Recruitment

Recruitment is understood as the process of searching for & obtaining applicants for jobs, from whom the right people can be selected. OR Recruitment is the process of attracting prospective employees and stimulating them for applying job in an organization. Recruitment refers to the process of receipt of applications from job seekers. There are recruitment boards for railways, banks & other organizations. Purposes & Importance of Recruitment: The general purpose of recruitment is to provide a pool of potentially qualified job candidates. Determine the present & future requirements of the firm in conjunction with its personnel-planning & job-analysis activities; - Increase the pool of job candidates at minimum cost; - Help increase the success rate of selection process by reducing the number of visibly unqualified & over qualified job applicants; - Help reduce the probability that job applicants, once recruited & selected will leave the organization only after a short time; - Increase organizational & individual effectiveness in the shortrun & in long-run. Recruitment represents the 1st contact that a company makes with potential employees. It is through recruitment that many individuals will come to know a company & eventually decide whether they wish to work for it. A well-planned & well-managed recruiting effort will result in high-quality applicants. The recruitment process should inform qualified individuals about employment opportunities, create a positive image of the company, provide enough information about the jobs so that applicants can make comparisons with their qualifications & interests, & generate enthusiasm among the best candidates so that they will apply for the vacant positions. The failure to generate an adequate number of reasonably qualified applicants can prove costly complicating the selection process & may result in lowering of selection standards. Factors Governing Recruitment OR Factors Influencing Recruitment: External Factors: - Supply & Demand: Supply of specific skills in the labour market is one of the important external factor. If the demand for a particular skill is high relative to the supply, an extraordinary recruiting effort may be needed. For E.g. the demand for programmers & Financial Analysts is likely to be higher than their supply. - Unemployment Rate: When The unemployment rate in a given area is high, the companys recruitment process may be simpler. - Labour Market: Labour market conditions in a local area are of primary importance in recruiting for most non-managerial,

supervisory & middle-management positions. However, so far as recruitment for executive & professional positions is concerned, conditions for all India Market is concerned. - Political & Legal Considerations: Reservations of jobs for SCs, STs, minorities & OBCs is a political decision. There is a strong case for giving preference to people hailing from less-advantaged sections of the society. - Sons of soil: - Companys Image: The companys image also matters in attracting large number of job seekers. Blue chip cos attract large number of applications. Infosys handles nearly 1 million applications per annum. Internal Factors:

- Recruiting Policy: Most firms have a policy on recruiting internally or externally. Generally, the policy is to prefer internal sourcing, as own employees know the company well & can recommend candidates who fit the organizations culture. - Temporary & Part-time Employees: An organization hiring temporary & part-time employees is in a less advantageous position in attracting sufficient applications. - HRP: A major internal factor that can determine the success of the recruiting programme is whether or not the company engages in HRP. In most cases, a company cannot attract prospective employees in sufficient numbers with required skills overnight. A Effective HRP greatly facilitates the recruiting efforts.
- Size of the firm: Size Of the firm is another internal factor having its influence on the recruitment process. An organization with 1000 employees will find less problematic than a firm with just 100 employees. - Cost: Cost of recruiting is yet another internal factor that has to be considered. Recruiting costs are calculated per new hire & the total amount is considerable now a days. Careful HRP & forethought by recruiters can minimize recruitment costs. Evaluating the quality, quantity & costs of recruitment helps ensure that it is efficient & cost-effective. - Growth & Expansion: Growth & Expansion will have more recruiting on hand than the one which finds its fortunes declining. Recruitment Process:

Recruitment is the process of identifying & attracting job seekers so as to build a pool of qualified job applicants. The process comprises 5 interrelated stages:- Planning, Strategy Development, Searching, Screening & Evaluation & Control.
1. Recruitment Planning: Planning Involves the translation of likely job vacancies & information about the nature of these jobs into a set of objectives that specify the number & type of applicants to be contacted. - Number of Contacts: Organizations nearly always plan to attract more applicants than they will hire. Some of those contacted will be uninterested, unqualified, or both. Companies calculate yield ratio which expresses the relationship of applicant inputs to outputs at various decision point. - Type of Contacts: This refers to the type of people to be informed about job openings. The type of people depends on the tasks & responsibilities involved & the qualifications & experience expected. 2. Strategy Development: Once Number of contacts & type of contacts are known, serious consideration needs to given to ( Make or

