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495
Dr. Burton A. Aggabao Facutly Member, College of Business Administration University of Fujairah, United Arab Emirates E-mail: [email protected] Khalid Alkendi
BBA Graduate,College of Business Administration
University of Fujairah
THE EFFECTIVENESS OF RECRUITMENT MANAGEMENT SYTEM AT DU CONTACT CENTER, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Abstract: This research paper intended to assess the efficiency of the recruitment and selection process and the effectiveness of recruitment management system at DU Contact Center in the United Arab Emirates. The descriptive research design, stratified sampling technique, a researcher's made questionnaire are the research methodology used, also coefficient correlation is used to measure the significant relationship between recruitment process and recruitment management system. The results of this study revealed that there is no significant relationship between the variable -recruitment and selection process and the variable-effectiveness of recruitment management system. Furthermore, the recruitment and selection processes are assessed to be generally efficient. There are several recommendations that are concluded as a result of the conclusion of this study which is divided among the level of efficiency of recruitment and selection process, the level of effectiveness of recruitment management system, and the relationship between recruitment and selection process and recruitment management system. A replication of this study is recommended to further disclose if the recruitment processes have bearing with effective recruitment management system.
Keywords: HRM; Recruitment Process; and Recruitment Management System.
1. Introduction pany for a long period. In these situations, the or-
Recruitment is one of the main roles of any hu- ganization's efforts and the ongoing investment in
man resource management system. It is a costly pro- them is highly rewarded. An organization with all
cess but essential for any business or organization to the latest technology and the top physical resources,
have the required number of employees running the without the right people to run it, will surely struggle business. It is easy to spend a significant amount of to achieve its goals and results.
money on recruitment with little return, as recruit- Du is one of the leading telecommunication
ing poorly will both provide a low return and lead to organizations in the United Arab Emirates and the
a high cost [1]. When companies choose the right recruitment and selection process in Du should
people for the job offered, they usually train them be very effective. It is essential for the organization
well before assigning the work to them. Training will to hire the right people in the right position. Being
assist employees to be more efficient and produc- service provider, each employee reflects the image of
tive while handling their positions and treat them his or her organization inside and even outside work.
appropriately; those employees not only produce One of the important and critical operations in any
better results, but also tend to stay with the com- telecommunication company is the customer ser-
vice center because it is front line of the organization and in direct communication with the valued customers of the company. Du started a Contact Center in Fujairah in 2011 with 100% Emirati workforce, and the organization followed a mass recruitment process to select the big number of employees required through several batches to run the contact center. They were all chosen by HR recruiters based on minimum criteria and went through an assessment, training, and shadowing before handling their actual roles as customer service representatives.
In the beginning, the number of employees started to rise frequently and the total number of employees targeted has almost been achieved. At the beginning of 2013, the contact center started to suffer from a high number of resignations and talents leaving the organization as well as few terminations. These circumstances happened due to many factors and with no doubts; the recruitment played a major part in it as well. Having a more effective recruitment and selection process would have definitely reduced the number of employees leaving the organization. Having different people with different experiences and academic qualifications all at the same level and position is without a doubt a de-motivating factor and keep those talents specially when there are no advantages or increments in benefits for those who hold higher degrees and certificates. 1.1 Statement of the Problem This study assessed the effectiveness of Recruitment Management System at Du Contact Center Fujairah, Fiscal year 2013-2014. Specifically, this study attempted to answer the following questions: 1. What are the extents of the efficiency of the recruitment and selection process the candidates go through before signing their contracts, in terms of the following variables?
1.1 Conduct job analysis
1.2 Determine selection criteria
1.3 Advertise and collect CVs
1.4 Screening tests
1.5 Interviews
1.6 Reference check
1.7 Signing the contract
1.8 Training and assessment
2. What is the extent of effectiveness of recruitment management system?
3. Is there a significant relationship between the recruitment process and the effectiveness
of Recruitment Management System?
1.2 Hypothesis of the Study
There is no significant relationship between the recruitment and selection process and the effectiveness of the recruitment management system.
