5 – Recruiting HR

Introduction

An organization’s most valuable asset is its people’s resources. The quality of the individuals who work in an organization determines whether it succeeds or fails. Organizations cannot thrive and prosper without positive and creative contributions from their employees. To achieve an organization’s goals or carry out its activities, we must hire people with the necessary abilities, qualifications, and experience. While doing so, we must keep in mind the organization’s current and future requirements.

Businesses must hire employees with the necessary skills, qualifications, and experience to survive and thrive in a highly competitive climate. They must also be aware of economic, social, political, and legal factors when doing so.

To be effective, they must use all available sources of supply, both internal and external. Internal promotions and transfers increase the morale of long-serving employees. External sources must also be examined regularly to attract skilled people with many ideas to a company.

5.1 Definition

Recruitment is described as identifying a source of manpower to meet a staffing requirement and putting in place effective means to attract that manpower in sufficient numbers to select an efficient workforce effectively.

According to Edwin B. Flippo, recruitment is “the process of locating potential employees and encouraging them to apply for positions within the firm.”

5.2 Nature

The following characteristics are involved in recruitment:

1. The recruitment process is the initial phase of the hiring process.
2. It is an ongoing procedure.
3. It is a method of locating human resources and attracting and inspiring individuals to apply for organisation positions.
4. It is manpower development or work at the end stage.
5. It is a beneficial procedure.
6. It satisfies both current and future needs.

5.3 What is the goal?

1. Identifying and establishing the source where the necessary quantity and type of employees are/will be available.
2. Creating effective tactics for attracting the ideal prospect.
3. Using the strategy to entice employees to work with you.
4. To raise the selection ratio (i.e., the number of applications for one job opening) due to a lower yield ratio, stimulating as many candidates as possible and asking them to apply for employment regardless of the number of candidates required.

5.3.1 Role Profiles for Recruitment

Role profiles outline the role’s overarching purpose, reporting linkages, and important outcome areas. They may also include a list of required skills, which can be both technical (the skills and knowledge needed to execute a given profession) and behavioural competencies. The terms and conditions (pay, benefits, hours of work, mobility, travelling, transfers, training, development, and career opportunities) are also included in the profile. The person specification is based on the recruitment position.

5.3.2 Individual Characteristics

The selection system’s key element is based on a person specification, also known as recruitment, job, or personnel specification. It is the sum of a person’s education, training, experience, and qualifications for the job that has been allotted to him.

When the job requirements have been defined, they should be organised into groups under appropriate headings. Qualification, technical, and behavioural competencies are the three basic categories (as given in the figure below for the HR Officer).

Traditional schemes are also available. The seven-point method, devised by Alec Rodgers in 1952, and Munro Fraser’s five-point grading system, designed in 1954, are the most popular. These provide specific headings under which desirable candidate characteristics can be classified.

The Seven-Point Strategy

1. Physical appearance: health, look, bearing, and speech
2. Attainment: Education, qualifications and experience
3. Special aptitudes: Mechanical, manual dexterity, skill with words or figures
4. General intelligence: Fundamental intellectual potential
5. Hobbies: social, intellectual, physical activity, and building
6. Situations: Domestic circumstances, family professions
7. Disposition: Acceptability, influence over others, steadiness, dependability, self-reliance

A five-tiered grading scale

1. Impact on Others: Physical make-up, appearance, speech, and demeanour affect others.
2. Acquired knowledge or qualification: education, occupational training, and work experience are all examples of acquired knowledge or qualifications.
3. Innate abilities: natural understanding speed and learning aptitude
4. Motivation: The individual’s goals, consistency and drive in pursuing them, and success in accomplishing them.
5. Adjustment: Emotional stability, coping with stress, and interpersonal skills.

The individual’s needs determine the system to use. The seven-point plan has a longer history, but the five-point approach is easier to comprehend and implement. Both give a framework for interviewing, but larger firms prefer the competency-based approach.

5.3.3 Attracting Candidates

Attracting candidates is essentially a matter of discovering, analysing, and employing the best sources of candidates. However, if adequate recruitment sources are unavailable, an examination of the elements that influence recruitment in an organisation is required.

Factors

SR.NO	Internal Factors	SR.NO	External Factors
1	Company’s Pay Package	1	Socio-economic Factors
2	Quality of Life	2	Supply and Demand Factors
3	Organizational Culture	3	Employment Rate
4	Career Planning and Growth	4	Labour Market Condition
5	Company’s Size	5	Political, Legal and Government Factors
6	Company’s Products/Services	6	Information System
7	Company’s Growth Rate
8	Role of Trade Union
9	Cost of Recruitment
10	Company’s Name and Fame

 5.4 The Hiring Process

The following are the essential steps in the recruitment process:

1. Job Design:

The most significant aspect of the recruitment process is job design. This step entails creating a work profile and clearly understanding the line manager and the HRM function. It is about agreeing on the ideal job candidate’s profile and the necessary skills and competencies. The information acquired can be utilised throughout other processes to expedite the recruitment process.

