HR and Recruitment Course Modules

Time:
This game will take about 90 minutes to play. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 150 minutes to complete the game and ensure that all of the learning points are brought out.

Aims:
• To check understanding of UK workplace Equality Law and build awareness of the responsibilities all employees and managers have.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of between between 8 and 12 participants.

Useful For:
Everyone in the workplace – because everyone needs to be clear on what they can and can’t do. This is not a topic bound by status and participants will have the most fun from the game if there is a mix of roles, seniority and experience in each team. The game will be especially useful for managers and team leaders who are usually closest to managing diversity and equality issues and need to be clear on the law.

You'll Need:
• A Spinner.
• The Game Board.
• A Questions and Answers sheet.
• 4 differently coloured sets of 8 counters.
• Up to 12 participants (4 teams of 3).

Notes:
This exercise is suitable for use with groups of up to 12 participants. It’s run as a competitive game, which is a race to the finish and played in 4 teams with 2-3 players in each team. We do not recommend having teams with more than 3 participants.

Most questions have multiple choice or yes/no answers. This means that the third team to have a go at a question is pretty much guaranteed to get a correct answer when the question comes round again. This keeps the overall time for the game within reasonable limits and adds to the fun, because of the danger of a team getting the answer wrong and allowing another team to get in with the right answer next time.

The game is very easy to play. We suggest that you have a practice run beforehand to ensure you are clear on how it works.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
This exercise will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To plan a timetable for a simple Assessment Centre.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Employees involved in recruiting, especially if it will include planning assessment centres.

You'll Need:
To cover more material in a shorter timeframe, you can run this module in conjunction with Recruitment Cycle, with half the teams completing this module and the remaining teams completing the exercise from that module. If you do this, brief the team(s) completing the timetable for the Assessment Centre (i.e., this exercise) first, and let them get started; they probably have the harder task.

Time:
This exercise will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 30 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To explain the difference between traditional methods of selection interviewing and behaviour-based selection interviews.
• To highlight the disadvantages of 'traditional' interview techniques.
• To highlight the advantages of structured 'behaviour-based' interviews.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Anyone involved in recruiting staff.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 90 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 150 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to understand how investigations into an alleged disciplinary or grievance should be carried out.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 25 participants.

Useful For:
All managers.

You'll Need:
• Copies of your internal investigating/disciplinary procedures if you are using these.
• Copies of the ACAS Code of Practice Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure if you are using this – available as a free download from http://www.acas.org.uk.

Notes:
In this module, participants carry out an investigation into an alleged disciplinary offence and make a decision about what to do next.

We recommend that you follow it up with the module Disciplinary Part 2, which uses the same scenario and deals with what happens after the investigation is completed.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 75 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to know how to plan, run and provide a fair outcome for a disciplinary meeting.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 25 participants.

Useful For:
Anyone who is responsible for the performance of others at work. It will also be useful for those who may have to chair disciplinary meetings.

You'll Need:
• Copies of your internal investigating/disciplinary procedures if you are using these.
• Copies of the ACAS Code of Practice Disciplinary and Grievance Procedure if you are using this – available as a free download from http://www.acas.org.uk.

Notes:
This module can only be run as a follow up to Disciplinary - Part 1.

It is suitable for large and small companies.

The answers provided here reflect the legal minimum for the UK. You may want to amend/add to these answers in the light of your country’s legal requirements or your organisation’s policies.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 20 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To consider how a disciplinary policy/procedure should be used in practice.
• To help participants identify the skills and behaviours they should adopt as managers when involved in a disciplinary procedure.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Line managers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This module has been written with best practice in the UK in mind. Please be aware when using this module that legislation affecting this area tends to be updated frequently and that the legal position in countries outside of the UK may differ. All trainers should check the current situation and their organisation’s policies with a HR professional before running this module. For UK customers, the ACAS website is very helpful: www.acas.org.uk.

Time:
The exercises in this module will take about 60 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 120 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To help participants understand the benefits of having a disciplinary procedure.
• To help participants learn about the organisation’s procedure and their responsibility within it.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels and line managers in particular.

You'll Need:
• Copies of the organisation's disciplinary policy and procedures.

Notes:
This module has been written with best practice in the UK in mind. Please be aware when using this module that legislation affecting this area tends to be updated frequently and that the legal position in countries outside of the UK may differ. All trainers should check the current situation and their organisation’s policies with a HR professional before running this module. For UK customers, the ACAS website is very helpful: http://www.acas.org.uk.

