RECRUITMENT

INTRODUCTION: -
Recruitment is a positive process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating
them to apply for the jobs in the organisation. When more persons apply for jobs then
there will be a scope for recruiting better persons. Recruitment is concerned with reaching
out, attracting, and ensuring a supply of qualified personnel and making out selection of
requisite manpower both in their quantitative and qualitative aspect. It is the development
and maintenance of adequate man- power resources. This is the first stage of the process
of selection and is completed with placement.

DEFINITION:-

PURPOSE OF RECRUITMENT :-
The purpose of recruitment is to buy in, retain and develop the best people to meet
the organisation’s needs and requirements. The process of attracting individuals on
a timely basis, in sufficient numbers and with appropriate qualifications, to apply for
jobs with an organization. It is extremely important for an organization to have a well
defined recruitment process that aligns with its goals, policies and compliance. This
article outlines some of the goals of recruitment and policies that organizations may
attach with it.
IMPORTANCE OF RECRUITMENT: -
 Determine the present and future requirements of the organization in conjunction
with the personnel planning and job analysis activities.
 Increase the pool of job candidates with minimum cost.
 Help increase the success rate of the selection process by reducing the number of
under qualified or overqualified job applicants.
 Help reduce the probability that job applicants, once recruited and selected, will leave
the organization only after a short period of time.
 Meet the organization's legal and social obligations regarding the composition of its
workforce.
 Start identifying and preparing potential job applicants who will be appropriate
candidates.
 Increase organizational and individual effectiveness in the short and long term.
 Evaluate the effectiveness of various recruiting techniques and sources for all types
of job applicants.
RECRUITMENT PROCESS: -
1. Recruitment Planning:
The first step involved in the recruitment process is planning. Here, planning involves
to draft a comprehensive job specification for the vacant position, outlining its major
and minor responsibilities; the skills, experience and qualifications needed; grade and
level of pay; starting date; whether temporary or permanent; and mention of special
conditions, if any, attached to the job to be filled ”

2. Strategy Development:

Once it is known how many with what qualifications of candidates are required, the
next step involved in this regard is to devise a suitable strategy for recruiting the
candidates in the organisation. The strategic considerations to be considered may
include issues like whether to prepare the required candidates themselves or hire it
from outside, what type of recruitment method to be used, what geographical area be
considered for searching the candidates, which source of recruitment to be practiced,
and what sequence of activities to be followed in recruiting candidates in the
organisation.
3. Searching:
This step involves attracting job seekers to the organisation. There are broadly two
sources used to attract candidates. These are:
1. Internal Sources, and
2. External Sources

4. Screening:
Though some view screening as the starting point of selection, we have considered
it as an integral part of recruitment. The reason being the selection process starts only
after the applications have been screened and shortlisted. Let it be exemplified with
an example.
In the Universities, applications are invited for filling the post of Professors.
Applications received in response to invitation, i.e., advertisement are screened and
shortlisted on the basis of eligibility and suitability. Then, only the screened applicants
are invited for seminar presentation and personal interview. The selection process
starts from here, i.e., seminar presentation or interview. Job specification is
invaluable in screening. Applications are screened against the qualification,
knowledge, skills, abilities, interest and experience mentioned in the job
specification. Those who do not qualify are straightway eliminated from the selection
process. The techniques used for screening candidates vary depending on the source
of supply and method used for recruiting. Preliminary applications, de- selection tests
and screening interviews are common techniques used for screening the candidates.
5. Evaluation and Control:
Given the considerable cost involved in the recruitment process, its evaluation and
control is, therefore, imperative.

The costs generally incurred in a recruitment process include:

 Salary of recruiters

 Cost of time spent for preparing job analysis, advertisement

 Administrative expenses

 Cost of outsourcing or overtime while vacancies remain unfilled

 Cost incurred in recruiting unsuitable candidates

 Sources of Recruitment:

INTERNAL SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT: -

1. Promotions:-
The promotion policy is followed as a motivational technique for the employees who
work hard and show good performance. Promotion results in enhancements in pay,
position, responsibility and authority. The important requirement for implementation of
the promotion policy is that the terms, conditions, rules and regulations should be well-
defined.

2. Retirements:
The retired employees may be given the extension in their service in case of non-
availability of suitable candidates for the post.

3. Former employees:
Former employees who had performed well during their tenure may be called back, and
higher wages and incentives can be paid to them.

4. Transfer:
Employees may be transferred from one department to another wherever the post
becomes vacant.
5. Internal advertisement:
The existing employees may be interested in taking up the vacant jobs. As they are
working in the company since long time, they know about the specification and
description of the vacant job. For their benefit, the advertisement within the company is
circulated so that the employees will be intimated.

