Thesis (MBA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / This study was driven by a need that was identified within a sectoral training authority in South Africa to modify its talent management strategy in order to better deliver on its mandate. The need to modify its talent management strategy was identified as a result of a review of the Sector Education and Training Authorities (Setas) on their functioning and management commissioned by The National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac). The aim was to identify critical challenges affecting their ability to deliver on their mandate and to develop recommendations to improve operational efficiency and effectiveness The review exercise was completed and report submitted to the office of the presidency. The report notes that due to the largely negative publicity Setas have received, their ability to source, attract and retain talent for effective and efficient functioning is severely restricted. It also highlights the fact that high attrition rates have resulted in a lack of institutional knowledge and understanding of the purpose of the skills development legislation and policies. It further recommends that an audit of current Seta human resources procedures be conducted, as well as the development of standard competency profiles for senior managers to inform recruitment, performance management, training and development, assessment of current capacity and the development of a generic induction programme. It concludes by recommending the implementation of various interventions to support Seta management, including executive coaching, mentoring and other organisational development support. This study was therefore focused on two parts: the development of a broad talent framework based on the latest literature on the subject of talent management, and secondly, the evaluation of the training authority's current talent management practice based on employee perceptions. The initial part of this study describes the development of a talent management evaluation with a broad talent management framework addressing the themes of planning, development and training, performance management, reward management as well as the related sub- themes. This objective was achieved by means of a literature search supported by input from industry practitioners. The questionnaire consists of 35 statements subdivided into eight categories contextualised under different talent management sub themes. The sample consisted of 44 employees, six of which were at management level and 38 were at non managerial level. Thirty-five questionnaires were returned of which three could not be used. The questionnaire was then administered to examine the perceptions of the 35 employees who provided usable feedback on the training authority‟s performance, based on eight themes of talent management practices. The empirical results revealed that the training authority did not have strategies to ensure that there is a pool of talent to draw from in order to meet current and future needs. Concerns were raised on the training authority's ability to retain talented employees within the organisation. Issues relating to the creation and modification of roles and job descriptions to help individuals realise their career aspirations were raised. Employees were also concerned about the training authority's inability to provide resources for the support of individuals' career plans. Employees further raised transparency issues on expected behaviour, development and factors identifying individual's potential as major concerns. Reward and compensation were found to have a weak link to performance and market offering. Managers were found to have limited flexibility in distributing their pay budget.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2008. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The purpose of the study was to identify an effective and appropriate framework or process for evaluation of software developers. Critical review of existing literature on the subject revealed that there are various factors that influence the evaluation of software developers for employment including the impact of the skills shortage; changes in the way software developers evaluate employers; and a fresh look at expanding the resource pool where software developers can be found. In addition to the literature review opinions of 11 purposively selected participants in the Westem Cape, which deal with this issue on a daily basis were obtained. For the research an interpretivist philosophy shaped the approach to a research strategy of grounded theory and data collection that was based on semi-structured interviews without pre-conceived theories, which gave the research its inductive and qualitative character. The research results presented findings that covered the following applicable areas: recruitment policies; minimum criteria that software developer candidates must meet; skill levels; desired characteristics; market related critical success factors; resource channels; evaluation processes and techniques in practise. In keeping with the approach to grounded theory research three major categories were identified namely: finding suitable software developers; the profile of a suitable software developer; and lastly, the approach to evaluate candidates. Analysis of the relationship between these categories and associated sub-categories led to the following conclusions: • in order to effectively assess a software developer's technical skill, it is necessary to administer a practical test or assignment; • formal and recognised tests of behavioural characteristics are not essential to form an accurate assessment of a candidate's character, but is advisable; • recruitment agencies may well be most effective as a source of candidates but cannot be regarded as the most effective channel to find suitable candidates. Herein lies a comparison of quantity versus quality. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die studie was om 'n effektiewe en gepaste raamwerk of proses te identifiseer vir die evaluasie van sagteware programmeerders. 'n Kritiese oorsig van bestaande literatuur op die onderwerp het laat blyk dat verskeie faktore 'n invloed het op die evaluasie van programmeerders met die oog op indiensstelling. Hierdie faktare sluit in die impak van die huidige vaardigheids tekort; verandering in die wyse waarop programmeerders potentiële werkgewers evalueer; en vernuwe denke met betrekking tot bronne waar sagteware programmeerders gevind kan word. Tot aanvulling van die literatuur is opinies op die onderwerp van 11 doel-geselekteerde verteenwoordigers van organisasies in die Wes-Kaap ingewin. 'n Navorsing strategie van 'gegronde teorie' and data insameling by wyse van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is gevolg. Versigtigheid om nie vooropgestelde idees en teorieë te laat geld nie het aan die navorsing 'n induktiewe en kwalitatiewe karakter gegee. Die bevindinge het die volgende toepaslike areas gedek: werwings beleid ; minimum kriteria waaraan programmerings-kandidate moet voldoen; vaardigheidsvlakke; verlangde karakter eienskappe; mark-verwante kritiese sukses faktore; werwings bronne; evaluasie prosesse en tegnieke. Onder leiding van die benadering tot gegronde teorie is die volgende drie hoof kategorieë geïdentifiseer: die vind van gepaste programmeerders; die protfel van 'n gepaste programmeerder en laastens, die benadering tot evaluasie van kandidate. Analise van die verwantskappe tussen hierdie, sowel as sub-kategorieë het tot die volgende slotsom gelei: • die afneming van 'n praktiese toets of taak is noodsaaklik vir effektiewe evaluasie van 'n programmeerder se tegniese vaardigheid; • formele en erkende toetse van gedrags eienskappe is nie noodsaaklik nie, maar wel aanbevole, om 'n akkurate beeld van 'n kandidaat se karakter te vorm; • werwings-agentskappe mag 'n effektiewe bron van kandidate wees, maar kan nie beskou word as die mees effektiewe bron van gepaste kandidate nie. 'n Vergelyking tussen kwaliteit en kwantiteit is hier ter sprake.