2. Opening Employment Position:

The HR Recruiter is usually in charge of opening job positions. To identify the finest candidates for the job vacancy, a skilled and experienced HR Recruiter should decide on the proper combination of recruitment sources. This is an important phase in the hiring process.

3. Gathering and Presenting Job Resumes:

The third stage is to gather and select job resumes. This phase in the recruitment process is critical today since many organisations waste a significant amount of time on it. The firm can no longer afford to wait for the pre-selection of job resumes. In most cases, HRM should only perform this last step.

4. Job Interviews:

Job interviews are the most essential step in the hiring process, and they should be carefully planned and agreed upon by HRM and line management. The job interview aims to identify the candidate who best matches the requirements and fits the business culture and department.

5. Job Opportunity:

The job offer is the final phase in the recruitment process, and the HRM Function completes it. It brings all of the previous processes to a close, and the winner of the job interviews receives an offer to join the firm.

5.5 Techniques of Recruitment

Management uses recruitment strategies to contact prospective employees, provide required information, discuss ideas, and encourage them to apply for jobs. The following are some examples of recruitment techniques:

Indirect Methods: They are used to find internal candidates. These include techniques such as:

1. Promotions and transfers.
2. Job Advertisement.
3. Employee Recommendations.

Direct Methods: Sending travelling recruiters to educational and professional institutions and engaging in employees’ public interactions are examples of direct methods.

• Recruitment on Campus

5.5.1 Indirect Methods

1. Advertisement: The most popular approach to obtaining candidates is through advertising. Other sources of recruiting, such as an agency or a selection consultant, should be considered. The goal of advertising should be to:
   1. Attract attention: It must compete with other employers for the attention of potential candidates.
   2. Create and maintain interest: It must communicate appealingly and entertainingly and provide necessary information regarding employment terms and circumstances and the qualifications required.
   3. Inspire action: The message will only be compelling if it inspires eligible employees to respond quickly.
2. Advertisements in Newspapers
3. Television and radio commercials

5.5.2 E-Recruitment

Using information technology (IT) to speed up or improve portions of the recruiting process is referred to as e-recruitment. It includes everything from the applicant interface for posting job openings and applying for jobs to the back-office operations that enable a liaison between human resources (HR) and line managers to create a talent pool or database of possible recruits.

E-recruitment, when used correctly, can:

• Improve the applicant experience;
• Better communicate the employer’s image and culture;
• Make the recruitment process faster, more accountable, and standardised;
• Increase the diversity of applicants;
• Provide better management information on applicants; and
• Find the best candidate for the job.

According to one study, job posts on the internet are roughly ten times the number of hires in newspaper ads.

Regarding HRM, the Internet has drastically altered the recruitment process for both employers and job seekers. Traditional recruitment tactics are well known for being time-consuming, expensive, and having a restricted geographic reach. However, recruitment over the World Wide Web (WWW) offers global reach and convenience. Similarly, the Internet’s rapid adoption into recruiting procedures is mainly attributed to its unrivalled communications capabilities, which allow recruiters to communicate in writing via e-mails, blogs, and job portals.

Advantages

1. E-recruitment can save money through reduced advertising or shipping costs and non-cashable productivity improvements from HR professionals’ ability to focus on higher-value duties.
2. E-recruitment is part of a more significant shift in HR away from transactional tasks, which are increasingly automated or outsourced, and toward strategic activities that help the company achieve its goals. The Local Government Workforce Strategy has this as a main priority.
3. Beyond the job posting on the internet: When e-recruitment is used as part of an end-to-end process, the full benefits of the technology are typically realised. Two examples are allowing line managers to examine applications online and transferring applicant information to employment records. While this may be partly due to IT procurement issues, thorough cost and staff time analysis can result in verifiable efficiency gains.
4. E-recruitment can also help tackle longer-term recruiting challenges by using talent pools and improving management information about candidates and new hires.
5. Employers worldwide are now using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to attract, gather, screen, assemble, and handle millions of applications supplied by job searchers. Recruitsoff.com is a well-known ATS that takes applications from job seekers, evaluates and rates them, and then connects suitable candidates with specific job openings, just like any other placement agency. Many online recruitment firms use online testing and assessment to target passive applicants who have posted their applications and CVs but are not actively hunting for work. Today’s market is crowded with e-recruitment options, making it tough to decide and select the best alternative. Employers are primarily seeking solution providers who can provide the following:
   1. Online testing with minimal manual work.
   2. Assessment content of high quality for a variety of IT technologies.
   3. Testing in a time-simulated environment.
   4. Reports that cover the entire organisation.
   5. Create randomised tests in which each applicant receives questions in a different order.
   6. The ability to conduct on-premise exams in a controlled setting and off-premise tests through the Internet for applicants who are located remotely.

