The aim of this thesis is to describe the recruitment and selection process at A.T. Kearney. Thesis is focused on a description of current practices and methods of recruitment and selection process in the company, recommendations how to improve the process are part of the thesis as well. This thesis is divided into two parts. In theoretical part, reader is informed about particular phases and methods of recruitment and selection process. Practical part consists of A.T. Kearney introduction, selection and recruiting process characteristics and analysis and survey. Survey investigates the students' preferences and factors relevant when selecting future employer as representatives of the youngest generation in the working age, Generation Y. At the end, there are the recommendations for improvement of current practices of A.T. Kearney recruitment and selection process.

This master's thesis examines and assesses the process of recruitment, selection, hiring and adaptation of employees in the holding ROSS. The thesis is divided into two main parts - the theoretical part and the practical part. The theoretical part describes in general perspective the process of recruitment, selection, hiring and adaptation of employees. The practical part analyses these processes in the holding ROSS and based on the identified findings suggests appropriate changes to improve the process of recruitment, selection, hiring and adaptation of employees in the holding ROSS.

The thesis deals with human resources marketing focused on university students and graduates. The theoretical part describes the role of human resources marketing in HR management and explains its importance during the financial crisis. Furthermore, current trends in this field are introduced. The practical part analyzes activities of human resources marketing in ČSOB and shows the results of a research that was examining the expectations of university students and graduates regarding their first employment. The final part defines some points ČSOB should focus on while recruiting and stabilizing university students and graduates.

Recruitment and selection of employees is one of the most important activities in the personal department of company. The aim of my thesis is to analyze the process of recruitment and selection of employees, firstly from the theoretical point of view and further from the practical experience in the company ČSOB, a.s. I have summarized theoretical findings and recommendations regarding the process of recruitment and selection of employees according to the available literature in the practical part of my thesis. The practical part continue with the analysis of this process in the company ČSOB, a.s. This analysis has been realized on the basis of internal documentation, interviews with employees of the personal department and my own findings acquired by participation in selection procedure and assessment centre. As a last source of information for evaluation of this process I have used results of questionnaire examination that was realized in cooperation with the bank in April 2010. To finish my thesis I have summarized possible recommendations for improvement of the process of acquirement and selection of employees in ČSOB, a.s.

The Swedish Sports Confederation (Riksidrottsförbundet) is a powerful organization of opinion within the service of Swedish sport, continually clarifying the responsibilities that sport assumes and the positive values that the popular movement represents. However, gender equality seems to be a difficult task to solve. In fact, Riksidrottsförbundet aim for that both genders should have the same amount of power to form the sport and to have equal opportunity to exercise and be leaders in sport. Additionally,both genders should have the same amount of influence in boards. This is something that’s not reached when the majority of all board members are still men. This leads to that several of the sport clubs must work to recruit more women. Swedish football have since 2019 created the project called “Plus 10 000”which strives to bring in more female leaders and coaches by 2022. Riksidrottsförbundet have a projectcalled “Strategi 2025” where one of the goals is that none of the genders should be represented with less than 40 %. The purpose of this study was to find out the gender equality in boards of football clubs in Umeå and what role the woman in those boards had. It was studied what 40 % means in practice for the equality in the boards and why the boards that had 40 % women succeeded with the recruitment and integration. Through interviews with people in boards of football clubs, the study showed how norms and performances control recruitment. The result showed that the members of boards were unaware of these norms and how they made the recruitment of women more difficult. The clubs were open to bringin more women, especially young women, but in most cases the masculine norm were invisible and made men choose men. The conclusion of the study is that women are not the problem, instead it’s the masculine norm and culture that create limitations. Awareness of the norm and culture must be established but also the process of recruitment must change in order to improve gender equality within the boards

