PSJFS Potravinarstvo Slovak Journal of Food Sciences Potr. S. J. F. Sci. 1338-0230 1337-0960 Association HACCP Consulting PSJFS-14-1-178 10.5219/1233 ARTICLE NEW TRENDS AND INNOVATIVE APPROACHES IN PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT OF FOOD BUSINESSES IN SLOVAKIA http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6331-9930 Lušňáková Zuzana * http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5826-3813 Lenčéšová Silvia http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7120-7653 Šajbidorová Mária http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9401-7257 Hrdá Veronika http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3320-8508 Rumanko Boris Silvia Lenčéšová, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Management, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia, Tel.: +421 37 641 4133, E-mail: lencesova.silvia@gmail.com Mária Šajbidorová, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Management, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia, Tel.: +421 37 641 4139, E-mail: maria.sajbidorova@uniag.sk Veronika Hrdá, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Management, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia, Tel.: +421 37 641 4160, E-mail: veronika.hrda@uniag.sk Boris Rumanko, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Management, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia, Tel.: +421 37 641 4133, E-mail: xrumankob@uniag.sk Corresponding author: Zuzana Lušňáková, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, Faculty of Economics and Management, Department of Management, Trieda A. Hlinku 2, 949 76 Nitra, Slovakia, Tel.: +421 37 641 4169, E-mail: zuzana.lusnakova@uniag.sk 28 4 2020 4 2020 14 1 178 188 4 11 2019 2 4 2020 © Association HACCP Consulting. All rights reserved. 2020

New practices and changes are appearing in personnel management in the same way as they occur in other areas of management. New trends, which have various ways of implementation, emerge, along with its impact on employees, managers and businesses. Employees are an important part of each business and therefore, it is important to have right people in right places. The objective of the paper is to find out how food businesses working in Slovakia are implementing an innovative approach to the personnel management. The research actively included 453 food businesses from all Slovakia. We decided to do research into these businesses because they are household names in the field of production of domestic food products. Production of high-quality domestic food products is considered important not only for people’s nutrition and availability of quality domestic products but also due to sustainability of the employment rate in this field, development and recruitment of professional, qualified and engaged employees. The statistical relations and correlations between variables were performed by Cronbach alpha, Spearman test, Kruskal-Walis test using programs EXCEL and SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1. We found out that food businesses in Slovakia had already started to implement innovative approaches to the personnel management, but there are still significant reserves and shortcomings. The positive aspect is that food business managers have understood importance of personnel management innovation because nowadays, their main task to find, recruit, select and retain a prospective employee.

Keywords: innovation; news trends; personnel management; food businesses

 INTRODUCTION

Personnel management focuses on all the activities connected with a person in a working process. The most important functions are as follows: planning of human resources, recruitment and selection of employees, hiring and adaptation, development and education, evaluation and remuneration, communication and motivation of employees. The main goal of the human resource management is to procure employees that are necessary for occupying job vacancies within an organisation.

The global aim of the management of human resources is to achieve a competitive advantage through strategic distribution of capable and dedicated to the organization employees by using an integrated system of cultural personnel procedures (Šajbidorová, Lušňáková and Dobišová, 2016). The first key to organisation´s success is „to perceive the value and significance of employees and human resources and to understand that people represent the greatest asset of an organisation and its management decides whether an organisation will succeed or not” (Wroblovská, 2016). Human resources have become a core of each single business.

Current practice on human resource management refers to what human resource managers and line managers usually do (Juríčková, Kapsdorferová and Kadlečíková, 2018). The attention is nowadays paid to the need for strategic and systematic human resource management application which creates an added value within an organisation through effective and efficient use of human resources. In this regard, various new approaches have emerged, for example, human capital management, enhancing loyalty, talent management, ability oriented management, electronic human resource management, creating systems focused on high performance, work performance management or performance-based remuneration. A modern approach to human resource management relates to deployment of employees within a company, where the primary working profile of workers, their work orientation and preferences are of the highest importance. The tasks to which an employee has dispositions and duties are adapted accordingly. This practice leads to optimum use of work ability and an employee manages to contribute to fulfilment of company goals while boosting work effectiveness (Měrtlová, 2015).

Employee recruitment procedures aims to collect a sufficient number of adequate candidates for a job vacancy from whom, by adequate selection methods, an organisation selects the most appropriate candidate or candidates to occupy the work position. The basic decision is which segment of the labour market we focus on and what means of communication we select (Frischmann and Žufan, 2017).