Buy, Technological Sophistication of recruitment & selection devices, Geographic Distribution of labour markets comprising job seekers, sources of recruitment, sequencing the activities in the recruitment process) - Make or Buy: Firms must decide whether to hire less skilled employees & invest on training & education programmes, or they can hire skilledlabour & professionals. - Technological Sophistication: Computers have given employers & job seekers a wide scope of options in the initial screening stage. Technological advancement has made it possible for job seekers to gain better access. They have begun sending videotapes about themselves to a number of companies without wasting time & without spending money on travel. - Where to Look: In Order to reduce costs, firms look into labour markets most likely to offer the required job seekers. Generally, companies look into the national market for managerial & professional employees, regional or local markets for technical, clerical & blue-collar employees. But now-a days companys adopt incremental strategy in which initial efforts are concentrated in regional or locallabour markets & expanded only if these efforts fail to achieve the desired result. - How to look: It refers to the methods or source of recruitment. It can broadly classified into 2. Internal Source & External Source. Internal recruitment seeks applicants for positions from those who are currently employed. - When to look: An Effective recruiting strategy must determine when to look decide on the timings of events- besides knowing where & how to look for job applicants. Time Lapsed Data (TLD) will be highly useful in determining the timings. TLD show the average time elapses between major decision points in the recruitment process. 1. Present Employees: Promotions & transfers from among the present employees can be a good source of recruitment. Promotion to higher positions has several advantages. ( It builds morale, it encourages competent individuals who are ambitious, it is a cheaper than outside to recruit, those chosen internally are familiar with the organization) 2. Employee Referrals: Employees working with an organization recommend their families or friends for vacant positions in the organization. When used wisely, referrals can be an effective way of recruiting. 3. Former Employees: Former employees are also an internal source of applicants. Some retired employees may be willing to come back to work on a part-time basis or may recommend someone who would be interested in working for the company. 4. Previous Applicants: Although not truly an internal source, those who have previously applied for jobs can be contacted by mail, a quick & inexpensive way to fill an unexpected opening. External Recruitment-

1. Professional or Trade Association: Many associations provide placement services for their members. Many associations publish or sponsor trade journals or magazines for their members. These publications often carry classified advertisements from employers interested in recruiting their members. ( E.g. American Bar Association, National Notary Association etc.) 2. Advertisements: Want Ads describe the job & the benefits, identify the employer, & tell those who are interested & how to apply. They are the most familiar form of employment advertising. Blind Ads is another form where no identification of the firm is given. Respondents are asked to reply to a post box number or to a consulting firm that is retained by the organization. 3. Campus recruitments: Colleges, universities, institutes are one of the important

external source of recruitment for organizations looking for fresh talents. IIMs, IITs are on the top of the list of avenues for recruiters. 4. Walk-ins, Write-ins, & Talk-ins: The most common & least expensive approach for candidates is direct applications in which job seekers submit resumes. Write-ins are those who send written enquiries. These jobseekers are asked to complete application forms for further processing. Talk-ins are becoming more popular now-a days. Job aspirants are required to meet the recruiter for detailed tasks. 5. Consultants: Consultants are useful as they have nation-wide contacts & lend professionalism to the hiring process. E.g. ABC Consultants, Ferguson Associates etc.
6. Contractors: Contractors are used to recruit casual workers. The names of the workers are not entered in the company records & the difficulties experienced in maintaining permanent workers are avoided. 7. Displaced Persons: Rehabilitating the displaced people is a social responsibility of business. Such people are a source of recruitment for the company. Rehabilitation of displaced persons is mandated by the government also. 8. Radio & Television: Radio & Television are used mostly by the government departments. Companies in the private sector are hesitant to use the media because of the high cost & they also fear that such advertising will damage the conservative image. 9. Competitors: Rival firms can be a source of recruitment. Popularly called poaching. This method involves identifying the right people in rival companies & offering them better terms. 10. E-recruiting: Currently, employers can electronically screen candidates soft attributes, direct potential candidates for online skill assessment, interview candidates via videoconferencing & manage entire process with web-based software. 3. Searching: Once a recruiting plan & strategy are worked out, the search can begin. The 2 steps involved are: - Source Activation: This means that if the firm has planned well & done a good job of developing its sources & search methods, activation soon results in a flood of applications/resumes. The applications received must be screened. Those who pass have to be contacted & invited for interview. - Selling: Another important issue here is communication. Organizations walk a tightrope. On one hand, they want to do whatever they can to attract desirable applicants. On the other they must resist the temptation of overselling their virtues. In selling the company, both the message & media deserve attention. 4. Screening: Screening of applications can be regarded as an integral part of the recruiting process, though many view it as the 1st step in the selection process. The selection process will begin after the applications have scrutinized & shortlisted. The purpose of screening is to remove from the recruitment process, at an early stage, those applicants who are visibly unqualified for the job. Effective screening can save a great deal of time & money. 5. Evaluation & Control: Evaluation & Control is necessary as considerable costs are incurred in the recruitment process. Costs incurred are:- ( Salaries for recruiters; Management time spent on preparing job description, job specifications, & advertisements; Cost of Advertisements; Recruitment Overheads, Costs of overtime, etc) Questions should be asked to know whether the recruitment methods used are valid & whether the recruitment process is effective. - Evaluation of Recruitment Process: The Recruitment process has the objective of searching for & obtaining applications from job-seekers in sufficient numbers & quality. Evaluation might include:a. Number of suitable candidates for selection; b. Retention & performance of the candidates selected; c. Cost of the recruitment process; d. Time lapsed data; e. Comments on image projected.

