Brijesh Deshmukh

What we understand by Recruitment?

Recruitment is a positive action, which results in receiving lots of applications.But we

are concerned for selecting the right candidate from the whole bunch of applications
that we receive.
But when we talk about hiring or filling a position, we don’t refer to has selection
process, rather it is referred to as recruitment process.For the very reason, that
selection is the end result of recruitment.

If we follow the process of recruitment thoroughly, then we are sure to achieve the
end result of “selecting
the right candidate” at the right
time and at the right cost…
Recruitment process
Job Description
Structure of Job Description
Job Posting
Sourcing
Resume Reading
Talking to Candidates – Essence of recruitment
 Scheduling
 Interviewing
Follow up
Continue…..

Salary Negotiations
Offer & Follow up
  Joining
  Induction & Orientation
Job Description

The primary function of recruitment is to design & develop job

description.
This is a very tricky job and requires complete understanding of the
vacant position or job.
Before start working on creating a job description, be sure to have
detailed discussion with the manager / supervisor who has created the
job/position.
Ideally the job description
should
– Be clear & concise. 
–  Be in non-discriminatory language.
–  Describe only the duties, skills and knowledge required of the position, and
avoid describing personal traits.
–  Be accurate about the duties and responsibilities of the position – don’t
understate or overstate them.
–  Describe the position as it exists today – not how it was in the past, or how it
will be in the future.
Avoid technical terms, acronyms or abbreviations.  If you must use acronyms or
abbreviations, use the full term the first time followed by the acronym or
abbreviation in brackets.
Education, certification, specific training or experience should not be stated
as requirements of the position, unless you can demonstrate that they are
essential to the duties and responsibilities of the position, or unless they
are required by law or a relevant licensing body.  
 Skills

Responsibilities clear & concise

Non-discriminatory language
Structure of Job Description
Job summary
Reporting structure
Department
Job Location
Responsibilities
Educational qualifications
Experience required
Knowledge & Skills required
Working conditions
Other specific details (if any) / Company values
(can be used a USP for the position)
Job Posting

Always post jobs with an detail job description as above and option to be
sent to friends and for critical positions display it on the office notice boards
or of course at the company intranet site.
Employee feel good when they are provided with an opportunity to refer
someone, but also ensure that none of the employees get emotional on
forcing you to take somebody for the position without the required
qualification and skills
Sourcing
Traditionally, we follow the same sources to find the resume for standard type of jobs,
which do not ask for rare skills.
That is, we look for resume in internal database or external database being job portal.
And with my experience, I have always found the best resume for common & regular
skills from the obvious source that from any other source.
But yes, of course for niche skills I have had my own share of nightmares by not being
able to get even a single resume in months’ time. But I learned to source resumes from
unconventional sources. Definitely placement agencies come to your rescue most of
the times, but when there are too many constraints with a particular position or job,
it’s you who have to do the entire job. No one except you will be able to find a
matching resume. You will be able to find good resume only when you start thinking
out of box. Below are some of the examples / source from where I have got good
responses
College alumni sites.
Yes you can post you job ads there as well. Usually the administrators of such site
would ask for authenticity of your company and intention of posting a job. Also,
they may provide you with a format for posting.

Forums.
These days there are ample of forums for different professions. Try to know about
these forums and post in 3-4 forums, where you expect to get response.
Closely read all the leading newspapers opportunity.
column::
With that you can know & learn about various companies, which work in the similar
technology that your company or client company works on. With this you can find
candidates out of your industry as well. Also, you can try your luck in cold calling
and head hunting.
• Map the industry in which you are working through using an open keyword
searches for various technologies in various job portals. This will get you the result
of all those company which would be working on the same set of technologies.

Apart from standard professional colleges, find out about the various technical
institutes which impart education In similar technologies that you or your client
company works on.
•Also, these days lot of conferences & seminars are organized by various
associations. Work towards attending those conferences & seminars, where you
can meet people from different walks of life. Don’t shy away from attending
technical conferences, thinking you are HRM professional. As, only in technical
conferences you can meet the potential candidates.
 Above are the few ways & means,I am sure there might lot of other sources, from
which you can source candidates or get close to potential candidates.
All these efforts that you will make will not only take you closer to filling a position
and achieving your targets, but also widen your knowledge and horizon.
Resume Reading
Ok, now lets move on to reading resumes, which is one of the most important
skills required by the recruiters.First and foremost step before starting with
reading resumes, is to read & understand the job description properly.
Reading resumes for sure enhances the skill - ‘attention to detail’ and everyone
would agree that it is very important for any kind of job on the earth. And this also
saves a lot of time & effort for the next set of steps in the recruitment process. Of
course this will as well help in jotting down various questions for preliminary
interviews or for telephonic interest checking with the candidates
Here is a classical example of a junior level Software Engineer resume bit.
 Responsibilities:
•– Coding & Development.
•–Unit testing.Technology/Platform /Software: Java, C++, C, UNIX, Oracle and
XML.
 I am very sure; each one, of us who are into IT recruitment would have come across similar kind of
resumes with above responsibilities. Tell me, how would you be able decide on which programming
language ,the person would actually be coding on, until & unless you read the
resume properly and ask the right question to him / her. And if you do just the keyword search and
pick up the wrong person, just know at the end that he/she is not working in Java but in C++, which
is not what you are looking for.