Recruitment of employees is an activity which ensures that job vacancies within a company attract a sufficient number of adequate applicants herefor, with adequate costs and in adequate time (on time) (Koubek, 2015). During recruitment of employees, we might face “conflict of interests“, of both, an employer, who needs to satisfy certain requirements and an applicant, who seeks new employment. On the other side, there might company employees who want to change their current work environment in the company. The study by Diesel and Scheepers (2019) gives human resource management insight into strategically directing leadership recruitment and development towards creating an organisational climate to enhance ambidexterity.

Present trends in employees´ recruitment developed back in 2004, when there was a significant technological shift in the area of the Internet communication and the era, called web development, started while hard website content was being replaced by shared content. Blštáková et al. (2015) wrote some methods, which actually show the highest usage potential, and as such has been proved to many companies:

job recruiting websites of a company,

professional webs,

social sites,

direct and indirect addressing of candidates.

Managers and leaders are provided with an opportunity to communicate across the market via social sites and therefore search for new employees. The biggest professional social site LinkedIn is mostly used by human resource managers when searching for professionals. Direct addressing of selected individuals is usually the last phase from the set of other methods, such as references of current employees, cooperation with educational institutions, etc. (Koubek, 2015). Due to complexity of this method, new companies dealing with headhunting are slowly emerging and other businesses can hire such companies for searching for their prospective employees. The headhunting method can be demanding especially for leaders.

Employees´ selection can be placed between recruitment and hiring of employees. The objective of employees´ selection is to make the analysis and sort out applicants for a specific work position, compare them with requirements and demands of an organisation, and select the best possible applicant for a job vacancy.

The employees´ selection process is specific because a human resource manager has to sort out the best possible candidate from the given list of applications, the one who would best fulfil specific working criteria. At the same time, it entails personal as well as professional characteristics of applicants as well as their qualification potential and flexibility (Mužík and Krpálek, 2017). An assessment centre belongs to the most frequently used methods within employees´ selection – it is a systematic selection tool, evaluating abilities of an applicant for a work position by comparing their knowledge, abilities, skills with requirements for their performance regarding a specific work position. This type of employees´ selection is mainly performed when occupying top management positions (Vetráková and Bočincová, 2013). Nowadays, traditional work interviews have been moved to informal environment, e.g. lunch and it provides a unique view of candidate´s character. To make companies test the skills of candidates in a standardised way, they use for example 3D simulation of work environment in the virtual reality. New trends in employees´ selection and technology development has promoted creation of so-called videorecruitment.

In general, selection of employees via the Internet is seen more effective in contrast to offline methods. Considering the higher number of applicants, it provides the managers with the access to various applicants. It covers a shorter recruitment period and helps to cut overall recruitment costs (Christiansen, et al., 2017). Talented people from abroad are often recruited via video-interviews.

Employees´ selection through information – communication technologies is likely to boost effectiveness and influence, cuts costs or increases the capacity in the selection process of the most appropriate candidate. In general, digital or online recruitment and the upcoming selection can help to reach a wider potential as well as promote the life cycle of selection (Zeuch, 2016).

Within employees´ selection one cannot omit more and more active use of diagnostic methods, evaluating personal characteristics of applicants for work position and having a significant influence on performance and work effectiveness (Evangelu, 2008).

Scientific hypothesis

In order to evaluate the level of active work in food businesses operating in Slovakia and implementation of new trends within personnel management, we have stated and, based on the analysis in question, verified the following research assumptions:

Searching and recruitment of employees:

A1: We assume, that companies deliberately pay attention to planning process of selection and employees´ recruitment.

A2: We assume, that companies, which deliberately plan the process of searching and recruiting of employees in companies, consequently prepare and carry out selection of employees.

Selection of employees:

A3: We assume that companies which deliberately prepare and carry out selection of employees, consequently accept principles of diversity of applicants within their selection.

A4: We assume, that companies, which deliberately prepare and carry out selection of employees, apply innovative methods of employees´ selection (assessment centre, chat bots, video interviews, diagnostic methods).

MATERIAL AND METHODOLOGY

Today´s concept of human resource management has started to evolve in order to form the core of the whole management. This new approach has helped to enhance significance of a human being as a key to organisation´s success. Human resource management no longer contains only strategic aspects but focuses on external factors of formation and placement of people within an organisation as well, e.g. population development, labour market, value orientation and social conditions.

The aim of the paper is to assess implementation of these innovative approaches within specific areas of personnel management in food businesses across Slovakia.

Primary research was focused on activities within personnel management in food businesses working in Slovakia. Based on the data available on the website of the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic, in the first quarter of 2019 there were 587 988 economic subjects in Slovakia. Out of which 4434 subjects were working, according to the statistical classification of economic activities SK NACE, in the sector of CA „Food, beverages and tobacco production. Even though the given number represents only 0.75% share of all the economic subjects, food businesses in Slovakia are an important part of national economy and they significantly influence production of domestic foodstuffs and beverages and at the same time they provide work positions for population.