1.3 Conceptual Research Framework
The recruitment and selection at Du Contact Center in Fujairah follows a certain process (Figure 1). It starts with conducting job analysis and determining the needs of employees in the requested areas and departments. Usually the managers of each department are the ones who raise their requests for a specific number of new hires required. These requests go into analysis to identify the actual needs and if the recruitment is required or the number requested is more than required or not. After approving the number of new employees required, the selection criteria are set based on the positions and the nature of work the candidates are applying for. Then the organization starts to advertise for the open vacancies through newspapers, internet, and career fares so people will submit their CVs and apply for the job. After collecting enough CVs and sorting all of them based on the criteria, candidates are called for screening tests while those who pass become qualified to enter the interviews afterward. In interviews, the final selection is actually done and determined, and whoever passes this stage will be given the offer. A reference background check should be done before accepting the applicant to make sure that the candidate has no legal issues or previous crime records. The candidates who passed the interview are contacted to sign the contract with Du after giving the candidate the right to go through the contract before signing it. Training and assessment
comes next where all the new employees should go through an extensive training covering everything Du provides as a telecommunication service provid-
er to customers like offers and services. It is essential for an employee to pass this training to be able to handle his or her role in the contact center.
Figure 1. Conceptual Research Paradigm of the Study
After going through all the recruitment process, employees should be ready and able to handle their responsibilities. They are getting two days off every week, and required to cover a nine hours shift either morning or evening based on the schedule generated every week. After signing the contract, employees have to pass the training given by HR to be accepted by the operation and give them their actual work. Those who do not pass the training assessment are being reassigned to enter the same training course with the next batch until they pass and assign them their responsibilities. Most of the employees usually start their first few months with high motives to prove themselves and to learn more in the field by showing their skills and abilities while handling their daily responsibilities, but eventually some employee's productivity drops and their attendance records get impacted. Even with the operation management setting many encouraging and motivating programs and actions; the problem still arises and end up either by firing those employees who does not meet
their daily goals or the employee himself decides to resign and leave the company. These actions are definitely taken after giving all that is needed to improve those employees.
The effectiveness of employees reduces by time and a high number from them leaves the company either for a better opportunity or just because they think that the contact center is not the right place for them to work in. Having these scenarios in mind, the recruitment management can take actions and processes in the selection stage to eliminate this problem or minimize it. Therefore, the recruitment process has a relationship with the effectiveness of the recruitment management system. Because recruiting the right people who will be committed to the company, the recruitment management system must be effective.
2. Literature Review
The human resources function plays a crucial role in the attainment of quality goals by ensuring maximum efficiency of the organization's selection
procedures to procure the best recruits available who confirms to customer requirement [1]. Recruitment is often seen in organizations as a 'stand-alone' activity, handled either by a line manager, Human Resource partners or an internal recruitment team. This means that the opportunity to grow and develop a business through the use of recruitment can often be messed. A joined-up approach to recruitment, encompassing the retention, assessment and engagement of an organization's people as well as one that places recruitment at the heart of a business, will offer significantly increased returns on investment. And in fact, paying significant attention to assessment, retention and engagement will actually reduce the amount of time you need to spend on recruitment [2].
If you are not responsible for recruiting and hiring CSRs, you will be responsible for managing those who get hired. Your knowledge of the recruitments makes you indispensable to the recruitment and hiring process. You should help to define the skills and behaviors that drive top performance. Providing clear opportunities for career advancement is a competitive recruiting strategy that small businesses can take advantage of. When weighing a choice between two or more job offers, applicants can be more attracted to the prospect of getting on board with a growing company likely to open up new management positions in the near future. Recruiters can use stories of their own rapid advancement within a small business to add credibility to their claims and pique applicants' curiosity. Larger companies can leverage this appeal by laying out clearly defined advancement paths within their organizations, showing potential employees how length of service or meeting performance goals can advance their careers quickly [3].