This is at very basic level, but yes, we all do this mistake or would have done during our initial days
of recruitment or rather to put it positively,this is how we start to learn the art of ‘scrutinizing’ the
resume.
Talking to Candidates – Essence of recruitment
I have learnt the harder way to make notes well in advance on what to discuss with
the candidates before calling them. This helps in saving time, talking right to the
point and getting all the relevant responses from the candidate. Also, just don’t
blindly follow any of the checklist forms if you or your company has devised. Make
a sense out of it before using it.Also, try to attach the info collected with the
hardcopy of resume and as well enter your comments on to any of the recruitment
application system that you use, this will help in future references.

This practice, especially for recruitment consultancy companies proves very handy,
when more than one consultant needs to touch database with the candidates for
their various clients. But there should always be a set of guidelines in considering
a candidate for more than one position. As far as possible don’t send single
candidate’s resume to more than one client at a time.

I am sure, that will never happen with anybody, but definitely

do regular follow up with the client, so that after a decent wait, the same candidate
can be considered for another client or another position.
whenever you talk with candidates, be it preliminary, or interest checking or face to face
interview, please give enough time for them to ask questions, this will help you to be more clear
about the job and opportunities and fill in all those gaps which may exist without your
knowledge in the job description provided to you.

You don’t necessarily have to answer all the questions right a way. But this will definitely help in
working on your listening & analyzing skill.
Most importantly, if you are serious about hiring a person, be positive and serious about it
especially when you meet them face to face.I have met so many HRM professionals, without the
right attitude during the initial interviews; I have come across quite a few of them who
don’t even have the courtesy to smile.

“Keep smiling, it is for sure contagious and spreads fast”  

Scheduling
After discussing about the position, we move forward with scheduling for interview.Inform the
candidates about the appropriate date and time of interview and how much time will the
interview take, and what would be the subsequent steps in recruitment process.
Inform well in advance to everyone who is required and responsible
for the interview.
Make a list of candidates called for the interview and distribute to the
following persons:
To yourself - please carry one copy with you all the time during the day of
interview(s) with the contact numbers of candidates.
Front desk personnel
Technical People (Manager/Leader)
Equip your colleague with one – in case if you are moving around and if anyone wants any
information on this, he/she can always help.
May sound as if you are giving your work to someone else.NO, it would just help in building
team spirit and will help to work towards being process oriented than people oriented. I am
sure even you would also be ready to do the same for your colleagues.
Please ensure that the candidate is not made to wait for hours before the
interview happens. Stick to time and ensure that even technical people also follow the
time…………………………
 If candidates are made to wait regularly, try to find out who is lacking on managing their
time, and try to put it across to the person and ensure it does not happen again. Filling a
position is a two way process, if we are evaluating candidates, even they are doing in turn
and with the kind of competitive market that exist in today’s scenario, we should not lose
out on good candidates because of these trivial issues.
Some may argue that those make a fuss about waiting may not have enough patience, but
I would put it this way that the company do not have system & process, even if it does,
nobody follows it.

Interviewing

This is another crucial & critical aspect/function of recruitment. Asking the right questions
and making apt judgements based on candidates’ responses can only be learned slowly &
gradually. Don’t expect to be an expert right on the first interview of your career.
Basic steps for conducting
Interview
Give a brief about the position / job and reporting structure.
Explain the structure of interview.
For sure, follow a checklist.
Follow a pattern of questions both technical & behavioural.
Make notes & try to gather as much as information possible with respect to the
details given in the resume.
Be very composed; don’t try to react to the responses of the candidate during
the interview. Though it is very difficult to develop yet essential quality. Please
don’t judge on the looks of the candidate. (Both ways). Present ability in
candidate is definitely a required quality for selecting a candidate but try to
evaluate it with his/her technical & other skills.
If he/she stands out in knowledge & skills, try to accommodate the candidate.
Don’t get carried away by candidates, who have excellent communication skills,
they may only be good at that. Also, if time permits, be a part of all the technical
interviews.

