Quiz Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 11

Quiz - Essay Example 2. Mainly, there are three levels of technical audience to whom a technical document addresses. These are the lay persons, the technicians and the experts. When creating any documentation, there is a need to consider the targeted audience in that their level of mastery in the field differs. In other words, a document that targets the lay persons should not contain too much technicalities, while one that targets experts has to be in a sophisticated level of technicality. Experts possess advanced knowledge in the field and they do recognize one another by decoding the advance jargon and technicalities to make meaning from a document. On the contrary, the lay persons and the technicians may need synthesizing of some technical elements to make adequate meaning of the document. 3. The use of visuals is important in any technical document. Visuals and images do communicate major elements and facts that may take long to express through words, or which may be difficult to express. The benefit is that not only does the use of visuals shorten the documentation, but it also offers concise understanding of the presented concepts and brings out the different communicated concepts in a simplified manner by stressing how the different components of an item relate to make whole. 4. An example of a technical document is given above. The document would be more likely to be used in symposiums and in institutions of higher learning targeting experts and technicians in audio technology. This is because; the document highlights major developments and directions in the field of audio technology. The document serves the above audience best in that it offers concise understanding of what has been done, what is being done and the future direction in the field. The aim is to place students and experts in a better position to research future in the field equipped with the previous, current and expected future

Globalisation. Its causes and results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Globalisation. Its causes and results - Essay Example This framework is the international strategy or strategic planning which is formulated by senior managers and executives detailing decisions regarding key issues such as where and how to produce goods or services, what products to sell, where to sell, and how and where to get resources for the production process. They must also decide how to compete with competitors and the key success factors for the company and product. Firms enter new markets for various reasons such as increased competition, discovery of new foreign markets, reaction to domestic market changes among others. Whatever the reason, the managers must chose the right market entry strategy and align it to corporate objectives (Andexer, 2008). Different strategies are linked to different entry modes depending on the situation, financial, economic, and environmental factors. The role of timely accurate marketing research and analysis to guide decision making is increasingly becoming critical. Depending on its situation, a firm may choose to use export, joint venture, direct investment, franchising, licensing, mergers and Acquisitions or global supply chains to enter new markets. The paper is going to analyse the market entry strategies of NatWest Bank since 2008. Company Background The National Westminster (NatWest) Bank is the largest retail and commercial bank in the U.K. It was established in 1968 after a merger of National Provincial bank and Westminster and District bank and began its operations in 1970. It has 1600 branches and 3400 cash machines across Britain. It also operates more than 7.5m customers and 850000small business accounts. It also has separate operations at Coutts & Co, Ulster bank, and Isle of man bank. It has been expanding over time and became a part of the Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc (RBS) which is the second largest bank in UK in terms of assets and the fifth largest in the world by market capitalisation in 2000. However, it operates as a distinct brand though most fun ctions were merged with those of RBS. The bank has many subsidiaries and offers both banking and insurance services to personal, business and commercial customers across brands and channels. It is regulated and authorised by Financial Services Authority and it is also a member of the British Bankers’ Association (Worldwide web, 2012). Global Business Development Strategy International strategy is a comprehensive framework to help a business in achieving its fundamental goals (Andexer, 2008). It is more complex than a single country strategy for a firm in that it involves dealing with complex issues such as differences in language, culture, labour, political, legal, and currency among others. The strategy is aimed at attaining global efficiency, international flexibility and worldwide learning and can take the form of home replication, multidomestic strategy, global strategy and transnational strategy (Tielmann, 2010). Home replication focuses on transferring competitive advan tage from home market to foreign market. In this case, the firm develops a strategy and uses it in international firms. It is used when the need for flexibility and global integration is low. A firm may also use multidomestic str

Once Upon A Time by Gabriel Okara

Once Upon A Time by Gabriel Okara The poet of the poem Once upon a time is Gabriel Okara who is a Nigerian. He was born on 24th or 21st of April in the year 1921.In that year Nigeria got independence from Britain so at that time they were still influenced by the British culture. The background of the poem is that he is remembering the way people used to behave and interact with each other and he is comparing it with how people interact with others now. How the people used to do things with their hearts and with pleasure and happiness. It describes what happens when a traditional African culture and civilisation meets with the western culture. My personal opinion of the purpose of this poem is to outline the behaviour and personality people have at the moment and try and bring them back to the personality that people used to have, when they used to do things with emotion and with their heart The poem is a conversation between a father and his son where the son does things with emotion and the father wants to forget his fake personality and re-learn and create real personalities from his son. And he is asking the son to show him how to express true love and show real personality to others. It the first stanza the author mentions that people used to laugh with their heart they used to laugh with their emotions, when they would laugh they would do it wholeheartedly and with warmth and they used to laugh with their eyes and show pleasure with them. And know they do it with only their teeth not with their heart, meaning they do not really want to laugh but do it just to get closer to you and with their darky gloomy cold eyes they watch you and wait for you from the corner of their eyes waiting for you to leave search behind my shadow. In my opinion the words they refer to the white people who had invaded their country and influenced them with their culture. In this stanza the words ice-block-cold eyes is used these words emphasize the coldness and the inner hatred they have for you like they can freeze water with their gaze. These also make the poem feel a bit dark and cold and a slight bit sinister In the second stanza he further talks about the personalities of the people of the past he says they used to shake with their hearts here he is trying to say that when you would meet each other you will shake their hands with pleasure and with warmth and do it willingly. While their left hands search my empty pockets from this we can see that they are trying to use him to get to his money or receive something from him. This also shows that the peoples personalities are not real and true In the third stanza he is talking about when people ask you to come again and say feel at home you go there once, twice and the third time they will not let you in thinking that you are a pest and that they do not wanted to see you anymore. The words feel at home is used for when you want a guest to feel welcomed and that they belong in that household. Here he mentions that I find the doors shut on me this shows that they do not even open the door to tell him that he is not wanted and the moment but instead leaves the door closed keeping him standing outside. This also shows that when people speak they lie not telling the truth but just saying something nice to grasp their heart. In the fourth stanza he talks about how he has learned to put on faces like how outfits and masks are put on at different times, and with different people you act differently, for example in the office you act in one way to a person but when you meet them on the street you act another way to them, and how all the faces that people have on different occasions. He says I have learned too which is suggesting that he has also changed with the change of the people around him. he also mentions with all their conforming smiles like a fixed portrait suggesting that they all have the same smile all the time not showing any true emotion. In the fifth stanza he says that he has also been influenced by the people around him and he has learned to keep his true personality a secret and show the world a fake personality, to laugh with only me teeth this part is connected with the part in the first stanza they only laugh with their teeth from this you can see a comparison of what people do and what he does now. This also shows that he has changed to blend in with the environment. Here in the part where he says I have also learned to say `Goodbye when I mean `Good-riddance that is pointing out to the fact that they will, without thinking and without meaning it they will say Goodbye. He mentions forward that Glad to meet you meaning that he is happy to see you and is happy with your presence without being glad meaning that the did not wanted to talk to you and they disliked your presence and if they could they would of avoided you and its been nice talking to you, after being bored saying that they say things that they do no t mean In the fifth stanza he concludes it all saying that he does not like what he has become and he wants to be like he used to be when he was like a child so small and innocent. He points out that he really wants to learn how to laugh with emotions like you really mean it and he compares his laugh like that of a snakes fangs that shows only the teeth snakes are those menacing creatures that are full of venom and can never be trusted and to compare his laugh with a snake gives the image that the man really does not like his fake personality. This stanza sums it well by giving the image to the reader that he is not happy and satisfied with himself The last stanza is the farther asking and pleading to his son to show him how to laugh and smile like he did when he was a child. The last line sums up the entire poem really well making sure that all strings are tied The structure of the poem is really good and consistent most of the stanzas have 6 lines in them. It is a very nice poem with a nice smooth flow

McMurphy as Hero of Ken Keseys One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest :: One Flew Over Cuckoos Nest

McMurphy as Hero of One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest A hero is considered to be any man noted for courage or nobility of Purpose; especially, one who has risked or sacrificed his life. In Ken Kesey's novel, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, the reader can see how McMurphy is a prime example of a hero. McMurphy's strength embodies a heroic devotion to the other acutes on the ward. There were no heroes on the psychiatric ward until McMurphy's arrival. McMurphy gave the patients courage to stand against a truncated concept of masculinity, such as Nurse Ratched. For example, Harding states, "No ones ever dared to come out and say it before, but there is not a man among us that does not think it. That doesn't feel just as you do about her, and the whole business feels it somewhere down deep in his sacred little soul." McMurphy did not only understand his friends/patients, but understood the enemy who portrayed evil, spite, and hatred. McMurphy is the only one who can stand against the Big Nurse's oppressive supreme power. Chief explains this by stating, "To beat her you don't have to whip her two out of three or three out of five, but every time you meet. As soon as you let down your guard, as sson as you loose once, she's won for good. And eventually we all got to lose. Nobody can help that." McMuprhy's struggle for hte patient's free will is a disrup tion to Nurse Ratched's social order. Though she holds down her guard she yet is incapable of controlling what McMurphy is incontrollable of , such as his friends well being, to the order of Nurse Ratched and the Combine. Even though McMurphy's own sacrifice of life is the price of his victory, he still attempts to push the ward patients to hold thier own personal opinions and fight for what is ethically right. For instinace, McMurphy states, "But I tried though,' he says. 'Goddammit, I sure as hell id that much, now didn't I?" McMurphy strains to bring the 'fellas' courage and determination in a place full of inadequacy and "perfection." McMurphy obtains a lot of courage in maintaining his own sort of personal integrity, and trying to keep the guys' intergrity and optimistic hope up.

Construction and De-construction of Race Essay

This summary is not available. Please click here to view the post.