“Recruitment is not hiring the best among those knocking at your door; rather, it’s a mission to enrol the perfect candidate in your human capital, overcoming all barriers with the help of the newest technology,” as someone correctly stated.

5.5.3 Methods Used by Others

1. Arthur Anderson, Noble & Hewitt, ABC Consultants, SB Billimoria, and Ferguson Associates are examples of private employment search firms.
2. Websites: There are three primary types of job boards:
3. Job boards: These are run by specialised companies and can have thousands of job openings. Companies pay to have their job openings posted on these sites, which are usually unrelated to the employment agency.
4. Agency sites: These are run by specialised recruiting firms. Candidates may register online but may be required to meet in person before their information is provided to the company.
5. Media sites: These sites may feature a copy of a newspaper advertisement, but they may also include an external description of the job and the company and a link to the website.
6. Exchanges of Employment
7. Recruitment outsourcing
8. Contractors & Gate Hiring
9. Walk-ins/Unsolicited Applicants

5.6 Recruitment Alternatives

1. Overtime: Overtime can be used to solve short-term fluctuations.
2. Subcontracting: To meet a sudden rise in demand for its products and services, a company may resort to subcontracting, permitting an outside agency to take on some of the jobs at a mutually beneficial rate.
3. Temporary Employees: Employees recruited for a limited period to do a specific job are known as temporary employees. They are beneficial in meeting short-term human resource demands.
4. Employee Leasing: Employee leasing is the practice of hiring permanent employees of another company on a lease basis to meet short-term needs, albeit it is not common in India.

5.7 Monitoring and Control

It consists of the following elements:

1. the return rate of applications sent out;
2. the number of suitable applicants for selection
3. Retention and performance of the chosen talent
4. Recruitment process costs
5. Time-lapsed data 6. Remarks on the projected image

5.8 Methods of Recruitment Evaluation

It comprises the following:

1. The number of initial inquiries that culminated in completed application forms.
2. The number of candidates at various phases of the recruiting and selection process, particularly those short-listed.
3. The number of candidates who were hired.
4. The number of candidates who are still employed after six months.

5.9 Recruiting that works

Any business’s success is contingent on having the right people to ensure everything is done correctly. Any company’s destiny is in the hands of its employees. Wrong personnel selection can consume a significant percentage of a company’s income and possibly lead to the company’s demise. As a result, a conscious effort must be made to ensure that the proper individual is hired for the job.

The process of recruitment must be quick but cautious. A single blunder can have severe consequences for the project. A few steps can be done to mitigate the undesirable effects. They are as follows:

5.9.1 Creating a Brand Image

A corporation with a positive brand image will never have to go to great lengths to find employees. People would always want to work for a company with a positive reputation. Positive working relationships between employees and management, good monetary and non-monetary returns, and more opportunities for career advancement through training programmes are all factors that might entice people to join a company. Furthermore, existing employees’ stories have a greater impact on the brand’s image.

5.9.2 Defining Employee Requirements in a Clear Way

Analyze the task that requires fresh recruitment to determine the personnel requirements. The educational requirements, work experience, the number of employees needed, the role of the company and team, and the job description are all determined by the job.

5.9.3 Applications Sources Receiving

The organisation can use external or internal resources to find the best candidate. External sources include the firm website, print media, placement consultants, and the internet. Large organisations with solid brand value can advertise for applicants by posting job openings on their websites. The print media is another alternative, but it has a restricted geographical reach. Internet job sites such as Naukri, Monster, and others are faster and can contact people worldwide. Placement specialists, on the other hand, significantly lessen the stress of going through the invitation process. Another strategy to entice prospects is to reward staff who make effective referrals. Reimbursement of commuting expenses for the selection process, if any, must be requested before the selection procedure. Many organisations, such as Larsen and Toubro and ICICI, compensate for high commuting costs, which benefits the potential candidate.

Internal recruitment entails looking for potential employees within the organisation. Wipro, for example, uses an intranet site called “Wings Within” to recruit employees who are looking for a change of pace. Small businesses can find suitable candidates by carefully monitoring personnel with promising futures.