Bakgrund: Personalplanering är ett strategiskt arbete som bland annat handlar om att förstå vilken personal och kompetens som finns i organisationen. Organisationer lägger idag fokus på att göra det sociala livet reviderbart, vilket kan vara en anledning till att kvantitativa urvalsmetoder används i rekryteringsprocessen. I samband med detta belyses kritik mot en kvalitativ metod då subjektivitet vid insamlande av information inte anses önskvärt. Trovärdigheten samt validiteten i arbetspsykologiska tester, vilket är en rationell urvalsmetod, ifrågasätts då synen på kvantifiering av kandidatens egenskaper är delad. Det är därför av intresse att öka förståelsen för användandet av arbetspsykologiska tester och dess funktion i praktiken, hur andra faktorer påverkar validiteten samt betydelsen av en kontextuell förståelse. Syfte: Att få en större förståelse över hur den rationella urvalsmetoden arbetspsykologiska tester används som ett verktyg i rekryteringsprocessen. Genom att anlägga ett perspektiv som belyser komplexiteten i både beslut och människan avser uppsatsen även att ifrågasätta hur metoden fungerar i det praktiska rekryteringsarbetet. Metod: I denna kvalitativa undersökning har åtta semistrukturerade intervjuer med testledare genomförts för att få en djupare insikt i hur testerna fungerar i det praktiska arbetet. Utöver detta presenteras tre dimensioner av arbetspsykologisk testning som sätter ramarna för uppsatsen upplägg. Slutsats: Funktionen av testerna är beroende av dess avsedda syfte och tillvägagångssätt gällande när och hur testerna används. Begåvningstester kan vara en effektiv och rättvis metod för att sträva efter objektivitet i första urvalet där tydliga minimikrav finns. Personlighetstester kan vara ett hjälpmedel för att förstå hur kandidatens förutsättningar ser ut snarare än att få en större förståelse för hur kandidaten är. / Background: Personnel planning is a strategic function that involves, among other things, comprehension about that staff and skills that exist in the organization. Organizations today focus on making the social life revisable, which could be a reason for using quantitative selection methods in recruitment. In relation to this, there is some criticism about using a qualitative method since subjectivity in gathering information is not considered desirable. The credibility and validity in work related psychological testing, which is a rational selection method, are questioned since the view of quantification of the candidate's attributes is divided. Therefore, it is of interest to increase the understanding of the function and practical use of work related psychological testing, the significance of contextual understanding as well as how other factors affect its validity. Purpose: To gain a greater understanding of how the rational selection method, work related psychological testing, is used as a tool in the recruitment process. By constructing a perspective that highlights the complexity of both decision making and personality, this essay also aims to examine the function of the method in the practical recruitment work. Method: In this qualitative study, eight semi-structured interviews with test leaders have been conducted to gain a deeper insight into the function of testing in the practical work. In addition to this, a model of three dimensions of work related psychological testing are presented and set the framework for the structure of the essay. Conclusion: The function of the tests is dependent on its purpose and approach considering when and how the test is used. Mental ability testing is an effective and fair method to strive for objectivity in the first selection where minimum requirements exist. Personality tests can be a tool to understand the candidate's conditions rather than creating a complete image of the candidate’s traits.

The release of the seed eating beetle Sulcobruchus subsuturalis for biological control of Caesalpinia decapetala in South Africa has been ongoing since 2000. This is the first post release evaluation of the efficacy of the agent against the weed. The study assessed the phenology of C. decapetala and S. subsuturalis at two sites and included determining the establishment of the beetle on the target weed at 25 study sites. In addition, the effects of S. subsuturalis on seed densities as well as seed germination and seedling recruitment were examined. Furthermore predation by native ants and attacks by native parasitoids were also examined at two release sites. Mature filled pods were available on the tree from September (spring) to March (summer) when the beetle is expected to be reproductively active. The majority of beetle releases by Working for water took place in summer. However the proportion of beetle infested seeds, which were only recovered inside pods in the tree canopy at study sites, was low (0 to 15.5%). Consequently high seed densities and seedling recruitment were observed in the field. In the laboratory, S. subsuturalis did not lay eggs on buried seeds, however seed infestation levels were generally high. Only 8.3% of the seeds containing adults germinated and 6.3% emerged into seedlings. Of the seeds containing larvae, only 14.6% germinated and 2.1% emerged into seedlings. Thus far, S. subsuturalis has failed to maintain high populations on the target weed, possibly due to egg predation by native ants (Crematogaster species, Pheidole megacephala, Messor natalensis and Tetramorium avium) and attacks by native parasitoids. Egg predation reached 100% within 10 days. Egg parasitism by unknown parasitoids ranged between 80 and 93.1% in Limpopo. The parasitic wasp Dinarmus altifrons was recovered once developing inside a C. decapetala seed infested with S. subsuturalis. Further investigations regarding attacks by indigenous parasitoids on S. subsuturalis are required to determine the extent of this problem. Meanwhile releases of S. subsuturalis against C. decapetala should continue. However release efforts need to be improved by (a) using inundative rather than inoculative releases (b) Releasing every year between September and March (summer) and (c) involving land owners, farmers and nature reserve authorities in release activities. Ultimately an additional agent should be sought for release against C. decapetala as the weed may not be the preferred host for S. subsuturalis.