Benefits of Internal Sources of Recruitment:

1. The existing employees get motivated.

2. Cost is saved as there is no need to give advertisements about the vacancy.

3. It builds loyalty among employees towards the organization.

4. Training cost is saved as the employees already know about the nature of job to be
performed.

5. It is a reliable and easy process.

Limitations of Internal Sources of Recruitment:

1. Young people with the knowledge of modem technology and innovative ideas do not
get the chance.

2. The performance of the existing employees may not be as efficient as before.

3. It brings the morale down of employees who do not get promotion or selected.

4. It may leads to encouragement to favouritism.

5. It may not be always in the good interest of the organization.

EXTERNAL SOURCES OF RECRUITMENT:-
1. Press advertisement:
A wide choice for selecting the appropriate candidate for the post is available through
this source. It gives publicity to the vacant posts and the details about the job in the form
of job description and job specification are made available to public in general.

2. Campus interviews:
It is the best possible method for companies to select students from various educational
institutions. It is easy and economical. The company officials personally visit various
institutes and select students eligible for a particular post through interviews. Students
get a good opportunity to prove themselves and get selected for a good job.

3. Placement agencies:
A databank of candidates is sent to organizations for their selection purpose and
agencies get commission in return.

4. Employment exchange:
People register themselves with government employment exchanges with their personal
details. According to the needs and request of the organization, the candidates are sent
for interviews.

5. Walk in interviews:
These interviews are declared by companies on the specific day and time and conducted
for selection.

6. E-recruitment:
Various sites such as jobs.com, naukri.com, and monster.com are the available
electronic sites on which candidates upload their resume and seek the jobs.

7. Competitors:
By offering better terms and conditions of service, the human resource managers try to
get the employees working in the competitor’s organization.
 Benefits of External Sources of Recruitment:
1. New talents get the opportunity.

2. The best selection is possible as a large number of candidates apply for the job.

3. In case of unavailability of suitable candidates within the organization, it is better to

select them from outside sources.

Limitations of External Sources of Recruitment:

1. Skilled and ambitious employees may switch the job more frequently.

2. It gives a sense of insecurity among the existing candidates.

3. It increases the cost as advertisement is to be given through press and training

facilities to be provided for new candidates.

SELECTION

MEANING OF SELECTION:
Selection is the process of picking up individuals (out of the pool of job applicants)
with requisite qualifications and competence to fill jobs in the organization. A formal
definition of Selection is as under

“Selection is the process of differentiating between applicants in order to identify

and hire those with a greater likelihood of success in a job.”

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION:

Recruitment Selection
 1. Recruitment refers to the process of 1. Selection is concerned with picking up
identifying and encouraging prospective the right candidates from a pool of
employees to apply for jobs. applicants.

2. Recruitment is said to be positive in its Selection on the other hand is negative

approach as it seeks to attract as many in its application in as much as it seeks
candidates as possible. to eliminate as many unqualified
applicants as possible in order to
identify the right candidates.
PROCESS / STEPS IN SELECTION

1. Preliminary Interview: The purpose of preliminary interviews is basically to

eliminate unqualified applications based on information supplied in application forms.
The basic objective is to reject misfits. On the other hands preliminary interviews is
often called a courtesy interview and is a good public relations exercise.

2. Selection Tests: Jobseekers who past the preliminary interviews are called for tests.
There are various types of tests conducted depending upon the jobs and the company.
These tests can be Aptitude Tests, Personality Tests, and Ability Tests and are
conducted to judge how well an individual can perform tasks related to the job.
Besides this there are some other tests also like Interest Tests (activity preferences),
Graphology Test (Handwriting), Medical Tests, Psychometric Tests etc.

3. Employment Interview: The next step in selection is employment interview. Here

interview is a formal and in-depth conversation between applicant’s acceptability. It
is considered to be an excellent selection device. Interviews can be One-to- One,
Panel Interview, or Sequential Interviews. Besides there can be Structured and
Unstructured interviews, Behavioral Interviews, Stress Interviews.

4. Reference & Background Checks: Reference checks and background checks are
conducted to verify the information provided by the candidates. Reference checks
can be through formal letters, telephone conversations. However it is merely a
formality and selections decisions are seldom affected by it.
5. Selection Decision: After obtaining all the information, the most critical step is the
selection decision is to be made. The final decision has to be made out of applicants
who have passed preliminary interviews, tests, final interviews and reference checks.
The views of line managers are considered generally because it is the line manager who
is responsible for the performance of the new employee

6. Physical Examination: After the selection decision is made, the candidate is

required to undergo a physical fitness test. A job offer is often contingent upon the
candidate passing the physical examination.

7. Job Offer: The next step in selection process is job offer to those applicants who
have crossed all the previous hurdles. It is made by way of letter of appointment.