CIA-The World Factbook Essay

As a member of the Arab League, an organization, of Arab States founded in 1945, Syria joined the Arab States in the War against Israel in 1948; and since then the two countries have been at war. Despite the defeat of the Arab army in 1948, there was another Arab- Israeli war, June of 1967. Heavy fighting took place between Syria and Israel. A truce was arranged within a few days, but not before Israel had occupied hundreds of square miles of territory in southwestern Syria. Incidentally, before acceding to the United Nations cease-fire, the Israeli forces took over control of the fortified Golan Heights commanding the Sea of Galilee. The strategic, heavily fortified plateau that is the Golan Heights is wary of war. The announcement of the union of the area into Israel in December 1981 added to Syria’s territorial losses. Syria has not accepted detachment of the Golan Heights from the Syrian motherland. As of October 1991, both Syria and Israel have engaged in on -and-off discussions of making peace. The countries have considered asking the U. S. to oversee an accord, which would make it more likely that American peace monitors would be put in place on the Heights. Israel has agreed to withdraw from the Golan, with the implicit understanding that the withdrawal will be total. The two sides have accepted the principle of equality– of â€Å"equality† of security arrangements on and around the Golan. Both countries, for instance, would remove their armed forces from the border region. However, the Syrians demanded that the demilitarization be symmetrical : Israel insisted that it could not pull back as far as Syria, since the Syrians having possession of the Heights would have had enormous topological advantage in the event of a surprise attack. There is an agreement that the Israeli withdrawal would take place gradually. Syria wants it completed in something close to 1 and a half years ,while Israel is asking for three. For the Syrians, the Golan is just a channel of saving grace, since Syria in its history of participation in the Arab- Israeli Wars, it has lost a lot of its territorial land. As of 1997 there have been no major breakthroughs. The Palestine Liberal Organization (PLO) as the name, implies is an independent state of Israel. Again this is about Syria’s membership in the Arab League. There have been repeated failures in tackling the Palestine question. With the emergence of the Palestine guerilla movement, and the PLO-Israeli attacks, Palestine is a constant reminder that inter-Arab unity should be achieved as soon as possible. Because of the PLO situation, the loss of Palestine and the continuing tragedy of the Palestinian people, there is disillusionment and political alienation in Arab country. Large Palestinian refugee groups have formed a an opulent and critical significance in Lebanon and Jordan. The very large Palestinian refugee conglomerate in Syria has been assured of Syrian sympathy for their cause. Although it is obvious that Syria’s compassion is politically rooted. The stark political sympathy that the Syrian government has for the independent state of Israel [which is the PLO] has a significant influence; on the inception of a specific question that this paper asks. How does Syria use terrorism in formulating the country’s foreign and defense policy as it places particular emphasis on its relationship with Israel? This paper uses terrorism as the abject â€Å"welding† channel to unify this study, not only due to the fact that terrorism is a very timely and relevant global political issue but also because terrorism is not a very unlikely strategy (any longer) when it comes to most strategies of defense which belong to Arab nation states. Schmuel Bahr, in his study â€Å"Bashar’s Syria: The Regime and its Strategic Worldview† which appeared in the book â€Å" Comparative Strategy†, begins his research with how, â€Å" The Syrian regime—and to a certain extent modern Syria in a broader sense—is the handwork of Hafez al-Asad. † (353). Bahr also states that, â€Å"His thirty-year autocratic rule (before which he also had wielded considerable influence in the regime of his predecessor) has made distinguishing between the president and the state almost impossible. † (353). Eyal Zisser, on the other hand, writes in the journal article â€Å" Who’s Afraid of Syrian Nationalism? National and State Identity in Syria†, â€Å"Bashshar’s commitment to Arabism required no substantiation. He frequently stressed his loyalty to the Arab nation in public statements and depicted Syria as a fortress of Arabism. † (179). Zisser also reveals the following about the confidence the Syria has on itself as an independent country, â€Å"This state is no longer fragile, but rather is self-confident. † (196). An article (c.2007) devoted to the state of Syria, â€Å" Political Overview† , an article that was part of â€Å"The Syria Review 2007† presents that, â€Å"The U. S. government has labeled Syria a state-sponsor of terrorism. † (67). With regard to Syria’s defense history of utilizing terrorism as a political strategy Zisser writes, â€Å"The Syrian government has taken a generally aggressive stance against insurgent organizations that oppose its rule. Its efforts to suppress insurrection have generally been successful. Militants did manage to bomb a bus in Damascus in 1997, killing 20. † (68). The 2007 â€Å"CIA-The World Factbook—Syria† informs that the current government type of this nation is that of, â€Å" republic under an authoritarian, military-dominated regime. † (series # 02771527). Erik Knudsen in his â€Å"The Syrian-Israeli Political Impasse: A Study in Conflict, War and Mistrust. † , which had been part of the journal â€Å"Diplomacy and Statecraft† discusses the stand of Syria when it comes to its situation with Israel as far as the topic of peace goes—with,â€Å" Furthermore, the Israeli governments point out that Syria has displayed a reluctance to pursue a real and lasting peace. † (213). Finally, however, there appears to be known data which apparently communicates a message which is quite supportive of Syria’s foreign policy when it comes to military and governmental defense in Noriko Sato’s â€Å" On the Horns of the Terrorist Dilemma: Christian Syrians’ Response To Israeli ‘Terrorism’ † in the academic journal â€Å" History and Anthropology† and this known data contains this, â€Å" As related earlier, it is a prevailing understanding among Aleppienes (coming from Alepo, to mean Syrian Christians) that ‘terrorism’ is a byproduct of United States policy and that the Israeli military operations against the Palestinians are conducted in the guise of supporting American policy for combating ‘terrorism’. † (152).

Cuban Economy essays

Cuban Economy essays Although the Cuban economy may be thought of as to some as a complete failure, the command system structure can still be an effective way of creating a successful economy, if the correct steps are taken in it's planning. From the 1960's revolution to the 1990's collapse of russia, the soviet union managed to maintain the Cuban economy by trading them sugar in return for oil (http://lanic.utexas.edu/la/cb/cuba/asce/cuba1/panel.html). The USSR paid "higher than market prices" for Cuban cane, and Cuba paid "lower than market prices" for Russian petroleum products. This arrangement which Cuba benefited from, allowed Castro to provide benefits to the citizens such as higher education, free total medical care, and subsidized food and housing. Now, ever since the deal with the Soviet Union has collapsed, the Cuban economy has fallen by 35% from 1989 to 1993 (www.odci.gov/cia/publications/factbook/index.html). Instead of the island being maintained or enhansed, it is barely be sustained. Although the lack of aid from the Soviet Union has had a great influence in the Cuban economy, it still has some hope because of increased tourism, agricultural trade and additional US dollars. The Cuban economy is strongly based on a command system, where the government has nearly complete control of the economy. Just as any other economic system is required to do, the command system must answer the 3 basic economic questions. what to produce, how to produce it, and who gets what (Lyons, Brian 1987). The government controls things such as the quantity of each good that is to be imported and exported, prices of goods and services, wages, housing. etc. Through the goverments control, they can decide who recieves what share of the economic pie. Unfortunatly, this means that they can use this power to there own advantage and limit the amount of income that each citizen receives. In Cuba, each working a...

Understanding why Athenians were executed essays

Understanding why Athenians were executed essays To understand why the Athenians executed Socrates in 399, one must first take a deeper look into his life. Socrates was born in 469 in Athens, son of the sculptor Sophroniscus and the midwife Phainarete. He belonged to the small Athenian bourgeoisie. He began to work in his fathers workshop. After 421, he married Xanthippe and had three sons. Socrates lived in the period of the war of Peloponnese. He was a brave fighter at Poleidaia, Delion, and at Amphipolis in 422. He showed force, courage and generosity. Throughout his political life, Socrates did not have governmental charges and he never tried to have any. In 405-406, he was a member of the Council of the Five hundred. At the time, Athens was under a democratic government. Socrates was chosen a judge. He was the only one to side against the democratic government that wanted to make summary justice accusing the admirals collectively, like it was established on the contrary by the law. In 408 Athens was under the oligarchical government of the Thirty. Socrates was charged, with four other citizens, to arrest the democratic Lion of Salamis. He thought this was not just and refused to execute it. In Socrates philosophical activity, Cicero asserts that Socrates for the first time made the philosophy come down from the sky and transported it in the cities introducing it also in the houses and forcing it to take care of issues relating life, customs, good and evil. There was a time in Greece when the scholars enjoyed great esteem and encouraged prejudice and obsolete superstitions. These people gave themselves the noble name of Sophists, which due to their name became a repulsive name. They took care of the education of the youth, taught the sciences, arts, moral philosophy, and religion. Difficulties and obstacles stood in Socrates way as he made the great decision, to spread virtue and wisdom among his fellow men. The troubles that Soc...

