Methods of Recruitment - Simply Put!

 Introduction

In the Marstan Guide Introduction to Business Management, we said that the way in which organisations recruit can have a profound impact on their level of success.

In the Marstan Guide HR Management - Simply Put! we also said that recruitment is an essential HR function which helps to secure the best people to do the job at the right market rate.

There are a number of methods of recruitment, all of which have their merits and drawbacks. Most organisations use a number of options depending on their needs.

The main methods of recruitment

The main methods of recruitment are:

1. Direct advertising
2. Using recruitment agencies
3. Executive search

There are some other methods of recruitment which are less common but nevertheless have a part to play in the options open to some organisations.

One such method is staff networking. This is where staff are invited to suggest candidates that they have worked with in previous organisations. This is sometimes successful because the staff member has direct working experience with the candidate and can often make a reasoned judgement on whether they would also be a good “cultural fit”.

Recruitment fairs or “open days” also work very well for some organisations. Candidates are invited to meet a team of people from the organisation to find out what it is like to work there and what vacancies are available. It gives both sides the opportunity of finding out about each other in an informal atmosphere and is particularly popular with large organisations when they are recruiting a number of graduates.

Direct Advertising

 This is the most traditional method of recruitment. It involves placing an advertisement, explaining something about the company and details of the specific post which is to be filled. It asks for applications from interested candidates who provide details of their experience in a curriculum vitae (CV) or career resumé.

Before the era of websites, advertisements were always placed in the printed press. Organisations decide whether to place the advertisement in one or more publications in technical, local, regional or national press, according to their judgement on how best to reach the sort of candidates they require.

Advertising through the press is still very popular because there are no agency fees to be paid. It can produce a large number of applications, which is to some degree an advantage. However, not all of those applicants might be suitable and there is a lot of work to be done in reading their details and short listing for interview (remembering to give a polite letter of thanks to those who applied but were not successful on this occasion).

There is another advantageous bi-product of this form of recruitment; it acts as a reminder and promotional advertisement to your Clients, promoting a subliminal message that you are growing and successful.

The majority of organisations have a website and it has become standard practice to advertise vacancies on the site. This can work particularly well for large organisations because they will constantly have people applying to them for job opportunities. Smaller organisations are less likely to attract the right applicants at the right time, simply due to the lower “traffic” to their website. This method of recruiting is very open but, in common with advertising in the press, there is no control over the number of applicants.

Using Recruitment Agencies

Recruitment agents take a brief from a Client to look at the details of the vacancy and the attributes required by the successful candidate.

The majority of recruitment agents maintain a large database of applicants who register their interest of the type of job they are seeking and provide details of their career and experience. As a result, the agency can often provide a number of potential candidates who might match the profile. Reputable recruitment agents meet and assess all of the people on their database so that they only refer good applicants to their Clients.

Consequently their Clients are prepared to pay a fee (typically 15%-25% of the successful applicant’s first year’s pay package) because it saves them a lot of time and money, sourcing and sifting the applicants themselves.

Executive Search

Executive search, often known as “headhunting”, is an appropriate and powerful method of hiring for unique or key vacancies – particularly senior level executives. It provides a much better chance of recruiting the ideal candidate rather than just a suitable candidate.

Executive search is a specialist service which we cover in detail.