Syllabus: Pearson - A Level Business
Module: 1.4 Managing People
Lesson: 1.4.2 Recruitment Selection and Training

Introduction

This article supports delivery of Pearson Edexcel A Level Business, Theme 1: Marketing and People, specifically 1.4.2 Recruitment, Selection and Training. It’s built to help teachers bring this topic to life while staying tightly aligned to assessment demands and classroom realities. Recruitment and training are more than HR processes—they’re strategic levers that affect growth, innovation and competitiveness. By exploring this topic through practical tools and real-world examples, students move from textbook knowledge to applied understanding.

Key Concepts

According to the Pearson Edexcel specification, students are expected to understand:

• The Recruitment Process
  Including internal vs. external recruitment, job descriptions, person specifications and job adverts.

• Methods of Selection
  Interviews, assessment centres, testing (skills/personality), and the costs/benefits of each.

• Types of Training
  On-the-job vs. off-the-job training, with attention to suitability, cost, and impact on performance.

• The Link Between Training and Motivation
  Including references to motivational theorists such as Maslow and Herzberg.

• The Strategic Importance of Effective Recruitment and Training
  As a driver for productivity, employee retention, and business success.

These are not isolated points but interdependent elements of workforce planning and talent management—a theme that rewards integrated thinking.

Real-World Relevance

Students should be able to see recruitment and training not as HR formality, but as business-critical strategy. Consider:

• Greggs’ Apprenticeship Programme
  Offers a model of internal development that supports both business growth and social impact.

• Pret A Manger’s approach to hiring for attitude over experience
  Emphasises cultural fit and team energy, using structured yet informal interviews.

• Tesco’s investment in training through its ‘Options’ scheme
  Demonstrates how structured off-the-job training supports retention and customer experience.

You might also explore start-up dynamics where recruitment is lean, personal, and sometimes risky. Or tech giants where culture-fit interviews are common practice.

How It’s Assessed

In Pearson Edexcel A Level Business exams, assessment typically includes:

• Data Response Questions
  Candidates analyse recruitment and training strategies from case studies.

• Short-Answer Application
  E.g. “Explain one advantage of using on-the-job training.”

• Extended Responses (8- or 10-mark questions)
  These often require application of business context, balanced analysis, and supported judgement.

Command words like “Assess”, “Evaluate”, and “Justify” will appear frequently. Students should be coached to structure answers using point-evidence-explanation (PEE) or argument-counterargument-conclusion (ACC) models.

Enterprise Skills Integration

This topic is ideal for building students’ enterprise skillset. For example:

• Decision-Making: Comparing selection methods for different business contexts.

• Problem-Solving: Addressing skills shortages or poor staff retention.

• Strategic Thinking: Analysing long-term vs. short-term training costs.

• Communication: Practising interview techniques or designing recruitment materials.

Enterprise Skills’ Business Simulations can embed this learning through plug-and-play activities where students hire staff, set training budgets, and experience the knock-on effects in a fictional business. This “learn by doing” approach transforms theory into tangible outcomes.

Careers Links

This unit aligns strongly with Gatsby Benchmarks 4, 5 and 6:

• Gatsby Benchmark 4: Curriculum links careers explicitly—students explore HR roles, recruitment consultancy, and L&D careers.

• Gatsby Benchmark 5: Mock interviews or visits from employers can deepen realism.

• Gatsby Benchmark 6: Simulations offer virtual experience of managing recruitment and staff development.

Roles to highlight include:

• Human Resources Officer

• Training and Development Manager

• Talent Acquisition Specialist

• Recruitment Consultant

• Learning Designer (e.g. for digital onboarding tools)

These roles combine people skills with strategic business insight—an ideal fit for students interested in both.

Teaching Notes

Top teaching tips:

• Use mini case studies to contrast recruitment in SMEs vs large firms.

• Set up a role-play interview panel—students create CVs, act as candidates, and evaluate performance.

• Apply Enterprise Skills simulations to show how recruitment choices affect productivity, team morale, and costs over time.

• Build in mock assessment tasks using past paper extracts or your own scenarios.

Common pitfalls:

• Students often confuse training types (on-the-job vs off-the-job) with methods (e.g. job shadowing vs workshops).

• Weak answers may describe rather than analyse or evaluate. Focus on pushing depth through structured argument.

Extensions:

• Ask students to audit a company’s public recruitment strategy and propose improvements.

• Invite a guest speaker from a local business to discuss how they hire and train staff.