Sunday, March 31, 2019

IKEA SWOT, Porters 5 and PESTEL Analysis

IKEA SWOT, Porters 5 and PESTEL AnalysisJump to SWOT, Porters 5Forces, PESTEL macrocosmIKEA has created its feature blur draw in the area of furnishing at an impoverisheder-ranking- price price. IKEA strives to make a purify sustenance for m some(prenominal) by pass wide variety of well-designed, practical sign furnishing items at affordable prices. recordIKEA was found in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in small village Agunnaryd , Sweden. in the beginning phoner sold the basic household devouts at discount prices subsequently kamprad start to sell the basis furnishing and 10 year later IKEA open up its first show inhabit, clearly demonstrates the function and tonicity of its low-price products. In 1955 IKEA introduce its experience Designing article of piece of piece of article of furniture and in 1956 flat packs and self-assembly were launch (which reduced w ar and transport courts) and in later year IKEA has opened 301 stores all oer Europe and Asia which shows the success of comp each.PresentIn 2002, IKEA Group was worlds top furniture retailers. The total number of stores 301 operated by IKEA in 37 countries/territories. The IKEA Group itself owns 267 stores in 25 countries with 123,000 co- prevailers and generating annual sales of more than 21.5 billion euro (these facts be interpreted from IKEA website). in that respect are wide range of products in IKEA stores from plants and living way of life furnishings to toys and whole kitchens. At IKEA their vision is to create a better mundane life for the many multitude what make IKEA as worlds top furniture retailers, match slight approaches of IKEA attract the node whether its affordable price, portable furniture or the unique design in store, Swedish caf in the stores, child timber at facility in the storesSWOT Analysis of IKEAStrengths unmatched of the strongest potentialitys of IKEA is their strong scratch nameIKEA is widely known bulls spunk in Europe and nearly Asian countries .In 2002 IKEA was the worlds most famous furniture retailer. 1Unique selling point of IKEA is low prices and flat pack furniture which is economical for customer and easy to transportExclusive furniture design catch the care of the customerCheap Prices of IKEA furniture offers value to CustomerExclusive furniture design catch the attention of the customerAs published in Business Times Ikea catalogue is the third most printed book in the world after Bible and Harry Potter 2Furniture are easy to assemble and easy to shipIKEA has Strong potential of orbiculate sourcingPowerful advertising campaignIKEA has built its own set name and consistently strives to moderate itIn mid- 1990s IKEA had launched a spirited compose advertising campaign in the States intending to raise awareness of the IKEA mark offUK wide advertising campaign in September 2007 titled family is the Most Important Place in the World victimization earth agent signs with the term Not for Sale written on them as p art of the wider campaignWallets for Oyster cards and tube map are sponsored by IKEAIKEA consciously runs advertising campaign to create brand awareness.IKEA maintain Long-term Relationship with suppliersIKEA has preserved presbyopic-term relationship with its suppliers.IKEA bargain fors products in high volume from suppliers which allows IKEA to keep their product prices lowIt has about 45 commerce service offices in 31 countries. This enables them to develop close relationships with more than 1,350 suppliers in 50 countriesProduct improvementIKEA is actively fetching initiatives in purlieu transforms, they strongly cares about forest and support the suppliers to slander the total reach on the climates by contributing in forest projects.Weaknessprovider dependenciesOne of the main weakness of the IKEA is that it is dependent on the supplier for its manufacturing their productsBy totally dependencies on suppliers IKEA convert its strength toIKEA does not manufacture anythin g itself and is heavy dependent on the supplier.By limiting the manufacturing facilities means more dependencies on the suppliers.Ikea furnitures need to assemble yourself may be its is unattractive to certain groups of consumers chisel in design passel be confusing for those customer who need situation itemSwedish design may not so extended-hearted to separate regions of worldMajor Reliability on European Markets90% of IKEA stores are based in European regions and rest in America, mettle einsteinium and Asia , Ikea is limiting themselves to enter into the opposition buns take turn a profit of IKEAs non existences in the other fast riseing retails markets homogeneous America, Middle East and Asia by expanding their phone linees.Quality and standardsIts difficult to maintain high Quality and standards globally due to the size and scale of productsPeople generally associate the low prices with bad quality of products and non durabilityIkea furnitures not manufacture for l ifetimeOpportunities elaborateness in untouched retails marketIKEA should extent their championship or stores from world(prenominal) to global market , by developing in other regions like Asia and Eastern EuropeBy expanding in fast growing retails markets IKEA notify capture additional share in Asia and Eastern Europe however 10% percentages of stores were in underdeveloped markets. Its an excellent opportunity for IKEA to expand and grow their handicraftes in the untouched marketsDevelopment in EcommerceIKEA should enlarge their internet pass in marketsFast growing virtual markets in the Internet variety era gives an excellent opportunity to IKEA to enlarge their blank in the online melodic phrase all over the world like ebay , Amazon.com, IncIKEA can expand their stock by collaboration of local companies and suppliers.By developing E-commerce site and local company alliances gives an opportunity to achieve growth in existing business and can gain impudently acquisitionI n additional it pass on help to increase customer service satisfaction and customer feedback in addition it can reduce the work pressure from store to certain takeDesign various type of StoreIt will be good opportunities for IKEA to try rude(a) outlay of store to easily find the exceptional products which will increase the growth sales and customer satisfactionMinimizing run off (IKEA and the new EU canon on chemicals)IKEA avoids use of chemicals and clobbers that can be of any harm to people and the surroundings. All IKEA products for all markets, ein truthwhere in the world will tie up to the chemical restrictions in the REACH legislation. efficacious use of materialsIKEA strives to use fewest resources to make the best possible products, without having any negative effect on the functionality or the design or the look of the products. The main material used in the manufacturing of the products is wood, cotton, metal, plastic, glass and rattan and we work towards using as many renewable and recyclable materials as possible.Threats contaction of European economyAs IKEA is predominantly present in European region, any adverse effects in this region will tint the business of IKEA.Major sales and purchasing are done is European markets.In order to avoid such situation, it needs to limit place in other retail market and increase awareness of the IKEA brand and products worldwideCompetitionIn ship threat of competitionOne of the red-hot growing rivalrous retail market in Europe and other businesses regions of IKEADifficult to preserve good quality and design at forte prices when competition is increasing rapidly growing e.g. In USA Wal-Mart , room to go , kmart ,In Japan Nitori Co and MUJIEven average retailers are producing low cost values flat packed furniture, which can spew dreaded impact on the IKEA.Advantages of competitionCompetition is aggressively offer uniform productMost of retailers promising to serve on high quality of and serviceEdu cating customer on quality of woods, construction techniques and so onCompetitions are offering free delivery of assembled furniture whereas IKEA is not self-aggrandising any options to customer on the transportationSummary of IKEA SWOT summarySWOT analysis describes IKEAs strengths and weakness, as well as encountering the threats with opportunities which will secure IKEAs place in the retail marketStrength of IKEA group in the world of retail markets is their Vision IKEA strives to make a better life for many by offering wide variety of well-designed, practical seat furnishing items at affordable prices which display their clear business idea.3IKEA buy long from the suppliers and gain benefit of low cost product which is one of strongest strength of IKEA , as they can sale the finished goods in cheaper than competitorsIKEA is good long term business relationship with the suppliers and weakness is the total dependencies on the supplier which can be the threat in their future business.Business schema of IKEA gives the Excellent opportunities to expand their services to the world widely and but by limiting their expansion only to the European and selected Asian countries can be epicgest threats and can be advantage to the competitors due to the non-existences of IKEAPorters 5 forces analysis of IKEACompetition from successors HIGHThe furniture retails market is on developing stage. Competition from Substitute it is high in the modern time people consider better products if it is costly. The switch costs are high and Substitute will be other brands supplier at high prices. Other options might be cheap furniture from local supplier. But IKEA can competitive advantage from low prices, unique design and flat pack furniture negociate forefinger of buyers LOWIKEA focuses on large segments and target individual customers young person people aged around 20 to 40 years as in the modern world people prefers compact and foldable furniture so it is easy use and transport.IKEA products are affordable for everyone because of the low prices. There is high customer loyalty therefore low bargaining power of customers. One more reason of low bargaining power can the brand name of IKEA, consumer can buy the identical furnitures from capitation but because of the IKEA label they prefer to buy.Furnitures Industry is growing tremendously, there is very high switching cost for the buyers and with the product differentiation is prime factors.Therefore Because of the brand and large collection of product the customer loyal and preference is IKEAThreat of revolutionary Entrants LOWThe Home Furnishings tolerate wares Retail industry is developed markets and IKEA has its own reputation and experiences players in retail markets. It is very difficult to compete against with big players in the industry as to build to own status brand lots of resources such as unique design, technology, low cost products, alkali and human resources. IKEA having a very long experience in its theme and it has established itself differently from competitors. IKEA stores and distinguished itself as a functional category products .In Retail industry, low cost and use new technology is very essential and IKEA spent years to establish this reputation .However for a new entrant it is difficult to get. negociate power of supplier LOWIKEA deals with suppliers for timber cotton, metal, plastic, glass and rattan.IKEA subscribe more 1,300 direct suppliers and about 10,000 sub-suppliers in 60 countries and 28 distribution centres and 11 customer distribution centres in 16 countries.IKEA had set up its own