Recruitment and Selection One of the most important functions of the Human Resources department of an organization is the recruitment and selection of qualified employees. It is important that HR selects people with the skills and background that exactly match the requirements of their job position. By placing the right candidate in the right positions, HR will ensure that the new employee will quickly achieve full productivity and contribute to the success of the organization. In this organization there appears to be a problem placing a candidate in a position in a timely manner. In fact, it can take more than two months to place a candidate for that particular position. Once a position becomes available, a job analysis is forwarded to Human Resources so that a job description can be posted. A job analysis establishes the requirements of the job being filled or created. A job analysis focuses on work activities, human behaviors, performance standards, work context, machines, tools, equipment and work aids, etc. A well-written job description will communicate the direction of the company and how the employee fits into the organization. However, the problem is that sometimes it is too well written and scares off some candidates due to the text. HR and supervisors are tasked with trying to choose the "right" candidate to interview. Screening tools are used to select candidates such as Work Keys tests. A candidate must first pass the test for that particular position to even be considered for an interview. Scheduling the test for the position or preparing to take it can take one to two weeks. The interview is the most important step in the hiring process. In my company, ...... half of the document ...... lr.com/article.cfm?id-964Ethan A. Winning (2000). The Many Uses of the Job Description http://www.ewin.com/articles/jd.htmEntrepreneur.com (October 23, 2002). How to Write a Job Analysis and Description http://www.customphotoservices.entrepreneur.com/article/0,4621,304062,00.htmlDebra Woog McGinty and Nicole C. Moss (2001). What's in the job description? http://www.connecttwo.com/article_mirrors/job_description.htmlSusan Heathfield (2002). Why an Effective Job Description Makes Good Business Sense http://humanresources.about.com/library/weekly/aa080402a.htm