- Evaluation of Recruitment Methods: a. Number of initial enquiries received which resulted in completed application forms; b. Number of candidates at various stages of the recruitment & selection process, especially those shortlisted; c. Number of candidates recruited; d. Number of candidates retained in organization after 6 months Recruitment Policy: The recruitment policy of an organization would normally be in alignment with the objectives & policies of the organization. It lays down the objectives of recruitment, & the channels & sources of recruitment. A good policy recruitment policy is based on the organizations objectives, identification of the recruitment needs, preferred sources of recruitment, cost of recruitment, & so on. It should reflect the reputation &image of the organization.

Difference Between Recruitment And Selection

Both recruitment and selection are the two phases of the employment between the process. The two differences are:

1. Recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organisation WHEREAS selection involves the series of steps by which the candidates are screened for choosing the most suitable persons for vacant posts. 2. The basic purpose of recruitments is to create a talent pool of candidates to enable the selection of best candidates for the organisation, by attracting more and more employees to apply in the organisation WHEREAS the basic purpose of selection process is to choose the right candidate to fill the various positions in the organisation.

3. Recruitment is a positive process i.e. encouraging more and more employees to apply WHEREAS selection is a negative process as it involves rejection of the unsuitable candidates. 4. Recruitment is concerned with tapping the sources of human resources WHEREAS selection is concerned with selecting the most suitable candidate through various interviews and tests. 5. There is no contract of recruitment established in recruitment WHEREAS selection results in a contract of service between the employer and the selected employee.

Recruitment and selection

Recruitment, selection and training

Recruitment is the process of identifying that the organisation needs to employ someone up to the point at which application forms for the post have arrived at the organisation. Selection then consists of the processes involved in choosing from

applicants a suitable candidate to fill a post. Training consists of a range of processes involved in making sure that job holders have the right skills, knowledge and attitudes required to help the organisation to achieve its objectives. Recruiting individuals to fill particular posts within a business can be done either internally by recruitment within the firm, or externally by recruiting people from outside. The advantages of internal recruitment are that: 1. Considerable savings can be made. Individuals with inside knowledge of how a business operates will need shorter periods of training and time for 'fitting in'. 2. The organisation is unlikely to be greatly 'disrupted' by someone who is used to working with others in the organisation. 3. Internal promotion acts as an incentive to all staff to work harder within the organisation. 4. From the firm's point of view, the strengths and weaknesses of an insider will have been assessed. There is always a risk attached to employing an outsider who may only be a success 'on paper'. The disadvantages of recruiting from within are that: 1. You will have to replace the person who has been promoted 2. An insider may be less likely to make the essential criticisms required to get the company working more effectively 3. Promotion of one person in a company may upset someone else.

External recruitment
External recruitment makes it possible to draw upon a wider range of talent, and provides the opportunity to bring new experience and ideas in to the business. Disadvantages are that it is more costly and the company may end up with someone who proves to be less effective in practice than they did on paper and in the interview situation. There are a number of stages, which can be used to define and set out the nature of particular jobs for recruitment purposes: Job analysis is the process of examining jobs in order to identify the key requirements of each job. A number of important questions need to be explored: the title of the job to whom the employee is responsible for whom the employee is responsible a simple description of the role and duties of the employee within the organisation. Job analysis is used in order to: 1. Choose employees either from the ranks of your existing staff or from the recruitment of new staff. 2. Set out the training requirements of a particular job. 3. Provide information which will help in decision making about the type of equipment and materials to be employed with the job. 4. Identify and profile the experiences of employees in their work tasks (information which can be used as evidence for staff development and promotion).

5. Identify areas of risk and danger at work. 6. Help in setting rates of pay for job tasks. Job analysis can be carried out by direct observation of employees at work, by finding out information from interviewing job holders, or by referring to documents such as training manuals. Information can be gleaned directly from the person carrying out a task and/or from their supervisory staff. Some large organisations specifically employ 'job analysts'. In most companies, however, job analysis is expected to be part of the general skills of a training or personnel officer.