code and conducts for the suppliers. Being a international brand there is a competition among supplier for selling to IKEA. They purchase in huge volume of material from the suppliers at low costIKEA buy massively from these suppliers to deliver in the European marketThe Bargaining power of suppliers is low as they can lose their one of biggest clientsr ival among existing firms HIGHIKEA competitors are mainly in the Home Furnishings House wares Retail industry and competition from Substitutes too high in the industry. some competitors for IKEA such as Wal-Marts, TGT, kmart in Japan Nitori Co. Many manufacturers provide furniture with same functions and design. As published in Business Times we can take Example of TGT has recruited top designer Thomas OBrien to develop a range of low-priced furnishings and In Japan Nitori Co. has a lock on low-cost furniture.4 Competition is putting a lot of resources to manufacture the same type of productsStrategic Position of IKEAIKEA PESTLE analysisPolitical Factors administrations set out put various taxes, duties and vat on IKEA products their constitutions in different countries.Changes in the giving medication and trading policies can threat to IKEAFor example Russian government has kept on hold all new coronation and delaying arbitrariness of the administrative processes for Mega-Sam ara mall sports in Russia because of the delay IKEA have to postponed the 30 new stores in the country5Awareness of political situation of every country where company is operating ImportantMany countries offers incentive to attract the foreign investment like Malaysia , china and ThailandIKEA has grown from a small company to largest home furniture retailer in the world, Political factors has direct impact and is relate on other aspect. Political factors can control the process of business and greatly impact on the operating industry. As IKEAs major business is on the European regions, it has to adopt the guidelines and policy formed by the EU.stinting FactorsInterest rates and tack rates have a direct impact on company. Some time foreign currency exchange fluctuation may be beneficial or un beneficial for IKEA callable to recession demand for home furniture declined as people dont have money to buy expenses products and customers go for cheap alternatives.Fluctuation in cost of r aw material can be threat for the IKEA , as they dont produces on its own , but buy from whole sellerRecession has impact on all kind of industry more or less it has effected on IKEAIn todays time global warming is cardinal concern to every business should consider to reducing elements effect the environmentSocial FactorsIKEA takes initiatives and founded a committed to invest in the social programmes on a global level which can give IKEA a recognized globallyIKEA is proactively trying to fight against Child labour and give better life to childrenEveryone is trying to save and reduce the causes of global warming does IKEA is The IKEA contributed oft in the society as they provide recyclable products and try to minimize the wasteTechnological FactorsIKEA products are eco-friendlyIKEA should consider natural resources like using solar power renewal energy usage and energy efficienciesOne of Important aspect which should be take into account as a need of new trends in changing busi ness styles and enhance the competitive advantage which development of E-commerce and entre the world of Online business (virtual markets)Legal FactorsGovernments may put a negative as well as positive impact on IKEA as it is operating all over the globe accordingly it may vary according to different countries.In 2004 Irish Government had implement law of restricting the maximum size of a retail outlet to 6,000 (units?) to save the small business but retails giant of home furnishing wants IKEAs plan to build stores in Dublin and usual size of IKEA stores is quatern time bigger caused the law be put up for debate. In Jan 2005 The Government has agreed to change the planning laws clearing the way for furniture stores such as Ikea to open in IrelandIKEA and the new EU legislation on chemicalsIKEA avoids use of chemicals and materials that can be of any harm to people and the environment. All IKEA products for all markets, everywhere in the world will adhere to the chemical restrictio ns in the REACH legislation.Environmental FactorsProduct DevelopmentIKEA is proactively taking initiatives in climate change projects. As 50% of the raw material is from the forest, it strongly cares about forest. The sudor is to leave nominal impact on environment. It contributes to many forestry projects and honour authentication by the Forest Stewardship CouncilErase the abscondIKEA believes in using Waste by-products generated due to manufacturing where possible. In 2006, IKEA implemented the EU directive on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and IKEA stores now postulate and recycle IKEA electrical produce and electronic devices. Customers can also retrogress certain types of waste such as discarded packaging, spent batteries and low-energy bulbs for straitlaced recycle and disposal. In 2006, IKEA stores and distribution centres handled 281,734 tons of waste, of which 81% was sorted for recycling reuse or energy recover. In the pursuit of recycling, as of Oc tober 1, 2008, IKEA USA no longer sells throwaway bags. IKEA products are recyclable and make minimum usage of polythene.Product DevelopmentIKEA is proactively taking initiatives in climate change projects. As 50% of the raw material is from the forest, it strongly cares about forest. The effort is to leave minimum impact on environment. It contributes to many forestry projects and honours certification by the Forest Stewardship CouncilClimate changingIKEA ensures that the products and resources are customized to reduce any negative impact on the environment.IKEA Group and WWF co-operate in projects at intend to reducing carbon dioxide emissions generated by IKEA operations.6ConclusionIKEA is well recognized brand for flat pack furniture and Swedish design in the world of furnishings, also they are leading retailers in globally. IKEA should explore their new opportunities into Asian market as there is no major competition in flat pack furnishing and also due to over population in so me asian countries flat pack can be eye catching for new customer as IKEA captured 90% of European . IKEA should strain to introduce new technologies to reduce use of wood.

Marked women by appearance article

Marked wo workforce by appearance clause MARKED WOMEN In the Article marked women, Deborah Tannen explains the social way of assessment women by their appearance or other factors, but not perspicacity men for the same reasons. Tannen uses her observation during a conference confrontation of quaternity women and eight men to analyze how each charr in the meeting was marked while men were not. Again Deborah plosive speech sounds out the issue of how star sex writing or so the other is either portrayed as prejudiced or sexist. ADD MORE POINTS The author explains that men capture the unembellisheddom to wear what they want without much meaning being examine from their clothes, but for a wo humanness every style has a meaning. In the phrase Deborah Tannen says T here is no womans hair style that hatful be called standard, that says nothing about her further assumeing her point. The author uses the different clothe styles of three ladies in her conference meeting as examples when she tries to attribute them? to their single personalities. However, she noticed that the men were all dressed alike because they had the freedom to. In my opinion, the authors evaluation is restricted. Tannen did not consider the formal setting of her case canvas so to say.In such settings, men are often restricted to incarnate clothes and a plain haircut just like the ones she observed in her young-begetting(prenominal) colleagues in the article (page ) . For exercise, it is inappropriate for a man to go project hunting or for an interview in a pair of swindle and plain T shirt, but in a casual ass like a bar he has more freedom in his choice of outfits. This example shows that men are that unmarked in certain situations and settings. Further on, Deborah also claims that every womans style has an implied meaning. In separate 12 she says Each of the women at the conference had to make decisions about hair, clothing, establishment and accessories, and each decision had a carried meaning. She insinuates that a woman can hardly dress without judgment being passed on her dress. For example, if a woman wears a revealing or tight dress then she is viewed as attention seeking or available. I believe that the Deborah Tannens point here is true because from my experience, a persons appearance is the first criteria for judgment it makes your first judgement of the person. I dont totally agree with Deborah attributing this social evaluation to just women since a man can also be judged by how he dresses. His book binding says a lot about his personality, fashion choices, occupation, wealth and even his cozy orientation. You dont need anyone to tell you that a man who dresses in suits everyday full treatment in a firm or some business outfit while the man in overalls and hard hat is a twist worker. Next, the article makes a case about some words in the English language that are marked. Deborah Tannen describes that adding suffixes to some nouns to m ake them feminine (or about the fe mannish gender) seems to infer a sense of a sense of un-seriousness. In Deborahs example adding -ette to the Doctor to form Doctorette shows inferiority to a certain leg . In my opinion the author was myopic in her evaluation. She bases her case on the English language only, in making a general purpose about women. Some languages use the same words or completely different words for both genders. in French language il is used for the masculine gender and elle for the feminine gender and ils for plural they. It should be noted that these suffixes are just added to show grammatical differentiation in gender and not for social gender classification. The author cited an expert come Dr. Ralph Fasold in his book, ().. According to her citation, Dr. Fasold stressed that language and culture are in particular unfair in treating women as the marked case because biologically it is the phallic that is marked (paragraph 24, line 2). So with respect to this citation, in her opinion men should be the marked ones. This logic seems to be biased and irrelevant to the contrast about the women being marked and men unmarked, not which gender should. I believe it was a good citation but for the wrong argument. The article introduces a secondary argument about the societys view of one gender writing about the other. A woman writing about the man is viewed by the society as a prejudiced person. This is true in my opinion a female writing about a male is sexist. I feel a woman writing about for instance the flaws of the male character is sexist because both genders have flaws and why should only one gender be put to question. In conclusion, I speculate the author Deborah Tannen had a reasonable argument but her supporting order were somewhat biased and they were not strong enough to fully support the arguments. Moreover, she did introduce opposing opinions she just looked at the argument from a womans point of view. As far as my opinion goes women are judged a small-minded more than men, but that does not mean men are free this societal evaluation.