A questionnaire called „New trends in human resource management in food businesses” was created based on elaborated theoretical results. The first part consisted of identification questions such as a company size, legal form, capital share of the company and the region of Slovakia in which the company operates. Each area contained several questions and thanks to specific statements we found out whether a specific activity within human resources is performed by the companies. We also searched how new trend in individual parts of business are implemented. Positive, rather positive, neutral, rather negative or negative attitude to question was expressed on a five-level Likert scale.

The questionnaire was, within the pilot research in February 2019, tested on a sample of 20 companies in the Nitra region. After little modification, the final research was done from March to April 2019, the questionnaire was provided by a phone call arrangement or e-mail arrangement to 470 food businesses operating in Slovakia. The respondents who answered the questions were mostly the managers from human resource departments. In case that the organisation did not have a specific department for human resources, the questionnaire was filled in by the manager or the owner, responsible for this area. By the beginning of May 2019 we received electronic or a printed version of 453 filled questionnaires ready for use, elaboration and evaluation.

The research included 70 big, 125 middle, 148 small and 110 micro companies. From the organisational-legal business form point of view we focused exclusively on companies which are incorporated (160) or limited (293) because there are various businesses with different legal forms in Slovakia to control assumptions we wanted to ensure representativeness of a selection file as for the organisational-legal business forms.The research included 379 exclusively Slovak businesses, 35 exclusively foreign businesses and 39 businesses with a combined capital share. As for the territorial point of view, there were food businesses from all the eight regions of Slovakia.

The questionnaire´s answers were elaborated and classified which enabled consequent verification of the given research assumptions by selected mathematicalstatistical methods and formulation of suggestions and recommendation for the practice.

Except for the questionnaire, we carried out managed structured interviews in selected food businesses from February to March, providing us with entrance to the issue of human resources and enabled us with quality analysis of the given issue from another point of view, even though the answers of the respondents can be considered as partially subjective.

Nevertheless, we used the method of monitoring, findings of which served as a contribution within discussion, formulation of suggestions and conclusions.

Statistical analysis

Processing the data, obtained by the questionnaire, was done through table processor MS EXCEL 2016. The data was evaluated through statistical software SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1.

The consistency of a selection file was found by Cronbach alpha coefficient. Cronbach alpha coefficient belongs to widely used methods of scale reliability evaluation and represents level of the internal consistency. If Cronbach alpha coefficient reaches values of 0.7 and more, it represents sufficient internal scale consistency (Benda-Prokeinová, 2014).

From the data obtained from the questionnaire, where respondents had a possibility to express the level of approval or disapproval with the statement on a five-level Likert scale, we found the characteristics of a position. According to Prokeinová (2010), through application of basic descriptive characteristics we gain values of modus and averages of individual respondents´ preferences.

In the next part of the research we applied correlation analysis. Correlation analysis represents, according to Benda-Prokeinová (2014), statistical approach which describes a relationship between numeral variables. The more the absolute value of correlation coefficient reaches one, the stronger the dependence and vice versa, the more it reaches zero, the weaker the dependence.

For testing statistical hypothesis resulting from research assumptions, mathematical-statistical methods – non parametrical test were applied: Kruskal-Wallis test and Spearman coefficient. We searched for differences in answers of the questionnaire based on specific identification symbols, dependence between two variables, as well as the power of this dependence (Markechová, Stehlíková and Tirpáková, 2011; Rimarčík, 2007).

Except for the questionnaire, we realized managed structured interviews in selected food businesses from February to March, providing us with the entrance to the issue of human resources and enabled us with quality analysis of the given issue from a different point of view, even though the answers of the respondents can be considered as partially subjective. Nevertheless, we used the method of observation, findings of which were a contribution for a discussion, formulation of suggestions and recommendations and making conclusions.

 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Employees are an important part of each company, therefore it is important to have right people in right places. To have a reliable and responsible employee is not easy, as labour market is currently facing a lack of qualified personnel and is also recording a limited amount of work offers. Nowadays, companies have to attract a potential employee, not vice versa. People have the opportunity to select from various work offers, they are interested in what an employer can offer them. An organisation needs to have a good reputation, a right strategy, organisation culture and quality system of motivation and remuneration of employees.

Searching and recruitment of employees

To find and obtain the most appropriate candidate to occupy work place is not an easy task. Present-day labour market is marked with globalization, ongoing technological progress and occupational competitiveness results in talent fight. Potential of an employee, thus level of their abilities and skills, becomes inevitable part of every society´s prosperity.

