Recruitment and selection for Elgin pharmaceuticals: Cost and time factors

Tahira Nazir¹, Syed Fida Hussain Shah² and Khalid Zaman²*

¹Assistant Professor, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Wah, Pakistan.

²Assistant Professor, COMSATS Institute of Information Technology, Abbottabad, Pakistan.

*Corresponding author E-mail: khalidzaman@ciit.net.pk

Accepted 10 December, 2012

Abstract

Elgin Pharmaceuticals is one of the successful and profitable pharmaceutical manufacturers in UK. It is having 600 employees out of which a major proportion is of female workers (70%) working in headquarter and manufacturing plant of the company. Because of the progressive nature and effective policies it is attractive employer in the market, retention is very high and employee turnover is very low. Acquisition of the staff with required skills and qualifications is challenging job for the companies. Elgin Pharmaceuticals is also in the same situation while making staffing decision for this centre. The good reputation and company being for practicing the good human resource (HR) related policies will be helpful in attracting the required skilled people. Major source to be used and emphasized for attracting the required staff is the brand image of the company. For performing the staffing function and hiring the skills we need to perform some basic activities. These include job analysis process that will be helping in the determination of job description (duties and responsibilities) and job specification (required qualification to perform the assigned duties). So using this information we create the profile of people who should be hired with particular skills and may decide upon the tasks that need to be performed by these people. We have suggested using the external recruitment and selection techniques including, reference bases recruitment (from existing workforce), recruitment agencies, and direct advertisements for the job opening for the centre. What ever method is used, the strong brand image of the company plays positive apart in attracting the required talent. Based upon recruitment, recommended selection method and background testing formal contract or agreements with the newly hired staff should be signed and acceptance of the offered should be followed with placement of newly hired staff to the available positions initially for probationary period and when the probation is successfully completed subsequently the job confirmation is offered. Time schedule and cost related to make the staffing function has also been considered in this study.

Keywords: Human resource practice, Selection, Hiring, Cost factors, Time factors, Elgin Pharmaceuticals.