How does a business find and choose the right people to employ?
The difference between internal and external recruitment, the main stages of recruitment and selection, the documents used (job description and person specification), and the advantages and disadvantages of each recruitment method.
A focused answer to AQA GCSE Business 3.4.2, covering internal and external recruitment, the stages of recruitment and selection, job descriptions and person specifications, and the pros and cons of each method.
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What this dot point is asking
AQA wants you to distinguish internal from external recruitment, describe the stages of recruiting and selecting staff, explain the documents used, and give the advantages and disadvantages of each recruitment method.
Internal and external recruitment
A business recruits when it grows, when staff leave, or when it needs new skills. The choice between internal and external is a trade-off between cost, speed and freshness. Internal recruitment is quicker and cheaper because the person is already known and needs less induction, and it motivates staff by showing promotion is possible, but it brings no new ideas and simply moves the vacancy elsewhere in the business. External recruitment widens the pool and brings fresh skills and experience, but it costs more in advertising and induction and carries more risk because the candidate is unproven. AQA expects you to match the method to the situation rather than always favouring one.
The stages of recruitment and selection
Advantages and disadvantages
The documents matter because they make selection fairer and more accurate: the person specification gives clear, job-related criteria to judge applicants against, which both improves the choice and helps the business avoid discrimination under employment law. Selection methods include interviews, skills tests, presentations and assessment centres, and a business will pick the methods that best reveal whether a candidate can do the job.
Try this
Q1. State the difference between a job description and a person specification. [2 marks]
- Cue. Job description lists the duties of the role; person specification lists the skills and qualities of the ideal candidate.
Q2. Explain one advantage of internal recruitment. [2 marks]
- Cue. Cheaper and faster, and it motivates staff by offering promotion.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of AQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
AQA 20193 marksExplain one advantage to a business of recruiting internally rather than externally. (Paper 1, Section B)Show worked answer →
A 3-mark explain question: one advantage developed through a chain.
One advantage is that the candidate is already known to the business: their work record, strengths and reliability have been seen first hand, so there is less risk of a poor appointment than with an outsider. The consequence is a safer, quicker and cheaper hire, and promoting from within also motivates other staff who see a route to advancement.
Markers reward one clear advantage (known candidate, cheaper, faster, motivates staff) developed with a consequence. A bare advantage caps at one mark.
AQA 20229 marksA fast-growing technology business needs to fill a senior manager role quickly. Justify whether it should recruit internally or externally. (Paper 1, Section C)Show worked answer →
A 9-mark justify question: choose, apply, weigh the alternative.
Case for external: a fast-growing tech firm may need fresh skills and new ideas that current staff lack, and external recruitment widens the pool to find the best candidate for a senior role, even though it is slower and more expensive.
Case for internal: promoting an existing manager is faster (important given the urgency), cheaper, lower risk because the person is known, and motivates staff, though it brings no new ideas and leaves a vacancy below. A supported judgement might recommend internal recruitment because speed and low risk matter most given the urgency, provided a suitable internal candidate exists, otherwise external for the new skills. The decision turns on whether internal talent is available. Markers reward a clear choice justified against the alternative and applied to the tech firm.
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Sources & how we know this
- AQA GCSE Business (8132) specification — AQA (2017)