Situation on the labour market is, from the employers´ point of view, demanding, as a number of free work positions still surpasses number of unemployed. To hire a new employee is becoming more and more difficult and costly. Therefore, many companies start to realize, that it is more effective to keep those working in the companies.

Searching and recruiting best candidates for a position is an activity, which contains identification and searching adequate work sources, informing about vacant work positions in an organisation, providing these vacant work positions, in negotiation with candidates, in receiving adequate information about candidates and in organisation and administrative arrangement of all these activities.

In the 1st round of questions of the questionnaire, respondents expressed the level of their approval or disapproval on a five scale range within three statements regarding searching and recruitment of potential employees:

-Process of searching and recruitment of employees in company is planned and we pay target attention to it.

-Within searching and recruitment of employees we use even innovative forms and ways.

-Within searching and recruitment of employees we apply even active searching of „talents“ or „headhunting“(„hunting for brains“).

In two questions, the respondents selected more alternatives and could select one or more answers:

Searching and recruitment of employees is realized traditionally by:

-personnel agencies,

-cooperation with educational institutions,

-recommendations of employees,

-advertisement in media,

-Profesia.sk,

-other.

Searching and recruitment of employees is realized by new forms:

-Facebook,

-LinkedIn,

-Twitter,

-Instagram,

-others.

For more comprehensive interpretation of research results we selected characteristics of average and modus, which can be used within questions with the possibility of answers on a five scale range. In the first round there were three such questions and their average and most common answers are showed in the Figure 1.

Characteristics of postion evaluating searching and recruitment of employees.

The bar graph represents average answers of respondents (data is shown in the basis of the graph) and the line graph shows the most common answers of respondents (data is shown above the graph).

Statement „Process of searching and recruitment of employees in a company is planned and we pay a target attention to it“ is approved by the most of the respondents because 67.77% respondents answered either partially or absolutely agree with this statement. Only 4.19% of companies expressed that they absolutely disagree with the statement. An average answer was 3.98 regarding the answer „I partially agree“ and the most selected value was 5, representing absolute approval.

An average answer of the representatives of food businesses within the statement „Within searching and recruitment of employees we use even innovative forms and ways“ reached 2.97, representing answer I rather agree than disagree and at the same time modus represented the same value. From the overall number of companies only 15.23% absolutely agreed with this statement and 18.10% absolutely disagreed with the statement.

The statement „Within searching and recruitment of employees we apply even active searching for talents or headhunting (hunting for managers)“ reached absolute disapproval of 43.7% companies. Absolute approval was expressed by 9.27% and partial approval was expressed by 8.6% companies. An average value selected was 2.2, representing possibility „I partially disagree“ and the most frequently selected value was „I absolutely disagree“ (1).

Except for the questions where respondents had a possibility to express level of approval or disapproval with the statement, there were, within the first round, „searching and recruitment of employees“ included two questions with more possibilities of answers, from which the respondents could select one or more answers. As the results of the research show, 53.8% companies within searching and recruitment of employees by traditional methods, they rely on recommendations of their employees. Some more than 40% of companies use advertising in media and portal www.profesia.sk. Personnel agencies are used by 20.5% of companies and using Office of Labour, Social Affairs and Family is used by 5% of companies for searching for employees.

If companies implement even innovative ways and possibilities of searching and recruitment of employees, 67.4% of them use social network of Facebook, 13.6% Instagram and 9.8% LinkedIn. Almost 20% of the representatives stated that their company does not use any innovative forms and ways of searching and recruitment of employees.

In the next step, using SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1, we realized Kruskal-Wallis test, to find out whether there are statistically significant differences among the answers of companies according to their size, legal form of business, capital participation of business or region, in which the company operates.

The results of Kruskal-Wallis test are shown in the Table 1. Values marked as „*“ represent statistically significant differences on the significance level 0.05 and values marked as „**“ represent highly statistically significant differences on a significance level 0.01.

Results of Kruskal-Wallis test – searching and recruitment of employees.

Values of Kruskal-Wallis test according to
Company size Legal form of business Capital participation of the company Region
Targeted and planned searching and recruitment of employees <0.0001** 0.6876 <0.0001** 0.1637
Using innovative forms and ways 0.0025** 0.1494 <0.0001** 0.2089
Using active searching talents or headhunting <0.0001** 0.0562 <0.0001** 0.0494*

Note: * statistically significant differences on the level of significance 0.05. ** highly statistically significant differences on the level of significance 0.01.