…………………………………..
Follow up
Follow up diligently with the technical people / supervisors for the feedback on
the candidate. Ensure to get written comments on the candidate and attach the
same with the resume.
If it is a final interview and the candidate is selected, please don’t wait until you or
the responsible person drafts an offer letter.Brief the candidate informally about
the feedback and subsequent offer.Try to get the nerve of the candidate to better
understand how keen he/she is to join your company.And in case if the candidate
is to be called for the next level of interview; try to schedule subsequent levels of
interview with as little gap of days as possible. Candidates lose out interest pretty
fast because of the various other opportunities available these days .

I know and very well understand that for most of the technical
positions, we are required to be behind technical managers / supervisors to get a
go ahead. But learn the tactic of pressurizing them in a smart
HRM way.
 Few examples:

Candidate is very keenly looking for a change and may accept another offer.
He/she is one of the few candidates with particular skill set that we are looking for.
Candidate is fitting right on the bill /salary front.And all other reasons that you can
genuinely present.And of course very important part of follow up is the regret
communication through email to all the candidates who were at least called for
final interviews. This will for sure give a professional impression about the company.
Salary Negotiations
•Salary negotiation is most critical & crucial aspect of the entire hiring process.
•Though with my experience I have become much comfortable with talking salary with
candidates, but I never enjoy doing this part of recruitment.
•It is for sure requires great attitude of diplomacy.
•This has to be learnt with all your diligence, as this is a most important for both the
candidate and the company. 
Primarily, salary negotiations will depend on the
following aspects
The level of the job within your organization,
the scarcity of the skills and experience needed for the job in the job market,
•the career progress and experience of the individual selected,
•the fair market value for the job you are filling
•the salary range for the job within your organization
•the salary range for the job within your geographic area,
•the existing economic conditions within your job market,
•the existing economic conditions within your industry,and Company-specific
factors that might affect the given salary such as comparative jobs, your culture,
your pay philosophy, and your promotion practices.

•Bottom line - How badly do you want and need the candidate?
If you are too very keen, your negotiation strategy will quickly turn into a
capitulation. And, capitulation, paying more than company can afford, paying
disproportionately to the pay ranges of your current employees, and paying a new
employee salary and benefits outside of your comfort zone is bad for the company
and bad for the candidate.
nts and tips to ensure successful salary negotiations:
Negotiation, especially on salary is not about winning – unless both parties win. If either
party feels they have capitulated, not negotiated, both parties lose.
Make every effort to identify the most recent salary and benefits received by candidates.
Ask for salary on the job applications and in the job postings and ads. You can also ask
former employers during reference checking. You may not be able to match the salary but
you will have a good idea of what the candidate will seek during salary negotiations.
If your initial offer is not negotiable, or barely negotiable, try to indicate that to the
candidate when you make the offer.
Know your salary negotiation limits. Base your limits on your internal salary ranges, the
salary paid employees in similar positions, the economic climate and job searching
market, and the profitability of your company.
Recognize that, if your salary is not negotiable, and even if it is, superior candidates will
negotiate with you in other areas that may be negotiable. These include benefits, tuition
assistance, a signing bonus, stock options, variable bonus pay, commissions, allowance,
paid cell phone, and relocation expenses. In fact, candidates with rare & niche skills will
negotiate in all of these areas and more.
When presenting an offer, be sure to highlight the reasons someone would want to work at your
firm. Prospective employees are interested not only in their career development, but also in staff
recognition and bonus programs, advancement possibilities and unique aspects of the office
culture.
To persuade your prospective employee say yes, your ideas will have to address those things that
are important to the candidate. Just like you, your prospective employee also has needs and
concerns.
Even if you are convinced of the candidate’s potential positive impact within your organization, be
watchful about the salary limits. You will regret violating your limits; even if you have to start your
recruitment over, you will definitely save yourself from years of headaches and prohibitive costs.
Negotiating salary should be positive process in hiring process rather than a negative process. Also,
it is a discussion and not just a process of informing the candidates about terms & conditions of the
job offer and giving the feel that if you like take or the doors are open.
Offer & Follow up
•Give out the Offer letter within 10 days of final interview and not later than that
though even 10 days is also the stretched upper limit. And try as much as
possible to give an offer letter to the candidates in person rather than through
email (at least for local candidates).
•This will help us in finding the candidates’ willingness to join the company. Also,
be open for any discussion regarding the offer you made to the candidate. And
welcome their queries regarding take home salary, benefits, leave policy,
incentive, etc.
•And always present an offer letter with a closing date of not more than a week.
If a candidate is not able to make a decision in good 5 business days, then he/she
may not be worth the offer. After two days call the candidate to find the decision
and get a joining date. And by the end of the week make sure you have the final
decision on joining and date of joining.
•Try not to over stretch to accommodate any candidate and also at the same
time look for all possible genuine options to hire the right candidate.
Joining
•For sure we would be happy that candidates recruited by us are joining our company,
but don’t let your attitude become taken for granted. Be as formal as possible with the
candidates on first day of their employment. Make sure you have organized for all
necessary resources to begin work, even if he/she is going to be on training for a while.
•Generally with smaller & mid-sized companies, work stations and other resources for
new joiners are not organized right on the first day .
•Of course there would be a lot of formalities and constraint to it, but as an HRM
professional work with concerned people and bring in a culture
•where you can provide all the resources to the new joiner on the very first day.
•This in turn will speak a lot about the well set process within the organization and
definitely creates an everlasting first impression.
•Also, I myself have experienced that, how much ever you try one or two necessary
joining forms gets delayed to be completed because of missing info either from us or from
the candidates. Make sure that you get all the required official & statutory information
filled within 15 days to one month time from the joining date.
Use your follow up skill to utmost efficiency in here. 
Induction &
Orientation
•Wow! We have come a long way. Now we have somebody on board for getting
involved into other areas of HRM. But before that, we surely need to induct &
orient the new employees.
•In case of big organizations, once an employee joins the company, the role of
recruiter ends there. But with smaller / mid-sized organizations the role of
recruiters overlaps into general HRM professional as well and they are also required
to be apart of induction & orientation.
Whatever the case may be, it is recruiters’ responsibility to provide
accurate information to the concerned HRM people on

