6

Business Argus

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

In brief...
Get support
CENTRE for Business and Newport-based Walter Hunter are hosting a free, one-stop-shop Enterprise Day in Newport Indoor Market. Businesses will be able to obtain information and advice. Also available on the day will be advice for people thinking of setting up a business. The event is taking place on November 28, 2013 from 9am to 2pm on the First Floor of Newport Indoor Market.

Job interviews what is acceptable to ask?

By Ashley Harkus, managing partner and employment lawyer with South Wales law firm Everett Tomlin Lloyd & Pratt
SOME employers see the recruitment process as a bit of a minefield. The recent case of a job candidate being asked to dance during a job interview demonstrates how processes can go spectacularly wrong. There has also been a debate about whether employers should use social media to gather information about candidates. Reports of American firms asking potential recruits for permission to access their Facebook accounts before hiring pose interesting questions about privacy . That being said, it should be obvious to most employers that having a dance section within a process is a bad idea unless youre recruiting a dancer but many employers are genuinely unsure how to safely recruit and what they can properly ask. All employers are under a duty to ensure both the application and recruitment process is fair and doesnt discriminate. However, any selection process needs to establish who is likely to do a good job and be contented at work. The conciliation service ACAS warns poor recruitment processes can lead to increased employee turn over, unnecessary costs for an organisation and a lowering in morale for existing staff. Discontented employees are unlikely to give their best and may end up leaving voluntarily or involuntarily causing disruption. To avoid this it is suggested employers have a set written procedure and keep a record of each step along the way . The start point should be preparing a job specification. This should include the main purpose, tasks and scope of the role. That document can then be used to describe the skills and aptitudes considered essential. When applications have been received, it is usually necessary to sift through CVs of the people involved, comparing them against the requirements for the job, so unsuitable potential employees are weeded out. Its also worth briefly recording the reason for

Aiming high

THE University of South Wales is to become a centre of excellence in the field of procurement and supply chain management as its Procurement Best Practice Academy is launched yesterday by Minister for Finance, Jane Hutt AM. The academy aims to become a UK centre of excellence in knowledge exchange, by bringing together academics and practitioners in all sectors of the economy to identify, develop and share the best practice available locally, nationally and internationally . It boasts 12 distinguished inaugural fellows including Jane Hutt AM and Dr Jane Ellis, head of Procurement for Europe, the Middle East and Africa for Citigroup.

Good practice

BUSINESS in the Community has called for entries to its annual Responsible Business Awards. The awards in Wales are the longest-running and most robust corporate responsibility awards. They celebrate those organisations which are combining the achievement of commercial success with delivering a positive impact on society in general. From driving local economic growth to supporting young people into employment, building long-term partnerships with schools, to enhancing the well-being of employees, these awards are an opportunity for businesses of any size to be recognised for their commitment to a wide range of responsible business practices. Past winners of the awards include Newportbased Wales & West Utilities. For further information about the 2014 Responsible Business Awards categories please visit www.bitc. org.uk/wales.

applications not getting through the sift. In certain types of jobs it is necessary to ask for medical assessments as part of the process. This does have to be justified, as it is unlawful to ask health-related questions before making a job offer except when very limited exceptions apply, for example, determining if a candidate can carry out a function

which is essential to the job or establishing if they need special arrangements to deal with a recruitment process. Once the candidates have been established, there are a number of different selection techniques which can be adopted including interviews, tests or assessments. Many jobs are filled by an interview. It is important to structure the interview so

there is a consistent approach and so an employer can show they have adopted a fair criteria. Its worth having a written interview plan which can be used for each candidate to record if they met the criteria. Interviews should focus on questions relevant to the skills and competencies required for the job and

These candidates cannot be shy

SOMETIMES interviews do call for something a bit out of the ordinary, as Newport businessman Lewis Lewis (pictured) explains... Most people probably know me from working as director of corporate and client services for Lewis and Lewis Ltd. However, I am also the managing director of another business called Viaggio UK, which specialises in special events and travel. As part of this business, we offer a service called Premium Butlers. Our premium butlers are ready to make your next party, event or occasion a night to remember. We supply premium butlers to add a bit of spice, charm and chic to your special occasion or corporate event. Whether its a small party in the garden, product launch or even a corporate function in a hotel, our premium butlers will make your event naughty butt nice and will also add that WOW factor and talking point. All of our butlers go through a very strict interview process and we have to ask our butlers to strip down to their underwear to check that they meet our criteria and are comfortable being semi-naked in front of groups of people. As you can imagine, I find it very difficult to get a panel of volunteers to attend the interview process. The butlers will serve drinks, mingle with guests, join in with hen party games and even do the washing up. All you need to do is enjoy the view! Charming, innocent, just a little cheeky

employers should generally avoid asking personal questions about health, age or family circumstances. Many employers find this issue difficult, as the questions can sound entirely innocuous. It may help to consider what the purpose of asking the question is. For example, if an employer asked do you have children?, are you married? or have you been ill in the past?, a candidate could be forgiven for believing there is a right and a wrong answer, and the answer given could effect whether they were offered the job or not. As personal details are unlikely to be seen as relevant to aptitude, they may well be seen as discriminatory and are best avoided. There is nothing to stop an employer setting tests, asking for demonstrations of practical skills or asking difficult questions in interview, providing they relate to the skills required for the job. As most employers agree recruiting and retaining the best people is key to the success of the business, a robust but fair selection process is essential.

Follow us on Twitter: @SWABusiness