent business organizations from wrongfully using the personal information
of the candidates for their own benefit (Levander, 2018). All these legal considerations can
have an impact on the hiring process of ABC Solutions and the management of the company
should carefully abide by then to avoid legal trouble.
Orientation and Socialisation
Orientation and socialisation programs are aimed at introducing the new employees to their
new workplace and peers. Orientation programs can also include training and development
programs that might be required by the hired candidates to start working in their jobs initially.
ABC Solutions will have to implement efficient strategies to conduct orientation and
socialisation if its new recruits, which can be done using some of the following strategies:
Firstly, the company can implement an orientation program by designing a training program
that would provide the new candidates with the skills or technicalities that would be required
to work in their jobs. For example, they can be taught about the servers, hardware and
software that is used by the company (HBS Working Knowledge, 2013).
Secondly, they can be assigned a mentor or a coach that would assist them in adjusting with
the new workplace. Initially, the new candidates can face a lot of problems in the workplace
and can require help from their peers to settle down in their jobs. A mentor or a coach cannot
just help the new recruits in their orientation but can also introduce them to the staff members
and can help them in establishing social relations within the organisation (Son, 2017). The
process of mentoring or coaching can continue for a period of 90 days and can continue even
further if the new candidates are not able to adjust properly.
Thirdly, arranging a welcome party for the new candidates can help them in getting
acquainted with their co-workers. It’s not always necessary for a party to be arranged on a
larger scale. A small scale get-together, in between the office hours, can prove to be magical

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in helping the new recruits in socialising with their peers. In these parties, ABC Solutions can
ask their new recruits to provide a brief introduction about themselves to their co-workers and
also tell them about their expectations from the workplace.
Fourthly, the new recruits can be given a list of FAQs or frequently asked questions along
with their answers. When in trouble, the new recruits can consult their FAQs handbook and
can find quick solutions. The FAQ handbook can also include a telephonic diary, which can
be used by the new recruits to contact the concerned people in case of a problem (Brown,
2019).
These strategies can be helpful for the management of ABC Solutions in carrying out
induction/orientation and socialisation of its new recruits in an efficient manner.
Retention
Retention is a process of implementing strategies that are aimed at preventing existing
employees of a company from leaving the workplace. In the contemporary business world,
retention of employees has become a major challenge for business organisations as the
hunger for talent increases in the market day by day. The problem of employee retention is
even greater for IT sector companies like ABC Solutions. Some of the strategies that can be
used by ABC Solutions in retaining its employees are discussed below:
First of all, the management will have to ensure that the right fit for the right job is selected
from the very beginning i.e. the recruitment process. The company will have to ensure that it
recruits only those employees that have a greater possibility to adapt to the workplace culture
and environment and also possess the skills and competencies required to work in the
company. This allows the selected candidates to adjust in the workplace with a greater ease
and stick to it for a longer period of time (Cloutier, Felusiak, Hill, & Pemberton-Jones, 2015).
Secondly, employee well-being will have to be considered as a priority. The management at
ABC Solutions can implement workplace strategies that will be aimed at ensuring employee
well-being. The management can provide the employees with on-the-job activities, such as a
resting area, a café, massages, gaming area, pool table, etc. that can be used by them to deal
with their stress levels.

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Thirdly, the management can offer flexible work initiatives to the employees. In the modern
business world, employees are experiencing a difficulty in maintaining a healthy balance
between their work lives and personal lives and are leaving their companies to work with
those employers that can provide flexible working initiatives to them (Deery & Jago, 2015).
Flexible work timings will provide the employees with an opportunity to handle their work
lives and personal lives in a better way and stay less stresses and committed to their
company.
Lastly, proper compensation and benefits, along with a sense of justice in the organisation,
can also help the company in ensuring high retention rates. Employees would become more
likely to stick to the company if they feel that their employer is fair to them and is offering
proper compensation and benefits (Aruna & Anitha, 2015).
Conclusion
ABC Solutions is a company that has been leading the market on the basis of its ability to
develop innovative products and services. The new development plan of the company will
prove to be beneficial for its market position, which makes recruitment of new candidates
imperative. Recruitment and selection can be a tedious task if is not conducted properly and
according to the laws and regulations of the country in which a company operates. Therefore,
it will be beneficial for the company to look into the above recommendations and carry out its
recruitment process accordingly. The above recommendations will ensure high returns on the
resources invested in the recruitment process and will also help the company in selecting the
right fir for the right job. Further, the recommendations will also allow the company to retain
a greater pool of talented employees in the long run.