Job description
A job description will set out how a particular employee will fit into the organisation. It will therefore need to set out: the title of the job to whom the employee is responsible for whom the employee is responsible a simple description of the role and duties of the employee within the organisation. A job description could be used as a job indicator for applicants for a job. Alternatively, it could be used as a guideline for an employee and/or his or her line manager as to his or her role and responsibility within the organisation.

Job specification.
A job specification goes beyond a mere description - in addition, it highlights the mental and physical attributes required of the job holder. For example, a job specification for a trainee manager's post in a retail store included the following: 'Managers at all levels would be expected to show responsibility. The company is looking for people who are tough and talented. They should have a flair for business, know how to sell, and to work in a team.' Job analysis, description, and specification can provide useful information to a business in addition to serving as recruitment instruments. For example, staff appraisal is a means of monitoring staff performance and is a feature of promotion in modern companies. In some companies, for example, employees and their immediate line managers discuss personal goals and targets for the coming time period (e.g. the next six months). The appraisal will then involve a review of performance during the previous six months, and setting new targets. Job details can serve as a useful basis for establishing dialogue and targets. Job descriptions can be used as reference points for arbitrating in disputes as to 'who does what' in a business.Selection involves procedures to identify the most appropriate candidates to fill posts. An effective selection procedure will therefore take into consideration the following: keeping the costs of selection down making sure that the skills and qualities being sought have been identified, developing a process for identifying them in candidates making sure that the candidates selected, will want the job, and will stay with the company.

Keeping the costs of selection down will involve such factors as holding the interviews in a location, which is accessible to the interviewing panel, and to those being interviewed. The interviewing panel must have available to them all the necessary documentations, such as application forms available to study before the interviews take place. A short list must be made up of suitable candidates, so that the interviews do not have to take place a second time, with new job advertisements being placed. The skills required should have been identified through the process of job analysis, description and specification. It is important then to identify ways of testing whether candidates meet these requirements. Testing this out may involve: interviewing candidates asking them to get involved in simulated work scenarios asking them to provide samples of previous work getting them to fill in personality and intelligence tests giving them real work simulations to test their abilities.

Induction and training

New workers in a firm are usually given an induction programme in which they meet other workers and are shown the skills they must learn. Generally, the first few days at work will simply involve observation, with an experienced worker showing the 'new hand' the ropes. Many large firms will have a detailed training scheme, which is done on an 'in-house' basis. This is particularly true of larger public companies such as banks and insurance companies. In conjunction with this, staff may be encouraged to attend college courses to learn new skills and get new qualifications. Training thus takes place in the following ways: 1. On the job - learning skills through experience at work 2. Off the job - learning through attending courses. Promotion within a firm depends on acquiring qualifications to do a more advanced job. In accountancy for example, trainee accountants will be expected to pass exams set by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). At the same time, a candidate for promotion must show a flair for the job. It is the responsibility of the training department within a business to make sure that staff with the right skills are coming up through the firm or being recruited from outside. The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants has 300,000 members and students throughout the world. It is a professional body setting standards for the accountancy profession. To be properly qualified, accountants must have passed examinations that make them eligible for membership of one or more professional accounting bodies, such as ACCA. Typically accountants will improve their knowledge and experience by taking courses run and organised by ACCA during their professional training enabling them to develop and enhance their careers. Induction is the process of introducing new employees to an organisation and to their work responsibilities in that organisation.
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Recruitment - an overview of the process

Author: Jim Riley Last updated: Sunday 23 September, 2012
The Recruitment Process For most businesses, large or small, the task of identifying what work needs doing and who should do it is a continuous challenge!

It is rare that a business of any size operates for long without having to recruit or remove employees. For example, consider why a business might need to recruit staff:

Business expansion due to

o o o

Increasing sales of existing products Developing new products Entering new markets To work with competitors or other local employers Due to factors such as retirement, sick leave, maternity leave

Existing employees leave:

o o

Business needs employees with new skills Business is relocating and not all of existing workforce want to move to new location

The world of work is also changing rapidly:

Increase in part-time working Increased number of single-parent families More women seeking work Ageing population Greater emphasis on flexible working hours Technology allows employees to communicate more effectively whilst apart People rarely stay in the same job for life

Businesses need to understand and respond to these changes if they are to recruit staff of the right standard and keep them! So what is workforce planning? Workforce planning is about deciding how many and what types of workers are required There are several steps involved in workforce planning:

The workforce plan establishes what vacancies exist Managers produce a job description and job specification for each post

Job description

Detailed explanation of the roles and responsibilities of the post advertised Most applicants will ask for this before applying for the job Refers to the post available rather than the person

Job specification

Sets out the kind of qualifications, skills, experience and personal attributes a successful candidate should possess. A vital tool in assessing the suitability of job applicants Refers to the person rather than the post