Unit 3

• Recruitment process


  1. Job seekers match job descriptions to their skills at the start

  2. Company's recruiter writes the job advert, manages the selection process, and makes the final job offer
• Recruiters match an applicant to a job vacancy by


  Looking for someone who can do the job and who will enjoy it, so that they will stay in the role for some time
• Recruitment stages


  1. Research

  2. Identifying role, skills, qualifications, and personal characteristics

  3. Opportunities

  4. Job adverts, agencies, social media, local contacts

  5. Application

  6. Online application form and CV

  7. Selection

  8. Online assessment, telephone interview, face-to-face interview, pre-employment checks

  9. Offer

  10. Job offer, applicant accepts
• If you lack experience in a sector, you might start by applying for assistant or team member roles, which are entry-level jobs from which you can later progress to roles with greater responsibilities
• If you have more experience and/or relevant training, you may want to pursue higher-paid senior, supervisory, or managerial roles
• Job search


  1. Deciding on the industry and entry route, searching for suitable job adverts

  2. Looking on financial websites and social media

  3. Searching job adverts on job websites

  4. Creating job alerts on websites so they email you with suitable job adverts

  5. Contacting recruitment agencies

  6. Checking local and national newspapers

  7. Asking in local financial services offices or branches
• Job adverts tell about the role, skills the employer wants, where the job is based, whether it is full-time or part-time, and sometimes the salary
• Full-time work guarantees a high number of hours per week and may mean working five or more days
• Part-time work allows fitting the job around other personal commitments
• Temporary work can be applied for if a job is needed for a specific period, like six months
• A zero-hours contract offers flexibility to both the employee and the employer, but it makes earnings unpredictable
• Job seekers need to choose a job that matches their strengths
• Employers don't expect new recruits to know how to do all the tasks listed for a job; they look for key competencies that mean people are likely to be able to do these tasks after training
• Competencies for a trainee cashier job

  • Carrying out transactions for customers with efficiency, accuracy, and professionalism
  • Taking action to resolve problems such as customers completing forms incorrectly
  • Engaging with customers to offer a friendly, respectful, and welcoming service
• Recruiters judge professionalism by the applicant's behavior during the application process
• Personal competencies in job adverts

  • Team player
  • Builds relationships
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Communication skills
• Job applicants will be asked to demonstrate how they have shown these competencies in the past
• Competencies can be developed with practice and examples from work, leisure, or educational activities
• Assessing own competencies involves honest self-reflection
• There may be barriers to improving competencies, and self-awareness is crucial for development
• When assessing your own competencies, it involves honest self-reflection
• Barriers to improving competencies

  • A person scared of public speaking may need to work on their confidence
  • Someone easily distracted may need to improve concentration
  • Overcoming emotional responses built up since childhood for competencies related to emotions
• Behavioural competencies crucial but unlikely to appear in job adverts

  • Empathy
  • Diplomacy
  • Apologising
  • Stress management
  • Trustworthiness
• When you decide you want a job, you apply for it
• Most employers use online applications where you complete a form and attach your CV
• A CV is a document showing the story of your work life and relevant private life activities
• The purpose of a CV is to show why you are a good match for the job and to progress in the selection process
• What to include on a CV

  • Name and contact details
  • Profile statement summarising experience and competencies
  • Employment experience with key achievements
  • Education and training
  • Relevant interests
  • Statement 'references are available on request'
• Referees are people who can confirm your skills and are important in the job application process
• Former employers or colleagues can be suitable referees depending on your work experience
• If you have done voluntary work, your manager or colleague there can be a referee
• When sending your CV, you also send an online application form, personal statement, or cover letter to highlight key skills and experiences
• With an application form, the employer sets the structure to gather necessary information
• It is better to prepare before filling in an application form by gathering required information and researching the employer
• For online application forms, type longer answers in a separate document to avoid losing them and to check spelling and grammar
• Competency-based questions may be included in an application form to examine skills
• The recruiter wants specific examples of when you demonstrated the skills required for the role
• Using word-processing software


  Helps with checking spelling and grammar to give the best first impression
• An application form may include competency-based questions that examine your skills
• The recruiter wants to see specific examples of when you demonstrated the skills the role requires