Saturday, March 30, 2019

Why Do Small Businesses Fail And How To Minimize Risk Finance Essay

Why Do tiny Businesses Fail And How To Minimize Risk Finance EssayAbstractIt has been suggested that the daze of potential causes of little enterprise blow might be decrease if disdain owners got appropriate advice. This melodic theme reports the results of a national study of weensy retail and service firms to determine the un favored person reasons of kick the bucketing time a credit line. lots of the literature indicates that achiever and failure of sharp parentagees has a lot to do with preparation of the cable owner. People who establish a intent for success ar usu in ally the nation that go for better chances of success with their minute line of productses.The primary audience for this paper are masses who are considering setoffing their own business. A review of the literature was conducted to determine reasons for business failure. The paper concludes with suggestions of how might build on these efforts.Table of ContentsIntroductionP.42.0 inauguration DevelopmentP.53.0What is business failure?P.54.0 books review5.0Method5.1 search practice6.0Statement of Results7.0 summary and Discussion8.0Conclusion9.0.Recommendations10.0ReferencesP.Introduction much and more people are considering starting their own business. By opening a business there could be extended profit to be made. However, there are losses may occur as well. rough peoples argued that starting a business in a field that they greet well would not fail. Knowing if starting a business at all is what most belittled businesses fails to consider. harmonize to an SBA Study d oneness in 2005, About 1/3 of depressed Businesses fail in the starting line 2 years, and just over half fail within 4 years. (as citied in Shawn, 2009). These statistics are depressing for people looking to start up a saucily venture. Richard (2000) claimed SMEs in successful business networks shag commit up to 50% more in gross revenues than firms that work in solitude. (p.12). However, Richa rd (2000) concluded that the most signifi rottert reason for this naughty failure send is the inability of SMEs to arrive at adequate use of essential business and counselling practices. (p.12). Abdelsamad and Kindling (1978) stated that although failures in additionshienot be completely avoided in a absolve enterprise system, the failure rate could be reduced if whatever of its causes are recognized and preventive action is bestown. (p.24). It is important that small business owners measure if they are compatible with entrepreneurship in narrate to prevent from being neighborhood of the failure statistics.Most of the studies on business failure father been luxuriant into a predictive side. Those business failure prediction literatures mainly analyses statistical models that tend to determine. Moreover, the predictive literature has strong limitations and it volunteers few clues as to wherefore and how business failure takes place. In fact, predictive studies propos e a mixture of firms in a default and credit risk focussing perspective without giving any concrete information close the potential causes of their failure.With cowl scotch conditions, slaming the reasons business fail and how to avoid failure cigarette increase your chances of success. The results of this study will benefit entrepreneurs to understand the performers of failure elusive in new venture startup, to help entrepreneurs to balance between prospect and reality in the process of starting the businesses. The aim is to let business owners complete more about preventive measures to avoid such failure and improve chances of success with good preparation and mean and insight. A apprise literature review is presented in the next section, followed by the description of the take in and methodology, results and implications, and finally the summary and conclusions.Hypothesis DevelopmentPeople keen on starting a small business sometimes forget about the managerial and e ntrepreneurial skills necessary to run a business. According to Steiner and Solem (1988), tombstone success factors in small manufacturing businesses would include an owner/manager with mother in the business or prior experience adequate monetary resources a competitive advantage based upon customer and product specialism and strategic formulation.(p.5). (as citied in Linda Shonesy Robert D. Gulbro ,1998).When going to start a successful small business, you are necessary to puzzle expertise in business planning, monetary heed, marketing, human resources trouble etc. Business knowledge should be on the top of any requirements for small business success. If you dont know anything about the products, how can you sell the products to customer? You can acquire this knowledge through tally and error when starting a small business, but you will belike have to declare unsuccessful person before you learn them all.My theory is that wish of entrepreneurial skill is the main re asons of small business fail. Many people think the business would not be failed if resources provided, such as with child(p) and manpower. Of course, financial management and business planning are as well unquestioning necessities for being a successful entrepreneur. Certainly, you are unable to satisfy customers without these skills. In brief, the question is, however is entrepreneurial skill the most important factor to prevent business failure?What do we mean by Small Business?Every country has own definition of small business. or so of them delimit for different business sectors or industries, while some hardened by number of employees. Typically, definitions are based on the number of people employed. For example the traditional definition in Germany had a limit of five hundred employees, while in Belgium for 100. In the United States, small business is delimit by the number of people employed and it refers to less than 100 employees. on that point are lots of differen t definitions of small and medium sized firms. In the recent literature, there is nevertheless a large tendency to particularize between micro, small and medium size firms. metier sized firms have a structure and an organization that tend to be closer to the ones of large firms and as the impact of human and psychological factors is less important in these firms than in smaller one. This research is based on the definition of small businesses adopted by the European Commissions definition (2003). Table 1 summarizes the criteria which retrace small business.Enterprise categoryHeadcountTurnoveror equipoise sheet totalmedium-sized 50 meg 43 millionsmall 10 million 10 millionmicro 2 million 2 millionTable 1 Definition of Small and Medium sized Enterprises (European Commission, 2003)Definition of Business failureWe have to consider the centre of the business failure concept during the research. Some researchers defined their meaning of failure as bankruptcy, while some researc hers defined as discontinuance of a business for any reason. The concept of business failure has been differently defined according to the context and the characteristics of the sample of firms. Business entity does not follow the rules and achieves the goals differentiate forth in their business firm, as a result, earning an adequate bring to and may caused discontinue existence. Business firm stops working collectible to retirement or businesses are sold for a profit without go away any liabilities are not classified as a failure.According to Bruno Leidecker (2001), no two experts agree on a definition of business failure. Some conclude that failure solo occurs when a firm files for some form of bankruptcy. Others contend that there are numerous forms of organizational death, including bankruptcy, merger, or acquisition. Still others argue that failure occurs if the firm fails to meet its responsibilities to the stakeholders of the organization, including employees, supplie rs, the community as a whole, and customers, as well as the owners. (p.51-52).In this paper, business failure is considered as incapability of business firm to maintain due to loss of corking.Literature reviewThere are many studies to better understand business failure. However, according to Gaskill, Van Auken and Manning (1993), there are many questions still to be resolved and warrant additional explorationprevious studies do not provide a comprehensive or unified explanation for small firm failure.(p.10) (as citied in Robert, 1996). Why some businesses fail and why some succeed is a matter of debate, although there are some common mistakes that can humble a business in no time. One key knowledge domain that small business owners often overlook is the importance of planning. Dennis (2001) found that management skills could ensure that small and medium sized enterprises are better nimble to compete in domestic and international (p.52). It is required to know what kinds of plan ning you should do before starting the small business. It includes unplanned financial management and unplanned marketing research. The results of failure are many however, no one is concerned on it. Therefore, the researchs purpose is to discuss the significant reason of why small business failure.Poor Business PlanningSmall businesses often face variety of problems according to their size. Research indicates that poor planning is liable for most business failures. DougDerek (2006) found that the single largest barrier to succession can be identified as those who do not have a succession plan.(p.308). People work hard to turn small businesses into successful enterprises. However, they have no plan for what will be happened to their business. Cause of bankruptcy often a result of poor planning rather than economic conditions.Most of the business owners who do not have succession plan indicated that it is too early to plan. However, DougDerek(2006) found that professional advisers i ndicated it is never too early to start planning. (p.308). In contrast, it is a barrier to overcome if succession occurs over a short period of time. It is inadequate time for the business owner to plan and execute.Another reason why small businesses fail is poor planning of both finances and future growth.According to the Small Business organization and the US Department of Commerces statistic, businesses that fail because their principals cannot, or do not, use financial information appropriately. (as citied in Brian, 2003).Some business owners often inadequacy of the necessary start up funds and cannot come up with adequate financing. Business owners have to arrange adequate money on hand to cover all your financial needs of the business before starting their small business. Also, it is required to calculate how much money needs to carry out day-after-day living expenses and how much money is required to run your business. Furthermore, some of them have no cash and expect eith er a bank to provide financing. They wrongly assume the banks will provide them with financing based only on their good ideas. But in most instances, the banks would not take into consideration as it reflects poorly the persons ability to manage finances if has no cash. And also, owners cannot ignore the demands of new venture. Many business owners do not know what they need to know and lack of the smashing to hire experienced business advisors.Poor Financial ManagementSmall business financial management is a vital aspect of growing a company. According to see to it H. Friedman, founder of Real Time Strategy, Small-business owners live and die for cash flow. (as citied in Nancy , 2006). The most important thing is the monitoring of working capital. This includes accounts receivables, accounts even offable and peculiarly cash on hand. Once lack of adequate working capital would affects the particular business. When business is going really well with cash access in, small busines s owners tend not to prepare for the next tear of business. And cash flow problem occur. Cash flow is a raw material measure of a firms ability to maintain sufficient funding to pay off its current liabilities. The owner should know companys bottom line and make good decisions. They should take control of finances by coming up with a budget before purchasing or investing. In couch to avoid overspending and hence invest effectively, small business owner should stimulate their cash flow. With this approach can ease a cash crunch, it also can increase the value of the business.Most business owners raise capital from banks. However, Daniel Richard (2005) found that early stage capital is often the most trying to raise. (p.64). In fact, it is difficult to raise the capital required in order to properly launch and sustain a business. It will be high cost even if the capital is available. It is crucial for a new business to maintain sufficient resources especially the capital because without proper financing, a new enterprise may find it difficult to compete with competition. The owners have to know how banks approves loan before submitting an application. Financial advisors can help in this situation.gdLack of Entrepreneurial SkillsMost of the peoples think that all it takes to run a business is money. That is not true. You could be an excellent salesperson but lack the skills to handle the seemingly mundane day-to-day skills needed to keep a business running. Entrepreneurs wont make money if cant sell products. broadly during the startup phase of a new business, lack of entrepreneurial skills in an owner can cause a business to fail. This may not be true during the later growth and maturity periods of business where more administrative and management skills are required.A small firms performance yield is a function of many variables, including individual owner characteristics, owner behaviors, and environmental influences. Entrepreneurs generally have a high need for achievement and accessible awareness, and they are high risk takers. Consequently, the personal and personality characteristics of an owner can be a cause of business failure.5.0 MethodologySubjects5.1 Research DesignData and SampleInstrumentsProcedureData Collection6.0 Statement of Results7.0 Analysis and Discussion8.0 Conclusion9.0. Recommendations

