UNIVERSITY OF EAST ANGLIA
NORWICH BUSINESS SCHOOL
UG/PG Coursework 2015-2016

MODULE: NBS- 5011Y COURSEWORK

The Role of Agencies in the Recruitment Process.

According to the CIPD report Resourcing and Talent Planning (2015) the recruitment outlook is positive in terms of increasing resourcing budgets and a growing demand for labour. Despite this there remain a number of difficulties faced by firms in recruiting the right staff with the right skills.
“UK employers are now operating in the most buoyant employment market experienced for some time” which is adding to the challenges they face in the labour market (2015:7). The same report goes on to state that many organisations are turning to external agencies to assist, particularly for attracting top talent.

Scenario: You have been newly appointed to a HR Adviser role in a large private company. The company is finding it difficult to recruit staff and your manager wants you to explore the option of using a recruitment agency to help improve the quantity and quality of the applicants that apply for positions.

Task: The HR manager is keen to explore the options available and wants you to provide a proposal that presents an evaluation of the use of recruitment agencies so that she is able to make the decision whether to use these or not in improving the recruitment process.

Format: A management report that discusses the findings from your investigation on the advantages and disadvantages of the use of agencies. Based on these findings, you need to consider whether to use an agency but you should also provide recommendations on how the company could manage the relationship with the agency effectively for a successful result (if the decision was made by management to go ahead with the proposal).

Suggested structure:
Aim: to investigate the use of recruitment agencies
Scope: investigate range of literature (both academic and practitioner) to explore the use of agencies and evaluate their advantages and disadvantages – you must be careful to assess the quality of the evidence that you are using to make judgements.
Findings
Conclusions / recommendations
Reference List.

This coursework assesses student’s fulfilment of the following module learning objectives:
• To demonstrate ability to research a topic or problem, observe, describe and record information.
• To demonstrate intellectual ability to think critically, analyse problems, understand, and apply concepts, synthesise different types of information, evaluate and make rationally argued judgements.
• To structure and present written work to meet specified criteria.

Reading from recommended text (Taylor, 2008): Chapter 10: Alternative Recruitment Methods, as a starting point.
Submission deadline: Thursday 26th November 2015
Return: Within 20 working days
If reassessment is required then the student will be required to produce an equivalent written assignment with a different focus.
Word limit: 1500 words

Exceeding the word limit
A penalty will be imposed for exceeding the word limit, which will be clearly stated in the assignment. Students must include their word count on the coursework coversheet when they submit their work. The word count for coursework, written assignments, projects, reports and dissertations shall include: Footnotes and endnotes (irrespective of whether they have been used for the purpose of referencing or not, references (in the main text), tables and illustrations and if applicable the abstract, title page and contents page. Any appendicised material and the bibliography or reference list shall be excluded from the word count.

UG/PG Coursework Assessment Criteria

In writing your coursework, you should be aware that you will be assessed by reference to the extent to which your answer meets the following criteria:

Ability to search the literature and select relevant and appropriate quality sources, as evidenced by the research log and use of sources both in the text of the report and in the reference list at the end of the work.

Describe views on the debate presented in the literature and be able to critically evaluate them. See below under critical appraisal of conceptual knowledge.

Ability to use this literature (synthesise views discussed / described) to develop an argument. See below under cogency and coherence. You must support these arguments with sources of evidence.
Knowledge and understanding of concepts – What is required is a clear demonstration of academic knowledge and understandings under-pinning the concepts relevant to the question.

Argument and coherence – Have you been able to synthesise all essential components into a coherent explanation that tells a persuasive story

Critical appraisal of the conceptual knowledge bases – here what is required is to choose and analyse relevant knowledge and theory.

Grammar, punctuation, spelling and presentation

Adherence to Harvard System of Referencing (NB You must have at least 10 references from academic and professional journals in both the main body of the assignment and the reference section to be considered for marks under this criterion.

• Please preserve anonymity by using your university number, not your name.
• This coursework counts for 30 % of the assessment in this module.
Plagiarism Is taken very seriously!

Your coursework should clearly distinguish between your original words and ideas, and those of others. When referring to the work of others, from books, journals or any other source (including the internet), it is essential that you make this clear by acknowledging your source and referencing correctly. Failure to reference correctly will lose you marks and may constitute plagiarism or collusion. Unless specified otherwise by the module organiser, Norwich Business School uses the Harvard system of referencing.

University Policy on Plagiarism and Collusion
It is important that all students familiarise themselves with the rules and regulations regarding plagiarism and collusion. Understanding these rules will help you to avoid plagiarism, and to maintain the quality of your academic work.
You should ensure that you are familiar and up to date with the Universities rule on Plagiarism and Collusion, available at
• http://www.uea.ac.uk/calendar/Policy+on+Plagiarism+and+Collusion
You should also make sure that you are familiar with the Business School’s policy on Harvard referencing which is available in your student handbooks.
Individual study skills support and advice on referencing is also provided by the Learning Enhancement Service at the Dean of Students Office.
Where work has been submitted in word-processed format, you may be requested to provide a digital copy of your coursework (after an initial examination of the hard copy by the coursework assessors) for use with plagiarism detection software. Instances where plagiarism is suspected will be investigated by the NBS Plagiarism Officer. Students who are found to have plagiarised will be penalised.
In proven cases offenders will be punished and the punishment may extend to degree failure, temporary suspension or expulsion from further study if the case comes before a Discipline Committee of the University.