3.1(a) Role of the line manager/team leader and the HR specialist

The initial decision to fill a vacant position or to create a new one is dependent upon the organisation’s human resource planning strategies which reflect the business or corporate plan.

In planning for the recruitment action, the HR specialist relies on the expertise of the relevant manager to assist in the development of the necessary information such as the job description and specification to prepare an advertising strategy to attract the right applicants. This partnership continues into the selection phase of the process with manager taking an active part in determining the selection criteria and strategies that will most accurately demonstrate the relative competencies of the applicants. At the end of the process, it is the manager who will eventually work with the successful applicant.

HR specialists may not have the same intimate knowledge about the job as the manager but they are best placed to manage the planning of the interview to ensure that it is a valid and reliable mechanism for predicting the suitability of applicants. They will also monitor the process to guarantee that all actions conform to the various legislative requirements (refer to topic 1 or conduct your own research to review these.)