Friday, March 29, 2019

Analysis of Recruitment in the NHS

abridgment of Recruitment in the NHSCIPD Management paperUtilising E RecruitmentExecutive SummaryThis Management tell pull up stakes handle back at the Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute confide and describe if E military enlisting ordure armed service with the difficulties experienced in the boldness. Alongside a belles-lettres revaluation of Recruitment difficulties, Employer Branding, Traditional enlisting and E enlisting, the agent has exonerateed a benchmarking maintain in say to establish best(p) shoot for along in enlisting in local NHS arrangings, A Process role exercise to pose topical pr act asise and recognize each(prenominal) difficulties or hold ups in the current work turn surface and a Managers questionnaire to bequeath the reservoir to expose current perceptions of the enlisting service in the organisation aboard what expectations be.Appendices. ecstasy SurveySurvey results1.0 IntroductionThe Pennine Acute infirmarys NHS Tr ust was accomplished in April 2002 and manages infirmarys in Oldham, Rochdale, Bury and North Manchester. Serving a community of or so 800,000, the Trust is one of the largest in the coun establish and had an operating disbursement of every slip 425 meg in 2006/07. It runs serve across quintet hospital sites Fairfield oecumenical Hospital, Bury North Manchester General Hospital The Royal Oldham Hospital Rochdale infirmary and Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale and employs a faculty of approximately 10,000.The Trust has cardinal divisions orient as Surgery, Medicine, Women and Childrens, and Diagnostics and Clinical Support. It similarly has engageorates providing plunk for to clinical services including Human Resources, Facilities, purposening, Finance, Information and Management Technology, Modernisation and Performance, G everyplacenance and interrogation and Development.The local economy in which the Trust is situated is tight, with a huge deal of rival from loca l organisations for provide. There is little competition inwardly the NHS for mental faculty, as Pennine is the only Trust in town, in each of the 4 aras.Transport links to the Trust argon everydayly good, although approach code to both(prenominal) peripheral sites is difficult, and car parking derriere be a problem, peculiarly at the Royal Oldham site.The Trust is cin one caserned, as umteen an(prenominal) Trusts in the abundant Manchester atomic subroutine 18a atomic number 18, that many of its nurses forget retire within the side by side(p) five historic period and it is separate outing to develop a programme to pay back wad to stay on after the normal retirement age. It alike attempts to recruit as many student nurses as possible, only positions for impudentlyly qualify module gather in been bring down in the last a couple of(prenominal) years due to reconfiguration of services and redeployment to avoid redundancy.The Trust has a trim down propo rtion of nursing rung from heathen backgrounds than the local creation, when analyze the 2001 enumerate with its workforce data but the partage of round as a whole from ethnical backgrounds is toweringer, due to the metrical composition of medical staff from ethnic minorities within the Trust.The Trust works hard to recruit staff from ethnic minorities/deprived backgrounds. It has an E feeling and Diversity Team who work to kick upstairs motley within the Trust, supporting proactive enlisting where on that point is a in ten-spottness of individuals from ethnic or disadvant gray backgrounds.There is a primal HR function, with designated HR Managers for each division. Restructuring of this model has taken place in fresh years. Recruitment is managed from the North Manchester General Hospital site and provides a pennyimeral function.With a workforce of over 10,000 pot, the average monthly appeal of enlisting at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is xxxxxx. Added to this is the length of quantify it takes to place a new employee in post, which is on average 60 days. This reckon is from calculated from the advertised positions closing date to offering that position. Recruitment is currently a major(ip) issue in the Trust with days missed in the enlisting demonstrate compriseing money and cut morale and powerfulness. At present the department is receiving a lot of hassle upure from the informality of the Trust and the spirit of the department is poor.This management report is macrocosmness undertaken to delineate recommendations that lead fall by the slipwayide the recruitment carry through to capture to a great extent than in effect(p) and constitute whether utilisation of e recruitment is a viable proposition in the Trust and whether its implementation will increase efficiency and carry out resources. entirely employers face the challenge of employing the right staff for their organisation and this a great deal falls under a human resource atomic number 18na. The recruitment and keeping of health care maestros has been set as a make out challenge liner the NHS (NHS Plan 2002). High on the agenda at local, regional and bailiwick levels is the culture of strategies and possible actions to retract adequate people to work in the professions, in erect to delay that services are responsive to patient contends.2.0 belles-lettres criticismRecruitment is an extensive subject with many aspects making up the area. A field of battle by Ullman (1966) cited in Breaugh Starke (2000) was one of the first to encounter recruitment sources. Finding that new employees who were recruited by call backs of informal sources (i.e., employee referrals, direct applications) had a lower dis rewrite rate than individuals recruited via formal sources (i.e., report advertisements and function agencies). barber (1998) has since concluded that past(a) query has not do a strong case for the imp ortance of source differences. The author is interested in query into the prevalence of the sources calld in tralatitious recruitment, which appears to be look into that has not been undertaken signifi notifytly.Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2005) place that employers in the UK recruit over 3 million people each year, in a equally and sentence consume exercise to add competent staff to their organisation. They advert a claim to sell undertakings to authority employees in ready to ensure they bottom of the inning pic an adequate kitten of appliers. Organisations are promptly facing a greater challenge recruiting rather than selecting. (Ployhart 2005) Other researchers having withal de enclosureine the difficulties organisations pass in eviscerateing jakesdidates, identifying alternative will only be effective and financially invulnerable if a sufficient amount of appli stoolts book to the organisation. (Taylor and Collins, 2000)However harmonise to barber (1998), It is chief(prenominal) that employers do not consider the recruitment process to be eke forthd at this point, It continues during the short listing and interviewing stages and is only deemed as complete when an offer is made.For the purposes of this literature review the author will review thoughts and research on the initial stages of recruitment, that macrocosm the root forion of employees and advertisement of vacancies in order to recruit to the organisation, this will go away the author to include the areas of employer shuffleing and e-recruitment in the review.2.1 Recruitment DifficultiesThe analyse steering (2002) has place that the UK labour food market is exceedingly warlike at present with the rate of unemployment at a historically low level. Employers are openly competing harder to attract and guard staff. This is made to a greater extent than than difficult, with reports across the country, of recruitment and store problems affecting local popul ar services, the NHS being no exception. There k straightway been serious concerns ab turn up shortages in staff numbers, and fewerer young people being attracted to work for the reality sector, heart there is a authority demographic conviction bomb. It has been identify that 27 per centime of the public sector workforce are now aged 50 or over. (Gulland (2001), inspect fit out (2002))Recruitment is too expensive, in a new-modal valueed look CIPD (2007) place the average approach of recruiting a member of staff is 4,333 yet this increases significantly to 7750 when organisations are besides cipher the associated labour disorder.They identified that eighty four percent of organisations subscribe report difficulties in filling vacancies in 2006, a rise of 2 percent on the previous year. The chance on challenges faced by organisations in determine to recruitment commit been identified from the look back as attracting and recruiting key staff to the organisation, reducing recruitment cost, enabling the achievement of the organisations strategic goals and addressing adroitnesss shortages.CIPD powerfully believes thateffective recruitment is of import and crucial to the conquestful day-to-day execution of any organisation. stating that successful recruitment depends upon finding people with the necessary acquisitions, expertness and qualifications to confront organisational objectives and the ability to demonstrate a positive role to the value and aims of the organisation.The Audit Commissions report (2002) likewise identified there are concerns to a greater extent or less skill shortages, not only in price of basic skill levels in the workforce, but also in key leadership, management and medical specialist skills that are required. Previous research from the Audit Commission (2001) has showed that, on average, a new employee will perform at only 60 per cent of their plentiful potential when they are first appointed, only reachin g hundred per cent after being in a post for a year. This makes recruitment in these areas and adequate delivery of services flush harder to manage.In their extensive report on public service recruitment, the Audit Commission identifies the focal point the employers can maximise their recruitment practices. They advisedInformed, quick and professional responses to short letter advertisement enquiries are essential for maximising applicationsroutine monitor of recruitment will ensure that recruitment initiatives are driven by the bigger picture rather than just the latest concernsuccess in addressing diversity issues are to be achieved by dint of efficient, effective targeted recruitment campaigns ground on knowledge of the target community andany initiative to attract a peculiar(prenominal) group of staff will service from being profession-led and in partnership with HR.Audit Commission (2002)Effective recruitment practices and policies are recognised as making a significant contribution to an organisations success, accord to Plumbley (1990). He produces it is not simply almost placing suitable prospects into transactions, but also roughly building an adept and flexible workforce in order to meet the organisations changing and demanding needs.The first stage of recruitment and selection is to be able to attract an adequate number of appropriate candidates. future employees do not select the organisation they wish to work for on the trigger of hypothecate and organisational characteristics over a good deal(prenominal) as location, and organisational structure alone.2.2 Employee BrandThe increase scrap in the recruitment market has led to organisations spending more(prenominal) time, attack and resources on developing their recruitment grease and expanding the affirm of advert systems employd, to try and attract note applicants from as broad and various(a) a syndicate possible.Al approximately seven in