5.9.4 Application Screening

The next stage is to screen applications and choose those that meet the job description. The software might help you save time when selecting resumes. If the potential applicant applies through a placement consultant, one can be certain in his competence because the candidates will have been screened before being supplied by the agency.

5.9.5 The Selection Procedure

The creation of a blueprint for the entire selection process can help to eliminate any ambiguity. Companies may provide tests to gain insight into a candidate’s technical expertise, communication skills, and overall aptitude. A group discussion could follow this to understand better the candidate’s interpersonal skills, leadership traits, and presentation abilities.

The interview is the next step. The interviewer must have sufficient training on how to hire the best candidate. The questions that will be asked must be planned ahead of time. The interviewee’s leading talents, professional and personal experience, factors of interest in the new firm and position, reasons for leaving the prior employer, if any, mobility based on job needs, and other vital facts must all be addressed. The interviewer must be prepared to answer questions about the job, the monetary and non-monetary perks offered, his position in the managerial hierarchy, and future growth opportunities, among other things.

5.9.6 Maintain a Candidate Pool

Maintaining a list of candidates who have applied and updated the reasons for their rejection for a specific position might aid in quickly retrieving qualified candidates in an emergency.

In today’s competitive environment, time is a critical component. A well-designed recruitment strategy backed by well-trained personnel can aid in rapidly recruiting people with superior abilities that can be used to boost productivity.

5.10 Recruitment Procedures

It is taken from the same organization’s personnel policy. When developing a recruitment policy, keep the following aspects in mind:

1. Policies of the government
2. Competing organization’s personnel policies
3. Personnel policies of the organisation
4. Sources of recruitment
5. Requirements for recruitment
6. Recruiting expenses
7. Preferences and selection criteria

5.10.1 Requirements for a Successful Recruitment Policy

1. It should be consistent with the company’s overall personnel rules.
2. It should be adaptable enough to accommodate an organization’s changing needs.
3. It should be constructed to ensure long-term employment possibilities for its employees, allow the organisation to achieve its objectives, and help individuals realise their full potential.
4. It should match the qualities of employees to the requirements of their job.
5. It should emphasise the importance of conducting a job analysis.

5.11 Sources: Internal and External

Internal candidates should be considered first, and external recruiting sources should be considered if there are no acceptable individuals within the organisation. “Where are acceptable applicants available in sufficient numbers?” says the recruiting source. “How can they be informed about the availability of employment and organisation?” techniques tell us.

Recruitment can come from a variety of places, including:

5.11.1 Internal Sources

Personnel already on an organisation’s payroll, i.e., its current workforce, are included. Whenever a vacancy arises, someone from within the company is upgraded, transferred, promoted, or demoted.

1. Current Permanent Employees: The organisation considers candidates from this source to be of higher quality than candidates from other sources, owing to the availability of the most qualified candidates for jobs, secondly, to meet trade union demands, and thirdly, to the organization’s policy of motivating current employees.
2. Current Temporary or Causal Employees: Organisations use this source to fill lower-level positions.
3. Employees who have been retrenched or retired are dependents of deceased, disabled, retired, or current employees.

Merit

1. It boosts employee morale by assuring them they will be given preference over outsiders when openings arise.
2. The employer has a better chance of evaluating current employees than outside recruits.
3. It fosters employee loyalty by providing them with a sense of job security and promotion chances.
4. They are tried and true individuals who can be trusted.
5. It is less expensive than recruiting from the outside.

Demerits

1. It frequently leads to inbreeding and hinders new blood from joining a company.
2. It’s possible that internal sources would “dry up,” making it impossible to find the needed employees within a company.
3. Because promotion is based on seniority, there is a risk that genuinely qualified hands will be overlooked.

5.11.2 External Sources

Sources from outside the organisation are referred to as external sources.

1. New entrants to the labour field, i.e., young, mostly inexperienced future employees— the college students.
2. Unemployed people with a diverse set of talents and competencies.
3. Experienced retirees like mechanics, machinists, welders, and accountants.
4. People who are not employed, such as married women and people from minority groups.

Other Sources Include:

1. Campus Recruitment
2. Private Employment Agencies/Consultants
3. Job exchanges for the public
4. Professional Organizations
5. Data repositories
6. Applicants who are only looking for a job.
7. Similar organizations
8. Labour Unions

Merits

1. External sources provide the appropriate type of individuals for an organisation with the necessary skills, training, and education.
2. Because people are recruited from a vast pool of candidates, the best choice can be made without them.