Human Resources Department

With so many people looking for a job, finding people to work for a company might seem very easy. However, finding and recruiting the best quality candidates is not an easy task. This is one of the jobs of the Human Resources Department (HR), they recruit the best people for the organization.

Large companies usually have a formal hiring process which involves different steps. First, the decision is made whether recruitment is necessary, then the job description is prepared. The needs of the organization should be described in the job advertisement. In general, a job announcement should include: a brief description of the organisation, a description of the position, the duties and responsibilities, the qualifications required for the post, the salary and benefits attached to the post, the application deadline, the start date and a request for references. Once the description is prepared, plans are made on how and when this will be advertised.

After receiving the applications, candidates are usually invited for interviews and selection tests. Psychometric tests help to assess an individual’s character and abilities, and they are often used to ensure that a candidate is suitable for a specific role. The most frequent kinds of psychometric tests measure cognitive abilities, e.g. numerical and verbal reasoning tests. In addition, many test batteries evaluate personality traits and decision making, e.g. personality questionnaires and Situational Judgement Tests (SJT).

See the translation of some words from the text:

Diana Thompson works for the Human Resources Department of “New Creations”. She gives us some details about her job:

Diana Thompson

“My job consists of getting the best candidate for the different posts of the company. It means that I need to have a good knowledge of every department of the company, the members that compose them, and the tasks performed in each of them.

When I interview someone, I always have my notebook with me. Taking notes is vital, specially when the number of people you interview grows. Things that we look at are the body language; non-verbal language gives you more information about the person who is in front of you than you might expect. I may, for example, write, “Seemed most enthusiastic about this job” or “Avoided eye contact at this point; seemed nervous.” However, it could represent a 60% of the analysis. Of course, qualifications and skills will help you to make the final decision.

I would advise an interviewer to strike a balance between active note-taking and active listening. While taking good notes is important, so is maintaining eye contact and engaging in a conversation that will elicit the information you need to learn.

Interviewing potential candidates is one of my tasks, but apart from this, I make all the arrangements for receiving visitors, I plan their picking up, the reception, the agenda of the meeting, I take them around the company, show them the facilities and do presentations.

I know that in some small companies, human resources clerks are also in charge of issuing the employees’ payrolls, and some other accounting tasks, but this is not my case. I must say I love my job.“

Read the following passivesentences:

Passive voice occurs when the person or thing performing the action in a sentence is the object rather than the subject. Compare these two sentences:

• Active sentence: Diana organized the welcoming party
• Passive sentence: The welcoming party was organized by Diana

Let’s see the structure of the passive sentences. Here is our example:

• The welcoming party was organized by Diana

The basic elements are three:

1. The subject: The welcoming party… is the object of the active sentence. In the passive sentences, the subject receives the action of the verb.
2. The verb: …was organized…. The passive form of the verb is composed of two elements: BE (in the appropriate verb tense) + PAST PARTICIPLE (invariable).
3. The agent: …by Mary: the agent is the person who does the action of the verb. It is introduced by the preposition by. It can often be omitted.

We use the passive voice in these cases:

• When we don’t know who did the action or when it is obvious:

• When we want to give more importance to the action than to the person who did the action:

The change from the active voice to the passive voice will help you understand the differences between these two types of sentences. Here is an example to illustrate the changes:

Notice the following:

1. The subject in the active sentence becomes the agent in the passive sentence.
   
2. The direct object in the active sentence becomes the subject in the passive sentence.
   
3. The verb changes from the active voice to the passive voice.

Notes:

• When the subject of the active sentence has an impersonal meaning like people, someone/somebody or no one/nobody, we do not usually express the agent in the passive voice.
• When the subject of the active sentence is a subject pronoun (I, you, he, etc.), the agent corresponds to the object pronoun: by me, by you, by him, etc.

The table shows the passive voice of some common tenses of an irregular verb (do, in the 3rd person singular):

When looking for a job, it is essential to write a good curriculum vitae (or CV). The CV is called resumé (with the graphical accent) in American English. As part of the job searching procedure, it will also be necessary to write a cover letter, which usually accompanies the CV. Both the CV and the cover letter say a lot of things about the writer, so in order to cause a good impression on your potential employer, it is necessary to be very accurate and follow the conventions of this type of texts.

The final and most important stage in the job search is the interview, where you must show your oral skills and control your body language. The job interviews are often carried out in English, even if you are applying for a job in your own country, because a knowledge of English is one of the most important skills for many jobs.

You have probably learned that we must not judge people on first impressions. However, when an employer looks at a curriculm vitae (CV), he does precisely that: to judge a person on the first impression produced by the CV, without even knowing the candidate personally.

