Recruitment And Selection


As well as using the competency framework to guide the recruitment and selection process, organisations need to take some time to consider the best way of filling an identified knowledge gap. Some of the options that could be considered, according to Dave Ulrich (2000), include:

  • Buy – acquire new talent by recruiting individuals from outside the organisation, or from other areas within the organisation, or

  • Borrow – develop a partnership with other organisations/ people, e.g. consultants, vendors, customers, suppliers.

There are of course variations within these two broad options. Depending on how critical the loss of knowledge, a decision could be taken not to take on a full-time replacement, but instead take someone on on a short-term contract, thereby buying time until another team member can be developed to fill the knowledge gap. The need to provide some training/coaching could perhaps be negotiated as part of the contractual arrangement with the temporary worker. What is crucial is to address those aspects of the ‘psychological contract’ that relate to managing knowledge during the recruitment process. In the knowledge economy, individuals want to know what the opportunities for developing their own knowledge are likely to be.

Another option would be to consider re-recruiting a former employee, possibly someone who is now running his/her own business, on a project, or short-term contract basis. Some organisations now make a point of keeping in touch with former employees, recognising that there can be mutual benefits of this arrangement, particularly given the speed of change within organisations today (the section on Retention Management covers this point).

Other organisations, such as NHS trusts, are starting to take a more strategic approach to recruitment and retention in what is now a particularly difficult sector for attracting and retaining employees. Some are experimenting with a process known as the Skills Escalator. This involves identifying different entry points for staff, what the organisation needs to do to attract people at these different entry points and also what specific support individuals at each entry point might need, to help them with their continuing development.

This approach has led to some trusts putting different training schemes in place to support staff at the different entry levels. These range from basic skills training for individuals targeted from the long-term unemployed sector, to sponsorship through higher education for individuals wanting to move from a support role into a professional role.

One final point on the actual recruitment process, from a knowledge perspective, is to ensure that it embraces the principles of diversity discussed in Chapter 3. These include opening up the recruitment process to attract individuals from diverse backgrounds, building the organisation’s reputation within the local community as an employer that values difference, as well as promoting the fact that the organisation is receptive to experimenting with different ways of working.

The selection process will need to address the best person fit, from a knowledge management perspective. This may mean revising interview and selection processes so that they gather evidence about individuals’ knowledge-building behaviours, such as:

  • How well networked is the individual? What role does he/she play in the networks they belong to? How does he/she contribute to these networks?

  • What types of Communities of Practice do they belong to? What specific contributions have they made?

  • How have they helped develop their colleagues?

  • How do they keep their own knowledge and skills uptodate?




Managing the Knowledge - HR's Strategic Role
Managing for Knowledge: HRs Strategic Role
ISBN: 0750655666
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 175

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