Nesta tese, organizada em capítulos, são apresentados diferentes estudos sobre processos que afetam a história de vida, o potencial de dispersão, as preferências do assentamento larval e o recrutamento efetivo do coral invasor Tubastraea coccinea. No primeiro capítulo, demonstra-se que plânulas produzidas por T. coccinea são capazes de sofrer metamorfose e agregar-se em grupos de até oito pólipos ainda na coluna d´água, sem que ocorra previamente assentamento larval. Nesta seção, foi avaliada também a sobrevivência de propágulos para testar se diferentes níveis de agregação possibilitam uma extensão do período planctônico e, portanto, um aumento do potencial de dispersão. Os resultados obtidos mostram que pólipos natantes sobrevivem mais que plânulas, provavelmente por serem capazes de se alimentar e, assim, suprir a alta demanda energética associada à natação e à procura de um substrato favorável para o assentamento. Grupos de dois ou mais pólipos sobrevivem mais que pólipos solitários. Porém, a mortalidade não diferiu entre agrupamentos pequenos (2-3 pólipos) e grandes (4-8 pólipos), o que sugere que existe um limite para o tamanho ótimo dessas colônias pelágicas. A maioria dos grupos de pólipos que se mantém nadando na coluna d´água (80%) permanece viva após seis meses, o que sugere que a capacidade de sofrer metamorfose no ambiente pelágico e formar colônias de pólipos planctônicos é uma característica chave na história de vida da espécie, incrementando o potencial de dispersão, a conectividade entre populações e a capacidade de colonização de novos ambientes. No segundo capítulo, é caracterizada primeiramente a distribuição espacial de colônias adultas e pólipos fundadores do coral T. coccinea sobre substratos rochosos com diferentes orientações. Para isso, foi avaliada a consistência desses padrões para duas escalas espaciais, uma pequena (de dezenas de metros) e outra intermediária (de unidades de quilômetros). Posteriormente, estudaram-se as preferências durante o assentamento larval e os padrões de recrutamento sobre superfícies com diferentes orientações através de experimentos de campo e laboratório. O objetivo principal desta secção foi determinar se os padrões de distribuição de recrutas e colônias adultas podem ser explicados por processos que ocorrem durante etapas larvais ou pós-larvais iniciais. Os resultados indicam que tanto a flutuabilidade das larvas quanto o comportamento ativo de natação, não relacionado com condições de luminosidade, são fatores que determinam claramente o padrão de distribuição do coral. Como parte desse padrão, observou-se que a densidade de recrutas juvenis é maior em substratos orientados para baixo, sendo quase nula nas superfícies orientadas para cima. Com exceção da quase ausência de indivíduos sobre áreas orientadas para cima, existem diferenças substanciais entre a distribuição de recrutas e adultos para as demais orientações, principalmente para superfícies verticais. Essas diferenças podem estar relacionadas com o escoamento costeiro, o qual é intenso na região de estudo e pode causar depósito excessivo de sedimentos sobre superfícies positivas, inibindo o desenvolvimento de colônias deste coral. Por outro lado, interações competitivas com outras espécies de corais azooxantelados poderiam ser a causa da diminuição da abundância de T. coccinea em substratos negativos. No terceiro e último capítulo desta tese avaliou-se o potencial de interação de Tubastraea coccinea com espécies representativas de uma comunidade bentônica do litoral norte do Estado de São Paulo, recentemente invadida. Amostragens no campo, visando estimar a densidade de recrutas juvenis de T. coccinea sobre diferentes tipos de manchas formadas por organismos incrustantes, foram usadas para obter uma primeira inferência sobre o potencial de facilitação, ou inibição, do recrutamento. Os cnidários Carijoa riisei, Parazoanthus sp e Obelia dichotoma afetaram negativamente o recrutamento do coral sol, enquanto que algas incrustantes coralináceas facilitaram o recrutamento e podem facilitar a colonização do coral. O papel da mediação alelopática foi avaliado a partir de experimentos de laboratório, nos quais foram medidas diferentes componentes do assentamento larval em função da exposição das larvas a extratos brutos de várias espécies acompanhantes. Os testes mostraram a ocorrência geral de alelopatias negativas, as quais em alguns casos levaram apenas à inibição do assentamento, mas em outros à rápida mortalidade das larvas, sugerindo a ação de metabólitos tóxicos. Adicionalmente, foram realizados estudos comparativos de comunidades com a presença, ou ausência, do coral invasor, considerando fatores relevantes para a sua ocorrência, como a orientação do substrato. As comunidades invadidas por T. coccinea tendem a apresentar maior riqueza e equitatividade. A invasão no local de estudo é relativamente recente, pelo que os resultados encontrados devem estar mais relacionados a diferenças na susceptibilidade dessas comunidades à invasão, do que a eventuais efeitos das colônias do coral sol desenvolvidas nas mesmas. Se for assim, o estabelecimento do coral sol no litoral do Estado de São Paulo poderá implicar em uma perda significativa da diversidade biológica de substratos consolidados rasos. Os dados obtidos nesse estudo, abordando aspectos relevantes da vida