The Iranian Revolution of 1979

The Iranian Revolution of 1979 People poured into the streets of Tehran and other cities, chanting Marg bar Shah or Death to the Shah, and Death to America! Middle-class Iranians, leftist university students, and Islamist supporters of Ayatollah Khomeini united to demand the overthrow of Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. From October of 1977 to February of 1979, the people of Iran called for the end of the monarchy - but they didnt necessarily agree on what should replace it. Background to the Revolution Shah Reza Pahlevi, returning to Iran after a week-long exile due to the failled Mohamed Mossadegh coup detat.   Bettmann/Getty Images In 1953, the American CIA helped to overthrow a democratically elected prime minister in Iran and restore the Shah to his throne. The Shah was a modernizer in many ways, promoting the growth of a modern economy and a middle class, and championing womens rights. He outlawed the chador or hijab (the full-body veil), encouraged education of women up to and including at the university level, and advocated employment opportunities outside the home for women. However, the Shah also ruthlessly suppressed dissent, jailing and torturing his political opponents. Iran became a police state, monitored by the hated SAVAK secret police. In addition, the Shahs reforms, particularly those concerning the rights of women, angered Shia clerics such as Ayatollah Khomeini, who fled into exile in Iraq and later France beginning in 1964. The US was intent on keeping the Shah in place in Iran, however, as a bulwark against the Soviet Union. Iran borders on the then-Soviet Republic of Turkmenistan  and was seen as a potential target for communist expansion. As a result, opponents of the Shah considered him an American puppet. The Revolution Begins Throughout the 1970s, as Iran reaped enormous profits from oil production, a gap widened between the wealthy (many of whom were relatives of the Shah) and the poor. A recession beginning in 1975 increased tensions between the classes in Iran. Secular protests in the form of marches, organizations, and political poetry readings sprouted all across the country. Then, late in October of 1977, the Ayatollah Khomeinis 47-year-old son Mostafa died suddenly of a heart attack. Rumors spread that he had been murdered by the SAVAK, and soon thousands of protesters flooded the streets of Irans major cities. This uptick in demonstrations came at a delicate time for the Shah. He was ill with cancer and seldom appeared in public. In a drastic miscalculation, in January of 1978, the Shah had his Information Minister publish an article in the leading newspaper that slandered Ayatollah Khomeini as a tool of British neo-colonial interests and a man without faith. The next day, theology students in the city of Qom exploded in angry protests; security forces put down the demonstrations but killed at least seventy students in just two days. Up to that moment, the secular and religious protesters had been evenly matched, but after the Qom massacre, the religious opposition became the leaders of the anti-Shah movement. Ahmad Kavousian/Getty Images   In February, young men in Tabriz marched to remember the students killed in Qom the previous month; the march turned into a riot, in which the rioters smashed banks and government buildings. Over the next several months, violent protests spread and were met with increasing violence from security forces. The religiously-motivated rioters attacked movie theaters, banks, police stations, and nightclubs. Some of the army troops sent in to quell the protests began to defect to the protesters side. The protesters adopted the name and image of Ayatollah Khomeini, still in exile, as the leader of their movement; for his part, Khomeini issued calls for the overthrow of the Shah. He spoke of democracy at that point, as well, but would soon change his tune. The Revolution Comes to a Head In August, the Rex Cinema in Abadan caught fire and burned, probably as a result of an attacked by Islamist students. Approximately 400 people were killed in the blaze. The opposition started a rumor that the SAVAK had started the fire, rather than the protesters, and anti-government feeling reached a fever pitch. Chaos increased in September with the Black Friday incident. On September 8, thousands of mostly peaceful protesters turned out in Jaleh Square, Tehran against the Shahs new declaration of martial law. The Shah responded with an all-out military attack on the protest, using tanks and helicopter gun-ships in addition to ground troops. Anywhere from 88 to 300 people died; opposition leaders claimed that the death toll was in the thousands. Large-scale strikes rocked the country, virtually shutting down both the public and private sectors that autumn, including the crucial oil industry. kaveh Lazemi/Getty Images On Nov. 5, the Shah ousted his moderate prime minister and installed a military government under General Gholam Reza Azhari. The Shah also gave a public address in which he stated that he heard the peoples revolutionary message. To conciliate the millions of protesters, he freed more than 1000 political prisoners and allowed the arrest of 132 former government officials, including the hated former chief of the SAVAK. Strike activity declined temporarily, either out of fear of the new military government or gratitude for the Shahs placatory gestures, but within weeks it resumed. On December 11, 1978, more than a million peaceful protesters turned out in Tehran and other major cities to observe the Ashura holiday and call for Khomeini to become Irans new leader. Panicking, the Shah quickly recruited a new, moderate prime minister from within opposition ranks, but he refused to do away with the SAVAK or release all political prisoners. The opposition was not mollified. The Shahs American allies began to believe that his days in power were numbered. Fall of the Shah On Jan. 16, 1979, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi announced that he and his wife were going abroad for a brief vacation. As their plane took off, jubilant crowds filled the streets of Irans cities and began tearing down statues and pictures of the Shah and his family. Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, who had been in office for just a few weeks, freed all political prisoners, ordered the army to stand down in the face of demonstrations and abolished the SAVAK. Bakhtiar also allowed Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran and called for free elections.   michel Setboun/Getty Images Khomeini flew into Tehran from Paris on Feb. 1, 1979 to a delirious welcome. Once he was safely inside the countrys borders, Khomeini called for the dissolution of the Bakhtiar government, vowing I shall kick their teeth in. He appointed a prime minister and cabinet of his own. On Febr. 9-10, fighting broke out between the Imperial Guard (the Immortals), who were still loyal to the Shah, and the pro-Khomeini faction of the Iranian Air Force. On Feb. 11, the pro-Shah forces collapsed, and the Islamic Revolution declared victory over the Pahlavi dynasty. Sources Roger Cohen, 1979: Irans Islamic Revolution, New York Times Upfront, accessed February 2013.Fred Halliday, Irans Revolution in Global History, OpenDemocracy.net, March 5, 2009.Iranian Civil Strife, GlobalSecurity.org, accessed February 2013.Keddie, Nikki R. Modern Iran: Roots and Results of Revolution, New Haven, CT: Yale University Press, 2006.

What do you perceive to be the main benefits and criticisms of RCT Essay

What do you perceive to be the main benefits and criticisms of RCT - Essay Example The RCT facilitates research and development of new clinical interventions and contribute towards the enhancing of medical knowledge. RCT is highly relevant in the present time of advancing medical science that encourage researchers in their effort to discover new models of methods and medicines to reduce pain and find cure for diseases. It is most efficient way of validating the effective outcome of new clinical intervention. The most important criticism is that RCT treat human beings as guinea pigs who may experience adverse impact that may be or may not be fatal. Hence, RCTs endanger one’s life. RCTs are also criticized because even with consent, they are ethically wrong to put someone’s life at stake because people who receive the clinical intervention are expected to experience a particular type of change in some physiological dimension. RCT is also not feasible or appropriate in some cases like cancer screening where the impact is visible only after a long period of

Improving Interactive Play for students with Autism Essay

Improving Interactive Play for students with Autism - Essay Example The conversation could have been a casual one as the only thing important in these students would have been relating to their initiating powers. This would help to increase the overall initiating power of these students and thus help them to interact with each other easily without any conflict. Lastly the students could have been rewarded in accordance to their particular needs with the things that they desire the most (Mastropieri & Scruggs 2010) After the intervention program the students can be allowed to settle with each other so that they can get to interact amongst each other without anyone prompting or reinforcing them. The students would be put in a friendly environment so that they can easily interact with each other and play accordingly. It is very important for an adult to supervise these students in according to their particular needs. It is very important for the students to be given a chance to interact with each other freely without any particular set of rewards or perks (Mastropieri & Scruggs

A Speech About Tennis Shoes or Presentation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A About Tennis Shoes - Speech or Presentation Example A major distinction could be made between the tennis shoes based on the material used to make them. Generally, there are three different types of tennis shoes made up of canvas, leather and vinyl. Shoes made of canvas provide comfort to the feet since it is the most breathing material and the one which keep the feet without sweating. On the other hand, leather shoes provide better stability and the material is much comfortable for the feet even if it breathe less. Shoes made of vinyl are the most comfortable choice for the feet but possess the disadvantage of making the feet hot and sweat even though vinyl is able to absorb water from the wet surroundings. You should also realize that tennis shoes vary according to the nature of the court. Specially designed shoes are available for hard courts, clay courts and grass courts and players could choose their shoes accordingly. Shoes which have added tread and soft sole are suitable for hard tennis courts and you can go for flexible and so ft souls if you are going to play on soft courts (Brown xvi). The sole of the shoe is considered to be an important part and different types of rubber components are used to increase the durability of shoes.

Promotions Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Promotions - Article Example Under its deal with the Lionsgate, Groupon will sell the tickets for the LINCOLIN LAWYERS at a price of $ 6 during its two day online promotion. Under this deal, consumers purchasing the tickets will be given a special code which will be valid through Fandango for redeeming tickets. Interesting point in the article The digital promotion is the point that attracts me the most. Previously, we had traditional marketing and promotional activities in which direct marketing and promotional activities were carried out. Thanks to the Internet, from the comfort of home, one can easily be reached and made aware of a particular marketing and promotional activities. It is also advantageous from a company’s point of view as well. Take an example of Groupon; currently it has direct access to more than 60 million consumers globally. In the traditional offline marketing and promotional activities, to reach and remain in constant touch with such huge number of consumers would not be an easy fo r a marketing and promotional company. A link between the article and chapter points Basically, there are two points that are simultaneously mentioned and discussed in the book and the article as well.

Fall Precaution in Hospitals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fall Precaution in Hospitals - Assignment Example The prevention of hospital falls has been identified as a crucial patient outcome among several organizations because falls hospital falls have been the most frequently reported adverse patients events among inpatient hospitals. Regards the fall type, an injury may occur in any fall type, and fall programs have been designed in hospitals in an effort of preventing hospital falls and associated injuries (Raeder, Siegmund, Grittner, Dassen, & Heinze, 2010). One of the challenges and barriers that face most of the fall intervention models and programs is educational barriers and inadequate funds for program implementation. It is important for the staff to receive training and education on the stipulated program. Patients and the family also need to be educated as needed on the fall reduction program, and any fall reduction individualized strategies to reduce associated risks (Koh, Manias, Hutchinson, Donath, & Johnston, 2008). Inadequate funds is also a major challenge that hinders programs implementation. As a precaution of fall prevention, hospitals have a responsibility of evaluating each individual’s patients risk and act appropriately in reducing the probability of a fall occurrence and any other subsequent injuries that are bound to result. Organizations need to act in accordance with the National Patients Safety goals of performance standards to decrease the risks of falls in the hospitals by establishing a fall reduction program (Oliver et al., 2010). Moreover, they should act in accordance to the patient’s ethical principles to protect the patients from harm and act in the best interest of the patients to promote health. Over the past fall, prevention models have been utilized as strategies for improving patient’s safety in health care settings. There are two types of fall prevention models that is a ‘multisystem fall prevention model’ and ‘a single fall

Current Threats to Maritime Activity Research Paper

Current Threats to Maritime Activity - Research Paper Example However, a huge threat is also imposed by poor relationships among countries since it hinders the deterrence and capture of terrorist elements. This paper found that increased international cooperation is essential to minimizing threats to maritime activities. Maritime activities are essential to trade and socioeconomic development. It is on the sea that many countries rely on the production and transportation of goods. However, countries and private industries face a worsening threat in maritime activities because of the growing and re-emerging threats at sea. These threats include terrorism, piracy, drug trafficking, oil smuggling, and transportation of criminal elements and materials (Gilbride & Nash, 2004). As Gilbride and Nash note, â€Å"oceans are the largest ungoverned space on the planet,† which makes the sea a greater security challenge for the global community. In 2004, then President George W. Bush emphasized that the American government is intent on disrupting every enemy threats (as cited in â€Å"National Strategy,† 2005), including those at sea. The first step towards a safer maritime environment is the identification of threats posed by criminal entities. Most of these are related either directly or indirectly to terrorism and pose serious economic threats to every nation around the world. Deng (1997) enumerates five types of activities that fall under maritime activities: â€Å"(1) state politics, including military operations, expansion, administration, diplomacy, exile, rebellions, and popular movements against the state; (2) cultural exchange; (3) expeditions; (4) immigration; and (5) trade.† Although the five activities Deng enumerated above are all essential to national development and security, the first and the last ones create the greatest impact for any country. Hence, this paper will focus on