This module is intended to introduce participants to their organisation’s disciplinary procedure in a way that helps them to understand it and importantly, understand the benefits of having it – to themselves, the staff and the organisation as a whole.

This module can be used as a starting point for a Discipline and Grievance workshop, or indeed as a stand alone module to introduce participants to the ‘What’ and the ‘Why’ so that at least they have comfort in that knowledge.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 130 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 210 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To identify the key stages of the recruitment and selection process and current best practice in relation to each stage.
• To identify and describe the purposes and potential uses of recruitment and selection documentation and the consequences of inappropriate/incomplete records.
• To identify ways of ensuring fair, equitable and legal decision-making with the recruitment and selection process.
• To identify inappropriate actions and behaviours on the part of those involved in recruitment and and strategies for dealing with these.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Recruiting managers – see note.

You'll Need:
See Notes.

Notes:
Fair Play? is a case study exercise in recruitment and selection. Its focus is the process of recruitment and selection rather than the skills of interviewing. However, it may also be used to reinforce skills-based exercises such as writing job descriptions/person specifications and short-listing techniques.

It is suitable for a wide range of audiences and activities. E.g.:
• As an introduction to the processes and practices of recruitment and selection.
• As an updating/refresher module for staff who are already experienced interviewers.

It’s suitable for any level of manager/professional whose responsibilities include the recruitment and selection of staff.

Running the Case Study
You will need about 3½ hours to run this entire module, which consists of 4 exercises that examine the recruitment process in stages. We recommend that you have a maximum of 12 participants, working in teams of 3-4 for this module.

You will need a room large enough to enable the teams to work without too much distraction from each other or a number of “break-out” rooms.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To assist job applicants in recognising the different types of interview.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break, or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is the first module in the series Interview Skills. It may also be used as a stand-alone session.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 20 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help job applicants prepare for an interview.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is the second in the series of 4 modules on Interview Skills and follows on from Interview Skills 1 - It’s a Puzzle. It can also be used as a stand-alone session.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help job applicants prepare for an interview.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels, especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is the third in the series of 4 modules on Interview Skills. It can be run as a stand-alone session or as the follow-on from Interview Skills 2 - What Will They Ask Me?

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 80 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 90 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To demonstrate the importance of taking a step back and understanding our role in the relationships we have with others at work.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
• A stopwatch or timer would be beneficial.

Notes:
This is the fourth module in the series on Interview Skills. It may be used as a stand-alone session or as the follow-on to the module, Interview Skills 3 - Ten Tough Questions. If time is available, run a further interview practice after reviewing the first round of interviews.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 60 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To encourage participants to think about the type of job they should apply for and the skills and personal qualities they can bring to it.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is the first module in the series Job Application. It can be used as a short, stand-alone session or as the first in a series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 45 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To assist job applicants in understanding what the employer is looking for when advertising a job.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is the second module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. Alternatively it can be run as a stand-alone exercise.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 50 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To provide good practice advice in completing applications for employment.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is the third module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. We recommend at least running the second module of this series (Job Application 2 – Understanding Job Adverts) prior to this one.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 70 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help job applicants write a compelling CV.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of up to 25 participants

Useful For:
Staff at all levels especially those returning to work after a career break or job seekers. This module may also be used as a framework for 1:1 coaching sessions.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is the fourth module in the Job Application series of short workshops taking participants through the whole job application process – from selecting the most appropriate jobs to preparing for interview. It may also be used as a short, stand-alone session.

We’ve provided two alternative briefs for Exercise 1, one for more senior, experienced groups and one for less experienced candidates.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 40 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing at least 50 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To help participants to consider how it feels to be different from the majority.
• To encourage understanding of the sources of prejudicial feelings and ways of behaving that can make others feel uncomfortable.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to about 15 participants with enough to encourage discussion.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
• To practise reading the scenario through several times to familiarise yourself before the session. (If your level of membership allows, there is an audio recording of the scenario in Trainers’ Library that you can use if you prefer not to read it aloud yourself.)

Notes:
This exercise uses an imaginative method for raising awareness of prejudice and really gets participants thinking.

It is important to use this activity within a diversity course in which ground rules of showing respect for individual opinions and experiences have been established. The content is potentially sensitive and it is important that the trainer monitors conversations during the group work to pick up on any intrusive questioning of minorities within the group, which could mirror the unhelpful behaviour described in the imaginary scenario.

The module consists of four activities:

Part 1:
1) Reading/Playing the scenario.
2) Discussion of the experience of imagining yourself into the scenario.
3) Input on where the attitudes and feelings may come from and the unhelpful behaviours that may follow.