pelágica e bentônica de T. coccinea, constituem um acervo de informação que poderá subsidiar planos de controle e monitoramento da espécie invasora, contribuindo ao estabelecimento de critérios de gestão de áreas de conservação. / In this thesis, organized in chapters, we present studies on the processes affecting the life history, dispersal potential, larval settlement preferences, and effective recruitment of the invasive coral Tubastraea coccinea. In the first chapter we report, for the first time, that larvae produced by the sun coral may metamorphose and aggregate in the water column without previous settling on any substrate. We then compared the survival of different types of propagules to test whether alternative development pathways allow longer pelagic life, and thus higher dispersal potential. Our results show that single-polyps live longer than planulae, probably because they can feed and sustain minimal metabolic activity. Clustered polyps live longer than solitary polyps, as expected if per capita polyp mortality rates are similar between these categories. However, mortality rate did not differ between small (2-3 polyps) and large (4-8 polyps) clusters, indicating that, in overall conditions, polyp performance attain a maximum at intermediate aggregations, setting an eventual adaptive upper limit to cluster size. In our experiment, over 80% of swimming colonies remained alive for a period exceeding six months. We conclude that pelagic metamorphosis and cluster formation may be an important mechanism allowing connectivity among populations and the colonization of new habitats. Moreover, founder individuals resulting from pelagic polyp aggregation can generate greater genetic variability in benthic developing colonies. In the second chapter, we first characterized spatial distributions of adult colonies and single-polyp recruits of the invasive azooxanthellate coral Tubastraea coccinea over substrates of different orientation, and evaluated their consistency at both small (several tens of meters) and intermediate (a few km) spatial scales. We then assessed, through field and laboratory experiments, larval preferences and relative settlement and recruitment rates on surfaces with different orientations to determine whether processes taking place during the larval and early post-larval stages could help explain the distribution patterns of recruits and adult colonies. Results suggest that larval passive buoyancy and active larval behavior, unrelated to light conditions, determine a clear settlement distribution pattern, in which the density of settlers is highest at undersurfaces and almost nil at upward facing horizontal substrates. Except for an almost absence of settlers, recruits and adult individuals on upward facing horizontal habitat, there is substantial mismatch between the distribution of settlers and that of recruits and adult colonies. The latter were also common in vertical substrates in the field. We speculate that coastal runoff at the study area and subsequent sedimentation may inhibit coral development on flat upward facing habitat, and that competitive interference and pre-emptive interactions with native azooxanthellate corals could constrain abundance of T. coccinea in underface horizontal habitat. In the third and final chapter of this thesis, the interactions of representative species of the benthic community of the north shore of São Paulo state with the exotic coral, recently introduced at the study site, were evaluated. Field surveys of the density of juvenile recruits of T. coccinea on different types of patches formed by fouling organisms allowed us to detect the effect of competitor species that inhibit coral recruitment. The Cnidarians Carijoa riisei, Parazoanthus sp and Obelia dichotoma negatively affected the juvenile recruitment of the sun coral. Conversely, it was observed that the recruitment of this scleractinian is considerably greater on several other species (chiefly fouling coralline algae), which act as facilitators and promote coral colonization. The role of allelopathic interactions mediating larval settlement was investigated through a settlement experiment using extracts of different companion species. Results indicated a general negative allelopathic response, either limited to settlement inhibition or leading acute mortality, the latter suggesting toxic effects. We also conducted comparative studies of communities with and without the invasive coral, considering other factors that could influence coral occurrence, such as substratum orientation. Species richness and evenness were general higher in invaded communities. The sun coral invasion is relatively recent in the study area and, therefore, these results are probably related to differences in the susceptibility of these assemblages to be invaded, rather than eventual effects of established colonies on them. If this is so, the establishment of T. coccinea in São Paulo state may lead to a significant loss of biological diversity in shallow rocky habitat. Our data give a full account of relevant aspects of the pelagic and benthic life of this invasive coral, and constitute a collection with no precedence that may subsidize plans of control and monitoring of this invasive species, contributing to the establishment of criteria used in the management of conservation areas.

