Recruitment
Recruitment is [|the overall process] of identifying, sourcing, screening, shortlisting, interviewing, and hiring candidates for jobs within an organization. Recruitment also is the process involved in choosing people for unpaid roles. Managers, human resource generalists, and recruitment specialists may be tasked with carrying out recruitment, but in some cases, public-sector employment, commercial Employment agency|, or specialist search consultancies such as Executive search in the case of more senior roles, are used to undertake parts of the process. Internet-based recruitment is now widespread, including the use of artificial intelligence.
Process
The recruitment process varies widely based on the employer, seniority and type of role and the industry or sector the role is in. Some recruitment processes may include;- Job analysis - For new jobs or substantially changed jobs. It might be undertaken to document the knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics required or sought for the job. From these, the relevant information is captured in a person's specification.
- Kick-Off or Scoping Call - This is when the recruiter will connect with the hiring manager to understand the needs for the role.
- [|Sourcing] - Sorting through applicants and resumes to select candidates to screen.
- [|Screening and selection] - Picking/choosing, interviewing, and hiring the right candidate.
- Job interview - Shortlisted candidates are invited for interviews. The interview process may include one or more rounds of interviews with HR representatives, hiring managers, and sometimes panel interviews.
Sourcing
Alternatively, employers may use recruitment consultancies or agencies to find otherwise scarce candidates—who, in many cases, may be content in their current positions and are not actively looking to move. This initial research for candidates—also called name generation—produces contact information for potential candidates, whom the recruiter can then discreetly contact and screen.
In recent years, recruitment practices have evolved to include more direct engagement between job seekers and hiring managers. Instead of applying only through automated applicant tracking systems, many professionals now use networking tools, career platforms, and industry databases to reach decision-makers more efficiently. This trend has led to a rise in specialized services that compile contact details of recruiters and hiring managers, helping candidates connect more personally during the application process.
To increase the number and quality of applicants the wage offered for the job can be increased, the application-wage elasticity was estimated at 1 by a study.
Referral recruitment programs
Referral recruitment programs allow both outsiders and employees to refer or recommend quality candidates for filling job openings. Online, they can be implemented by leveraging social media networks.Employee referrals
An employee referral is a candidate recommended by an existing employee. This is sometimes referred to as. Encouraging existing employees to select and recruit suitable candidates results in:- Improved candidate quality. Employee referrals allow existing employees to screen, select and recommend candidates, lowering staff attrition rate; candidates hired through referrals tend to stay up to 3 times longer than candidates hired through job boards and other sources. The one-to-one direct relationship between the candidate and the referring employee and the exchange of knowledge that takes place allows the candidate to develop a strong understanding of the company, its business and the application and recruitment process. The candidate is thereby enabled to assess their own suitability and likelihood of success, including "fitting in".
- Reduces the considerable cost of third-party recruitment service providers who would have previously conducted the screening and selection process. An op-ed in Crain's in April 2013 recommended that companies look to employee referral to speed the recruitment process for purple squirrels, which are rare candidates considered to be "perfect" fits for open positions.
- The referring employee typically receives a referral bonus, either at the time of the referral or at the time of placement and is widely acknowledged as being cost-effective. The Global Employee Referral Index 2013 Survey found that 92% of participants reported employee referrals as one of the top recruiting sources.
- As candidate quality improves and interview-to-job-offer conversion rates increase, the amount of time spent interviewing decreases, which means the company's employee headcount can be streamlined and be used more efficiently. Marketing and advertising expenditures decrease as existing employees source potential candidates from existing personal networks of friends, family, colleagues and professional associates. By contrast, recruiting through third-party recruitment agencies incurs a 20–25% agency finder's fee – which can top $25K for an employee with $100K annual salary.
Diversity
Many major corporations recognize the need for diversity in hiring to compete successfully in a global economy. The challenge is to avoid recruiting staff who are "in the likeness of existing employees" but also to retain a more diverse workforce and work with inclusion strategies to include them in the organization.Social network referral
Initially, responses to mass-emailing or organically posting open job announcements to those within employees' social network slowed the screening process.Two ways in which this improved are:
- Making available screen tools for employees to use, although this interferes with the "work routines of already time-starved employees"
- "When employees put their reputation on the line for the person they are recommending"
Screening and selection
The selection process is often claimed to be an invention of Thomas Edison.
Illegal practices
In many countries, employers are legally mandated to ensure their screening and selection processes meet equal opportunity and ethical standards.Employers are generally required to screen for legal immigration status to prevent illegal employment.
In the United States, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has established guidelines for prohibited employment policies/practices. These regulations serve to prevent employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, etc. However, recruitment ethics is an area of business that is prone to many other unethical and corrupt practices. According to Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission, business ethics are a vital component to recruitment; hiring unqualified friends or family, allowing problematic employees to be recycled through a company, and failing to properly validate the background of candidates can be detrimental to a business.
When hiring for positions that involve ethical and safety concerns it is often the individual employees who make decisions which can lead to devastating consequences to the whole company. Likewise, executive positions are often tasked with making difficult decisions when company emergencies occur such as public relation nightmares, natural disasters, pandemics, or a slowing economy. Businesses that have made headlines for undesirable cultures may also have a difficult time recruiting new hires. Companies should aim to minimize corruption using tools such as the recruitment processes, pre-employment screening, personality tests, induction, training, and establishing a code of conduct.
In Germany, universities, though public employers, are generally not required to advertise most vacancies especially of academic positions other than tenured full professors. At the same time, anti-discrimination measures and equal opportunities only apply to advertised jobs and to the wording of the job advert.