Selection

1. Module : Recruitment
2. Learning outcome:
After studying this module, you shall be able to
Know the concept of Recruitment
Understand the personnel policies
Comprehend the factors affecting recruitment
Understand the sources of recruitment
Become aware of the evaluating the sources of recruitment

3. Introduction

Recruitment is a process to identify and attract persons to fill job vacancies in the organizations.
Most organizations have a perennial requirement to recruit new employees to put in positions of
those who quit or are promoted to higher positions, and to allow for organizational growth.
Recruitment follows HR planning and goes hand in hand with the selection process. The
organizations assess the appropriateness of candidates for various jobs and make it possible
for organizations to get the number and types of people essential to secure the enduring
operation of the organization. Recruiting involves finding out the potential candidates for actual
or anticipated organizational vacancies. Without accurate planning, organizations may recruit
either more or less than the right number or type of employees. Without successful recruiting to
create a considerable number of candidates, even the most exact selection system is of little
worth.
This module discusses how to plan and conduct a successful and cost-effective recruiting effort.
It focuses on methods that can be used to identify candidates from within the organization and
from the outside labor pool. It also concentrates on the job applicant and the ways in which a
candidate searches and chooses a job. The module closes with a discussion of the measures
that can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the recruitment process.

4. Recruitment defined

Recruitment is a process of looking for prospective employees and encouraging them to apply
for the jobs in the organization. As candidates in large number apply for jobs, there is greater
scope for recruiting quality persons. On the other hand the job-seekers also explore
organizations presenting them employment. Recruitment is a linking activity combining those
having jobs and those searching jobs. In simple terms, the term recruitment means to discover
the source from where possible employees may be picked out. A systematic recruitment
process shows the way to more productivity, higher wages, better morale, reduced labor
turnover and increased reputation. Thus, recruitment is concerned with approaching, attracting,
and ensuring a supply of eligible personnel and making out selection of requisite human
resources both in their quantitative and qualitative respects. It is the development and
maintenance of adequate human resources.

Definition:
Dale Yoder defined recruitment as the process to identify the sources of manpower to meet the
requirements of the staffing schedule and to engage effective methods for attracting that
manpower in sufficient numbers for facilitating effective hiring of efficient workers.
For Edwin B. Flippo viewed recruitment is a process of looking possible employees and
encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organization and the placement of the candidates.”
In personnel recruitment, management attempts far more than merely fill job openings. For normal
working, formula for personnel recruitment would be simple to simply fill the job with any applicant
who arrives thereby.

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5. Personnel Policies

Personnel policies of an organization are also its decision about how it will perform its human
resource management function. These policies influence the nature of the vacant position.
Research on recruitment indicates that the characteristics of the vacancy are more important
than recruiters or recruiting sources for predicting job choice. A number of personnel policies
are especially relevant to recruitment.

5.1 Internal vs. external recruiting

Organizations with policies ‘promotion from within’ attempt to fill upper-level positions by
recruiting candidates internally. It involves identifying candidates already working for the
organization. Avenues for advancement make a job more attractive to applicants and
employees. Decisions about internal or external recruiting affect the nature of jobs, recruitment
sources, and the nature of applicants.

5.2 Lead-the market pay strategies

Pay is an important characteristic for almost all applicants. Organizations enjoy advantage in
recruiting they adopt a policy to pay above the market. Higher pay can also make up for less
desirable characteristics of a job. Organizations may use bonuses, stock options, and other
forms of pay that compete for applicants.

5.3 Employment at will policies

Within the laws of the state where they are operating, employers have latitude to set policies
about their rights in an employment relationship. A general policy follows the guideline of
employment at will, which holds that if there is not any particular employment contract saying
otherwise, the employer or employee may terminate employment relationship any time.
Alternatively extensive due process policies may be established, which formally lay out the
steps an employee may take to appeal an employer’s decision to terminate the relationship. The
legal experts of the company may advise the company to assure that all recruitment documents
indicate that the employment is at the while of the employee. This will save the company from
litigation of wrongful discharge. The legal advantages against the disadvantages are weighed by
the management as well as the impact on recruitment. Job applicants are more attracted to
organizations with the impact of due-process policies, indicating greater job security and
concern for the protection of the interests of employees, than to organizations with employment-
at-will policies.

5.4 Image Advertising

Besides advertising specific job opening, organizations may advertise themselves as a good
place to work in general. Advertising designed to create generally favorable impression of the
organization is allied image advertising. Image advertising is specifically significant for
organizations in highly competitive labor markets that perceive themselves their image as
unfavorable. Research indicates that an organization’s brand image influences the extent to
which a person is attracted to the organization. This attraction is real if the person’s own
features match those of the organization. Job applications seem to be particularly sensitive to
issues of diversity and inclusion of image advertising, so organizations need to ensure that their
image advertising reflects the broad nature of the labor markets from which they have intention
to recruit.

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6. Factors Influencing Recruitment

All organizations, big or small, have to engage themselves in the process of recruitment of
individuals. A number of factors influence the recruitment process. Some of the main factors are
being discussed below: Fig.1 represents the factors influencing recruitment.

Fig.1 Factors influencing recruitment

6.1 Human Resource Planning

In most cases, a firm cannot attract prospective employees in sufficient numbers and with the
required skills quickly. Investigating different sources of recruits and determining the most
productive sources and methods for obtaining them usually needs time for planning. Once the
best alternatives are identified, managers can make better recruitment decisions.
6.2 Promotion Policies

An organization’s promotion policy can have a significant impact on recruitment. A firm can emphasize a
policy of promotion from within its own employees or one where

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