Fall Precaution in Hospitals Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Fall Precaution in Hospitals - Assignment Example The prevention of hospital falls has been identified as a crucial patient outcome among several organizations because falls hospital falls have been the most frequently reported adverse patients events among inpatient hospitals. Regards the fall type, an injury may occur in any fall type, and fall programs have been designed in hospitals in an effort of preventing hospital falls and associated injuries (Raeder, Siegmund, Grittner, Dassen, & Heinze, 2010). One of the challenges and barriers that face most of the fall intervention models and programs is educational barriers and inadequate funds for program implementation. It is important for the staff to receive training and education on the stipulated program. Patients and the family also need to be educated as needed on the fall reduction program, and any fall reduction individualized strategies to reduce associated risks (Koh, Manias, Hutchinson, Donath, & Johnston, 2008). Inadequate funds is also a major challenge that hinders programs implementation. As a precaution of fall prevention, hospitals have a responsibility of evaluating each individual’s patients risk and act appropriately in reducing the probability of a fall occurrence and any other subsequent injuries that are bound to result. Organizations need to act in accordance with the National Patients Safety goals of performance standards to decrease the risks of falls in the hospitals by establishing a fall reduction program (Oliver et al., 2010). Moreover, they should act in accordance to the patient’s ethical principles to protect the patients from harm and act in the best interest of the patients to promote health. Over the past fall, prevention models have been utilized as strategies for improving patient’s safety in health care settings. There are two types of fall prevention models that is a ‘multisystem fall prevention model’ and ‘a single fall

Panera Bread Essay Example for Free

Panera Bread Essay Panera Bread is a nationwide known eatery that provides premium foods in a sophisticated atmosphere. Panera Bread is in the line of bakery-cafà ©. They decided to set themselves apart from eateries such as McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and Burger King. The stores are equipped with very intimate settings and Wi-Fi. Panera Bread specializes in a variety fresh baked bread and meal options for the health conscience customer. SWOT Analysis Strengths †¢Panera Bread is known nationwide and this helps to attract customers. †¢Panera Bread has an assortment of fresh breads and meal offerings to accommodate those that are health conscience. †¢Panera Bread moved past the fast food market and decided to offer high-quality, premium food to its customers. †¢The overall ambience of the eatery gives an intimate, at home feel that makes the customer want †¢Scott Davis, senior vice president and chief concept office had a clear vision of the direction Panera Bread would take and a clear strategy of how to achieve that goal. Weakness †¢The eatery offers premium, fast dining and the prices may appear to be on the higher end to customers. †¢Panera Bread has not been able to increase the frequency of which customers dine at the eatery. †¢In order to enter as a franchise, Panera Bread has a very strict list of criteria that makes it difficult to qualify. Opportunities †¢Panera Bread can cease the opportunity to offer their fresh baked breads in supermarkets or sell their breads in store to customers. †¢Panera Bread has the opportunity to offer a lower end eating experience. This lower end chain will appeal to potential customers who cannot afford and expensive meal for the family. Threats †¢Panera Bread’s direct competition is fast-casual restaurants. †¢The change in the economy has affected how often individuals and families go outside of the home to dine. Alternatives 1.Offer Panera Bread’s signature dough and bread to local supermarkets or for sell at the Panera stores. 2.Introducing a lower market restaurant. 3.Make entering the franchise easier by making the criteria to qualify less strict. Discussion of Alternatives Alternative 1: Pros: Offering their dough for purchase by customers has the potential to generate more revenue for the company. It will also introduce the Panera Bread brand into households of those who have not visited the restaurant. Cons: The cost to produce the fresh dough to customers may exceed the overall gain to the company. Alternative 2: Pros: Introducing an alternate chain to appeal to a lower income customer base will expand the customer base. With the present state of the economy, families are finding it hard to eat out especially when the prices are high. Cons: This particular alternative detours the company from their clear goal. With so many affordable eateries, Panera Bread strives to set itself apart from the others. Alternative 3: Pros: Easing the criteria would make entry in the franchise easier. This will allow for more Panera Bread stores to open. Cons: Easing the criteria would deteriorate the stability of the franchise. The strict criteria ensure the overall success of the franchise. Recommendations Panera Bread would benefit most by teaming up with supermarkets to supply fresh baked Panera Bread. Even though the company itself does not serve frozen bread, it may be a good idea to offer the frozen dough for customers to purchase.

Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute Trust

Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute Trust Management Report Cover Sheet CIPD Management Report Utilising E Recruitment Executive Summary This Management report will look at the Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute Trust and identify if E recruitment can help with the difficulties experienced in the Trust. Alongside a literature review of Recruitment difficulties, Employer Branding, Traditional recruitment and E recruitment, the author has conducted a benchmarking exercise in order to establish best practice in recruitment in local NHS organisations, A Process Mapping exercise to identify current practice and identify any difficulties or hold ups in the current process and a Managers questionnaire to allow the author to identify current perceptions of the recruitment service in the organisation alongside what expectations are. 1.0 Introduction The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was established in April 2002 and manages hospitals in Bury, North Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale. Serving a population of approximately 800,000, the Trust is one of the largest in the country and had an operating expenditure of over  £425 million in 2006/07. It runs services across five hospital sites: Fairfield General Hospital, Bury; North Manchester General Hospital; The Royal Oldham Hospital; Rochdale Infirmary and Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale and employs a staff of approximately 10,000. The Trust has four divisions identified as Surgery, Medicine, Women and Childrens, and Diagnostics and Clinical Support. It also has directorates providing support to clinical services including Human Resources, Facilities, Planning, Finance, Information and Management Technology, Modernisation and Performance, Governance and Research and Development. There is a central HR function, with designated HR Managers for each division. Restructuring of this model has taken place in recent years. Recruitment is managed from the North Manchester General Hospital site and provides a central function. The local economy in which the Trust is situated is strong, with a great deal of competition from local organisations for staff. There is little competition within the NHS for staff, as Pennine is ‘the only Trust in town, in each of the 4 areas. Transport links to the Trust are generally good, although access to some peripheral sites is difficult, and car parking can be a problem, especially at the Royal Oldham site. The Trust is concerned, as many Trusts in the Greater Manchester area are, that many of its nurses will retire within the next five years and it is trying to develop a programme to get people to stay on after the normal retirement age. It also attempts to recruit as many student nurses as possible, but positions for newly qualified staff have been reduced in the last few years due to reconfiguration of services and redeployment to avoid redundancy. The Trust has a lower proportion of nursing staff from ethnic backgrounds than the local population, when comparing the 2001 Census with its workforce data; but the percentage of staff as a whole from ethnic backgrounds is higher, due to the numbers of medical staff from ethnic minorities within the Trust. The Trust works hard to recruit staff from ethnic minorities/deprived backgrounds. It has an Equality and Diversity Team who work to promote diversity within the Trust, supporting proactive recruitment where there is a concentration of individuals from ethnic or disadvantaged backgrounds. With a workforce of over 10,000 people, the average monthly cost of recruitment at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is xxxxxx. In addition the average length of time it takes to place a new employee in post is 55 days from the closing date of an advertised position to offering that position to a new recruit. Recruitment is currently a major issue in the Trust with days lost in the recruitment process costing money and reducing morale and effectiveness. At present the department is receiving a lot of pressure from the rest of the Trust and the reputation of the department is poor. This management report is being undertaken to identify recommendations that will allow the recruitment process to become more efficient and identify whether utilisation of e recruitment is a viable proposal in the Trust and whether its implementation will increase efficiency and save resources. All employers face the challenge of employing the right staff for their organisation and this often falls under a human resource arena. The recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals has been identified as a key challenge facing the NHS (NHS Plan 2002). High on the agenda at local, regional and national levels is the development of strategies and initiatives to attract suitable people to work in the professions, in order to ensure that services are responsive to patient needs. 2.0 Literature Review Recruitment is an extensive subject with many aspects making up the area. A study by Ullman (1966) cited in Breaugh Starke (2000) was one of the first to examine recruitment sources. He found that new employees who were recruited by means of informal sources (i.e., employee referrals, direct applications) had a lower turnover rate than individuals recruited via formal sources (i.e., newspaper advertisements and employment agencies). Barber (1998) has since concluded that past research has not made a strong case for the importance of source differences. The author is interested in research into the prevalence of the sources used in traditional recruitment, which appears to be research that has not been undertaken significantly Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2005) identified that employers in the UK recruit over 3 million people each year, in a costly and time consuming exercise to add suitable staff to their organisation. They identify a need to ‘sell jobs to potential employees in order to ensure they can generate an adequate pool of applicants. Organisations are now facing a greater challenge recruiting rather than selecting. (Ployhart 2005) Other researchers having also identified the difficulties organisations have in attracting candidates, identifying selection will only be effective and financially defensible if a sufficient amount of applicants apply to the organisation. (Taylor and Collins, 2000) However according to Barber (1998), It is important that employers do not consider the recruitment process to be completed at this point, It continues during the short listing and interviewing stages and is only deemed as complete when an offer is made. For the purposes of this literature review the author will review thoughts and research on the initial stages of recruitment, that being the attraction of employees and advertisement of vacancies in order to recruit to the organisation, this will allow the author to include the areas of employer branding and e-recruitment in the review. 2.1 Recruitment Difficulties The Audit Commission identified that the UK labour market is currently highly competitive with unemployment at a historically low level. Employers are openly competing harder to attract and retain staff. There are also widespread reports of recruitment and retention problems across local public services, the NHS being no exception. Major concerns about shortfalls in the number of staff, and fewer younger people being attracted to work for the public sector, means there is a potential ‘demographic time bomb. It has been identified that 27 per cent of the public sector workforce are now aged 50 or over. (Gulland (2001), Audit Commission (2002)) Recruitment is also expensive, in a recent survey, CIPD (2007) identified the average direct cost of recruiting a member of staff is  £4,333; this increases to  £7750 when organisations are also calculating the associated labour turnover. They also identified that eighty four percent of organisations have reported difficulties in filling vacancies, a rise of 2 percent on the previous year. The key challenges faced by organisations in regard to recruitment have been identified from the survey as xxxxxxxxx CIPD believes that ‘effective recruitment is central and crucial to the successful day-to-day functioning of any organisation. They state that ‘successful recruitment depends upon finding people with the necessary skills, expertise and qualifications to deliver organisational objectives and the ability to make a positive contribution to the values and aims of the organisation. The Audit Commissions report (2002) also highlighted concerns about skill shortages, both in terms of basic skill levels in the workforce, and in the key leadership, management and specialist skills that are needed. Previous research from the Audit Commission which showed that, on average, a new recruit performs at only 60 per cent of their productive potential when they are first appointed, reaching 100 per cent only after they have been in a post for a year, makes recruitment in these areas and adequate delivery of services harder to manage. In their extensive report on public service recruitment, they identify the way the employers can maximise their recruitment practices. They advised Informed, quick and professional responses to job advertisement enquiries are essential for maximising applications; routine monitoring of recruitment will ensure that recruitment initiatives are driven by the bigger picture rather than just the latest concern; success in addressing diversity issues are to be achieved through efficient, effective targeted recruitment campaigns based on knowledge of the target community; and any initiative to attract a specific group of staff will benefit from being profession-led and in partnership with HR. Audit Commission (2002) Effective recruitment practices and policies are recognised as making a significant contribution to an organisations success, according to Plumbley (1990). He states it is not simply about placing suitable candidates into jobs, but also about building an adept and flexible workforce in order to meet the organisations changing and demanding needs. The first stage of recruitment and selection is to be able to attract an adequate number of appropriate candidates. Prospective employees do not select the organisation they wish to work for on the foundation of job and organisational characteristics such as location, and organisational structure alone. 2.2 Employee Brand The increased competitiveness in the recruitment market has led to organisations spending more time, effort and resources on developing their recruitment brand and expanding the range of advertising methods used, to try and attract quality applicants from as broad and diverse a pool possible. Studies show that the organisations image, reputation and identity plays a vital part in attracting suitable talented applicants (Cable Turban, 2001; Slaughter, Zickar, Highhouse, Mohr, 2004; Lievens Highhouse, 2003). Identifying that in order for the corporate brand to be more successful at attracting suitable candidates there is an importance in promoting and monitoring that brand. Fombrun, (1996) agrees with this stating the reputation of an organisation has been acknowledged as one of the key factors that can affect the probability of potential applicants choosing to apply to work for it. In the same way, organisation reputation has been found to be an important influence on applicants decisions of whether they fit with an organisation and want to join it (Rynes et al., 1991). This researcher has also showed that applicants utilised information on how informative and the ‘recruiter friendliness as an indicator of how an organisation treated its employees. Fombrun (1996) expands this argument to identify that reputation is of particular concern to applicants seeking employment in knowledge-based institutions, such as universities and hospitals, because of the intangibility of the services these organisations provide. Whilst Turban et al. (1998) also found that applicants perceptions of the specific attributes of a post were influenced by their evaluation of the organisation, even if they had been interviewed and were successful. The importance in private/commercial organisations reputation in relation to the recruitment and retention of staff has been well documented in literature, for example: (Turban, 2001) and Cable and Graham (2000), Gray and Ballmer 1998)), there has however been comparatively little consideration on the impact of reputation for public sector organisations. Most people in the course of their life have a need to use the services the NHS provide, some more than others and health is an important issue, not only on a personal level, also in the political arena. The NHS is the UKs largest employer, so many of the UK population are at present working in it, with a great number more many having done so at some point in their lives. In brief, the NHS has a wide range of different stakeholders, who may feel they have a vested interest in the quality; provision of services and ultimately, the reputation. People have varied, and very personal experiences of the NHS and this could mean image and reputation are therefore difficult to manage. The Audit Commission study (2002) study showed that public sector staff think that their image in the eyes of the public would discourage potential recruits from entering the NHS. The study analysed a broad sample of the national press to see if the evidence supported this perception. Analysis showed that plenty of stories are told and while coverage is extensive, the picture of public sector work presented to the reading public is bleak. Of the former public sector workers surveyed, 68 per cent thought that the image of their former profession would discourage people from entering that job. Only 9 per cent thought the opposite that the image would encourage people to enter. The NHS is such a well-known organisation that carries out specific roles in society, that when considering a career in the NHS people often have an idea regarding an occupation they would like to pursue. The GTI (2006) conducted a survey to establish the major determinants that influence applicants in their choice of employer. The results show that for 22% of student nurses and doctors, the reputation of a prospective employer (often influenced by media coverage) is a key factor in determining their aspirations. They identify that word of mouth can be damaging to an employers reputation. If employers get things wrong, it can really affect the way they are viewed by potential employees as over half of the survey respondents have shared their bad experiences with their peers. So for some people the images and reputation of the NHS may be crucial to their decision of whether to work for it. 2.3 Traditional Recruitment Methods Traditional recruitment methods are the way that an organisation announced a job opportunity to the marketplace through a classified advertisement, a job fair, an external recruiter, or other media. Any candidate who happened to see the announcement would submit his or her CV, ring the company for an application form or submit a letter of interest. Lievens and Harris. (2003) stated in the past, job searching was a more time-consuming activity. A candidate who wished to apply for a job would need to first locate a suitable job opportunity, which often involved searching through a newspaper or contacting acquaintances. After locating potentially suitable openings, the candidate would typically have to prepare a cover letter, produce a copy of his or her resume, and mail the package with the appropriate postage. Arboledas, Ferrero and Vidal (2001), presented some examples of recruitment methods that organisations have traditionally used. These were identified as newspaper advertisement, faxed/mailed resumes, recruitment agencies or the use of headhunters. Galanaki (2002) also identified all these methods and defines them as ‘traditional recruitment methods. This idea of traditional methods can also be found quoted in numerous HR texts, which have sections dedicated to recruitment and try to identify best recruitment practices. The authors of such texts include Cole (2004), Rayner and Adam Smith, Armstrong (2007) and Mullins (2005). This was supported by a further IDS study in 2006 that reported that to maximise their chances of appointing the best candidate, many organisations have utilised a combination of online and traditional approaches In 2004 Softworld HR and Payroll identified in a study, that 24% of respondents envisaged e-recruitment entirely replacing all traditional methods of advertising in the future, however 76% of the practitioners surveyed, see it as an additional tool to allow the widest possible range of applicants to be accessed. Traditional methods also identify the use of recruitment agencies in the way of recruiting staff, Recruitment 2020 difficulties in recruitment agency etcc†¦ According to an IES study (2005), recruitment agencies remain confident that the growth in e-recruitment technology will not eliminate their role in the process, as many organisations lack the time and expertise to carry out these tasks. Many organisations, especially smaller ones may also lack the technology to carry out their own recruitment online. With the low unemployment that currently exists the task of finding quality candidates will remain challenging and this may prompt organisations to continue to use agencies, in particular, for specialised, senior or difficult to fill positions In the 2007 CIPD recruitment and retention survey, it was identified for the first time in the UK; corporate websites have broken even with local newspapers advertisements as the most common method of recruiting candidates. 