published_or_final_version / Education / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

The purpose of this study was to develop a weighted application blank (WAB) which would aid in the selection of employees who would be more likely to remain on the job for 3 months or more. The 31 biographical items for long- and short-tenure employees were compared to see which items differentiated. A somewhat improvised approach which compared trends of both groups (weighting group N = 169, holdout group N 89), produced five items which were significant at the .05 level and resulted in a 70% improvement over the previous method of selection. The long-tenure employee could be described as a slightly older (20 years or more) married person who lives close to the job, less educated (8th grade or less), and who can list three references.

Thesis (M. A. (Administration)) -- University of the North, 1982 / Refer to the document

The latest research shows over 2.8 million higher education students or one-in-seven are enrolled in fully online programs. In fields such as accounting, students are able to complete their degree, pass a standardized exam, and enter the workforce with little to no work experience. Accounting firm human resources managers are primarily responsible for the recruitment and selection of candidates. Prior studies conducted show that these hiring gatekeepers prefer candidates with earned degrees in a traditional classroom environment when holding constant for all other factors. While many students invest in online degrees as an ideal pathway to employment, career advancement, and increased earnings, the perception of their degree by hiring gatekeepers may limit these aspirations. Existing research is limited in descriptive analysis as to why these perceptions are held and what can be done to change them. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the perception of the online degree by accounting hiring gatekeepers of mid-size firms in the northwestern U.S. and their recommendations for changes to online programs. Findings support prior research with a disinclination by hiring gatekeepers for candidates with earned online degrees and identified several reasons including a diminished view of interpersonal skills, ability to work as part of a team, faculty interaction and professional mentorship, and negative institutional perceptions. Additionally, gatekeepers recommended changes to online programs that included a focus on technical skills, soft skills, required internships, increasing in-person or hybrid structures, and revising institutional marketing strategies.

The aim of this research was to assess the recruitment and selection strategies used in the sales department of Old Mutual Group Schemes (OMGS) in the Eastern Cape. The company hopes to stem the high labour turn over in OMGS. After the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 (LRA) and Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA) were promulgated, organisations in this country introduced new recruitment and selection policies. The challenge to most organisations is the implementation of these policies by managers. The requirements of these two legislations create problems for small companies because of the high costs involved especially in the implementation stages. The organisation incurs costs in the development of the new processes and the training of staff. Even after the new processes, labour turnover did not improve in OMGS. Senior management is trying any means possible to rectify the situation. The company policy was examined against the literature available and the recruitment and selection processes of different authors were investigated. The findings indicated that some steps in the recruitment and selection processes were not followed. It was recommended that the organisation use more recruitment sources to broaden the scope of accessing more suitable applicants.

No description available.

Thesis (MPA.) -- University of Limpopo, 2017 / In the pre-democratic era, recruitment and selection practices in South Africa were generally based on segregationist policies and legislation that reserved most skilled jobs for white employees. The post 1994 Constitution brought a new dimension by introducing principles that promote fair, non-bias, objective and equitable recruitment. The motivation is derived from section 195 1 (i) of the Constitution of Republic of South Africa of 1996 which states that employment of personnel should be fair, without prejudice, objective and should represent the demographics of South Africa. Section 195 (i) stipulates that the employment of personnel should be “…based on ability, objectivity, fairness, and the need to redress the imbalance of the past…”. The Public Service Act 103 of 1994, section 11 stipulates that in the filling of posts in the public service due consideration must be given to democratic values and principles, and appointments should be based on qualifications, skills and competencies. Furthermore, the Public Service Regulation 2001 states that the persons who are recommended for appointment in a position must have the necessary skills and competencies, and that the process must be fair and unbiased. Equally, the Employment Equity Act (1998) prohibits discrimination in employment that is based on race, gender, religion, nationality, disability, etc. Within this context, the aim of the study was to determine if the Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements adheres to ethics in its recruitment and selection processes as stipulated by various legislations. The ethics would include recruiting and selecting people with relevant qualifications, skills, and competencies in a fair and unbiased manner by following the right procedures. Relying on a mixed methods research design, the study used interviews and questionnaires to elicit data from 50 employees in the Mpumalanga Department of Human Settlements. The study found that the MDHS had policies and strategies to promote ethics in its recruitment and selection processes; although these were hampered by weak implementation efforts. Incidents of favouritism, nepotism, political interference and lack of confidentiality were experienced in recruitment and selection of employees. In some cases, appointed candidates lacked the necessary skills and qualifications. Given this, it was recommended, inter alia, that implementation of ethics policies and strategies should be improved to ensure integrity and compliance in recruitment and selection processes within the MDHS environment.

