Recruitment and Selection Process

Short-listing the
Analysing the job
R candidates
S
E
E
C Holding selection
Writing the JD and PS L
R events
C
U
Making a decision T
Deciding the I
& I
recruitment method T Offer
O
M
N
Deciding the E
Taking up references
application method
N
T
Inducting new
Marketing the job
employee
 Difference between Recruitment and
Selection
Recruitment is the way in which an organization
tries to attract the people from whom it will
ultimately make selection. It includes efforts to reach
better pool of candidates and to sell the
organization as an employer of choice.
Whereas
Selection is about choosing among the job
candidates as who is most likely to perform well on
the job, through a fair and accurate assessment of
the strengths and weaknesses of applicants.
 Recruitment
Purpose
 A good recruitment programme attracts ample
number of job seekers – more applicants means
recruiter’s better chances for finding an individual
best-suited to the job requirements

 Simultaneously, the recruitment programme must

provide enough information about the job such that
the unqualified applicants can self-select themselves
out of the job candidacy – that is – attracting the
qualified and not the unqualified.
 Meeting this dual objective will minimize
the cost of processing unqualified
candidates
 Recruitment Process

1. Writing Job Description & Person Specification

2. Deciding the recruitment method
3. Deciding the application mode
4. Marketing the job
 Recruitment Method

Company-self Outside Agency

Recruitment Recruitment

Internal External
Sources Sources

Unsolicited External
Referrals
Applications Search

University
Press Advertisement E. Recruitment Recruitment
 Company-self Recruitment

Points For Points Against

1. Can customise the 1. Employer organization may lack
recruitment method to the the required expertise.
particular job.
2. Is time consuming and involves
2. Internal candidates can be administrative hassle.
given due consideration.

3. It is economical, saves
huge fees payable to
outside recruitment
agencies.
 Recruitment through Agencies

Points For Points Against

1. Can produce applicants 1. Internal candidates are generally
very quickly. excluded.

2. Little administrative chore 2. Mainly unemployed are registered

for the employer. with the head-hunters and not the
employed seeking change. So,
3. Recruitment expertise.
potential candidates outside the
head-hunter's network are
excluded.
3. The candidates may remain on the
consultant’s list and be hunted
again.
4. Mostly follow the generalised
approach ignoring the peculiarities
of each job.
5. Costly.
 Exploring Internal Sources
Points For Points Against
1. It builds morale of the
existing employees and
encourages the ambitious 1. It can be dysfunctional to the
employees. organization to utilize inferior internal
2. Since information on the sources only because they are there
employees is already while excellent candidates are
available, it may effect a good available outside.
selection.
3. It is less costly than going 2. Inbreeding
outside to recruit.
4. Those chosen internally
already know the organization
that saves cost on orientation
and acclimatization.
5. Regular growth from within
constitutes career promotion
credited to the organizations
that is an effective tool of
employee retention.
 Referrals

Points For Points Against

1. The recommender often gives 1. Recommenders may confuse
the applicant more realistic friendship with job performance
information about the job than competence – having their friends join
could be conveyed through them for social and even economic
employment agencies or reasons.
newspaper advertisements.

2. Referred employees are

more likely to accept the job
offer, once it is made, and
show higher job survival.
3. Above all, employee
referrals are an excellent
means of locating potential
employees for hard-to-fill
positions
 Unsolicited Applications

 Unsolicited applications constitute a sizable part of

the supply of the potential recruits in the economies
with high unemployment.
 Unsolicited applications can be kept on file even if
there are no particular openings.
 Unsolicited applications made especially by the
qualified professionals is often short-lived.
 Some good companies are sensitive enough to
unsolicited applications to include its prohibition in
the company recruitment policy.
 Press Advertisement

 Press advertising is extensively used today despite

the cost involved.

 Because it is likely to be seen by a wider audience

than just the people who may apply to you and, if
framed correctly, the advertisement can provide not
only good employees but also can provide good
image of the organization to the public in general.
 Getting the best from the press

Before advertising in the press, make sure you

know the following:

 the paper’s readership profile

 the paper’s geographical coverage
 the best day to advertise for the post
 on which page your advert will appear
 the cost involved
 Preparing the Advertisement

There are three areas to consider when

designing an advert for the press. They are:

 Size of the Ad
 Style of the Ad
 Contents of the Ad
 Size of the Ad

The size of the advert will be affected by the

following factors:
 Your budget versus the cost of space in the
publication
 The seniority and speciality of the post on offer
 The known scarcity of quality candidates to fill the
post
 The size of other adverts competing for similar
posts
 Style of the Ad

The style is to do with the way the ad looks on

the page. It consists of following elements:

1. Produce easy-to-read copy with plenty of white

space.
2. Use the borders to draw the readers into the ad.
3. Avoid using a small type size to fit in more words
– it will look only cramped.
4. Visuals that are integral part of the organization
like logos should be included. It is another
marketing vehicle for the company.
 Content of the Ad