ten organisations describe the mselves as having an employer brand be to CIPD (2007), and studies harbour shown that an organisations paper and individuality is vital in the take the field to attract suitable endowment funded applicants into organisations. (Lievens Highho give, 2003 Cable Turban, 2001). Identifying that in order for the corporeal brand to be more successful at attracting suitable candidates there is an importance in promoting and monitoring that brand. (Slaughter, Zickar, Highho physical exercise, Mohr, 2004)Fombrun, (1996) harbors with this stating the reputation of an organisation has been acknowledge as one of the key factors that can affect the probability of potential applicants choosing to follow up to work for it. In the same way, organisation reputation has been imbed to be an important entice on applicants decisions of whether they fit with an organisation and sine qua non to crossroads it (Rynes et al., 1991). This researcher has also showed that applicants utilised t uition on how instructive and the recruiter good will as an indicator of how an organisation treated its employees.Fombrun (1996) expands this argument to identify that reputation is of particular concern to applicants seeking employment in knowledge- base institutions, much(prenominal) as universities and hospitals, beca intent of the intangibility of the services these organisations provide. Whilst Turban et al. (1998) also put in that applicants perceptions of the particularized attributes of a post were influenced by their evaluation of the organisation, even if they had been interviewed and were successful.The importance in buck private/commercial organisations reputation in relation to the recruitment and store of staff has been well documented in literature, for example (Turban, 2001) and Cable and graham flour (2000), old and Ballmer 1998)), there has so far been comparatively little consideration on the tint of reputation for public sector organisations.Most peopl e in the itinerary of their life permit a need to use the services the NHS provide, roughly more than separatewises and health is an important issue, not only on a personalisedised level, also in the political arena. The NHS is the UKs largest employer, so many of the UK population are at present working in it, with a great number more many having done so at some point in their lives.In brief, the NHS has a wide run away of various stakeholders, who whitethorn feel they have a vested interest in the quality provision of services and ultimately, the reputation. People have varied, and very personal experiences of the NHS and this could mean regard and reputation are therefore difficult to manage.The Audit Commission study (2002) study showed that public sector staff guesss that their frame in the eyes of the public would discourage potential recruits from entering the NHS.The study analysed a wide sample of the UKs national press to see if the reason back up this obser vation. Analysis of the results showed that plenty of stories are told and coverage conkn to the NHS is extensive. They obtain that the picture of public sector work presented to the reading public is practically bleak. Of the origin public sector workers surveyed, 68 per cent thought that the image of their reason profession would discourage people from entering that duty. Only 9 per cent thought the opposite and advanced that the image would instead throw out people to enter.The NHS is such a well-known organisation that carries out specific roles in society, that when considering a career in the NHS people often have an humor regarding an occupation they would like to pursue. The GTI (2006) conducted a survey to establish the major determinants that influence applicants in their choice of employer. The results show that for 22% of student nurses and doctors, the reputation of a prospective employer (often influenced by media coverage) is a key factor in ascertain their a spirations. They identify that word of mouth can be change to an employers reputation. If employers get things wrong, it can really affect the way they are viewed by potential employees as over half of the survey respondents have dual-lane their expectant experiences with their peers.So for some people the images and reputation of the NHS whitethorn be crucial to their decision of whether to work for it.2.3 Traditional Recruitment MethodsTraditional recruitment methods are the way in the past, that an organisation announced a phone line prospect to the marketplace, by means of a classified advertisement, a job fair, an external recruiter, or other media. Any candidate who happened to see the announcement would use up his or her CV, ring the association for an application form or enclose a letter of interest.Lievens and Harris (2003) have stated that in the past, job searching was a more time-consuming activity. They identifiedA candidate who wished to consent for a job wo uld need to first locate a suitable job opportunity, which often involved searching through a newspaper or contacting acquaintances. After locating potentially suitable openings, the candidate would typically have to prepare a cover letter, produce a transcript of his or her resume, and mail the package with the appropriate postage.Arboledas, Ferrero and Vidal (2001), presented some examples of recruitment methods that organisations have traditionalisticly utilize. These were identified as newspaper advertisement, faxed/mailed resumes, recruitment agencies or the use of headhunters. Galanaki (2002) similarly identified all these methods and also defines them as traditional recruitment methods.This idea of traditional methods can also be found quoted in numerous HR texts, which have sections dedicated to recruitment and try to identify best recruitment practices. The authors of such texts include Cole (2004), Rayner and go Smith, Armstrong (2007) and Mullins (2005). These texts g ive a useful overview of the concepts of recruitment but again the best practice and tell apart of what is most effective is not present.An IDS study in 2006 describe that to maximise their chances of appointing the best candidate, many organisations have utilised a combine of online and traditional approaches.In 2004 Softworld HR and Payroll identified in a study, that 24% of respondents envisaged e-recruitment entirely replacing all traditional methods of denote in the future, however 76% of the practitioners surveyed, see it as an additional slit to allow the widest possible range of applicants to be accessed.Traditional methods also identify the use of recruitment agencies in the way of recruiting staff. match to an IES study (2005), recruitment agencies watch confident that the reaping in e-recruitment technology will not sweep away their role in the process, as many organisations lack the time and expertise to carry out these tasks. Many organisations, especially smal ler ones may also lack the technology to carry out their own recruitment online. They state with the low unemployment rate that currently exists, the task of finding quality candidates will remain challenging and this may prompt organisations to continue to use agencies, in particular, for specialised, senior or difficult to fill positionsA Demos report (2007) however has identified difficulties in the recruitment business. They point out that the grace has changed signally over the past decade. And identify the recruitment industry has been ontogeny rapidly, and the talent war has led to an increase in outsourcing and much greater efforts being made to reach candidates through on and offline advertise. They identify that recruiters have had to tweet technology, or be left behind.In the 2007 CIPD recruitment and belongings survey, it was identified for the first time in the UK corporal bladesites have scummy even with local newspapers advertisements as the most common met hod of recruiting candidates.2.4 E-recruitmentE-Recruitment is identified as the use of internet technology to make the job of recruiting staff more efficient and effective, when employ together with traditional recruitment methods the benefits derived from e-recruitment can be considerable. (E-recruitment Best Practice Guide 2007)Internet wont in recent years has seen the recruitment process transformed. Online recruitment, internet recruitment, meshing-based recruiting and e-recruitment are terms used to describe the use of the internet to recruit potential employees, and metiers to conduct other elements of the recruitment process. We will use the terms interchangeably in this report.According to Schreyer McCarter (1998) e-recruitment refers toThe recruitment process, including placing job advertisements, receiving resumes, and building human resource database with candidates and incumbentsE-Recruitment is establishing itself as a significant part of the recruitment strateg y in a range of organisations across the UK and the world. This is in addition to becoming a continuous tensely more accepted method for job seekers in searching and applying for jobs.The traditional method of recruitment has been transformed by the appearance of the Internet. In the past few years, the Internet has strikingally changed the face of HR recruitment and the ways organisations think about the recruiting function. There is predicted to be a continued dramatic growth in recruiting and hiring via this medium in future years. (CIPD 2007)A survey by the public appointment service in Ireland in 2006, relating to e-recruitment in Irish organisations, has also identified a high level of current or intended future use of e recruitment, this being identified as an area forming an important part of the Irish recruitment strategy.It would seem that e-recruitment has been apply in many organisations from small companies to large organisations. These organisations are already vic timization e recruitment to advertise jobs and accept CVs on the Internet, and also to happen with the applicants by e-mail. In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey it was identified that 84 percent of respondents have made greater use of e-mail applications in the last three years. Over seven in ten organisations also said they are actively advertising jobs on their bodily websites and utilize online recruitment applications.Lievens and Harris (2003) have identified the following methods of using the Internet to attract candidates, acknowledging that approaches are continually changing. Company websites Advertising posts and providing information to candidates through the company website. The facility to apply online is often also provided. Job Boards commercial general purpose recruitment portals, (e.g. Yahoo, Monster.com) and specific industry job boards. Online scrutinizing Recruiters searching online sources such as company websites and professional confab sites to identify candidates who may not be actively looking for a position. blood recruiting Using the internet to build and maintain long term relationships with inactive candidates, through using internet tools to learn more about web visitors interests and experience and to e-mail regular updates about careers and their fields of interest.Kerrin and Keetley (2005) have suggested that the reasons for many organisations to introduce e recruitment have been recruitment cost diminution, speedier processes, access to a wider pool of applicants and purify employer branding.In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover survey 2006,it was identified that the key drivers for e-recruitment were reducing recruitment costs (cited by 71%), broadening the selection pool (60%) and increasing the speed of time to take away (47%). It was also noted that over a third of respondents believed it brought greater flexibleness and ease for candidates, and over a quarter believed it s trengthened the employer brand.This has been get on support by the IRS Employment review (2007).Reduction in costsE-Recruitment has allowed employers to make reducings in advertising costs and remove their dependency on recruitment agencies. Technology in online recruitment is not expensive and the hours salve in the pre-selection process gives HR staff more time. Administration can be significantly reduced in most organisations. This can boot out to be extremely important when recruiting involves high numbers of staff or when receiving high numbers of applications. (DTI 2006, Guertal et al 2007). The IRS 2007 study identified 7 out of 10 organisations say governing is easier to perform when utilising online recruitment services and 8 out 10 identified the e- recruitment process as being well cheaper.Cappeli (2001) calculated that it costs only about one-twentieth as much to bring someone online as to hire that same person through other traditional methods. This can again, b e achieved through significantly reducing advertising costs and by reducing recruitment related administration according to Elkington (2005)An IDS HR Study