Normally cultural issues, which cause people to leave an organization. For this reason, we suggest the following as strategic Human Resources initiatives, which can have a positive impact on organizational culture, and concomitantly increase retention rates [4]. While, assuming heterogeneity among firms
with respect to their human capital, competitive advantage is possible if a firm insures that its people add value to its production process and that its pool of human capital is a unique resource, both difficult to replicate and difficult to substitute for [5].
Employees appreciate frequent positive feedback and respond well to it, but corrective feedback is equally important. Businesses that wait for monthly, quarterly, or even yearly one-on-one meetings to correct issues are often too late to be effective. They end up asking for changes to work that has already been completed. Frequent communication reduces wasted resources and frustration, and is vital for long-term employee success [6].
Nelson suggested in his article by stating "While the quest for effectiveness is critical, it is equally important that many organizations simultaneously need to focus on increased efficiency. This is based on the premise that an HR function will create business value" [7]. "When traditional recruitment sources don't yield the results you need in terms of quality candidates or timelines, consider more creative recruitment solutions" [8].
In Effective Recruitment and Selection Practices book, written by Compton, there had been some causes to decrease efficiency and productivity mentioned. One of the major causes is stress that has a major impact in the workplace along with outcomes including increases in absenteeism, turnover of employees, accidents and reduced efficiency and productivity [9]
3. Research Methodology
3.1 Research Design
This study used the descriptive research design, specifically the survey research design. Survey research design involves assigning information related to one or more groups of people perhaps about their characteristics, opinions, attitudes, or previous experiences [10]. In this study, the descriptive research design was used to measure the effectiveness of recruitment management system and measure the efficiency of recruitment and selection process.
3.2 Population Frame and Sampling Scheme
The population of this study was 123 employees of Du Contact Center, composed of managers, supervisors, and employees. The sample was determined by the stratified sampling technique. The stratified sampling technique was used to divide the population into layers and proportionally taking a sample from each layer.
3.3 Description of Respondents
The respondents of this study were the current employees of the Fujairah Contact Centre and employees enrolled in the next batches, Fiscal year 2014-2015. The respondents were 50 workers drawn from 123 population-employees of Du in Fujairah composed of managers, supervisors and employees.
3.4 Data Gathering Instruments
The instruments used in this study were researcher's made questionnaires. There were two questionnaires used:
The first questionnaire was focused on the recruitment and selection process. The second questionnaire was designed to cater the recruitment management system. The development of the questionnaire was based on the readings of related literature conducted by the researcher. The draft was presented to the adviser to validate the reliability of test items drawn in each questionnaire. After validation, the mass production of the questionnaires were done.
The 5- point Likert's scales are used for the efficiency of recruitment and selection process and the effectiveness of recruitment management system.
3.5 Statistical Treatment of Data
The weighted mean and correlation coefficient correlation were used in this study. The weighted mean was used to determine the level of efficiency of the recruitment and selection process and the level of effectiveness of recruitment management system. The correlation coefficient was used to determine the relationship between the recruitment process and the recruitment management system in Du
Contact Center in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates; and the.05 level of significance was used. The Statistical Packages for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 20.0 was the statistical software used in this analyze the data of the study.
4. Results and Discussions
4.1 Level of Efficiency of Recruitment and Selection Process
4.1.1 Conduct Job Analysis
Results shows that the conduct job analysis is efficient based from the computed weighted mean 4.2. Moreover, it shows that both job specification and job description were rated as efficient. The two dimensions of job analysis particularly job specification and job description were found to be efficient as demonstrated by the weighted mean 4.2 and 4.2, respectively. This result is attributed to the qualification of the recruitment manager who is holding a Master certificate in HRM with four (4) years of experience as recruitment professional which reflected positively on the efficiency of his work.
4.1.2 Determining Selection Criteria
Determining selection criteria is found to be efficient based from the computed weighted mean is 4.5. The factors of selection criteria were found to be very efficient (4.7 weighted mean) and efficient (4.2 weighted mean). This result is attributed to the awareness and experience of the line managers who are directly participating in setting the selection criteria with the human resource management, and a good communication between them which reflected positively on the efficiency of their outcome.
