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©McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. Authorized only for instructor use in the classroom. No reproduction or further distribution permitted without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill Education.
 Chapter 5:
External Recruitment

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 Learning Objectives Engage in strategic recruitment planning
for Chapter 5 activities

Understand the difference between open

and targeted recruitment

Learn about job advertisement and

communication message

Learn about a variety of recruitment media

Recognize how applicant reactions influence

the effectiveness of a recruiting plan

Learn about a variety of recruitment sources

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 Exhibit 5.1 Planning, Communicating, and
Implementing Strategic Recruiting

Define recruitment
goals

Make organization and Select open vs.

administration decisions targeted approach

Consider potential
applicant reactions

Create communication message and

select media

Implement strategy and evaluate

outcomes

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 Defining Strategic External Recruitment
Goals
• Defining specific desired outcomes for the process can
ensure that the organization can concentrate its efforts on
applicants who will contribute most to overall
organizational success.

• The definition of strategic goals includes developing goals

for attraction (what types of job seekers the organization needs to
attract), goals for speed (how fast the organization needs to attract
applicants), and a time frame.

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 Why organizations need to recruit?
Attracting Fill the
candidates vacancy
Link to
Urgent or can
organization’s
wait
strategic goals

Investment
P-J fit and Long-term
needs

P-O fit

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 Open vs. Targeted Recruitment

Open Targeted
recruitment recruitment
Specific and narrow
Open the job target group-specific
posting to a wider message is included
people to bring their
attention

Employees are
To fill up key KSAO
made aware of shortages
the openings

Anybody can
To fill the workforce
apply even it is diversity gaps
internal position

Targeting passive job

seekers or non
candidates

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 Ex. 5.4 Making the Choice Between Open and
Targeted Recruiting

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 Recruitment Planning: Administrative Issues
In-house vs. • Many companies do recruiting in-house.
External • Recommended approach for large companies.
Recruitment • Smaller companies may rely on external
recruitment agencies.
Agency

• Cooperative alliances involve arrangements to share recruitment

Individual vs. resources.
Cooperative • Cooperative recruitment programs or recruitment by networking
can improve the quality and cost of hiring. Four strategies involve
Recruitment alliances with employee leasing firms, community-based
organizations, educational institutions and competitors.

• The centralization of a staffing model is defined as the

Centralized vs. extent to which management has direct control over the
staffing function.
Decentralized • In a decentralized staffing function, responsibility for the
Recruitment recruiting process is managed locally, with strategies and
processes that are tailored to local circumstances.

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 Recruitment Budget & ROI

Who bear the recruitment expenses?

• The HR department is responsible to propose the

budget. This is to encourage each business unit to
use the recruitment services of the HR group.

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 Exhibit 5.3:
Example of a Recruitment
Budget for 500 New Hires

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 APPLICANT REACTIONS

After the organization has a clear idea of its strategic plan, the
possible reactions of applicants should be considered.

The first impression an applicant has of an organization has a very

strong impact on his/her later feelings of fit, so it is good to devote
significant time and energy to improving these reactions.

Important, because it will help us to determine which type of

communication message content and media should be employed.

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 APPLICANT REACTIONS

Reactions to Job and Organizational Characteristics

Reactions to Recruiters

Reactions to the Recruitment Process

Reactions to Diversity Issues

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 Applicant Reactions to Job and Organizational
Characteristics

Job and Organizational

Characteristics (the most important
attraction features for applicants!)

Job characteristics
• Sufficient wages
• Opportunity for growth and development
• Interesting work characteristics

Organization characteristics
• Prestigious organizations
• Reputation for treating employees well
• Positive social environment
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 Applicant Reactions to Recruiters

Behavior & characteristics of recruiters

How the recruiters communicate the features of the job

and organization in accurate, thorough and engaging
manner

The level of warmth the recruiter shows toward the job

applicant e.g., helpful, enthusiastic, empathetic

Communicating knowledge about the job

Show interest in the applicant

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 Applicant Reactions to Recruitment Process

• Fair system
• Relationship of screening devices to
Reactions to job
Recruitment • Delay times in recruitment process
• Funding of recruitment process
Process • Credibility of recruiter during
recruitment process

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 Applicant Reactions to Diversity Issues

Advertising in publications targeted at

women and minorities

Advertisements should depict

diversity, especially among those in
positions of authority

Target older workers by flexible

schedules, health and pension
benefits, and part-time opportunities

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 Recruiting pain at Zappos
In 2013, Zappos received 31,000
applications yet only made 350 new
hires. That means they sent out 30,650
rejection letters. Big problem, says
Bailen, because that resulted in:
Inefficient use of recruiters’ time.
Recruiters were reactive and “always
looking backward.” Since they spent the
majority of their time processing
rejections, there was no time left to
source proactively.
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A poor candidate experience. Form
rejection letters went to the
overwhelming majority of people who
engaged with Zappos, leaving them with
a negative impression of the company.
Missed opportunities to engage talent.
The bounce rate on the Zappos careers
site was 80%, meaning 4 out of 5 visitors
left without applying. Presumably, many
candidates were turned off by not
seeing the right role, when in fact they
might have been a great culture and
technical fit for the company.
 How the position
will be marketed
to potential
applicants?

