Recruitment & selection process at “The Daily Star”

Abstract

This report discusses human resources (HR) and the administrative functions of The Daily Star newspaper, especially in the recruitment and selection process. The report was written during my Bachelor of Business Administration coursework at BRAC University during my 3-month HR and Administration Department internship. As an intern, I participated in different HR duties, including organizing the recruitment phase, screening candidates, scheduling meetings, coordinating, and managing document management. I also ensured that there was full logistical assistance in the interview process and that the employee records were accurate. These duties offered me an excellent practical experience and an insider knowledge of how HR operations work in terms of organizational objectives, as well as in relation to the employees and their expertise. My company was among the activities that I was majorly involved in, and this activity was the recruitment and selection process of interns and permanent positions. I went through resumes, shortlisted, and organized interviews. Once I had the interview rooms and all the documents ready, I helped the interview panel by directing candidate flow to smooth the interview process. I was also expected to perform several administrative duties, including data input for employees to HR software and maintaining and managing files for employees. These were also in the form of secondary data that I used in the documentation of files, and ensured that everything was well-organized and up to date. Nonetheless, there are a few challenges that I had to overcome during my internship, such as a lack of technical training in the usage of HR software and tools. Despite my capabilities to do simple assignments, a better recruitment process and greater training on complex HR systems would have equipped me with a greater ability to undertake more complicated tasks. Task monotony was another challenge, as some functions had to be repeated so frequently that they narrowed my access to a bigger variety of HR activities. Moreover, I understood little could be suggested in post-internship placement owing to issues of confidentiality, which had long-term effects on the development of a career. Despite these, the internship was a fresh learning experience. I became familiar with how HR operates, gained extensive knowledge of effective communication, and learned the importance of the HR role in creating an efficient and harmonious working environment. I suggest implementing more structured technical training in HR software and tools to enhance my future experiences as an intern, and rotating through different tasks so they are not repetitive. Moreover, the mentorship program might further assist the interns in understanding more about the HR dynamics so that they are ready to enroll in job roles in the field in the future. Finally, the HR department of the newspaper, The Daily Star, provides an evolving environment that supports interns. Although it still has some weaknesses to be polished, especially in technical training and career development, the experience has taught me healthy skills, which can assist me in my career activities in the future.