2.4 E-recruitment E-Recruitment is identified as ‘the use of Internet technology to make the job of recruiting staff more efficient and effective, when used together with traditional recruitment methods; the benefits derived from e-recruitment can be considerable. (E-recruitment Best Practice Guide 2007) Internet usage in recent years has seen the recruitment process transformed. Online recruitment, internet recruitment, web-based recruiting and e-recruitment are terms used to describe the use of the internet to recruit potential employees, and mediums to conduct other elements of the recruitment process. We will use the terms interchangeably in this report. E-Recruitment is becoming a significant part of the recruitment strategy of a wide range of organisations worldwide, in addition to becoming an increasingly popular method for job seekers in searching and applying for jobs. According to Schreyer McCarter (1998) e-recruitment refers to â€Å"The recruitment process, including placing job advertisements, receiving resumes, and building human resource database with candidates and incumbents The traditional method of recruitment has been revolutionised by the emergence of the Internet. In the past few years, the Internet has dramatically changed the face of HR recruitment and the ways organisations think about the recruiting function. There is predicted to be a continued dramatic growth in recruiting and hiring via this medium in future years. The utilisation of e recruitment by organisations has seen a general upward trend according to Berry (2205). 93% of organisations were using their corporate website to advertise job vacancies in 2005, compared with 72% in 2002. It would seem that e-recruitment has already been implemented in many organisations from small companies to large organisations. These organisations are already using e recruitment to advertise jobs and accept CVs on the Internet, and also communicating with the applicants by e-mail. In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey it was identified that eighty-four percent of respondents have made greater use of e-mail applications in the last three years. Over seven in ten organisations also said they are actively advertising jobs on their corporate websites and using online applications. A survey by the public appointment service in Ireland in 2006, relating to e recruitment in Irish organisations, has also identified a high level of current or intended future use of e recruitment, this being identified as an area forming an important part of the Irish recruitment strategy. Lievens and Harris (2003) have identified the following methods of using the Internet to attract candidates, acknowledging that approaches are continually changing. †¢ Company websites Advertising posts and providing information to candidates through the company website. The facility to apply online is often also provided. †¢ Job Boards Commercial general purpose recruitment portals, (e.g. Yahoo!, Monster.com) and specific industry job boards. †¢ Online Searching Recruiters searching online sources such as company websites/professional chat sites. to identify candidates who may not be actively looking for a position. †¢ Relationship recruiting Using the internet to build and maintain long term relationships with passive candidates, through using internet tools to learn more about web visitors interests and experience and to e-mail regular updates about careers and their fields of interest. Kerrin and Keetley (2005) have suggested that the reasons for many organisations to introduce e recruitment have been recruitment cost reduction, speedier processes, access to a wider pool of applicants and better employer branding. In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover survey 2006,  it was also identified that the key drivers for e-recruitment were; reducing recruitment costs (cited by 71%), broadening the selection pool (60%) and increasing the speed of time to hire (47%). It was also noted that over a third of respondents believed it brought greater flexibility and ease for candidates, and over a quarter believed it strengthened the employer brand. This has been firther supported by the IRS Employment review 2007. Reduction in costs E-Recruitment enables employers to reduce advertising costs and remove their dependency on recruitment agencies. Technology in online recruitment is not expensive and the hours saved in the pre-selection process gives hr staff more time. Administration can be significantly reduced in most organisations. This can prove to be particularly important when recruiting high volumes of staff or when receiving high volumes of applications. (DTI 2006, Guertal et al 2007) Cappeli (2001) calculated that ‘it costs only about one-twentieth as much to hire someone online as to hire that same person through †¦ other traditional methods. This can be achieved through significantly reducing advertising costs and by reducing recruitment related administration according to Elkington (2005) An IDS HR Study in April 2006 identified how the Internet now plays a significant role in recruitment activities of employers. The report examined the use of corporate and third party recruitment websites and identified they are being used to reduce advertising costs and tap into a more diverse candidate base. They also identified that technology is streamlining the application process with the encouragement of online applications, linking into sophisticated application tracking systems and allowing organisations to measure the success of attraction methods. IDS state that over 70% of adults utilise the Internet, and employers are using this medium to attract and recruit much more frequently. They identify significant cost savings for employers and reduced time taken to fill vacancies, but are keen to point out the wariness of employees in missing out on potential candidates and feel that traditional recruitment media is set to retain and important role, particularly when recruiting locally or hard to fill jobs. Grout and Parrin, authors of the book, ‘recruiting excellence agree with this assessment by IDS. In an article for HR Director (2006), they identify that online recruitment can improve efficiency by the reduction in man hours involved in the process, and help employers reach a wider and larger audience of jobseekers. They also recognise that it can be a valuable part of a recruitment process, in addition to traditional press advertising and the use of agencies (dti, 2005) Kerrin and Keetley (2005) however, have stated, that the full cost savings are often only realised if the whole recruitment process is carried out online. Reducing time-to-hire With e-recruitment you can cut the time taken to recruit by as much as 75% and recruit the right employees more quickly into the organisation. Time is also saved by spending less time tracking, communicating with and screening applicants. Online recruitment allows the sharing of best practice and improving the consistency of recruitment processes across the organisation. The Public Appointments Service survey showed that a reduction in administrative workload (cited by 49% of respondents), and reduced timescales for hiring (cited by 40% of respondents), were key drivers in the decision to implementing e recruitment. Hogg (2000) stresses a shorter recruitment cycle can be gained by the speed at which several steps of the recruitment process are carried out online. Elkington (2005) supports this and has identified that the immediate posting of jobs online and the effortlessness of completing online application forms and e-mailing CVs to an organisation has made these steps much faster. Moving further into the recruitment process the short-listing process can be accelerated by routinely aligning applications dependent on prearranged criteria (CIPD 2005). Applications can be progressed within minutes rather than weeks, saving both recruiters and job applicants time. Widening Talent Pool Internet tools that enable employers/recruiters to reach a wider pool of potential applicants and to fill positions faster with less cost to the organisation are obviously advantageous in such a competitive environment. Online advertising opens up a wider candidate pool, by providing 24/7 access to job seekers, at local, national and international locations, thus providing a better chance of finding the right candidate (CIPD 2005 1). As job seekers become increasingly more web literate and the growth of broadband makes web surfing easier and cheaper (IRS 2005), the potential for e-recruitment to attract wider candidate pools is increasing. Enhancing Employer brand More and more candidates expect to apply directly online and routinely make judgements about employers based on their recruitment process. To combat this employers are adopting increasingly dynamic e-recruitment solutions to allow them to differentiate themselves and to professionally manage the recruitment process. (Willock, 2005; Paton 2006). E-Recruitment enables an organisation to raise its profile as an innovative, forward looking recruiter and allows the opportunity to provide visitors to the website with a positive experience. E-Recruitment can help to build the image of a brand. Barrow (2005) recommends that organisations build their brand identity very carefully however, warning of a need to ensure substance is beneath the clever name, logo or design, as employees once appointed will see through the facade. This is further supported by Gray and Balmers (1998) term, the ‘routine interactions that outsiders have in shaping image and reputation. Corporate communications are likely to be received with scepticism when they do not match personal experience. Kerrin and Kettley (2003) in their report ‘e-recruitment is it delivering identified a key factor for organisations in their adoption of e-recruitment is the desire to increase their profile as an employer of choice amongst potential candidates and to promote their image as a progressive organisation. CIPD (2005) also demonstrated that more detailed information can be provided on the organisations website than in a newspaper advertisements and in recruitment agency literature, reinforcing the employer brand, improving the corporate image and profile whilst also giving an indication of the organisations culture The use of the Internet allows organisations to pass far more information in a much more dynamic and consistent fashion to candidates than was the case in the past (Lievens and Harris 2003). Applicants therefore have much more information at their disposal before they even decide to apply for a job than in the past. In addition, candidates can easily and quickly search for independent information about organisations from various sources, such as chatrooms, libraries. Therefore, unlike in the past, a candidate may have applied for a job based on practically no information; todays candidate may have reviewed a substantial amount of information about the organisation before choosing to apply. Disadvantages of e-recruitment The CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey revealed some concerns that e-recruitment could increase the number of unsuitable applicants and that it could act as a barrier to recruiting older workers Another factor which seems to be deterring some employers from making greater use of online recruitment systems is a concern over the level of internet access and levels of comfort with internet technology of their target audiences. While usage of the Internet does vary by social group there is evidence to suggest that recruiting online results in at least as diverse an applicant group as those recruited through traditional methods McManus M.A., Ferguson M.W. (2003 A further concern in relation to access is the suitability of online recruitment methods for candidates with disabilities. Research from www.jobsgopublic, 2004, shows that many employers exclude candidates with disabilities by having poorly designed websites and e-recruitment processes, and there is increasing pressure to address this in order to ensure compliance with equal opportunities legislation. (IRS 2007) Developers of e-recruitment technology are increasingly aware of these requirements and are producing products/systems with higher levels of accessibility and that are in line with EU policies and legislation on e-inclusion. Another possible limitation for organisations may include a lack of knowledge of the available options and difficulties in sourcing/ choosing the appropriate technology that will be compatible with their existing HR systems and will serve their needs now and into the future. This report and others e.g. [3] aim to help raise awareness and highlight the issues for practitioners and decision makers. Still limited in its application, typically online recruitment is used to solely advertise and administer the application process Underexploited online recruitment site can gather rich data pn usage most employers do not interrogate the usage to improve effectiveness Considered unsuitable for certain kinds of vacancies Applicants afe not of a better quality 7 in 10 say admin easier to perform 7 out of 10 more likely to improve reputation. 