In case of targeted and planned searching and recruitment of employees, we can see that within the company size and capital participation of the company, the value of Kruskal- Wallis test was lower than 0.0001. Thus, there are statistically significant differences in the answers pf companies based on their size as well as capital participation of companies. Legal form of business and region, in which the company operates, does not have an influence on targeted and planned searching and recruitment of employees and vice versa – size of a company and capital participation does have an influence on it.

Based on Kruskal-Wallis test, we can state that size of a company and its capital participation has influence on using innovative forms and ways of searching and recruitment of employees. We can state that legal form of business sand region in which the company operates, do not influence using innovative forms and ways within searching and recruitment of employees.

Application of active searching of talents or headhunting within searching and recruitment of employees is not influenced only by legal form of business. Thus, there is no difference in whether the company is incorporated or limited, from the statistical point of view there are no differences in answers of these companies. However, in case of the region, in which the company operates, there are statistically significant differences on a significance level of 0.05. We can state, that size of company, capital participation and the region in which the company operates have influence on application of active searching of talents or headhunting.

To find out the power of dependence among individual questions from the questionnaire of the research, we used SAS Enterprise Guide 7.1 values of Spearman correlation coefficient for combination of questions. Values marked with “**” mean, that they are highly statistically significant at the level of significance 0.01.

As the first, we found out power of dependence among the questions of the first round. The values can be seen in Table 2. The highest correlation reaches value of 0.36598 and consequently is marked as „**“ meaning that it is highly statistically significant. Based on the interpretation of correlation coefficients according to De Vaus (2002), this statistical dependence between the third and the fifth question, is middle to significant. We can state, that there is middle to significant positive dependence between using innovative forms and ways of searching and recruitment of employees and application of active searching of talents or headhunting. The remaining two correlations are highly statistically significant as well but represent low or middle dependence.

Values of Spearman correlation coefficient for questions of the firs round.

Question 1 Question 3 Question 5
Question 1 1.00000 0.29455** 0.19779**
Question 3 0.29455** 1.00000 0.36598**
Question 5 0.19779** 0.36598** 1.00000

Note: ** highly statistically significant on the level of significance 0.01.

Except dependences among questions of the first round we were interested in dependences among questions of the first and the second round. Values of Spearman correlation coefficient are given in the Table 3. Values marked with “**” mean, that they are highly statistically significant at the level of significance Alpha = 0.01. Values marked with “*” mean, that they are statistically significant at the level of significance Alpha = 0.05. The highest dependence can be seen between the questions 1 and 6, where the value found, was 0.47605 which is highly statistically significant and represents middle to significant dependence. We can state, that between planned searching and recruitment of employees and targeted preparation and detailed realization of selection of employees, there is middle to significant dependence.

Values of Spearman correlation coefficient for questions from the first and the second round.

Question 6 Question 7 Question 8 Question 9 Question 10
Question 1 0.47605** 0.26992** 0.10504* 0.00987 0.13867**
Question 3 0.25829** 0.23726** 0.29350** 0.23360** 0.22435**
Question 5 0.18453** 0.21970** 0.44102** 0.40921** 0.41106**

Note: * statistically significant on the level of significance 0.05. ** highly statistically significant on the level of significance 0.01.

 Selection of employees

The main objective of the employees´ selection is to perform analysis and sort out applicants for specific position, compare them with the requirements and requests of the organisation, and to select the applicant who would be the best choice for the organisation.

Within the employees´ selection we can use an approach characteristic for modern human resource management, consisting of the fact that it pays more attention to whether the applicants fulfil conditions of specific position as well as requirements of organisation as a whole. These requirements include even ability to work more effectively as a member of a team. These characteristics are needed to be taken into account in case that an applicant is a member of the TOP management of the organisation, or if their position is in production.

Within the second round of questions of the questionnaire, regarding employees´ selection, and application of new trends within selection, the respondents expressed level of approval or disapproval with the following statements:

-Employees´ selection is prepared and realized in a detail.

-Within employees´ selection we accept principles of applicants´ diversity.

-Employees´ selection is done by assessment centre.

-Within employees´ selection we use chat bots or video interviews.

-Within employees´ selection we apply even diagnostic methods (such as personal cards packet, table of requested work, motivation table, creative pattern, brain teasers, etc.).

Average answers and the most common answers of companies´ representatives are shown in the Figure 2. The bar graph represents average answers of respondents (data is given in the basis of the graph) and the line graph shows the most common answers of the respondents (data is given above the graph).

Characteristics of the position evaluating employees´ selection.