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 Comparing Choice of Messages
Types of Information Conveyed Applicant Potential Best For
Messaging Reactions Drawback
Branded An appealing description is Positive view of the Overly positive Tight labor
developed based on marketing organization, message may markets or
principles, emphasizing unique increased intention result in higher-value
features of the organization. to apply for jobs, employee jobs
and better pre-hire dissatisfaction
Emphasized the value, culture, and information about after hire
identity of the unit to attract benefits of the job
applicants who fit the brand label.
Targeted Advertising themes are designed to Better fit between May dissuade Specific KSAOs,
attract a specific set of employees. application applicants who or seeking a
message and aren’t interested specific type of
Points out how the job fits the needs specific applicant in work attributes applicant
of the applicant. groups featured in the
message from
applying
Realistic Both positive and negative aspects of Some applicants The best potential Loose labor
a job and organization are described. self-select out; applicants may be markets or
those who remain more likely to when turnover
Potrays the job as it really is, will have a better leave is costly
including positive and negative understanding of
aspects. the job and will be
less likely to leave
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©McGraw-Hill Education.
 Communication Media
Effective communication media are high in richness and
credibility.

Rich media channels Credible media channels

• Allow for timely • Transmit information

personal feedback that is..
• Provide ample • Honest
information (e.g., visual • Accurate
images, text, figures and • Thorough
charts)
• Customized to user
needs

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 Communication Media
• Research has shown that respondents have more
positive images of organizations that transmit
information that is rich and credible.
• If the information is seen as coming directly from the
employees, rather than from the organization’s
recruitment offices, the message will likely be seen as
more honest and unbiased.
• Experts on advertising advise recruiters to remember
that they need to constantly promote their brand to
potential employees, because sheer repetition and
consistency of a promotional message increase its
effectiveness.
• Research has shown that greater employer involvement
with prospective applicants is likely to improve the
image of the organization.
• In turn, a better image of the organization is likely to
result in prospective applicants pursuing employment
with the organization.

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 Communication
Advertisement
Media

Recruitment Brochures

Organizational Websites

Video Conferencing

Direct Contact

Word of Mouth and Social

Media
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 Exhibit 5.7

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 Exhibit 5.8

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 Communication Media
• Word of Mouth
– One of the most
powerful methods
– Personally known to the
potential applicants
– Largely outside of the
organization’s control
– Heavily involved with the
reputation of the
organization,
employment practices
and policies
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 Strategy Implementation
This process involves gathering applications from a variety of sources and evaluating
the quantity of applicants, the quality of applicants, the cost of using each source, and
the impact on HR outcomes.

Individual recruiting Social recruiting Organizational

sources sources recruiting sources

• Target individual • Rely on • Access to a large

job seekers, direct relationships that number of similar
from the employees have applicants
organization and its with current • Colleges and
representatives employees or placement offices,
• Applicant initiated, those who would employment
general endorse the agencies, executive
employment company search firms, social
websites, niche • Employee referrals, service agencies,
employment social media, job fairs, co-op and
websites professional internships
associations and
meetings
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 Discussion Questions

List 10 sources of applicants that

organizations turn to when recruiting. For
each source, identify needs specific to the
source, as well as pros and cons of using the
source for recruitment.

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 Recruitment Sources
Applicant initiated Executive search firms

Employee referrals Professional associations and

meetings
Employee networks
Social service agencies
Advertisements
Outplacement services
Employment websites
Job fairs
Colleges and placement offices

Employment agencies Co-ops and internships

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 Recruiting source at Zappos

• https://business.linkedin.com/talent-
solutions/blog/2014/11/why-did-zappos-ditch-its-job-
postings-and-is-the-strategy-working

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 Social Recruitment Sources: Employee Referrals

Are a valuable source for finding job applicants

Finds candidates who are better informed about

organizational culture and values

Lower turnover rates

Often boosted by providing cash bonuses to employees

who refer successful candidates

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 Social Recruitment Sources: Social Media
Many recruiters have turned to social networking websites such as
Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook as sources for finding qualified job
candidates.
The use of social networking has become so prevalent that recruitment
software integrates these sites into the applicant tracking process.

Recruiters can automatically post openings to social media sites and

receive reports on which channels are resulting in the most leads and
the best candidates.
Advantages

Disadvantages

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 Legal Issues
Definition of job applicant

• Definition according to EEOC and OFCCP

• Importance of establishing written application policies

Affirmative Action Programs

• Guidelines of OFCCP for recruitment actions

Electronic recruitment

• Usage may create artificial barriers to employment opportunities

Job advertisements

Fraud and misrepresentation

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 Ethical Issues in Staffing

Issue 1

• Many organizations adopt a targeted recruitment strategy. For example,

Home Depot has targeted workers 50 and above in its recruitment
efforts, which include advertising specifically in media outlets frequented
by older individuals. Other organizations target recruitment messages at
women, minorities, or those with desired skills. Do you think targeted
recruitment systems are fair? Why or why not?

Issue 2

• Most organizations have in place job boards on their web page where
applicants can apply for jobs online. What ethical obligations, if any, do
you think organizations have to individuals who apply for jobs online?

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 Group Discussion:
Read the mini-case below and answer question 1 and 3
Page 262-263

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 Thank you

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