8 out 10 cheaper 2.5 NHS Jobs There was a time when we could assume that the brightest and best of each generation would want to join the public sector. But that is an assumption that we can no longer make, particularly when the financial rewards at the top of the private sector are so great, and too often public sector workers are weighed down by bureaucracy and silly rules. Tony Blair, 1999 (Ref. 1) It has been suggested in surveys by CIPD (20052) and Kerrin Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute Trust Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute Trust Management Report Cover Sheet CIPD Management Report Utilising E Recruitment Executive Summary This Management report will look at the Recruitment Processes with an NHS Acute Trust and identify if E recruitment can help with the difficulties experienced in the Trust. Alongside a literature review of Recruitment difficulties, Employer Branding, Traditional recruitment and E recruitment, the author has conducted a benchmarking exercise in order to establish best practice in recruitment in local NHS organisations, A Process Mapping exercise to identify current practice and identify any difficulties or hold ups in the current process and a Managers questionnaire to allow the author to identify current perceptions of the recruitment service in the organisation alongside what expectations are. 1.0 Introduction The Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust was established in April 2002 and manages hospitals in Bury, North Manchester, Oldham and Rochdale. Serving a population of approximately 800,000, the Trust is one of the largest in the country and had an operating expenditure of over  £425 million in 2006/07. It runs services across five hospital sites: Fairfield General Hospital, Bury; North Manchester General Hospital; The Royal Oldham Hospital; Rochdale Infirmary and Birch Hill Hospital, Rochdale and employs a staff of approximately 10,000. The Trust has four divisions identified as Surgery, Medicine, Women and Childrens, and Diagnostics and Clinical Support. It also has directorates providing support to clinical services including Human Resources, Facilities, Planning, Finance, Information and Management Technology, Modernisation and Performance, Governance and Research and Development. There is a central HR function, with designated HR Managers for each division. Restructuring of this model has taken place in recent years. Recruitment is managed from the North Manchester General Hospital site and provides a central function. The local economy in which the Trust is situated is strong, with a great deal of competition from local organisations for staff. There is little competition within the NHS for staff, as Pennine is ‘the only Trust in town, in each of the 4 areas. Transport links to the Trust are generally good, although access to some peripheral sites is difficult, and car parking can be a problem, especially at the Royal Oldham site. The Trust is concerned, as many Trusts in the Greater Manchester area are, that many of its nurses will retire within the next five years and it is trying to develop a programme to get people to stay on after the normal retirement age. It also attempts to recruit as many student nurses as possible, but positions for newly qualified staff have been reduced in the last few years due to reconfiguration of services and redeployment to avoid redundancy. The Trust has a lower proportion of nursing staff from ethnic backgrounds than the local population, when comparing the 2001 Census with its workforce data; but the percentage of staff as a whole from ethnic backgrounds is higher, due to the numbers of medical staff from ethnic minorities within the Trust. The Trust works hard to recruit staff from ethnic minorities/deprived backgrounds. It has an Equality and Diversity Team who work to promote diversity within the Trust, supporting proactive recruitment where there is a concentration of individuals from ethnic or disadvantaged backgrounds. With a workforce of over 10,000 people, the average monthly cost of recruitment at Pennine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust is xxxxxx. In addition the average length of time it takes to place a new employee in post is 55 days from the closing date of an advertised position to offering that position to a new recruit. Recruitment is currently a major issue in the Trust with days lost in the recruitment process costing money and reducing morale and effectiveness. At present the department is receiving a lot of pressure from the rest of the Trust and the reputation of the department is poor. This management report is being undertaken to identify recommendations that will allow the recruitment process to become more efficient and identify whether utilisation of e recruitment is a viable proposal in the Trust and whether its implementation will increase efficiency and save resources. All employers face the challenge of employing the right staff for their organisation and this often falls under a human resource arena. The recruitment and retention of healthcare professionals has been identified as a key challenge facing the NHS (NHS Plan 2002). High on the agenda at local, regional and national levels is the development of strategies and initiatives to attract suitable people to work in the professions, in order to ensure that services are responsive to patient needs. 2.0 Literature Review Recruitment is an extensive subject with many aspects making up the area. A study by Ullman (1966) cited in Breaugh Starke (2000) was one of the first to examine recruitment sources. He found that new employees who were recruited by means of informal sources (i.e., employee referrals, direct applications) had a lower turnover rate than individuals recruited via formal sources (i.e., newspaper advertisements and employment agencies). Barber (1998) has since concluded that past research has not made a strong case for the importance of source differences. The author is interested in research into the prevalence of the sources used in traditional recruitment, which appears to be research that has not been undertaken significantly Torrington, Hall and Taylor (2005) identified that employers in the UK recruit over 3 million people each year, in a costly and time consuming exercise to add suitable staff to their organisation. They identify a need to ‘sell jobs to potential employees in order to ensure they can generate an adequate pool of applicants. Organisations are now facing a greater challenge recruiting rather than selecting. (Ployhart 2005) Other researchers having also identified the difficulties organisations have in attracting candidates, identifying selection will only be effective and financially defensible if a sufficient amount of applicants apply to the organisation. (Taylor and Collins, 2000) However according to Barber (1998), It is important that employers do not consider the recruitment process to be completed at this point, It continues during the short listing and interviewing stages and is only deemed as complete when an offer is made. For the purposes of this literature review the author will review thoughts and research on the initial stages of recruitment, that being the attraction of employees and advertisement of vacancies in order to recruit to the organisation, this will allow the author to include the areas of employer branding and e-recruitment in the review. 2.1 Recruitment Difficulties The Audit Commission identified that the UK labour market is currently highly competitive with unemployment at a historically low level. Employers are openly competing harder to attract and retain staff. There are also widespread reports of recruitment and retention problems across local public services, the NHS being no exception. Major concerns about shortfalls in the number of staff, and fewer younger people being attracted to work for the public sector, means there is a potential ‘demographic time bomb. It has been identified that 27 per cent of the public sector workforce are now aged 50 or over. (Gulland (2001), Audit Commission (2002)) Recruitment is also expensive, in a recent survey, CIPD (2007) identified the average direct cost of recruiting a member of staff is  £4,333; this increases to  £7750 when organisations are also calculating the associated labour turnover. They also identified that eighty four percent of organisations have reported difficulties in filling vacancies, a rise of 2 percent on the previous year. The key challenges faced by organisations in regard to recruitment have been identified from the survey as xxxxxxxxx CIPD believes that ‘effective recruitment is central and crucial to the successful day-to-day functioning of any organisation. They state that ‘successful recruitment depends upon finding people with the necessary skills, expertise and qualifications to deliver organisational objectives and the ability to make a positive contribution to the values and aims of the organisation. The Audit Commissions report (2002) also highlighted concerns about skill shortages, both in terms of basic skill levels in the workforce, and in the key leadership, management and specialist skills that are needed. Previous research from the Audit Commission which showed that, on average, a new recruit performs at only 60 per cent of their productive potential when they are first appointed, reaching 100 per cent only after they have been in a post for a year, makes recruitment in these areas and adequate delivery of services harder to manage. In their extensive report on public service recruitment, they identify the way the employers can maximise their recruitment practices. They advised Informed, quick and professional responses to job advertisement enquiries are essential for maximising applications; routine monitoring of recruitment will ensure that recruitment initiatives are driven by the bigger picture rather than just the latest concern; success in addressing diversity issues are to be achieved through efficient, effective targeted recruitment campaigns based on knowledge of the target community; and any initiative to attract a specific group of staff will benefit from being profession-led and in partnership with HR. Audit Commission (2002) Effective recruitment practices and policies are recognised as making a significant contribution to an organisations success, according to Plumbley (1990). He states it is not simply about placing suitable candidates into jobs, but also about building an adept and flexible workforce in order to meet the organisations changing and demanding needs. The first stage of recruitment and selection is to be able to attract an adequate number of appropriate candidates. Prospective employees do not select the organisation they wish to work for on the foundation of job and organisational characteristics such as location, and organisational structure alone. 2.2 Employee Brand The increased competitiveness in the recruitment market has led to organisations spending more time, effort and resources on developing their recruitment brand and expanding the range of advertising methods used, to try and attract quality applicants from as broad and diverse a pool possible. Studies show that the organisations image, reputation and identity plays a vital part in attracting suitable talented applicants (Cable Turban, 2001; Slaughter, Zickar, Highhouse, Mohr, 2004; Lievens Highhouse, 2003). Identifying that in order for the corporate brand to be more successful at attracting suitable candidates there is an importance in promoting and monitoring that brand. Fombrun, (1996) agrees with this stating the reputation of an organisation has been acknowledged as one of the key factors that can affect the probability of potential applicants choosing to apply to work for it. In the same way, organisation reputation has been found to be an important influence on applicants decisions of whether they fit with an organisation and want to join it (Rynes et al., 1991). This researcher has also showed that applicants utilised information on how informative and the ‘recruiter friendliness as an indicator of how an organisation treated its employees. Fombrun (1996) expands this argument to identify that reputation is of particular concern to applicants seeking employment in knowledge-based institutions, such as universities and hospitals, because of the intangibility of the services these organisations provide. Whilst Turban et al. (1998) also found that applicants perceptions of the specific attributes of a post were influenced by their evaluation of the organisation, even if they had been interviewed and were successful. The importance in private/commercial organisations reputation in relation to the recruitment and retention of staff has been well documented in literature, for example: (Turban, 2001) and Cable and Graham (2000), Gray and Ballmer 1998)), there has however been comparatively little consideration on the impact of reputation for public sector organisations. Most people in the course of their life have a need to use the services the NHS provide, some more than others and health is an important issue, not only on a personal level, also in the political arena. The NHS is the UKs largest employer, so many of the UK population are at present working in it, with a great number more many having done so at some point in their lives. In brief, the NHS has a wide range of different stakeholders, who may feel they have a vested interest in the quality; provision of services and ultimately, the reputation. People have varied, and very personal experiences of the NHS and this could mean image and reputation are therefore difficult to manage. The Audit Commission study (2002) study showed that public sector staff think that their image in the eyes of the public would discourage potential recruits from entering the NHS. The study analysed a broad sample of the national press to see if the evidence supported this perception. Analysis showed that plenty of stories are told and while coverage is extensive, the picture of public sector work presented to the reading public is bleak. Of the former public sector workers surveyed, 68 per cent thought that the image of their former profession would discourage people from entering that job. Only 9 per cent thought the opposite that the image would encourage people to enter. The NHS is such a well-known organisation that carries out specific roles in society, that when considering a career in the NHS people often have an idea regarding an occupation they would like to pursue. The GTI (2006) conducted a survey to establish the major determinants that influence applicants in their choice of employer. The results show that for 22% of student nurses and doctors, the reputation of a prospective employer (often influenced by media coverage) is a key factor in determining their aspirations. They identify that word of mouth can be damaging to an employers reputation. If employers get things wrong, it can really affect the way they are viewed by potential employees as over half of the survey respondents have shared their bad experiences with their peers. So for some people the images and reputation of the NHS may be crucial to their decision of whether to work for it. 2.3 Traditional Recruitment Methods Traditional recruitment methods are the way that an organisation announced a job opportunity to the marketplace through a classified advertisement, a job fair, an external recruiter, or other media. Any candidate who happened to see the announcement would submit his or her CV, ring the company for an application form or submit a letter of interest. Lievens and Harris. (2003) stated in the past, job searching was a more time-consuming activity. A candidate who wished to apply for a job would need to first locate a suitable job opportunity, which often involved searching through a newspaper or contacting acquaintances. After locating potentially suitable openings, the candidate would typically have to prepare a cover letter, produce a copy of his or her resume, and mail the package with the appropriate postage. Arboledas, Ferrero and Vidal (2001), presented some examples of recruitment methods that organisations have traditionally used. These were identified as newspaper advertisement, faxed/mailed resumes, recruitment agencies or the use of headhunters. Galanaki (2002) also identified all these methods and defines them as ‘traditional recruitment methods. This idea of traditional methods can also be found quoted in numerous HR texts, which have sections dedicated to recruitment and try to identify best recruitment practices. The authors of such texts include Cole (2004), Rayner and Adam Smith, Armstrong (2007) and Mullins (2005). This was supported by a further IDS study in 2006 that reported that to maximise their chances of appointing the best candidate, many organisations have utilised a combination of online and traditional approaches In 2004 Softworld HR and Payroll identified in a study, that 24% of respondents envisaged e-recruitment entirely replacing all traditional methods of advertising in the future, however 76% of the practitioners surveyed, see it as an additional tool to allow the widest possible range of applicants to be accessed. Traditional methods also identify the use of recruitment agencies in the way of recruiting staff, Recruitment 2020 difficulties in recruitment agency etcc†¦ According to an IES study (2005), recruitment agencies remain confident that the growth in e-recruitment technology will not eliminate their role in the process, as many organisations lack the time and expertise to carry out these tasks. Many organisations, especially smaller ones may also lack the technology to carry out their own recruitment online. With the low unemployment that currently exists the task of finding quality candidates will remain challenging and this may prompt organisations to continue to use agencies, in particular, for specialised, senior or difficult to fill positions In the 2007 CIPD recruitment and retention survey, it was identified for the first time in the UK; corporate websites have broken even with local newspapers advertisements as the most common method of recruiting candidates. 