The most common value selected, expressing respondent´s answer to the statement „Employees´ selection is prepared and realized in a detail“ was value „5“ „I absolutely agree“. This value was selected by 37.5% of managers. The value „4“ „I partially agree“ was selected by 28.03% companies, representing together 65.53%. Average selected value was 3.83. It represents answer „I partially agree“. Only 5.73% of the respondents absolutely disapproved of this statement. Average value of approval with the statement „Within employees´ selection we accept principles of applicants´ diversity“ was 3.40. This one is between the answers 3 and 4, closer to 3 expressing the answer „I rather agree than disagree“. The most common answer reached the value of 4, so 30.63% companies „partially agree“ with the statement. Absolute approval was expressed by 19.20% companies. Together, the value represents 49.83% of companies, which partially or absolutely agreed with the statement.

Statement „Employees´ selection is done by assessment centre“ was absolutely approved by only 19.20%. Up to 58.28% of the respondents absolutely disapproved of this statement, representing the most common answers at the same time. Partial agreement was expressed by 20.75% of the respondents, representing together 79.03% of the companies, which partially or absolutely do not use assessment centre within employees´ selection. Average answer had a value of 1.76 – closest to the answer „I partially disagree“.

The average value selected within statement „Within employees selection we use chat bots or video interviews“ was value of 1.56. It ranks among the answers „I absolutely disagree“ „I partially disagree“ (values 1 and 2). The most common answer was „I absolutely disagree“, that was the answer of 73.51% of the respondents. 3.09% of the respondents absolutely agreed and 5.96% agreed partially. Together, only 6.05% agreed partially or absolutely.

The most common answer to the statement „Within employees´ selection we apply even diagnostic methods (such as personal cards packet, table of requested work, motivation table, creative pattern, brain teasers, etc.“ was, same like within the previous two answers, „I absolutely disagree“, stated by 55.85% of the representatives of companies. Average answer was 1.88 of the value. 18.32% of the companies expressed that the „partially disagree“. Only 4.41% of the companies absolutely approved and 8.83% partially agreed.

With the aim to find out, whether there are statistically significant differences between the answers of the respondents of the companies according to the size, legal form of business, capital participation of the company or region, in which the company operates, we performed, same as before, Kruskal-Wallis test. The results of the test are shown in Table 4. The values marked as „*“ represent statistically significant differences on the significance level 0.05 and values marked as „**“ represent highly statistically significant differences on the significance level of α = 0.01.

Results of Kruskal-Wallis test – employees´selection.

Values of Kruskal-Wallis test according to
Size of company Legal form of business Capital participation of company Region
Preparation and detailed realization <0.0001** 0.4431 <0.0001** 0.0107*
Acceptance of principles of applicants´ diversity <0.0001** <0.0001** <0.0001** 0.0327*
Using assessment centre <0.0001** 0.0023** <0.0001** <0.0001**
Using chat bots or video interviews 0.0051** 0.1798 0.0004** 0.2183
Application of diagnostic methods <0.0001** 0.0040** <0.0001** 0.0008**

Note: * statistically significant differences on the level of significance 0.05. ** highly statistically significant differences on the level of significance 0.01.

Based on the realised Kruskal-Wallis test, we can state that size of company and capital participation have significant influence on targeted preparation and detailed realization of employees´ selection, as their value is lower than 0.0001 and we can confirm highly statistically significant differences. The region, where the company operates has influence on targeted preparation and detailed realization of employees´ selection. The value 0.0107 represents statistically significant differences in the answers of respondents. Legal form of business in this case does not have statistically significant influence.

In case of acceptance of diversity principles, from table it is clear that within size of company, legal form of business as well as capital participation, the value is lower than 0.0001, which proves the existence of highly statistically significant differences. As for the region, in which the company operates, the value is 0.0327, representing statistically significant differences. Based on our findings we can state that, all four factors have influence on acceptance of applicants´ diversity principles within selection of employees.

Table 4 shows that using assessment centre within employees´ selection is influenced by all the factors (size of company, legal form of business, capital participation of company and region in which the company operates), because within all four the result of Kruskal-Wallis test is smaller than 0.01. There are highly statistically significant differences in answers of companies on significance level 0.01.

In case of using chat bots or video interviews there are highly statistically significant differences within size of company and capital participation of company. We can state that legal form of business and region where the company operates, do not have influence, and on the contrary, size of company and capital participation of company have a significant influence on using chat bots or video interviews within employees´ selection.

Application of diagnostic methods within employees´ selection is significantly influenced by one identification symbol. Within all the factors there is a value lower than 0.01. Thus, in every case, there are highly statistically significant differences in the answers of the respondents.

Within the topic of „employees´ selection“, identification symbols of companies show significant influence on respondents´ answers.

Another research continued by finding values of Spearman correlation coefficient in order to find out the power of dependence among the questions of the second round.