8. Employment Contract:

The basic information that should be included in a written contract of employment

will vary according to the level of the job, but the following checklist s sets out the
typical headings;

 Job title
 Duties
 Date when continuous employment starts and the basis for calculating service
 Rate of pay, allowances, overtime and shift rates, method of payments .
 Hours of work
 Holiday arrangements
 Sickness
 Grievance procedure
 Disciplinary procedure
 Work rules
 Arrangements for terminating employment
BARRIER TO EFFECTIVE SELECTION: -

The main objective of selection is to hire people having competence and

commitment. This objective is often defeated because of certain barriers. The
impediments which check effectiveness of selection are perception, fairness, validity,
reliability, and pressure.
PERCEPTION: Our inability to understand others accurately is probably the most
fundamental barrier to selecting right candidate. Selection demands an individual or
a group to assess and compare the respective competencies of others, with the aim of
choosing the right persons for the jobs. But our views are highly personalized. We all
perceive the world differently. Our limited perceptual ability is obviously a stumbling
block to the objective and rational selection of people.

FAIRNESS: Fairness in selection requires that no individual should be discriminated

against on the basis of religion, region, race or gender. But the low number of women
and other less privileged sections of society in the middle and senior management
positions and open discrimination on the basis of age in job advertisements and in
the selection process would suggest that all the efforts to minimize inequity have not
been very effective.
VALIDITY: Validity, as explained earlier, is a test that helps predict job
performance of an incumbent. A test that has been validated can differentiate
between the employees who can perform well and those who will not. However, a
validated test does not predict job success accurately. It can only increase possibility
of success.
RELIABILITY: A reliable method is one which will produce consistent results
when repeated in similar situations. Like a validated test, a reliable test may fall to
predict job performance with precision.
PRESSURE: Pressure is brought on the selectors by politicians, bureaucrats,
relatives, friends, and peers to select particular candidate. Candidates selected
because of compulsions are obviously not the right ones. Appointments to public
sector undertakings generally take place under such pressure.
 IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYEE TEST:
1. Elimination of incompetent and unsuitable candidates becomes easily possible.

2. Psychological, mental and analytical capabilities of a person are identified.

3. It can be used as a tool to understand the nature of a person and their career
development.

4. Analytical, rational and objective comparison between the candidates is facilitated.

5. Accuracy and perfection in the selection procedure can be achieved.

TYPES OF TEST:

On the Basis of Methods:

1. Individual tests:
They are used to measure attitude, interest and capacity to work of a person.

2. Group tests:
A large number of candidates are tested together under the group test. Generally,
leadership skills are tested through this type.

On the Basis of Objectives:

1. Interest tests:
They are used to find out the area of work in which the candidate is interested to work.

2. Intelligence tests
Mental ability, judgment capacity and learning skills can be measured through these
tests. The imagination and visualization capacity of a person can be very well
understood.
3. Personality tests:
Personal traits such as emotions, expressions, confidence and courage are evaluated
through it.

4. Trade tests:
How much a person is competent to do a specific nature of job is understood by
conducting the trade test.

5. Achievement tests:
Skills, abilities and knowledge prescribed by the candidate throughout the selection
process are to be practically checked through this test.

6. Simulation tests:
The behaviour of a candidate in one particular circumstance is measured by creating the
artificial environment.

7. Assessment tests:
The selected candidates will have to take up a lot of job responsibilities in future. This
test is conducted to extract the potential of a candidate to work in the authoritative
positions.
On the Basis of Aptitude:
1. Vocational aptitude tests:
This test helps to understand the adaptability of the candidates for the job allocated to
them. How much they are receptive towards the job is measured through it.

2. Logical aptitude tests:

The candidate applying their own mind and ideas to make their work perfect and
interesting is called their logical capacity and innovation.
INDUCTION
According to Michael Armstrong, induction is ‘the process of receiving and welcoming
an employee when he first joins a company and giving him the basic information, he
needs to settle down quickly and happily and start work’.

IMPORTANCE OF INDUCTION: -
1. A sense of belongingness is created in the mind of the new employee.

2. It gives favourable impression about the organization.

3. It gives chances of increasing loyalty towards the organization and reduction in the
rate of labour turnover.

4. It leads to regular and honest participation, and timely completion of the task by the
employee.

5. It helps in removal of anxiety, bias and confusion about the organizational details.

6. It leads to the development of good and favourable public image of the company.

7. Adjustment with peers, seniors and the work assigned becomes easy.

CONDUCTING THE INDUCTION PROGRAMME: -

The induction programme may be informal or formal. These are discussed one by one.

Informal Induction:
This is an unplanned induction programme. This may be simply an introduction to the
new entrant about the job and organisation. Such type of induction programme is
generally carried out by the medium and small-scale units. Usually, informal induction
programme needs to be brief- lasting for one hour or so.