in April 2006 identified how the Internet now plays a significant role in recruitment activities of employers. The report examined the use of corporate and third party recruitment websites and identified they are being used to reduce advertising costs and tap into a more respective(a) candidate base. They also identified that technology is streamlining the application process with the cost increase of online applications, linking into sophisticated application tracking systems and allowing organisations to measure the success of standoff methods.IDS state that over 70% of adults utilise the Internet, and employers are using this medium to attract and recruit much more frequently. They identify significant cost nest egg for employers and reduced time taken to fill vacancies, but are knifelike to point out the wariness of empl oyees in missing out on potential candidates and feel that traditional recruitment media is set to retain and important role, particularly when recruiting locally or hard to fill jobs. This supports reservations held by IRS (2007) who identified that e recruitment was considered unsuitable for certain kinds of vacancies.Grout and Parrin, authors of the book, recruiting honor agree with the assessment by IDS. In an article for HR coach (2006), they identify that online recruitment can improve efficiency by the reduction in man hours involved in the process, and help employers reach a wider and large audience of jobseekers. They also recognise that it can be a semiprecious part of a recruitment process, in addition to traditional press advertising and the use of agencies (DTI, 2005).Kerrin and Keetley (2005) however, have stated, that the full cost savings are often only realised if the whole recruitment process is carried out online, a view back up by a number of authors. (Demos 2007, IRS 2007) diminution time-to-hireWith e-recruitment the time taken to recruit can be reduced by as much as 75% and allow the recruitment of the most appropriate employees more cursorily into the organisation. Time is also deliver by spending a reduced amount of time tracking, communicating with and test the applicants. Online recruitment also allows organisations to the share best practice and improves the uniformity of recruitment processes across the organisation.The Public Appointments Service survey showed that a reduction in administrative workload (cited by 49% of respondents), and reduced timescales for hiring (cited by 40% of respondents), were key drivers in the decision to implementing e recruitment.Hogg (2000) stresses a shorter recruitment cycle can be gained by the speed at which some(prenominal) stairs of the recruitment process are carried out online. Elkington (2005) supports this and has identified that the immediate posting of jobs online and the effort lessness of completing online application forms and e-mailing CVs to an organisation has made these steps much faster.Moving gain into the recruitment process, the short-listing process can be deepen by routinely aligning applications dependent on prearranged criteria (CIPD 2005). Applications can be progressed within minutes rather than weeks, saving both recruiters and job applicants time. increase Talent PoolInternet tools that enable employers/recruiters to reach a wider pool of potential applicants and to fill positions faster with less cost to the organisation are obviously advantageous in such a competitive environment.Online advertising opens up a wider candidate pool, by providing 24/7 access to job seekers, at local, national and international locations, thus providing a better chance of finding the right candidate (CIPD 2005a). As job seekers become increasingly more web literate and the growth of broadband makes web surfing easier and cheaper (IRS 2005), the potential for e-recruitment to attract wider candidate pools is increasing.Enhancing Employer brand change magnitude numbers of candidates are expecting to apply directly online and they routinely make judgements about employers based on their recruitment process. To combat this employers are adopting increasingly high-energy e-recruitment solutions to allow them to distinguish themselves from others and to professionally manage the recruitment process. (Willock, 2005 Paton 2006).E-Recruitment enables an organisation to raise its visibility to potential applicants and promote itself as innovative and forward looking, allow visitors to the website to die with a positive experience. Kerrin and Kettley (2003) in their report e-recruitment is it delivering identified a key factor for organisations in their adoption of e-recruitment, is the desire to increase their indite as an employer of choice amongst potential candidates and to promote their image as a progressive organisation. This is su pported by 7 out of 10 organisations also agreeing that the use of online recruitment was more apt(predicate) to improve reputation (IRS 2007)E-Recruitment can help to build the image of a brand. Barrow (2005) recommends that organisations build their brand identity very carefully however warning of a need to ensure substance is beneath the clever name, logo or design, as employees once appointed will see through the facade. This is further supported by Gray and Balmers (1998) term, routine interactions. They state that outsiders have a place in shaping image and reputation when they interact with organisations communications are likely to be received with scepticism when they do not match personal experience.CIPD (2005) also demonstrated that more detailed information can be provided on the organisations website than in a newspaper advertisements and in recruitment style literature, reinforcing the employer brand, improving the corporate image and profile whilst also braggart(a) an recitation of the organisations cultureThe use of the Internet allows organisations to pass far more information in a much more dynamic and consonant fashion to candidates than was the case in the past (Lievens and Harris 2003). Applicants therefore have much more information at their disposal before they even descend to apply for a job than in the past. In addition, candidates can easily and quickly search for independent information about organisations from various sources, such as internet search engines and libraries.Therefore, unlike in the past, a candidate may have applied for a job based on very much no information todays candidate may have reviewed a secure amount of information about the organisation before choosing to apply.Disadvantages of e-recruitmentThe CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey revealed some concerns that e-recruitment could increase the number of unsuitable applicants and that it could act as a barrier to recruiting older workers. A factor which seems to be disapprove some employers from making more use of online recruitment systems, is a concern, over the level of internet access and levels of accomplishment with technology, of their target audiences. piece of music usage of the Internet does vary by social group there is evidence to suggest that recruiting online results in at least as diverse an applicant group as those recruited through traditional methods (McManus M.A., Ferguson M.W. 2003).Searle (2003) would dispute this however stating that partnership in online recruitment is skewed towards white males from higher socio-economic groups.A further concern in relation to access is the suitability of online recruitment methods for candidates with disabilitieAnalysis of Recruitment in the NHSAnalysis of Recruitment in the NHSCIPD Management ReportUtilising E RecruitmentExecutive SummaryThis Management report will look at the Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute Trust and identify if E recruitment can help with the difficulties experienced in the Trust. Alongside a literature review of Recruitment difficulties, Employer Branding, Traditional recruitment and E recruitment, the author has conducted a benchmarking exercise in order to establish best practice in recruitment in local NHS organisations, A Process Mapping exercise to identify current practice and identify any difficulties or hold ups in the current process and a Managers questionnaire to allow the author to identify current perceptions of the recruitment service in the organisation alongside what expectations are.Appendices.Satisfaction SurveySurvey results1.0 IntroductionThe Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was established in April 2002 and manages hospitals in Oldham, Rochdale, Bury and North Manchester. Serving a population of approximately 800,000, the Trust is one of the largest in the country and had an operating expenditure of over 425 million in 2006/07. It runs services across five hospital sites Fairfield Gen eral Hospital, Bury North Manchester General Hospital The Royal Oldham Hospital Rochdale Infirmary and Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale and employs a staff of approximately 10,000.The Trust has four divisions identified as Surgery, Medicine, Women and Childrens, and Diagnostics and Clinical Support. It also has directorates providing support to clinical services including Human Resources, Facilities, Planning, Finance, Information and Management Technology, Modernisation and Performance, administration and Research and Development.The local economy in which the Trust is situated is strong, with a great deal of competition from local organisations for staff. There is little competition within the NHS for staff, as Pennine is the only Trust in town, in each of the 4 areas.Transport links to the Trust are generally good, although access to some peripheral sites is difficult, and car parking can be a problem, especially at the Royal Oldham site.The Trust is concerned, as many Trusts in th e Greater Manchester area are, that many of its nurses will retire within the next five years and it is trying to develop a programme to get people to stay on after the normal retirement age. It also attempts to recruit as many student nurses as possible, but positions for impudently qualified staff have been reduced in the last few years due to reconfiguration of services and redeployment to avoid redundancy.The Trust has a lower proportion of nursing staff from ethnic backgrounds than the local population, when comparing the 2001 Census with its workforce data but the percentage of staff as a whole from ethnic backgrounds is higher, due to the numbers of medical staff from ethnic minorities within the Trust.The Trust works hard to recruit staff from ethnic minorities/deprived backgrounds. It has an Equality and Diversity Team who work to promote diversity within the Trust, supporting proactive recruitment where there is a concentration of individuals from ethnic or disadvantaged backgrounds.There is a central HR function, with designated HR Managers for each division. Restructuring of this model has taken place in recent years. Recruitment is managed from the North Manchester General Hospital site and provides a central function.With a workforce of over 10,000 people, the average monthly cost of recruitment at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is xxxxxx. Added to this is the length of time it takes to place a new employee in post, which is on average 60 days. This estimate is from measured from the advertised positions closing date to offering that position. Recruitment is currently a major issue in the Trust with days lost in the recruitment process costing money and reducing morale and effectiveness. At present the department is receiving a lot of pressure from the rest of the Trust and the reputation of the department is poor.This management report is being undertaken to identify recommendations that will allow the recruitment process to become more effi cient and identify whether utilisation of e recruitment is a viable proposal in the Trust and whether its implementation will increase efficiency and save resources.All employers face the challenge of employing the right staff for their organisation and this often falls under a human resource arena. The recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals has been identified as a key challenge facing the NHS (NHS Plan 2002). High on the agenda at local, regional and national levels is the development of strategies and initiatives to attract suitable people to work in the professions, in order to ensure that services are responsive to patient needs.2.0 Literature ReviewRecruitment is an extensive subject with many aspects making up the area. A study by Ullman (1966) cited in Breaugh Starke (2000) was one of the first to examine recruitment sources. Finding that new employees who were recruited by means of informal sources (i.e., employee referrals, direct applications) had a lower turnover rate than individuals recruited via formal sources (i.e., newspaper advertisements and employment agencies). Barber (1998) has since concluded that past research has not made a strong case for the importance of source differences. The author is interested in research into the prevalence of the sources used in traditional recruitment, which appears to be research that has not been undertaken significantly.Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2005) identified that employers in the UK recruit over 3 million people each year, in a costly and time consuming exercise to add suitable staff to their organisation. They identify a need to sell jobs to potential employees in order to ensure they can generate an adequate pool of applicants. Organisations are now facing a greater challenge recruiting rather than selecting. (Ployhart 2005) Other researchers having also identified the difficulties organisations have in attracting candidates, identifying selection will only be effective and financ ially defensible if a sufficient amount of applicants apply to the organisation. (Taylor and Collins, 2000)However according to Barber (1998), It is important that employers do not consider the recruitment process to be completed at this point, It continues during the short listing and interviewing stages and is only deemed as complete when an offer is made.For the purposes of this literature review the author will review thoughts and research on the initial stages of recruitment, that being the attraction of employees and advertisement of vacancies in order to recruit to the organisation, this will allow the author to include the areas of employer branding and e-recruitment in the review.2.1 Recruitment DifficultiesThe Audit Commission (2002) has identified that the UK labour market is highly competitive at present with the rate of unemployment at a historically low level. Employers are openly competing harder to attract and retain staff. This is made more difficult, with reports a cross the country, of recruitment and retention problems affecting local public services, the NHS being no exception. There have been serious concerns about shortages in staff numbers, and fewer young people being attracted to work for the public sector, meaning there is a potential demographic time bomb. It has been identified that 27 per cent of the public sector workforce are now aged 50 or over. (Gulland (2001), Audit Commission (2002))Recruitment is also expensive, in a recent survey CIPD (2007) identified the average cost of recruiting a member of staff is 4,333 however this increases significantly to 7750 when organisations are also calculating the associated labour turnover.They identified that eighty four percent of organisations have reported difficulties in filling vacancies in 2006, a rise of 2 percent on the previous year. The key challenges faced by organisations in regard to recruitment have been identified from the survey as attracting and recruiting key staff to the organisation, reducing recruitment costs, enabling the achievement of the organisations strategic goals and addressing skills shortages.CIPD strongly believes thateffective recruitment is central and crucial to the successful day-to-day functioning of any organisation. stating that successful recruitment depends upon finding people with the necessary skills, expertise and qualifications to deliver organisational objectives and the ability to make a positive contribution to the values and aims of the organisation.The Audit Commissions report (2002) also identified there are concerns about skill shortages, not only in terms of basic skill levels in the workforce, but also in key leadership, management and specialist skills that are required. Previous research from the Audit Commission (2001) has showed that, on average, a new employee will perform at only 60 per cent of their productive potential when they are first appointed, only reaching 100 per cent after being in a post for a ye ar. This makes recruitment in these areas and adequate delivery of services even harder to manage.In their extensive report on public service recruitment, the Audit Commission identifies the way the employers can maximise their recruitment practices. They advisedInformed, quick and professional responses to job advertisement enquiries are essential for maximising applicationsroutine monitoring of recruitment will ensure that recruitment initiatives are driven by the bigger picture rather than just the latest concernsuccess in addressing diversity issues are to be achieved through efficient, effective targeted recruitment campaigns based on knowledge of the target community andany initiative to attract a specific group of staff will benefit from being profession-led and in partnership with HR.Audit Commission (2002)Effective recruitment practices and policies are recognised as making a significant contribution to an organisations success, according to Plumbley (1990). He states it is not simply about placing suitable candidates into jobs, but also about building an adept and flexible workforce in order to meet the organisations changing and demanding needs.The first stage of recruitment and selection is to be able to attract an adequate number of appropriate candidates. Prospective employees do not select the organisation they wish to work for on the foundation of job and organisational characteristics such as location, and organisational structure alone.2.2 Employee BrandThe increased competitiveness in the recruitment market has led to organisations spending more time, effort and resources on developing their recruitment brand and expanding the range of advertising methods used, to try and attract quality applicants from as broad and diverse a pool possible.Almost seven in ten organisations describe themselves as having an employer brand according to CIPD (2007), and studies have shown that an organisations reputation and identity is vital in the fight to att ract suitable talented applicants into organisations. (Lievens Highhouse, 2003 Cable Turban, 2001). Identifying that in order for the corporate brand to be more successful at attracting suitable candidates there is an importance in promoting and monitoring that brand. (Slaughter, Zickar, Highhouse, Mohr, 2004)Fombrun, (1996) agrees with this stating the reputation of an organisation has been acknowledged as one of the key factors that can affect the probability of potential applicants choosing to apply to work for it. In the same way, organisation reputation has been found to be an important influence on applicants decisions of whether they fit with an organisation and want to join it (Rynes et al., 1991). This researcher has also showed that applicants utilised information on how informative and the recruiter friendliness as an indicator of how an organisation treated its employees.Fombrun (1996) expands this argument to identify that reputation is of particular concern to appli cants seeking employment in knowledge-based institutions, such as universities and hospitals, because of the intangibility of the services these organisations provide. Whilst Turban et al. (1998) also found that applicants perceptions of the specific attributes of a post were influenced by their evaluation of the organisation, even if they had been interviewed and were successful.The importance in private/commercial organisations reputation in relation to the recruitment and retention of staff has been well documented in literature, for example (Turban, 2001) and Cable and Graham (2000), Gray and Ballmer 1998)), there has however been comparatively little consideration on the impact of reputation for public sector organisations.Most people in the course of their life have a need to use the services the NHS provide, some more than others and health is an important issue, not only on a personal level, also in the political arena. The NHS is the UKs largest employer, so many of the UK population are at present working in it, with a great number more many having done so at some point in their lives.In brief, the NHS has a wide range of different stakeholders, who may feel they have a vested interest in the quality provision of services and ultimately, the reputation. People have varied, and very personal experiences of the NHS and this could mean image and reputation are therefore difficult to manage.The Audit Commission study (2002) study showed that public sector staff thinks that their image in the eyes of the public would discourage potential recruits from entering the NHS.The study analysed a wide sample of the UKs national press to see if the evidence supported this observation. Analysis of the results showed that plenty of stories are told and coverage given to the NHS is extensive. They concur that the picture of public sector work presented to the reading public is often bleak. Of the former public sector workers surveyed, 68 per cent thought that the ima ge of their former profession would discourage people from entering that job. Only 9 per cent thought the opposite and stated that the image would instead encourage people to enter.The NHS is such a well-known organisation that carries out specific roles in society, that when considering a career in the NHS people often have an idea regarding an occupation they would like to pursue. The GTI (2006) conducted a survey to establish the major determinants that influence applicants in their choice of employer. The results show that for 22% of student nurses and doctors, the reputation of a prospective employer (often influenced by media coverage) is a key factor in determining their aspirations. They identify that word of mouth can be damaging to an employers reputation. If employers get things wrong, it can really affect the way they are viewed by potential employees as over half of the survey respondents have shared their bad experiences with their peers.So for some people the images a nd reputation of the NHS may be crucial to their decision of whether to work for it.2.3 Traditional Recruitment MethodsTraditional recruitment methods are the way in the past, that an organisation announced a job opportunity to the marketplace, through a classified advertisement, a job fair, an external recruiter, or other media. Any candidate who happened to see the announcement would submit his or her CV, ring the company for an application form or submit a letter of interest.Lievens and Harris (2003) have stated that in the past, job searching was a more time-consuming activity. They identifiedA candidate who wished to apply for a job would need to first locate a suitable job opportunity, which often involved searching through a newspaper or contacting acquaintances. After locating potentially suitable openings, the candidate would typically have to prepare a cover letter, produce a copy of his or her resume, and mail the package with the appropriate postage.Arboledas, Ferrero an d Vidal (2001), presented some examples of recruitment methods that organisations have traditionally used. These were identified as newspaper advertisement, faxed/mailed resumes, recruitment agencies or the use of headhunters. Galanaki (2002) similarly identified all these methods and also defines them as traditional recruitment methods.This idea of traditional methods can also be found quoted in numerous HR texts, which have sections dedicated to recruitment and try to identify best recruitment practices. The authors of such texts include Cole (2004), Rayner and Adam Smith, Armstrong (2007) and Mullins (2005). These texts give a useful overview of the concepts of recruitment but again the best practice and evidence of what is most effective is not present.An IDS study in 2006 reported that to maximise their chances of appointing the best candidate, many organisations have utilised a combination of online and traditional approaches.In 2004 Softworld HR and Payroll identified in a s tudy, that 24% of respondents envisaged e-recruitment entirely replacing all traditional methods of advertising in the future, however 76% of the practitioners surveyed, see it as an additional tool to allow the widest possible range of applicants to be accessed.Traditional methods also identify the use of recruitment agencies in the way of recruiting staff.According to an IES study (2005), recruitment agencies remain confident that the growth in e-recruitment technology will not eliminate their role in the process, as many organisations lack the time and expertise to carry out these tasks. Many organisations, especially smaller ones may also lack the technology to carry out their own recruitment online. They state with the low unemployment rate that currently exists, the task of finding quality candidates will remain challenging and this may prompt organisations to continue to use agencies, in particular, for specialised, senior or difficult to fill positionsA Demos report (2007) h owever has identified difficulties in the recruitment business. They point out that the landscape has changed remarkably over the past decade. And identify the recruitment industry has been growing rapidly, and the talent war has led