Relationship among questions of the first and the second round was already solved and it is given above within the issue of „Searching and recruitment of employees“.

Values, showed by relationship among questions of the second round, are in Table 5. Values marked with “**” mean, that they are highly statistically significant at the level of significance 0.01. The highest value in the table expressing dependence, has a value of 0.52563 and at the same time it is highly statistically significant. It represents significant to very strong dependence between using assessment centre and at the same time using chat bots or video interviews within selection of employees.

Values of Spearman correlation coefficient for questions of the second round.

Question 6 Question 7 Question 8 Question 9 Question 10
Question 6 1.00000 0.37320** 0.18601** 0.06095 0.16014**
Question 7 0.37320** 1.00000 0.15239** 0.05211 0.16284**
Question 8 0.18601** 0.15239** 1.00000 0.52563** 0.41664**
Question 9 0.06095 0.05211 0.52563** 1.00000 0.44927**
Question 10 0.16014** 0.16284** 0.41664** 0.44927** 1.00000

Note: ** highly statistically significant at the level of significance 0.01.

The second highest correlation has a value of 0.44927, it is highly statistically significant and it ranks among questions 9 and 10. It represents middle to significant dependence between using chat bots or video interviews and applying diagnostic methods within employees´ selection. In the table there are other two correlations which are from then category of middle to significant, they are grey colour and they both are highly statistically significant. From the rest of the correlations there are four highly statistically significant, they represent low to middle dependence and two of them are not statistically significant. All the correlations in Table 5 belong to positive correlations.

 Verification of the given research assumptions

Within the sub-chapter „Material and methods“ we formulated research assumptions. Based on realized analysis and mathematical – statistical methods they were verified and the results are as follows:

Searching and recruitment of employees

A1: We assume that companies deliberately pay attention to planning process of searching and recruitment of employees.

The first research assumption was accepted. Based on characteristics of the position of answers we state that two thirds of respondents partially or absolutely agreed with the statement about planning process of searching and recruitment of employees of company.

A2: We assume that companies which plan the process of searching and recruitment of employees in company, plan and realize selection of employees as well.

The second significant assumption was accepted based on values of Spearman correlation coefficient which proved positive dependence between the target planned process of searching and recruitment of employees and of detailed preparation and realization of employees selection, of providing possibilities of their improvement, of providing possibilities for their development and education and at the same time perceiving communication as an important attribute of cooperation in the company and outside. The strongest dependence among the three given above was proved between planning process of searching and recruitment of employees and detailed preparation and realization of employees´ selection.

 Employees´ selection

A3: We assume that companies, which deliberately prepare and realize employees´ selection, at the same time accept applicants´ diversity principles within their selection.

The third research assumption was accepted. If companies deliberately prepare and realize process of employees´ selection, they try to accept and follow applicants´ diversity principles.

A4: We assume that companies that deliberately prepare and realize employees´ selection, apply innovative methods of employees´ selection (assessment centre, chat bots, video interviews, diagnostic methods).

The fourth research assumption was not accepted. We suppose that those companies which prepare and realize employees´ selection, will, within this kind of activity use innovative methods. We found out only very low dependence between preparation and realization of employees´ selection by using assessment centre as well as applying diagnostic methods. In case of using chat bots and video interviews there was no statistically significant influence found. Based on literature sources we assumed that assessment centre is very used method within process of employees´ selection. Based on our findings we can therefore state that between preparation and realization of employees´ selection and using assessment centre there is above mentioned positive dependence.

The process of economic growth greatly depends on the qualification and use of human resources, of the creative, dynamic capacity of the human factor in the unfolding of economic life (Lušňáková et al, 2018). According to Armstrong and Taylor (2015), intention of human resources is to ensure that organisation has employees who are necessary to fulfil the entrepreneurial goals. Therefore, the objective is to ensure competitive advantages of organisation through recruitment, stabilization and development of employees. The diversity of jobs and lack of candidates force the employers to find creative ways to recruit new employees (Briscariu, 2019).

Among the human resources processes, recruitment has been considered to be one of the most important ones. Many theories nowadays emphasize the importance of recruitment practices in the welfare of an organisation, stressing that its impact is crucial even in the business financial performance (Vejsiu, 2019). Process of employees´ recruitment should start with planning, establishing number and time span of the necessity to occupy vacant positions. Then it leads to time span of addressing applicants from the external and internal labour market. The advantage of internal searching is the acquaintance of employees, support for flexibility and internal mobility reflected in career development, stabilization, and improvement of work ethics (Lawrel and Boudreau, 2009). As for our research, food businesses in Slovakia which were included into research of using new trends in human resource management, they expressed their effort to plan human resources in company, however some of the addressed representatives of companies did not know exactly how to define what human resource management includes. Especially representatives of domestic micro and small companies (mostly owners) explained that because of exceeded bureaucracy and duties, they have no time left for systematic work with human resources.

