Case Study: New Build plc New Build plc was set up seven years ago in response to the huge shortage of affordable housing in London and the south-east of England. The business has grown rapidly and now employs a total of 2,500 employees, 60 of whom are based in the company's headquarters in east London.
The business has several building projects currently underway in London, including housing estates, luxury flats and two large office blocks. Recruitment of suitable staff has been a problem for the last two years and is leading to delays in production. As well as skilled crafts people, such as plumbers, carpenters and electricians, the company needs general, unskilled labourers to work on its building sites.
With house prices being so high in London, the business has also struggled to recruit the required number of professionals for these projects. With the years of training required to become an engineer, architect or a surveyor (a person who looks at how much a piece of land/property is worth), many of these professionals are looking to find work outside of London, in other areas of the UK, where they can afford to buy a house.
The company has always viewed internal recruitment as a priority, but the board of directors are now considering using external recruitment more extensively to help overcome its recruitment issues. The board is also reviewing whether the best way to recruit skilled crafts people is through the current system of application forms. Exam-style questions:
Q1. Outline one job role and responsibility of a director at New Build plc (2)
Q2. Analyse the benefit to New Build plc of using application forms to recruit skilled crafts people (6)
Q3. In order to improve the effectiveness of its current recruitment New Build plc is considering the greater use of external recruitment Evaluate whether the company should make this change