Recruitment Methods - Study Notes

Lesson summary

Recruitment is the process of finding suitable candidates for the various posts in an organisation. It attracts potential people to apply for a job and acts as a link between the job provider and the job seeker. The organisation scrutinises the applications received and shortlists suitable candidates for selection.

10.01 Meaning and definition

• Edwin B. Flippo: "It is a process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organisation."
• Thirukkural couplet 517: after considering that a man can accomplish a task by certain means, leave the duty with him.

Reasons behind recruitment (why vacancies arise)

1. Retirement of an employee
2. Death of an employee
3. Resignation of job by an employee
4. Disablement of an employee
5. Dismissal of an employee

10.02 Recruitment process

1. Planning recruitment
2. Determining vacancies
3. Identifying the sources
4. Drafting information for advertisement
5. Selecting the suitable mode of advertisement
6. Facilitating selection process
7. Evaluation and control

10.03 Sources of recruitment

There are two ways: internal and external sources. External sources are further classified into direct and indirect sources.

Internal sources

External sources: A. Direct

• Advertisements in dailies, journals and magazines, stating nature of work, qualification, experience, salary, mode of applying and time limit.
• Unsolicited applicants: voluntary applications for vacancies not yet notified.
• Walk-ins: walk-in applicants with suitable qualification.
• Campus recruitment: organisations visit educational institutions.
• Recruitment at factory gate: casual or temporary unskilled employees.
• Rival firms: efficient employees of rivals drawn by higher pay and benefits; also called poaching (salesmen, chartered accountants, management professionals).
• e-Recruitment: online recruitment that reaches applicants globally; an inevitable external source.

External sources: B. Indirect

• Employee referral: existing employees recommend relatives or known people; considered on the employee's credibility.
• Government/Public employment exchanges: set up by Government; bridge employer and job seeker through a database.
• Private employment agencies: like public exchanges but privately owned.
• Employment consultancies: recruit for client companies at cost; data on executives and top-level personnel; also called Recruitment Process Outsourcing.
• Professional associations: Institute of Chartered Accountants, Indian Medical Association, Institute of Training and Development, Institute of Engineers, All India Management Association.
• Deputation: an existing employee deputed for a specific job and period as a short-term solution.
• Word of mouth: people of repute pass on news of vacancies.
• Labour contractors: supply unskilled and manual labourers.
• Job portals: internet portals to screen candidates and fill vacancies.

10.04 Recent trends

1. Outsourcing: outsourcing firms screen applications and find the right person, for a service charge. RPO steps: requirement understanding, advertisement and source, screening, validation, profile submission, interview process and feedback, selection and follow-up.
2. Poaching: hiring employees of competitors by paying more financial and non-financial benefits instead of training one's own staff; also called raiding.