In spite of the fact that the analysed food businesses in Slovakia plan the process of searching and recruitment of employees and they pay attention to it, the representatives´ standpoint was neutral as for using innovative forms and ways of searching and recruitment of employees. The new ways include e-recruitment, which utilizes available computer network services, especially web sites and e-mail (Šikýř, 2014). The Internet offers employers additional options for communicating with potential job seekers, such as creating and developing social networks (Facebook, LinkedIn, Myspace, and Google+), and virtual communities of users with common interests. Social networks enable job seekers to publish their professional and personal profiles and give employers the opportunity to reach out to suitable job candidates in their enterprise (Vetráková et al., 2018). Companies within searching and recruitment of employees very occasionally apply active searching for talents or headhunting. This condition should therefore be changed. The reason is given by Grenčíková (2015) and she writes that quality work force is becoming a competitive advantage. It is an advantage especially for employers who offer interesting work conditions. The author did not mean financial evaluation but relationship between the employer and employees. According to Lenčéšová et al. (2018) it is complicated for the companies in Slovakia to find and obtain talented employees or professionals. This issue is not only connected with small and medium sized companies.

Social media serves as a mediator for the effect of external knowledge flows on firm innovativeness when firms attach high importance to modern HRM practices. Taken together, the findings of de Zubielqui, Fryges and Jones (2019) underscore the importance of modem HRM practices to enable knowledge inflows via social media to influence innovativeness.

Food businesses in Slovakia, according to our findings, prepare and realize employees´ selection. They, anyway, had neutral standpoint to acceptance of applicants´ diversity principles within their selection. Horváthová, Bláha and Čopíková (2016) on the other hand, write about necessity to manage cultural work forces and take into account individual and group differences in needs, in work styles and various aspirations. It is important to take steps for everybody to be satisfied, to provide ethic approach of all the employees, which is based on equality principle and we all have the same rights and deal equally with everyone regardless the sexual orientation, religion, race, political ideals and various beliefs.

The area of employees´ selection, according Bělohlávek (2017), includes the main methods of interview, assessment centre and various types of tests on working ability. The selected companies within employees´ selection only occasionally use assessment centre, chat bots, video interviews and other innovative methods. Lisá (2019) states, that ability to predict, is very limited, during testing traditional curriculum vitae. Well-designed assessment centre best predicts success of an applicant on a work position but it can only be used within the most complicated work positions or with university based applicants.

Recruiting and selection process are the most interesting functions for western researchers when we write about green human resources management (Shahriari and Hassanpoor, 2019). In commitment-based human resource management, employees are hired based on their knowledge, their expertise is developed, and they are empowered to take reasonable risks in the interest of longterm outcomes. HRM policies, which mediated by innovative work practices, enable firms to realize their strategic intention to engage in innovation (Ko and Ma, 2019). Effective leadership of human capital is a major managerial issue. Hiring and keeping employees is key to sustainable competitive advantage (Smith and Rupp, 2004).

 CONCLUSION

The important assumption for working and prospering organisation is to ensure the whole process, from human resource planning through searching and recruitment of work force, employees´ selection, their adaptation, education and development, communication and motivation, support of creativity and work environment and all the other areas should be secured on the highest level possible within active implementation of innovative processes to all the areas of human resource management. Based on realized analysis we can see the effort of companies to understand importance of implementation of innovative processes within personnel management, however practical application of processes in practice is very rare. If company wants to work effectively, investment into planning, recruitment, development and sustainability of employees is the cleverest decision possible.

Resulting from the results of the analysis of implementation of innovative processes within personnel management in food businesses in Slovakia, we recommend to:

- provide professional planning of human resource management in short time and in ling time perspective regardless the size of company, organisation. legal form, capital participation and establishment,

- immediately start intensive using available, effective and especially financially less demanding innovative ways of searching and recruitment of employees, like for example social networks,

- think and implement strategy of obtaining the best employees, who would be willing to work for a company and remain there; for example by headhunting, together with searching for talents, necessary for the company to have,

- intensively search for information and opportunities to discuss things with professionals, educational institutions and other organisations, how to apply new processes to every kind of activity within work with human resources, as new trends are used by food businesses in each area of human resource management minimally or not at all,

- within employees´ selection, apply maximally principle of diversity and get rid of any prejudices, support employees´ selection through time less demanding and effective video interviews, role playing and with maximum usage of assessment centre and so forth.

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