Recruiting is a key process for any organization. Recruiting refers to the entire procedure of identifying, assembling, shortlisting, interviewing, selecting and grooming suitable candidates for available positions within an organization. Recruiting can also refer to procedures involved in selecting individuals for unskilled roles. The recruitment process includes evaluating the potential candidate’s suitability for a particular job, assessing his or her skills, education, experience, personal interests, and other factors.
In order to effectively recruit and retain the best employees, organizations have to undergo an effective recruiting process and perform a thorough pre-employment screening of candidates. Proper recruitment of employees involves careful evaluation of the potential candidate’s qualifications, efficiency, performance, motivation, attitudes, and personality. The process also involves taking care of basic needs of the current employees, creating a work environment that is free from harassment or other hazards, and providing training so that existing employees are able to perform their duties competently and professionally. The need for adequate levels of staffing or the inability to fill available positions due to a lack of qualified candidates, along with other reasons, may lead to the search for experienced candidates or the provision of jobs to eligible individuals. It is in this context that Recruiting becomes an essential part of the overall recruitment strategy.
The process of Recruiting entails both internal and external recruiting methods. Internal recruitment methods may include informational advertisements in trade and print media, referrals from existing customers and other strategic human resource practices such as target marketing and networking. External Recruiting methods may include enrollment in professional or employee referral programs, the employment of trained candidates on a temporary basis at a specific company, the use of employee induction or onboarding programs, career fairs, telecommute jobs, and other similar initiatives. The objective of each type of Recruiting is to seek out talent that meets a specific need within the organization while avoiding the risk of hiring an incompetent or less than desirable candidate.
Effective Recruiting involves establishing and maintaining effective hiring and recruiting practices. Companies should develop recruitment systems that identify appropriate keywords and key functions of the business in order to target candidates who have the skills, knowledge, and interpersonal communication required to add value to the organization. Keywords should be selected that effectively identify open positions that candidates are most likely to apply for. It is also important for recruiters to establish effective recruiting protocols that motivate candidates to apply for open positions. Recruiters should offer assistance to candidates that demonstrate a genuine interest in the organization and have demonstrated the ability to communicate effectively.
One important element of effective recruiting is recruiting effectively by establishing appropriate interview procedures that foster interaction and allow for detailed discussions about the job responsibilities, job description, the requirements, salary, co-workers’ knowledge of the business, preferred dates and times for the interviewing process, preferred pay rate, co-workers’ perception of the candidate, and other related aspects of the job. The interviewing process should be designed in such a way that candidates are not at a loss for words and are able to express their thoughts, concerns, ideas, and expectations. Candidates should be encouraged to elaborate on their prior work experience and any specialized training that they may have received. Each recruiting rep should be well versed in the basics of marketing and sales as well as in conducting general background checks.
Recruiting professionals should always use caution when recruiting from the applicant pool. The applicant pool is the place where the best and the brightest applicants meet the organizations needs for filling available positions. When using an applicant pool, recruiters take the time to carefully screen each applicant to ensure that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position. In addition, recruiters work closely with internal recruiters to ensure that the best and the brightest applicants are represented within the company. It is important to remember that recruiters are not job seekers, but are there to aid in the hiring process and should only speak to those individuals who have expressed an interest and desire to work with the company.