Thesis (MA (Industrial Psychology))--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / The survival of an organisation in a global competitive business environment depends on its survival skills (e.g. adaptability, flexibility and innovativeness), which is situated within its human resources. Hence, the recruitment function’s role is critical, since it is responsible for the procurement of key intellectual capital that could equip the organisation with a competitive advantage. However, against the accelerated growth of the Internet combined with global competition, traditional recruitment methods are increasingly failing to rise to the challenge of securing key intellectual capital, due to being too time consuming and expensive. Consequently, organisations are progressively turning to online recruitment (which does not refer to one specific technique, but rather several different Internet tools that can be employed as a recruitment method, such as organisational websites, specialised job sites, media websites or newsgroups). However, the presence of an organisational website that advertises vacancies is not sufficient to guarantee its success as a recruitment method. Hence, it is vital to gain an understanding of website recruitment, as well as how to maximise the website’s effectiveness and ability to facilitate successful online applicant behaviour (SOAB), in order to harness its full potential as a recruitment method, able to secure key intellectual capital. For the purpose of this study, SOAB refers to potential applicants (i.e. job seekers entering an organisational website in search of employment opportunities) being able to browse the website without any difficulty and obtain relevant and sufficient information concerning the organisation and its listed vacancies. In addition to enabling potential applicants to assess whether he/she will be able to fit, perform and accelerate in the work climate and culture of the organisation (i.e. decide whether he/she would like to work for the organisation), a website that facilitates SOAB, should also enable potential applicants to contact the organisation to address additional information needs. In essence, this study comprises of three phases and centres on the identification of website content- and usability design benchmarks that should contribute to a website’s ability to facilitate SOAB. By means of a comprehensive literature review, it is argued that the content- and usability design are vital contributing factors to a website’s ability to facilitate SOAB. It is also proposed that the effectiveness of the website as a recruitment method is, to a certain degree, linked to the effectiveness of the alignment of an organisation’s online recruitment strategy with the five stages of potential applicants’ job decision-making process (i.e. the recognition of an employment need, search for career related information, evaluation of career alternatives, identification and acceptance of employment and post-choice evaluation). Phase one, entails the identification of website content- and usability design benchmarks and culminates with the development of the Website Benchmarks Checklist. Phase two, which constitutes the overall purpose of this study, entails an audit of the sample of the ‘best’ SA employers’ (drawn from a survey conducted by the Corporate Research Foundation, 2005) websites. The primary aim is to determine the extent to which the sample’s website design incorporates the identified benchmarks. However, the quality of potential applicants’ interaction with a website (i.e. informative content being communicated in an effective, efficient and satisfactory manner), greatly influences their perception of the organisation’s image, its attractiveness as an employer, as well as their intention to pursue employment within the organisation. Hence, the third phase of the study entails the subjective evaluation of three websites (selected from the audited sample), by a sample of potential applicants. Throughout the study, the empirical tests conducted were descriptive in nature and utilised survey research methods to acquire the required data, related to the specified goals and objectives that encapsulate the aim and purpose of this study. The results obtained provided valuable insight into website design benchmarks that should assist potential applicants in their job decision-making process, increase a website’s ability to facilitate SOAB and maximise its effectiveness as a recruitment method responsible for securing key intellectual capital. In addition to revealing that the majority of the sample employs its website as a recruitment method, the audit results also indicated that although a high level of adherence existed concerning the sample’s incorporation of the usability design benchmarks. However, a notable difference that ranged from very little to relatively high existed with regards to the extent to which the sample’s website design adhered to the content design benchmarks. The subjective evaluation of the three websites by potential applicants revealed that in addition to being critical contributors to the quality of their interaction with a website, the content- and usability design also had a profound impact on their assessment of the websites. Finally, the results also showed that a similarity existed between potential applicants’ subjective evaluation and the extent to which the design of the three websites adhered to the recommended benchmarks (audit results).