4.1.3 Advertise and Collect CVs
Based from the 3.5 computed mean, the dimension's 'advertise and collect CVs' is found out to be fairly efficient. Specifically, the advertisement methods were assessed to be fairly efficient for being easily found and clear. In the other hand, the procedure of collecting CVs is efficiently simple. According the advertisement methods were found to be fairly efficient as manifested by 3.1 computed mean, while the procedure for collection of CVs
were efficient based from the computed mean 3.8.
These results are attributed to the experience of the recruitment manager and his recruitment team to execute their roles to pursue the process of advertising CVs. Most of them have had years of experience in their current position as recruitment professionals. With this experience, it is expected that they are aware of what works best to advertise and collect CV's and improve their approaches accordingly.
4.1.4 Screening Tests
The data shows the result of screening tests which is found to be fairly efficient based from the computed weighted mean is 3.4. The factors of the screening tests were found to be efficient (3.9 weighted mean) and fairly efficient (2.9 weighted mean). This result is attributed to the qualification level of the candidates the company are looking forward to hire, this is best to be revised by the human resource management and updated to fit the level of the candidates who were already accepted so as to be efficient.
4.1.5 Interviews
The results for the dimension-interviews is found to be efficient based from the 4.5 computed mean.
More specifically, the Interviews' questions were assessed to be very efficient for being clear and determine as manifested by 4.8 weighted mean, while in the interviews for being done properly and with a good environment were efficient based from the computed mean 4.2. This result is attributed to the experience and qualification of the recruitment manager and the line managers who are directly involved in organizing and running the interviews which is usually gets evaluated by the end of each batch.
4.1.6 Reference Check
Data shows the final result of for reference check which is found to be efficient based from the computed weighted mean is 4.0. This result is attributed to the high level of coordination between the recruitment department and the concerned government agencies. As well as the reliable information those agencies are providing.
4.1.7 Signing the Contract
The dimension-signing contract is found out to be efficient based from the computed weighted mean 4.5. The contact analysis particularly the clearance and understandability of the contract were found to be very efficient as demonstrated by the weighted mean 4.6, while the form of the contract were found to be efficient as determined by the weighted mean 4.4. This result is attributed to the qualification of the recruitment employees who are responsible of conducting the contracts for the candidates, and the recruitment manager who approves them according to his long experience.
4.1.8 Training and Assessment
The Training and Assessment analysis is rated as efficient based from the computed weighted mean 4.3. Specifically, the Training's programs were assessed to be very efficient for being useful and helpful as manifested by 4.6 weighted mean, while in the Assessment were found to be efficient for being fair and impartial based from the weighted mean 3.9. This result is attributed to the qualification of the qualification of Training and development manager who has a 6 years of experience in his field on how to deliver successful Training programs.
4.2 Level of Effectiveness of Recruitment Management System
The recruitment management system is found to be effective based on the computed mean 4.5. Specifically, the signing up procedure was assessed to be very effective for being easily found and clear with a weighted mean of 4.8. While the job applying system online were found to be effective based on the weighted mean 4.0. The application provided online analysis was assessed to be effective based on the weighted mean 4.3. Furthermore, adding a job in the system analysis shows that it is effective with a weighted mean of 3.9. According to organizing jobs in the system, the table shows that it is very effective based on the weighted mean of 5.0, while the recruitment system analysis found to be very effective for properly organizing and managing the applicants
with a weighted mean of 5.0. This result is attributed to the quality of work of the IT application management and their experience in delivering such high quality work. the positive coordination between them and HRM is also a major factor which led this system to be effective as it is.
4.3. Relationship between the efficiency of Recruitment and Selection Process and Effectiveness of Recruitment Management System.
There is no significant relationship between the efficiency of recruitment and selection process and the effectiveness of the recruitment management system, since the computed p value.765 is greater than.05 level of significance. Therefore, the null hypothesis is accepted.