Background: The world is constantly becoming more prone to technology due to globalization which implies organizations have to stay up to date in order to be competitive. Human Resource Management (HRM) is more important than ever, especially with a focus on the recruitment of new employees which will bring skills and knowledge to an organization. With technological advances also comes the opportunity to streamline activities that previously have had to be carried out by humans. Therefore, it is of the highest importance to consider and evaluate the impact technology might have on the area of HRM and specifically the recruitment process. Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to research the implications that technological advancements, in particular Artificial Intelligence (AI), have for the recruitment process. It aims to investigate where AI can be implemented in the traditional recruitment process and possibly make the process more effective, as well as what the implications would be of having AI within recruitment. Method: This thesis uses a qualitative study with semi-structured interviews conducted with eight international companies from all over the world. It is viewed through an interpretivism research philosophy with an inductive research approach. Conclusion: The results show that the area of AI in recruitment is relatively new and there are not many companies that utilize AI in all parts of their recruitment process. The most suitable parts to implement AI in traditional recruitment include recruitment activities such as pre-selection and communication with candidates and sending out recruitment results for applicants. The main benefits of AI were seen as the speeded quality and elimination of routine tasks, while the major challenge was seen as the companies’ overall readiness towards new technologies.

Utbredningen av sociala medier är markant och endast en minoritet av befolkningen finns inte med på sociala medier i någon form. Detta skapar värdefull information som bland annat används av organisationer och rekryterare för att skapa sig en bild om och riskminimera nästa rekrytering. Dock är detta ett förhållandevist nytt sätt att rekrytera och inhämta information och det saknas riktlinjer och förståelse för hur det kan användas på ett ansvarsfullt sätt. Ny lagstiftning som GDPR visar på att det finns ett behov av att säkerställa att informationen inte används felaktigt. Studiens syfte är att öka förståelsen för hur rekryteringsföretag använder information från sociala medier i rekryteringsprocessen utifrån ett ansvarsperspektiv. En kvalitativ studie utfördes med 10 informanter inom bemanningsbranschen. Metoden användes då studien ville fånga respondenternas uppfattning gällande sociala mediers användande i en rekryteringsprocess. Då bemanningsbranschen jobbar inriktat mot just rekrytering ansågs dessa var den målgrupp som erbjöd mest expertis och kunskap. Studien har kommit fram till att det finns en problematik med screening av sociala medier då det är ett oreglerat verktyg. Lagstiftningen är inte tillräcklig och det finns ingen tydlighet i vad för ansvarsroll som gäller. Rekryterare vill gärna använda sociala medier utan att vara oroliga för att de går över gränser och de befinner sig i en dialektal spänning där de anser det vara ett bra verktyg samtidigt som det riskerar att anses ansvarslöst att använda det. En ökad tydlighet om hur det kan och ska användas visar sig vara önskvärt från rekryterare för att ge dem möjlighet att vara transparenta med sitt arbete. / The prevalence of social media is significant and only a minority of the population is not on social media in any form. This creates valuable information that is used by organizations and recruiters, among other things, to create an image and risk minimize the next recruitment. However, this is a relatively new way of recruiting and collecting information and there are a lack of guidelines and understanding of how it can be used in a responsible manner. New legislation such as GDPR shows that there is a need to ensure that the information is not used incorrectly. The aim of the study is to increase understanding of how recruitment companies use information from social media in the recruitment process from a responsibility perspective. A qualitative study was conducted with 10 informants in the staffing industry. The method was used as the study wanted to capture the respondents' perception of social media use in a recruitment process. Since the staffing industry is focused on recruitment, these were considered the target group that offered the most expertise and knowledge. The study has concluded that there is a problem with screening of social media as it is an unregulated tool. Legislation is not sufficient and there is no clarity on what role of responsibility applies. Recruiters would like to use social media without being worried that they are crossing borders and they are in a dialectical tension where they consider it a good tool while at the same time risking being considered irresponsible to use it. Increased clarity on how it can and should be used proves desirable from recruiters to give them the opportunity to be transparent with their work.