2.4 E-recruitment E-Recruitment is identified as ‘the use of Internet technology to make the job of recruiting staff more efficient and effective, when used together with traditional recruitment methods; the benefits derived from e-recruitment can be considerable. (E-recruitment Best Practice Guide 2007) Internet usage in recent years has seen the recruitment process transformed. Online recruitment, internet recruitment, web-based recruiting and e-recruitment are terms used to describe the use of the internet to recruit potential employees, and mediums to conduct other elements of the recruitment process. We will use the terms interchangeably in this report. E-Recruitment is becoming a significant part of the recruitment strategy of a wide range of organisations worldwide, in addition to becoming an increasingly popular method for job seekers in searching and applying for jobs. According to Schreyer McCarter (1998) e-recruitment refers to â€Å"The recruitment process, including placing job advertisements, receiving resumes, and building human resource database with candidates and incumbents The traditional method of recruitment has been revolutionised by the emergence of the Internet. In the past few years, the Internet has dramatically changed the face of HR recruitment and the ways organisations think about the recruiting function. There is predicted to be a continued dramatic growth in recruiting and hiring via this medium in future years. The utilisation of e recruitment by organisations has seen a general upward trend according to Berry (2205). 93% of organisations were using their corporate website to advertise job vacancies in 2005, compared with 72% in 2002. It would seem that e-recruitment has already been implemented in many organisations from small companies to large organisations. These organisations are already using e recruitment to advertise jobs and accept CVs on the Internet, and also communicating with the applicants by e-mail. In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey it was identified that eighty-four percent of respondents have made greater use of e-mail applications in the last three years. Over seven in ten organisations also said they are actively advertising jobs on their corporate websites and using online applications. A survey by the public appointment service in Ireland in 2006, relating to e recruitment in Irish organisations, has also identified a high level of current or intended future use of e recruitment, this being identified as an area forming an important part of the Irish recruitment strategy. Lievens and Harris (2003) have identified the following methods of using the Internet to attract candidates, acknowledging that approaches are continually changing. †¢ Company websites Advertising posts and providing information to candidates through the company website. The facility to apply online is often also provided. †¢ Job Boards Commercial general purpose recruitment portals, (e.g. Yahoo!, Monster.com) and specific industry job boards. †¢ Online Searching Recruiters searching online sources such as company websites/professional chat sites. to identify candidates who may not be actively looking for a position. †¢ Relationship recruiting Using the internet to build and maintain long term relationships with passive candidates, through using internet tools to learn more about web visitors interests and experience and to e-mail regular updates about careers and their fields of interest. Kerrin and Keetley (2005) have suggested that the reasons for many organisations to introduce e recruitment have been recruitment cost reduction, speedier processes, access to a wider pool of applicants and better employer branding. In the CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover survey 2006,  it was also identified that the key drivers for e-recruitment were; reducing recruitment costs (cited by 71%), broadening the selection pool (60%) and increasing the speed of time to hire (47%). It was also noted that over a third of respondents believed it brought greater flexibility and ease for candidates, and over a quarter believed it strengthened the employer brand. This has been firther supported by the IRS Employment review 2007. Reduction in costs E-Recruitment enables employers to reduce advertising costs and remove their dependency on recruitment agencies. Technology in online recruitment is not expensive and the hours saved in the pre-selection process gives hr staff more time. Administration can be significantly reduced in most organisations. This can prove to be particularly important when recruiting high volumes of staff or when receiving high volumes of applications. (DTI 2006, Guertal et al 2007) Cappeli (2001) calculated that ‘it costs only about one-twentieth as much to hire someone online as to hire that same person through †¦ other traditional methods. This can be achieved through significantly reducing advertising costs and by reducing recruitment related administration according to Elkington (2005) An IDS HR Study in April 2006 identified how the Internet now plays a significant role in recruitment activities of employers. The report examined the use of corporate and third party recruitment websites and identified they are being used to reduce advertising costs and tap into a more diverse candidate base. They also identified that technology is streamlining the application process with the encouragement of online applications, linking into sophisticated application tracking systems and allowing organisations to measure the success of attraction methods. IDS state that over 70% of adults utilise the Internet, and employers are using this medium to attract and recruit much more frequently. They identify significant cost savings for employers and reduced time taken to fill vacancies, but are keen to point out the wariness of employees in missing out on potential candidates and feel that traditional recruitment media is set to retain and important role, particularly when recruiting locally or hard to fill jobs. Grout and Parrin, authors of the book, ‘recruiting excellence agree with this assessment by IDS. In an article for HR Director (2006), they identify that online recruitment can improve efficiency by the reduction in man hours involved in the process, and help employers reach a wider and larger audience of jobseekers. They also recognise that it can be a valuable part of a recruitment process, in addition to traditional press advertising and the use of agencies (dti, 2005) Kerrin and Keetley (2005) however, have stated, that the full cost savings are often only realised if the whole recruitment process is carried out online. Reducing time-to-hire With e-recruitment you can cut the time taken to recruit by as much as 75% and recruit the right employees more quickly into the organisation. Time is also saved by spending less time tracking, communicating with and screening applicants. Online recruitment allows the sharing of best practice and improving the consistency of recruitment processes across the organisation. The Public Appointments Service survey showed that a reduction in administrative workload (cited by 49% of respondents), and reduced timescales for hiring (cited by 40% of respondents), were key drivers in the decision to implementing e recruitment. Hogg (2000) stresses a shorter recruitment cycle can be gained by the speed at which several steps of the recruitment process are carried out online. Elkington (2005) supports this and has identified that the immediate posting of jobs online and the effortlessness of completing online application forms and e-mailing CVs to an organisation has made these steps much faster. Moving further into the recruitment process the short-listing process can be accelerated by routinely aligning applications dependent on prearranged criteria (CIPD 2005). Applications can be progressed within minutes rather than weeks, saving both recruiters and job applicants time. Widening Talent Pool Internet tools that enable employers/recruiters to reach a wider pool of potential applicants and to fill positions faster with less cost to the organisation are obviously advantageous in such a competitive environment. Online advertising opens up a wider candidate pool, by providing 24/7 access to job seekers, at local, national and international locations, thus providing a better chance of finding the right candidate (CIPD 2005 1). As job seekers become increasingly more web literate and the growth of broadband makes web surfing easier and cheaper (IRS 2005), the potential for e-recruitment to attract wider candidate pools is increasing. Enhancing Employer brand More and more candidates expect to apply directly online and routinely make judgements about employers based on their recruitment process. To combat this employers are adopting increasingly dynamic e-recruitment solutions to allow them to differentiate themselves and to professionally manage the recruitment process. (Willock, 2005; Paton 2006). E-Recruitment enables an organisation to raise its profile as an innovative, forward looking recruiter and allows the opportunity to provide visitors to the website with a positive experience. E-Recruitment can help to build the image of a brand. Barrow (2005) recommends that organisations build their brand identity very carefully however, warning of a need to ensure substance is beneath the clever name, logo or design, as employees once appointed will see through the facade. This is further supported by Gray and Balmers (1998) term, the ‘routine interactions that outsiders have in shaping image and reputation. Corporate communications are likely to be received with scepticism when they do not match personal experience. Kerrin and Kettley (2003) in their report ‘e-recruitment is it delivering identified a key factor for organisations in their adoption of e-recruitment is the desire to increase their profile as an employer of choice amongst potential candidates and to promote their image as a progressive organisation. CIPD (2005) also demonstrated that more detailed information can be provided on the organisations website than in a newspaper advertisements and in recruitment agency literature, reinforcing the employer brand, improving the corporate image and profile whilst also giving an indication of the organisations culture The use of the Internet allows organisations to pass far more information in a much more dynamic and consistent fashion to candidates than was the case in the past (Lievens and Harris 2003). Applicants therefore have much more information at their disposal before they even decide to apply for a job than in the past. In addition, candidates can easily and quickly search for independent information about organisations from various sources, such as chatrooms, libraries. Therefore, unlike in the past, a candidate may have applied for a job based on practically no information; todays candidate may have reviewed a substantial amount of information about the organisation before choosing to apply. Disadvantages of e-recruitment The CIPD Recruitment, retention and turnover 2006 survey revealed some concerns that e-recruitment could increase the number of unsuitable applicants and that it could act as a barrier to recruiting older workers Another factor which seems to be deterring some employers from making greater use of online recruitment systems is a concern over the level of internet access and levels of comfort with internet technology of their target audiences. While usage of the Internet does vary by social group there is evidence to suggest that recruiting online results in at least as diverse an applicant group as those recruited through traditional methods McManus M.A., Ferguson M.W. (2003 A further concern in relation to access is the suitability of online recruitment methods for candidates with disabilities. Research from www.jobsgopublic, 2004, shows that many employers exclude candidates with disabilities by having poorly designed websites and e-recruitment processes, and there is increasing pressure to address this in order to ensure compliance with equal opportunities legislation. (IRS 2007) Developers of e-recruitment technology are increasingly aware of these requirements and are producing products/systems with higher levels of accessibility and that are in line with EU policies and legislation on e-inclusion. Another possible limitation for organisations may include a lack of knowledge of the available options and difficulties in sourcing/ choosing the appropriate technology that will be compatible with their existing HR systems and will serve their needs now and into the future. This report and others e.g. [3] aim to help raise awareness and highlight the issues for practitioners and decision makers. Still limited in its application, typically online recruitment is used to solely advertise and administer the application process Underexploited online recruitment site can gather rich data pn usage most employers do not interrogate the usage to improve effectiveness Considered unsuitable for certain kinds of vacancies Applicants afe not of a better quality 7 in 10 say admin easier to perform 7 out of 10 more likely to improve reputation. 8 out 10 cheaper 2.5 NHS Jobs There was a time when we could assume that the brightest and best of each generation would want to join the public sector. But that is an assumption that we can no longer make, particularly when the financial rewards at the top of the private sector are so great, and too often public sector workers are weighed down by bureaucracy and silly rules. Tony Blair, 1999 (Ref. 1) It has been suggested in surveys by CIPD (20052) and Kerrin