The relationship is relying on the arranging of jobs offered, applicants, and online system. Recruitment and selection process is following specific steps to be accomplished. Some of these steps can be performed in online database with efficient way of organizing the applicants. The most important stage that is directly connecting to the recruitment management system is advertising and collecting CVs. Moreover, the recruitment management system has a point of organizing applicants and jobs. Therefore, the recruitment process must be efficient to fulfill the requirements of recruitment management system.
5. Conclusion
5.1 Level of Efficiency of Recruitment and Selection Process
Recruitment and selection process at DU Control Center is efficient. This will give the organization a competitive advantage of obtaining the right applicants with high rate of qualification and experience. Every step in recruitment and selection process had a result. The first stage, conducting job analysis, is efficient. The second stage, determining selection criteria, is efficient. The third stage, advertise and collect CVs, is fairly efficient. The fourth stage, screening tests, is also fairly efficient. The fifth stage, interviews, is appeared to be efficient. The sixth stage, reference check, is efficient as well. The seventh stage, sign-
ing the contract is efficient. Lasty, the eighth stage, which is training and assessment, is efficient.
5.2 Level of Effectiveness of Recruitment Management System
Based on the results appeared after analyzing the data gathered by questionnaires; the recruitment management system of Du Contact Centre is effective. That means Du Contact Center is effective in obtaining a system for organizing, managing, and establishing both applicants and offered job. That will give Du strength of having an organized systematic process for recruitment.
5.3 The Relationship Between Recruitment and Selection Process and Recruitment Management System
There is no significant relationship between both recruitment and selection process and recruitment management system. Recruitment and selection process is following specific steps to be accomplished. few of these steps can be performed in online database but the impact of this connection is not significant, while the most important stage that is directly connected to the recruitment management system is advertising and collecting CVs.
Therefore, the independency ofboth, recruitment and selection process and recruitment management system, approves the hypothesis stated in this study, which is "there is no significant relationship between the recruitment and selection process and the effectiveness of recruitment management system".
6. Recommendations
The following are the recommendations based from the results, discussions and conclusion of the study:
6.1 Level of Efficiency of Recruitment and Selection Process
6.1.1 Conduct Job Analysis
Du has to keep its process in conducting job analysis improving and always thrive to reach a better efficiency level through their process.
6.1.2 Determine Selection Criteria
According to the outcome of the study, the
factors are well-determined, and Du should main-
tain its level in this criteria and try to improve it as much as possible making the screening tests easier for applicants and enhancing the selection criteria to be suitable with the nature of work.
6.1.3 Advertise And Collect CV's
Using better advertising methods and announcing them in well known sites and search engines to make it easier for candidates to find and navigate through them. Also, Prepare a connection between job analysis and recruitment management system to have the right organizing for applicants and jobs.
6.1.4 Screen Testing
Reduce the difficulty of the screening tests for applicants and enhancing the selection criteria to be suitable with the nature of the work.
6.1.5 Interviews
Try enhancing the process of conducting the interviews and focus more on the environment prepared for these interviews from all aspects.
6.1.6 Reference Check
The coordination is efficient but improving the process of it would greatly enhance the time and accuracy of the feedback received.
6.1.7 Signing the Contract
A yearly check would be advisable on the consistency of developing new contracts, which goes according to the frequent changes in laws and regulations.
6.1.8 Training and Assessment
The Training programs should be more associated with the qualifications and requirements of the job applied for and the level of the skills and knowledge required.
6.2 Level of Effectiveness of Recruitment Management System
Making the online system more users friendly and simple to do all related tasks easily and fast without facing regular issues in some areas of the system. Moreover, compute an online survey to study the experience of the applicants and indicate the weak points and work on the accordingly to have a more effective system.
6.3 The Relationship between Recruitment and Selection Process and Recruitment Management System
Du shall strive at elevating the efficiency of recruitment and selection process through enhance processes and continuous improvement so to sustain effective management system.
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