Introduction
This section examines current practices and
decision-making in recruitment and selection. (...) they are critical elements
of effective human resource management. (...) We cannot discuss how recruitment
and selection take place without asking why certain techniques are used
in preference to others. Within the HRM paradigm, they are not simply mechanisms for
filling vacancies. Recruitment and redundancy can be viewed as key 'push' and 'pull'
levers for organizational change.
Recruitment and selection allow management to determine and gradually modify the
behavioural characteristics and competences of the workforce. The fashion for teamworking,
for example, has focused on people with a preference for working with others as opposed
to the individualist 'stars' preferred by recruiters in the 1980's. Attention has
switched from rigid lists of skills and abilities to broader-based competences. In general -
as we noted in the previous section - there is greater regard for personal flexibility and
adaptability - a reorientation from present to future stability.
Recruitment: marketing jobs
Potential candidates may come from
an internal trawl of the organization, or from the external job market.
The latter are reached through channels such as recruitment advertising,
employment agencies, professional asociations or word of mouth. The approach
differs according to the organization's resourcing philosophy:
- Organizations with a strong
culture are likely to seek malleable new employees at school-leaving or
graduate levels. More senior jobs are filled from the internal job market.
- Companies looking for the
'right' (best fit for the job) person however may rule out internal applicants
because they do not match the personnel specification prepared for the
job.
A culture fit tool has the potential to
make job seekers more savvy while also providing a smaller, "better fitting" applicant
pool for organizations.
Informal recruiting
Word-of-mouth applicants are likely to stay longer and may be more suitable than recruits obtained by advertising. But word-of-mouth is discriminatory, since it restricts
applications to established communities and excludes recently arrived minority groups who have not had time to become part of informal networks. (...)
At senior levels the informal method known as 'headhunting' or executive search has become common. Specialist consultancies aim to find 'outstanding' people to fill higher-paying jobs.
Whether they really are 'outstanding' is questionable.
: Enterprising job hunters have long sought to get
a foot in the door as a way into their next job. A new survey for Robert Half Technology shows employers
also embrace this approach.
Formal recruiting
Equal opportunity demands equal access. This can only be achieved
through public and open recruitment.
(...) The likelihood of attracting 'suitable' applicants depends on the detail and specificity
of the recruitment advertisement or literature. Key factors such as salary, job title, career
and travel opportunities obviously influence response rates.
But remember that employers do not want to be swamped with large numbers of applications from
unsuitable people. This section of Human Resource Management in a Business Context goes into further detail such
as: quality of agency recruiters, comparison of different media channels, cultural variation in
recruitment practice.
The Internet is becoming an increasingly popular method of recruitment:
The real strength and power of online recruitment, when done properly,
lie in harnessing internet technology to not just attract candidates but to deal with
them too. See
But sometimes people search for some unusual jobs:
at hrmguide.co.uk.
: Conducting a job search using the Internet has definitely transformed how jobseekers contact hiring companies.
With the Internet's convenience, a breeding ground for scam artists continues to grow each
year as well.
Targeting
Competition for the 'best' graduates requires employers to have a clear idea
of what they mean by 'best'. Recruitment needs to send a strong, distinctive message to these
people. Check out one of the internet providers on this page to see how jobs are described and
marketed.
The recruitment practices and tactics for retaining employees that have the best organizational
"fit" in a number of top companies:
on the HRM Guide USA site.
Use of corporate websites varies from country to country:
on the HRM Guide Canada site.
More and more of Australia’s largest employers are moving to online graduate recruitment
and away from slow and costly 'traditional' methods:
on the HRM Guide Australia site.
Contact
HRM Guide Network