Informal induction programme itself may be in the following two versions:

(i) Supervisory System:
In this system, the immediate job supervisor conducts the induction programme for the
new entrant. The supervisor briefs the new comer about the job, the department,
introduces to the colleagues, and takes him round the sections/divisions which are
related to his job.

(ii) Buddy or sponsor system:

In the ‘Buddy System’, the immediate supervisor assigns the responsibility of induction
of the new entrant to an old employee. The old employee acts as friend, philosopher and
guide to the new comer. In order to introduce the new comer to the job and the
organisation, the guide, i.e., the old employee arranges meetings with other persons and
departments and also supplies him with relevant documents/literature regarding rules,
regulations and other details of the organisation.

Formal Induction:
Formal induction is a planned programme carried out to integrate the new entrant into
the organisation. This is usually carried out by the large size organisation. A
comprehensive induction programme is carefully designed to introduce the new entrant
to all about his job, colleagues and organisation. Accordingly, the contents of the formal
induction programme cover the aspects ranging from the mission, vision, rules and
regulations of the organisation to job related particulars like salary, benefits, service
conditions, safety and welfare measures, etc.

A formal induction programme, thus, includes the following contents:

1. Brief history of the organisation.

2. Organisational mission, vision, objectives and philosophies.

3. Policies and procedures of the organisation.

4. Rules and regulation of the organisation.

5. Organisational structure and authority relationship.

6. Terms and conditions of job including remuneration, working hours, holidays,
promotional avenues, etc.

7. Welfare measures like subsidised canteen, transport, health and recreation facilities,
etc.

8. Safety measures.

All the contents of the induction programme are arranged into the three phases which
are discussed subsequently. Formal induction programme is carried out by the HR
specialists through leaflets, lectures, seminars and conduct tours for a couple of
days/weeks. The induction may spread over periods of time ranging from a few days to
a few weeks even months.

The induction programme consists generally of the following:

1. Introduction to the Company:
As a first step in the programme, new entrants in batches of not more than 15 are told
about the Founder and the history of the Company’s development, its organisations and
functions, its various products and its personnel policies. The Safety Officer of the
Safety & Accident Prevention Services gives a talk on safety and demonstrates the
correct use of various safety appliances.

2. Briefing on conditions of service:

The salient features of the Works Standing Orders, Gratuity and Provident Fund rules,
medical, housing, and educational and welfare facilities, etc., are explained. A brief talk
is also given in respect of wages, overtime, bonus and other remunerations. The rules
regarding seniority, leave, acting and promoting procedures, etc., too, are covered by the
talk.
3. Introduction to the Officers of the Department and Visit to the Works Location
and Environment:
After the new entrants are educated on the subjects indicated above at the Employment
Bureau, they are sent to the department concerned where they are introduced to the
supervisors in charge of the various sections and the Personnel Officer. They are then
taken to the place of work and shown various important places such as the Check
Houses, Watch Houses, Rest Rooms, Toilet, etc.

4. Introduction on the Job:

The new entrants are given a brief description of the jobs they are supposed to perform,
of the location of their work and the way to approach the jobs. Breakdown signals, fire
alarm and other safety precautions are explained. In addition, the method of recording
attendance is also indicated to them.

PHASES OF INDUCTION: -
A carefully designed induction programme consists of the following three phases:
1. General Induction

2. Specific Induction

3. Follow-up Induction

A brief description of these follows:

General Induction:
This first phase of induction is conducted by the HR department. The focus of the
induction is to expose the new entrant to the organisation by explaining him the mission,
objectives, history and philosophy of the organisation. The new employees is also
briefed about his service conditions, pay and perks, promotion procedure, personnel
policies and grievance handling mechanism practised in the organisation. This phase of
induction inculcates pride for the employee to work in the organisation. The period of
induction, depending on the organisation, may vary from a few days to few weeks.
Specific Induction:
This induction is given by the new employee’s supervisor. The focus is on the overall
exposition of the new employee to his job. Accordingly, the employee is introduced to
the job, shown place of work and around the premises, introduced to his co-workers and
briefed about the procedures and methods, custom and routines, rules and regulations
regarding his job. This training/ induction help the new employee adjust with his work
environment. The induction may last for few weeks or even months.

Follow-up induction:
The main objective of the follow-up induction is to verify whether the new employee is
getting himself adjusted with the work and organisation or not. This induction is given
by the employee’s supervisor or a qualified specialist on industrial psychology.

While giving induction training, the employee’s suggestions on adequacy or otherwise

of the already conducted induction programmes and on any other related aspects, if any,
are duly taken into consideration to make the induction more and more effective. Such
feedback can also be used to assess the requirements of guidance and counseling for the
new entrants. The duration of follow-up induction may vary from some weeks to few
months.