Part 2:
4) Discussion in groups of what the two sets of people in the scenario could do to encourage acceptance and integration.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 50 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 90 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To identify the purpose of the person specification when recruiting and selecting.
• To identify key principles for drawing up legal and effective Person Specifications.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Line managers and other staff involved in the recruitment and selection process.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
There is a suggested person specification that accompanies these notes (Handout 2). You might like to use this at the end of the exercise to provide a comparison for those the group produce.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 130 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 180 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To enable participants to understand what is needed to run an effective recruitment interview and to practise doing so.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of between 4 and 12 participants. Ideally, you should have at least 6 participants.

Useful For:
Anyone who is involved in interviewing candidates for posts in their organisation.

You'll Need:
• Post-it notes.
• The job description, person specification and the candidate applications for the role you’d like to interview for.
• One room containing a table and chairs for each group taking part in the practice interviews.
• A waiting room for your candidates. (One of these rooms needs to be large enough for the whole group to come together for the initial briefing and final discussion/review.)

Notes:
Recruitment is the start of effective performance management and one of any organisation’s most important activities. This module will ensure that all those involved are able to carry out the interview process effectively. It is simple to run but does need careful planning to ensure it works. The time spent doing this is amply rewarded by the fact that, once done, you can use the module again and again, without the need for much planning.

Although not totally necessary, we think it would be helpful to run this session as part of a whole course looking at recruitment. There is a complete course agenda in Trainers’ Library that shows how you could do this.

Time:
The exercise in this module will take about 25 minutes to complete. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 45 minutes to complete this module.

Aims:
• To consider the importance of planning recruitment.
• To prepare a list of actions that may need to be completed as part of the recruitment process, prior to recruiting a new member of staff.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants.

Useful For:
Recruitment staff.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
In this module, participants will look at the key steps in an effective recruitment process. It provides a useful introduction to courses and workshops for those new to the recruitment process.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 30 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 60 minutes to complete the module.

Aims:
• To help participants recognise signs that may indicate that someone is suffering from stress.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 15 participants. We suggest groups of 12-14 and certainly no fewer than 8.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
You can be as creative as you like with this exercise. As a minimum, give participants access to blutak, marker pens, crayons and plenty of flipchart paper. You might also supply glue, glitter, different colour papers, musical instruments – anything that you think the teams could use to carry out the exercise.

Notes:
This module is suitable for anyone, but particularly those working in potentially stressful environments who need to be able to identify signs in themselves and in others which may indicate that they are experiencing stress. We suggest that this works best with a group of 12 -14 people – certainly, no fewer than 8.

This module is best used as part of a complete programme of identifying and managing stress. Work-related stress is now recognised as a serious issue and to comply with the law employers and employees have duties:
• Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, to assess the risk of stress-related ill health arising from work activities; and
•  Under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974, to take measures to control that risk.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed within 50-60 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing 90-100 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To identify the purpose of effective short-listing in recruitment and selection.
• To identify key principles for short-listing.
• To identify potential difficulties with short-listing and ways of overcoming these.
• To provide an opportunity for participants to practise short-listing; ensuring a fair and accurate assessment of evidence.

Group Size:
This module is suitable for use with groups of up to 25 participants.

Useful For:
Recruiting managers.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
This is a case study exercise that follows on from 'Perfect Fit'. It can be run using in-house policy and recruitment processes to re-enforce the learning.

The exercise can also be run as a stand-alone session.

To run this exercise, you will need a room that’s big enough for participants to work comfortably in groups, or a couple of ‘break-out’ rooms.

The module looks at best practice for short-listing. In it candidates look at documentation produced during the recruitment process, including the person specification, application form and short-listing forms. The modules will be useful to anyone involved in the recruitment process, including senior managers.

Time:
The exercise in this module can be completed in about 10 minutes. In total, allowing for discussion, we recommend allowing about 40 minutes for this module.

Aims:
• To demonstrate how our own beliefs, values and past experiences affect how we perceive people and situations.
• To raise awareness of how often unconscious bias impacts upon our perceptions of others.
• To understand the impact of unconscious bias on our interactions with others and the decisions we take.

Group Size:
This module can be used with groups of almost any size.

Useful For:
Staff at all levels.

You'll Need:
Nothing other than the materials provided.

Notes:
If using this exercise with very large groups, place participants into pairs.

Unconscious bias can apply to a range of topics and can be included in training on Recruitment, Equal Opportunities, Customer Service and Performance Management, etc.

Remote/Virtual Delivery:
There is a Remote Delivery version of this module available in Trainers’ Library.