The content of advert is the main element in

attracting suitable applicants. The following
details are all relevant:
1. Name and brief detail of the employer
organization – better known the employer in the
market the less important the details.
However, certain organizations choose to remain
anonymous and publish only a blind ad.
2. Job title and basic information based on the job
description.
3. Job tenure, for example length of contract
4. KSAs needed, based on person specification
5. Any essential qualifications
6. Pay scale/salary & other benefits in clear terms
7. How, where and to whom to apply
8. The closing date
9. Telephone number, fax number, e-mail
address to request an application form
and further details, if so.
10. Other general tips
 What are blind ads?
Ads without name of the organization – with P.O.
Box or recruiting agency address instead.
Advantages
i. It may help the reputed organizations ward off
influx of large number of applications against a
job with medium person specification.
ii. New and not-so-reputed organizations
may have a chance to attract certain quality
candidates and somehow or other have
and retain them.
iii. It may relieve the organization from the
outside influences in the matter of
recruitment.
Disadvantages
i. Many applicants are reluctant to apply
against the blind ads, at least for the fear
that they might be applying to their
present organization.
ii. Unemployed or desperately seeking
employment make the largest part of the
candidates applying against the blind ads.
“Already employed but seeking change”
type candidates remain reluctant to apply.
iii. Organization image is the basic factor in
determining response rate of the ads, and
remaining anonymous for a reputed
organization means losing some excellent
candidates who otherwise may be anxious
to join it.
 General tips for writing ads

Do… Don’t…
1. Include any organizational 1. Do not exaggerate the job or the
successes, e.g. recent growth organization’s track record

2. Highlight benefits that may 2. Do not use generalised statements

attract applicants, specifically about the responsibilities of the job
if the salary is not overly
attractive
3. State that development 3. Do not include criteria that applicants
opportunities are on offer do not need to meet but just to make
the job sound more attractive and
challenging.

4. Do not use the adjectives like

“dynamic”, “vibrant”, “excellent career”
etc. These terms have lost their
importance.
 E-recruitment
 It is a significant contemporary development in
the field of organizational recruitment principally
for management and professional posts.
 E-recruitment is likely to increase substantially as
more people gain success to internet.
 E-recruitment takes two basic forms:
 Centred on the employer’s own website, jobs being
advertised alongside information about the products
and services of the organization.
 Through cyber agencies playing traditional role of the
employment agents.
 Advantages of E-recruitment Dis-advantages of E-recruitment

1. Inexpensive. Cost of setting 1. Employer can be bombarded with

up a good website is roughly thousands of applications with the
equal to a medium level possibility of more of them
advertisement in a unqualified, since it takes little effort
newspaper. to send a pre-prepared CV to the
employer.
2. It is speedy. People can
respond within seconds by e- 2. Not all potential recruits may visit
mailing their CV to employer the website or have access to the
3. Can potentially reach a internet at all.
worldwide audience.
3. Concern for security and
4. It shows the organization confidentiality may deter people
technologically aware and up- from submitting personal details
to-date. over the web.
Deciding the Application Mode

CV
versus
Application Form
 CV

Advantages Disadvantages

1. CV is rarely developed for the

1. Provides a better opportunity
job offered, so the employer
to demonstrate one’s
may receive information
suitability for the job
inconsistent to the job – on a
CV, people tend to tell you what
2. A well prepared CV may they want you to hear, rather
widen the options for the than what you need to know.
employer – to consider the
applicant for other job than 2. Each CV may provide very
applied for. different information so it makes
difficult to compare people.
 Application Form

Advantages Disadvantages

1. The employer can design 1. Requires specific expertise that

the application form the employer may not be
specific to the job, hence wielding adequately. A poorly
preventing influx of structured form may prevent
unnecessary information, valuable information from the
saving recruitment cost candidates.
and time.
2. Compulsion of filling the forms
2. An application form makes may make the employed
the applicants provide similar candidates reluctant to apply.
information hence easier
inter-candidate comparison
vis-à-vis person
specification, ensuring equal
opportunity practice
 Details on an Application Form
The following details can be requested on an
application form:
 Job applied for
 Name, address, telephone numbers
 Previous employment – name and address of
employer, job title, dates position held, main TDRs,
salary
 Education, qualification gained with dates
 Other relevant skills, experience, interests
 Name and address of two referees
 Employer needs to make sure

 The form is professionally produced – giving a

positive image of the organization
 The form is error-free and jargon-free
 There is sufficient space for people to write their
responses
 The form clearly states what information is
required.
 All relevant aspects of the job are covered.
 There is space to sign and date the form.
 Discussion Questions
1. Define recruitment and discuss its purposes. How it is
different from selection?
2. What are the factors that determine a choice of an employer
between the company-self recruitment and outside agency
based recruitment?
3. Discuss merits and demerits of the following recruitment
methods:
a. Internal sources b. Referral c. Unsolicited Applications
2. What are the essential ingredients of an advertisement’s
contents?
3. Why certain organizations choose to publish blind
advertisements? Discuss its demerits as well.
4. What is E-recruitment? Discuss its merits and demerits.
5. Discuss merits and demerits of CV as an application method.
6. Discuss merits and demerits of Application Form as
application method. Also suggest particular features and
details of a useful Application Form.