The Recruitment Process

The Recruitment Process 

 

Learning Objectives

1. Discuss the need for forecasting human resource needs and techniques for forecasting.

2. Be able to explain the steps to an effective recruitment strategy.

3. Be able to develop a job analysis and job description.

 

Introduction 

Recruitment refers to the process of identifying, attracting, interviewing, selecting, hiring and onboarding employees. In other words, it involves everything from the identification of a staffing need to filling it.

Depending on the size of an organization, recruitment is the responsibility of a range of workers. Larger organizations may have entire teams of recruiters, while others only a single recruiter. In small outfits, the hiring manager may be responsible for recruiting. In addition, many organizations outsource recruiting to outside firms. Companies almost always recruit candidates for new positions via advertisements, job boards, social media sites, and others. Many companies utilize recruiting software to more effectively and efficiently source top candidates. Regardless, recruitment typically works in conjunction with, or as a part of Human Resources.

The recruitment process is an important part of human resource management (HRM). It isn’t done without proper strategic planning. 

Recruitment is defined as a process that provides the organization with a pool of qualified job candidates from which to choose. 

Before companies’ recruit, they must implement proper staffing plans and forecasting to determine how many people they will need. 

The basis of the forecast will be the annual budget of the organization and the short- to long-term plans of the organization—for example, the possibility of expansion. In addition to this, the organizational life cycle will be a factor.

 

Forecasting is based on both internal and external factors. Internal factors include the following:

 

1. Budget constraints  

2. Expected or trend of employee separations

3. Production levels

4. Sales increases or decreases

5. Global expansion plans

 

External factors might include the following:

1. Changes in technology

2. Changes in laws

3. Unemployment rates

4. Shifts in population

5. Shifts in urban, suburban, and rural areas

7. Competition

 

Once the forecasting data are gathered and analyzed, the HR professional can see where gaps exist and then begin to recruit individuals with the right skills, education, and backgrounds.

Stages of the Recruitment Process in Human Resources

The recruitment function of HR includes analyzing the requirements of an available job, attracting suitable candidates to the position, carefully screening and selecting all applicants, hiring, and seamlessly integrating new employees and roles into the organization. 

There are four stages of the recruitment process used by human resources departments to successfully and comprehensively achieve each of these objectives:

• Job analysis

• Advertising

• Screening of applicants

• Finalization

There are several important stages that most organizations use when recruiting employees. The recruitment stages include:

• Job analysis: The human resources representative needs to review and analyze what they need the new employee to do in the open position. From that analysis, the representative needs to build a job description, which describes the essential duties of the job. The representative also needs to set minimum qualifications, and define a salary range.

• Advertise the open position: The search begins for applicants through networking, advertising, or other search methods in order to find applicants who match the job requirements.

• Screening applicants: Screening involves testing skills and/or personalities. It also includes the assessment of the applicant's motivation and their fit with organizational requirements through the interview process.

• Finalizing the job offer: The applicant is offered a job, which includes a compensation package. Once the candidate has accepted the offer, the organization helps with the introduction of the new employee.

 

Recruitment Strategy

 

Although it might seem easy, recruitment of the right talent, at the right place and at the right time, takes skill and practice, but more importantly, it takes strategic planning

An understanding of the labor market and the factors determining the relevant aspects of the labor market is key to being strategic about your recruiting processes.

Based on this information, when a job opening occurs, the HRM professional should be ready to fill that position. 

Here are the aspects of developing a recruitment strategy:

1. Refer to a staffing plan. 

2. Confirm the job analysis is correct through questionnaires.

3. Write the job description and job specifications.

4. Have a bidding system to recruit and review internal candidate qualifications for possible promotions.

5. Determine the best recruitment strategies for the position.

6. Implement a recruiting strategy.

 

The first step in the recruitment process is acknowledgment of a job opening. At this time, the manager and/or the HRM look at the job description for the job opening (assuming it isn’t a new job).

Assuming the job analysis and job description are ready, an organization may decide to look at internal candidates’ qualifications first. 

Internal candidates are people who are already working for the company. If an internal candidate meets the qualifications, this person might be encouraged to apply for the job, and the job opening may not be published. 

Many organizations have formal job posting procedures and bidding systems in place for internal candidates. 

For example, job postings may be sent to a listserv or other avenue so all employees have access to them. However, the advantage of publishing open positions to everyone in and outside the company is to ensure the organization is diverse.

Once these tasks are accomplished, the hope is that you will have a diverse group of people to interview (called the selection process). 

Before this is done, though, it is important to have information to ensure the right people are recruited. This is where the job analysis and job description come in.

 

Tips for successful recruitment in HR

Below are some tips for those working in HR to help find the best candidates for each role and to help streamline the recruitment process:

Conduct wide searches

Search in a variety of locations for candidates. For example, even if you believe you have good internal candidates, it's often useful to search outside the company as well to see if someone else may be more qualified for the role. Doing so not only helps to ensure that you find the best candidate but you may find someone that is a good fit for another position that you're looking to fill.

 

Save applicant information

After your employer hires someone for the open position, save the information of the other candidates. This way, if another similar position opens, you may already have the perfect person for the job. Also, if the person hired for the job leaves or otherwise cannot fulfill their duties, you can resume the recruitment process from the middle rather than starting back at the beginning. You can then save your employer time by contacting candidates that have already gone through some of your interview processes.

Ask for feedback

Asking for feedback from those that take part in your recruitment process is a good way to improve it. For example, after your employer hires someone, you could ask that person how they felt about the recruitment, interview and hiring processes. Also, ask the hiring manager if they felt you provided enough strong candidates for their consideration. Then implement the feedback you receive in any future recruitment plans.

 

Conclusion 

Recruitment and selection is also can be said as a simultaneous and incomplete process

without each other because employees are important components in the organization and differ in tasks and ways from each other. 

Individuals selected to work in an organization may be experienced and knowledgeable, but they may also experience changes in the organization from various aspects.

For example, the state of the work environment, the performance of work duties, attitudes and behaviors of employers, methods to increase productivity, the use of techniques and innovative methods and so on. When an employee has selected by the employer, it is important that they should be loyal and dedicated to the organization and be able to commit to the performance of work duties and have the nature of reason, diligence, and also caution.

Reference

Billsberry, J. (2000) Finding and keeping the Right People , 2nd edn, London, Prentice-Hall

Cowling, A.G. and Mailer, C.J.B (1981) Managing Human Resources , London, Edward Arnold.

Ludlow, R. and Panton, F. (1991) The Essence of Successful Staff Selection , London, Prentice-Hall. 

Amin, R. (2003) Harnessing Workforce Diversity to Raise the Bottom Line, www.create-research.co.uk

Armstrong, M. (2000) ‘Feel the width’, People Management, 3rd February, CIPD, 38

Beardwell, I. and Holden, L. (1997) 2nd edition, Human Resource Management, Pitman Publishing.