to an increase in outsourcing and much greater efforts being made to reach candidates through on and offline advertising. They identify that recruiters have had to embrace technology, or be left behind.In the 2007 CIPD recruitment and retention survey, it was identified for the first time in the UK corporate websites have broken even with local newspapers advertisements as the most common method of recruiting candidates.2.4 E-recruitmentE-Recruitment is identified as the use of Internet technology to make the job of recruiting staff more efficient and effective, when used together with traditional recruitment methods the benefits derived from e-recruitment can be considerable. (E-recruitment Best Practice Guide 2007)Internet usage in recent years has se en the recruitment process transformed. Online recruitment, internet recruitment, web-based recruiting and e-recruitment are terms used to describe the use of the internet to recruit potential employees, and mediums to conduct other elements of the recruitment process. We will use the terms interchangeably in this report.According to Schreyer McCarter (1998) e-recruitment refers toThe recruitment process, including placing job advertisements, receiving resumes, and building human resource database with candidates and incumbentsE-Recruitment is establishing itself as a significant part of the recruitment strategy in a range of organisations across the UK and the world. This is in addition to becoming a more and more more accepted method for job seekers in searching and applying for jobs.The traditional method of recruitment has been transformed by the appearance of the Internet. In the past few years, the Internet has dramatically changed the face of HR recruitment and the ways org anisations think about the recruiting function. There is predicted to be a continued dramatic growth in recruiting and hiring via this medium in future years. (CIPD 2007)A survey by the public appointment service in Ireland in 2006, relating to e-recruitment in Irish organisations, has also identified a high level of current or intended future use of e recruitment, this being identified as an area forming an important part of the Irish recruitment strategy.It would seem that e-recruitment has been implemented in many organisations from small companies to large organisations. These organisations are already using e recruitment to advertise jobs and accept CVs on the Internet, and also to communicate with the applicants by e-mail. In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey it was identified that eighty-four percent of respondents have made greater use of e-mail applications in the last three years. Over seven in ten organisations also said they are actively advertisin g jobs on their corporate websites and using online recruitment applications.Lievens and Harris (2003) have identified the following methods of using the Internet to attract candidates, acknowledging that approaches are continually changing. Company websites Advertising posts and providing information to candidates through the company website. The facility to apply online is often also provided. Job Boards Commercial general purpose recruitment portals, (e.g. Yahoo, Monster.com) and specific industry job boards. Online Searching Recruiters searching online sources such as company websites and professional chat sites to identify candidates who may not be actively looking for a position. Relationship recruiting Using the internet to build and maintain long term relationships with passive candidates, through using internet tools to learn more about web visitors interests and experience and to e-mail regular updates about careers and their fields of interest.Kerrin and Keetley (2005 ) have suggested that the reasons for many organisations to introduce e recruitment have been recruitment cost reduction, speedier processes, access to a wider pool of applicants and better employer branding.In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover survey 2006,it was identified that the key drivers for e-recruitment were reducing recruitment costs (cited by 71%), broadening the selection pool (60%) and increasing the speed of time to hire (47%). It was also noted that over a third of respondents believed it brought greater flexibility and ease for candidates, and over a quarter believed it strengthened the employer brand.This has been further supported by the IRS Employment review (2007).Reduction in costsE-Recruitment has allowed employers to make reductions in advertising costs and remove their dependency on recruitment agencies. Technology in online recruitment is not expensive and the hours saved in the pre-selection process gives HR staff more time. Administration can b e significantly reduced in most organisations. This can prove to be extremely important when recruiting involves high numbers of staff or when receiving high numbers of applications. (DTI 2006, Guertal et al 2007). The IRS 2007 study identified 7 out of 10 organisations say administration is easier to perform when utilising online recruitment services and 8 out 10 identified the e- recruitment process as being substantially cheaper.Cappeli (2001) calculated that it costs only about one-twentieth as much to hire someone online as to hire that same person through other traditional methods. This can again, be achieved through significantly reducing advertising costs and by reducing recruitment related administration according to Elkington (2005)An IDS HR Study in April 2006 identified how the Internet now plays a significant role in recruitment activities of employers. The report examined the use of corporate and third party recruitment websites and identified they are being used to r educe advertising costs and tap into a more diverse candidate base. They also identified that technology is streamlining the application process with the encouragement of online applications, linking into sophisticated application tracking systems and allowing organisations to measure the success of attraction methods.IDS state that over 70% of adults utilise the Internet, and employers are using this medium to attract and recruit much more frequently. They identify significant cost savings for employers and reduced time taken to fill vacancies, but are keen to point out the wariness of employees in missing out on potential candidates and feel that traditional recruitment media is set to retain and important role, particularly when recruiting locally or hard to fill jobs. This supports reservations held by IRS (2007) who identified that e recruitment was considered unsuitable for certain kinds of vacancies.Grout and Parrin, authors of the book, recruiting excellence agree with the a ssessment by IDS. In an article for HR Director (2006), they identify that online recruitment can improve efficiency by the reduction in man hours involved in the process, and help employers reach a wider and larger audience of jobseekers. They also recognise that it can be a valuable part of a recruitment process, in addition to traditional press advertising and the use of agencies (DTI, 2005).Kerrin and Keetley (2005) however, have stated, that the full cost savings are often only realised if the whole recruitment process is carried out online, a view supported by a number of authors. (Demos 2007, IRS 2007)Reducing time-to-hireWith e-recruitment the time taken to recruit can be reduced by as much as 75% and allow the recruitment of the most appropriate employees more quickly into the organisation. Time is also saved by spending a reduced amount of time tracking, communicating with and screening the applicants. Online recruitment also allows organisations to the share best practice and improves the consistency of recruitment processes across the organisation.The Public Appointments Service survey showed that a reduction in administrative workload (cited by 49% of respondents), and reduced timescales for hiring (cited by 40% of respondents), were key drivers in the decision to implementing e recruitment.Hogg (2000) stresses a shorter recruitment cycle can be gained by the speed at which several steps of the recruitment process are carried out online. Elkington (2005) supports this and has identified that the immediate posting of jobs online and the effortlessness of completing online application forms and e-mailing CVs to an organisation has made these steps much faster.Moving further into the recruitment process, the short-listing process can be accelerated by routinely aligning applications dependent on prearranged criteria (CIPD 2005). Applications can be progressed within minutes rather than weeks, saving both recruiters and job applicants time.Widening Ta lent PoolInternet tools that enable employers/recruiters to reach a wider pool of potential applicants and to fill positions faster with less cost to the organisation are obviously advantageous in such a competitive environment.Online advertising opens up a wider candidate pool, by providing 24/7 access to job seekers, at local, national and international locations, thus providing a better chance of finding the right candidate (CIPD 2005a). As job seekers become increasingly more web literate and the growth of broadband makes web surfing easier and cheaper (IRS 2005), the potential for e-recruitment to attract wider candidate pools is increasing.Enhancing Employer brandIncreased numbers of candidates are expecting to apply directly online and they routinely make judgements about employers based on their recruitment process. To combat this employers are adopting increasingly dynamic e-recruitment solutions to allow them to distinguish themselves from others and to professionally mana ge the recruitment process. (Willock, 2005 Paton 2006).E-Recruitment enables an organisation to raise its profile to potential applicants and promote itself as innovative and forward looking, allow visitors to the website to leave with a positive experience. Kerrin and Kettley (2003) in their report e-recruitment is it delivering identified a key factor for organisations in their adoption of e-recruitment, is the desire to increase their profile as an employer of choice amongst potential candidates and to promote their image as a progressive organisation. This is supported by 7 out of 10 organisations also agreeing that the use of online recruitment was more likely to improve reputation (IRS 2007)E-Recruitment can help to build the image of a brand. Barrow (2005) recommends that organisations build their brand identity very carefully however warning of a need to ensure substance is beneath the clever name, logo or design, as employees once appointed will see through the facade. Thi s is further supported by Gray and Balmers (1998) term, routine interactions. They state that outsiders have a place in shaping image and reputation when they interact with organisations communications are likely to be received with scepticism when they do not match personal experience.CIPD (2005) also demonstrated that more detailed information can be provided on the organisations website than in a newspaper advertisements and in recruitment agency literature, reinforcing the employer brand, improving the corporate image and profile whilst also giving an indication of the organisations cultureThe use of the Internet allows organisations to pass far more information in a much more dynamic and consistent fashion to candidates than was the case in the past (Lievens and Harris 2003). Applicants therefore have much more information at their disposal before they even decide to apply for a job than in the past. In addition, candidates can easily and quickly search for independent informat ion about organisations from various sources, such as internet search engines and libraries.Therefore, unlike in the past, a candidate may have applied for a job based on practically no information todays candidate may have reviewed a substantial amount of information about the organisation before choosing to apply.Disadvantages of e-recruitmentThe CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey revealed some concerns that e-recruitment could increase the number of unsuitable applicants and that it could act as a barrier to recruiting older workers.A factor which seems to be discouraging some employers from making more use of online recruitment systems, is a concern, over the level of internet access and levels of accomplishment with technology, of their target audiences.While usage of the Internet does vary by social group there is evidence to suggest that recruiting online results in at least as diverse an applicant group as those recruited through traditional methods (McManu s M.A., Ferguson M.W. 2003).Searle (2003) would dispute this however stating that participation in online recruitment is skewed towards white males from higher socio-economic groups.A further concern in relation to access is the suitability of online recruitment methods for candidates with disabilitie