Total number of new joiners;

Their names;
Their joining date;
Department &;Contact information;

Take a full pride when you conduct the induction & orientation program.
Your energy & spirit will automatically be taken into the air.
Make it a good & memorable occasion for new joiners.
Carry on the impression created during the recruitment process.
Each company must be having their own style of conducting these
programs. But during this hour of initial introduction, try to keep it simple
and don’t get into too many details about functioning of each department.
Make it informative than like a classroom lectures. If possible provide an
employee kit which can include:

1 Company profile
2 Employee handbook (HR policies); briefing about code of
conduct, business ethics, leave policies, holiday list for the year, etc.
3. Identity card
4. Pens with company logo or a small gift
5.  Important contact details.
After all this narrate about recruitment, there is definitely a necessity to mention
about Strategic Talent Acquisition.
As Personnel Management has evolved into Strategic Human Resource
Management, similarly recruitment is and has evolved into Strategic Talent
Acquisition.
  
Strategic Talent Acquisition takes a long-term view of not only filling positions today,
but also using the candidates that come out of a recruiting campaign as a means to
fill similar positions in the future.
 
These future positions may be identifiable today by looking at the succession
management plan, or by analyzing the history of attrition for certain positions. This
makes it easy to predict that specific openings will occur at a pre-determined period
in time.
Through strategic talent acquisition, there is an effort to build & develop the
organization rather than just filling a position with focussing on short term goals of
completing a project/task.
 
The candidate has an opportunity to explain his/her future career aspirations, and
the recruiter can gather enough information to determine if there is a potential fit in
the organization at a given point of time. If during a strategic recruiting call, the
candidate declares that they are both qualified and interested, then the tactical
nature of the call has been automatically fulfilled. If, however, the candidate lacks
sufficient experience, or the timing for a career move is not propitious, then they
become candidates for the future, and all the recruiter has to do is keep in touch
until either they become available, or a position with the client organization opens
up.
Most of the money spent on Strategic Talent Acquisition would have been spent in a
tactical recruiting mandate anyway. The only additional cost is in collecting data on
high-potential candidates and then keeping in touch with them until hire is made.
The additional cost becomes insignificant compared to the value of hiring top
competitive talent over time.

 
Strategic Talent Acquisition allows us access to a pool of competitive talent that would
otherwise have been missed or even worse, ignored.
Clearly the business case for acquiring talent strategically is far more compelling
•than simply paying to fill positions today. What we are doing is adding
•a small incremental effort, in exchange for a huge potential reward.
•It just means that people are vital and most integral part for the development of the organization.
Also, as they are Talent which has been acquired, so they will be valued and will be well taken care by
the organisation.
 “Recruitment is nothing more than filling open positions. It
is an entirely tactical event.”

Thanks….
Brijesh Deshmukh