This is the reason why you should be very careful when you write a CV. It must convince the employer that you are the appropriate candidate for the job. With hundreds of other CVs waiting for an opportunity, the most important thing is that your own CV attracts the employer’s attention. However, to attract the employer’s attention does not mean to write your CV in a variety of colours and/or spectacular font types. This will only distract the reader from the important information. Instead, you should use a conventional format and organize your information clearly.

There are many different models, but the basic elements of all the CVs are:

• Contact information: your name and surnames should be prominent (usually centered and in bold type). Add your telephone number, your address and your e-mail address.
• Work experience: your relevant job experience should be listed chronologically, starting with your most recent job. For each job, you should mention the company and your job position.
• Skills: this section summarizes your personal skills and relevant achievements for the job. Here you should include your language and computer skills.
• Education: you must list your degrees, the school where you obtained them and the years you were in that school in reverse chronological order.

You may also include any additional information that you think is important for the job (for example, courses you have attended). Except for the contact information, you must include the title of each section, in bold type or capital letters.

Here is a list of things that should not appear in a CV:

• Errors: making grammatical and/or spelling mistakes in a CV is the worst thing that can happen to a candidate for a job. The employer will immediately relate the mistakes to the candidate’s carelessness and he/she will be obviously discarded.
• Salary: do not include your current salary or that which you expect to earn. Salary negotiations usually take place during the interview.
• Irrelevant information: you should only include the information that is relevant for the job and that can benefit your interests. For example, do not include an average mark in a course if it is not a good one or hobbies that have nothing to do with the job.

If you have little or no work experience, you can list your school and social activities and link them to the job you are applying for.

Here is an example:

A CV should always go with a cover letter. A cover letter is a formal letter where you explain why you are the ideal candidate for the job. Cover letters have no special format. They follow standards applied to all the other formal letters.

In a cover letter, you should include the most relevant aspects of your experience and education for the post. To do that, select the aspects from the CV that can contribute to raise the company’s interest in your application. Make the reason you are writing clear and highlight your more remarkable achievements. Focus on those skills that make you a good candidate for the position. Pick up the top qualities the employer is requesting for in the job advert and then revise your CV to make sure they are included there.

Do some research into the company or the organization. Include information about them and tell them what attracts you to the company. Finally, revise your letter, make sure that it has the correct layout with no typing or spelling mistakes.

Here are some useful expressions which you can use in a cover letter:

The company G&A has published a job advert (ref. 078) on the website FindyourJob.co.uk. Guinadell (see her CV above) decided to apply for the job. She has prepared her curriculum and cover letter and is going to send it to the company. She has been looking for information on the web, and has seen that Mr Gordon Graham is the head of the Human Resources (HR) department.

If the employer has considered your CV, he/she will call you for the job interview. This is the time when you meet the employer so he/she can find out more things about you. The interview may take place in a face to face meeting or online via Skype or any other videoconference program. In any case, the interviewer will ask you about your experience and qualifications, and you will also need to show your skills for the job.

Here are some tips to help you before going to a job interview.

1. Prepare your answers in advance. Think about the questions they employers frequently ask in a job interview and prepare your answers in advance.

2. Make some research. Before going to the interview, look at the potential employer’s website and check the company’s details. Having the information will help you in the interview.

3. Have a good appearance. First impressions are very important, so make sure that you wear smart clothes and have a nice appearance.

4. Be ready. Try to get to the interview with plenty of time. If you get late, you will be doubly stressed and, besides, it will cause a very bad impression. Make sure that you have everything that you need: notebook, pen and a copy of your CV.

5. Show your good character. Although you will probably feel nervous, try to smile all the time. This will help you feel more relaxed and will give a good impression. Make sure that you look your interviewer directly in the eye, and concentrate on what he/she is saying.

6. Ask questions. Do not tell the interviewer that you do not have any questions. You should prepare some questions in advance and be ready to ask them if they tell you so.

7. Take notes. Taking notes will give the impression that you are paying attention and that you are very interested in what the interviewer is saying.

The job interview is one of the significant factors in hiring, which will help the employer to determine if the candidate’s qualifications, experience, workplace preferences, and salary needs are congruent with the position and the organization.

Before going for a job interview, candidates should prepare for it. First, they should conduct a research about the company or organization and read the job description thoroughly. They should also locate the place for the interview and plan the trip to reach there on time. They should dress properly, and feel confident. Previously, they should review common interview questions and prepare responses. See an example below:

Read the information about Guinadell, and the job interview below: