ABSTRACT

Effective recruitment is essential to any organisation, not only to ensure that it has the right number of employees, but also to ensure that it has employees with the appropriate skills and attitudes. Failure to get recruitment right can have significant consequences in terms of reduced performance and increased turnover and absenteeism (ACAS 1999). The aim of this chapter is to provide an overview of the crucial practices of recruitment and promotion assessment in the public sector Prison Service. The typical recruitment process will involve a number of elements including: identifying the requirements of the role; attracting potential employees; methods of selection; and review of effectiveness. However, this discussion focuses particularly on the methods of selection for key groups of staff including prison officers and managers.