The National Sunday Papers

They are so called because Sunday is the only day on which they appear.

All the Sunday papers provide reading material about fashion, clothes, cooking, the house and home, motoring and holidays. The quality papers also include a magazine called a ‘colour supplement’.

All the quality papers depend a great deal on advertisements to finance them. They all bring information and comment about politics and business throughout the world. They specialize in reviewing new books, the London theatre, new films and music.

If the British still feel short of reading material, they can choose from 4,300 journals and magazines. These are called periodicals and are published weekly or monthly.

Topic 12. Selecting an Employee. A Job Interview.

Looking for the Right Employee?

When your company has a position to fill, you want to be sure that you find the candidate most suited for the job. Your success in recruiting depends on how well you prepare your job ad, choose the right tool to publicize it, and screen those who apply.

1. You want to be sure that all the candidates truly understand the position. The more clearly you describe the tasks, working conditions and advantages, the less time you will waste examining and rejecting unsuitable applications.

An effective ad should include: 1) a position title; 2) information about your company; 3) a job description; 4) qualifications; 5) how to apply; 6) work benefits and conditions.

2. Once you've written your ad, you need to find the right place to publish it.

• Word of mouth, or simply telling your employees, friends and colleagues about a vacancy, is a less expensive strategy but generates fewer applicants.

• Advertising can be effective. If you are searching for someone with very specialized skills, then you may wish to run an ad in a national or international newspaper.

• Employment agencies cost more but generally provide a good range of candidates. They can save you a lot of time by handling the advertising, screening and reference checks, and sending you only the applications that meet your requirements.

• Online recruiting can give you inexpensive, worldwide access to employees.

3. Even when you need to hire urgently, it is important to take the time to screen candidates.

• E-mailing or telephoning people to ask for more information can help you decide if you really want to interview them.

• Diagnostic testing as part of the selection process can help you find the applicants whose skills, talents or values most closely match your ideal. Testing can assess cognitive skills, emotional intelligence, character, work preferences, etc.

• Checking references is essential. Verify that the information given in the resume (employment dates, positions and responsibilities) are accurate.

• A criminal-record check is usually performed only if the type of employment requires it.

4. After you have pre-qualified the candidates, you are finally ready to interview the most promising ones. This is your opportunity to confirm their qualifications, determine if they are really interested in the job, and if they fit in with your company culture.