Strategy Development For Recruitment: The Challenges

Once it is known how many and what type of recruits are required, serious consideration
needs to be given to (1) make or buy employees (ii) technological sophistication of
recruitment and selection devices (iii) geographic distribution of labor markets
comprising job seekers (iv) sources of recruitment (v) sequencing the activities in the
recruitment process.

‘Make’ or ‘Buy’: Organizations must decide whether to hire less skilled employees and
invest on training and education programmes or they can hire skilled labor and
professionals. Essentially this is the ‘make’ (hire less skilled workers) or ‘buy’ (hire
skilled workers and professionals) decision. Organisations which hire skilled labor and
professionals shall have to pay more for these employees. ‘Buying’ employees has the
advantage in the sense that the skilled labor and professionals can begin the work
immediately and little training maybe needed.

Technological Sophistication: The second decision in strategy development relates to

the methods used in recruitment and selection. This decision is mainly influenced by the
available technology. The advent of computers has made it possible for employers to scan
national and international applicant qualifications. Technological advancement has made
it possible for job seekers to gain better access.

Where to look: In order to reduce costs, organizations look into labor markets most
likely to offer the required job seekers. Generally companies look in to the national
market for managerial and professional employees, regional or local markets for technical
employees and local markets for clerical and blue-collar employees. The above pattern
will be modified by certain factors. One such factor is the location of the organization. In
the final analysis, organizations recruit where experience and circumstance dictate likely
success. Recognizing this, many adopt an incremental strategy in which initial efforts are
concentrated in regional and local markets and expanded only if these efforts fail to
achieve the desired results.

How to look: This refers to the methods or sources of recruitment. There are several
sources which maybe categorized into internal and external.

Internal Recruitment

Present employees: Promotions and transfers from among the present employees can be a
good source of recruitment. Promotion to higher positions has several advantages. They
are it builds morale, it encourages competent individuals who are ambitious, it improves
the probability of a good selection, it is cheaper than going outside to recruit, those
chosen are familiar with the organization. However promotions can be dysfunctional as
the advantage of hiring outsiders who maybe better qualified is denied.
Employee Referrals: Employees can develop good prospects for their families and
friends by acquainting them with the advantages of a job within the company, furnishing
cards of introduction and even encouraging them to apply. This source is usually one of
the most effective methods of recruitment because many effective people are reached at a
very low cost to the company. In an organization with a large number of employees, this
approach can provide a large pool of potential members.

Former employees: Some retired employees maybe willing to come back and work on a
part time basis or may recommend someone who would be interested in working for the
company. Sometimes people who have left the company for some reason or the other
maybe willing to come back, sometimes for higher emoluments. An advantage of this is
that performance of these people is already known.

Previous applicants: Although not truly an internal source, those who have previously
applied for jobs can be contacted by mail, a quick and inexpensive way to fill an
unexpected opening. Some professional openings can be filled by applicants to previous
jobs.

Evaluation of Internal Recruitment

The three major advantages of recruitment are first it is less costly than external
recruiting. Secondly organizations typically have a better knowledge of the internal
candidates skills and abilities than the ones acquired through external recruiting. Third
the organizational policy of promoting from within can enhance employee’s morale,
organizational commitment and job satisfaction.
The disadvantages are that this method simply perpetuates the old concept of doing
things – that creative solving may be hindered by the lack of new talents. Another
disadvantage is that politics probably has a greater impact on internal recruiting and
selection than does external recruiting.

External Recruitment

Professional or trade organizations: Many associations provide services for their

members. These services may consist of compiling job seekers lists and providing access
to members during regional or national conventions. Further many associations publish or
sponsor trade journals or magazines for their members. This is particularly useful for
attracting highly educated, experienced or skilled personnel.

Advertisements:
What makes a good recruitment advertisement?
Clear job title
Clear description of job (if not apparent from title)
Concise description of type/size of organization
Location of job
Unique selling points
Inviting/friendly advertisements
Avoidance of jargon
Unambiguous text
Clear reply instructions
Salary and key benefits
Prospects
Minimum requirements of applicant (experience, skills or qualifications)
Avoid gimmicks (unless part of job requirement)
Within the legal framework.

Basic guidelines for preparing an advertisement for a senior post:

1. Ideally use a display advertisement

2. The job vacancy should become the headline of the advertisement. Avoid internal
job titles if they convey no meaning outside the company.
3. Opening paragraph: Explain briefly who the company is and depending on space,
its function, size and future growth. This would give the applicant some dia of job
security and career development within the company.
4. Second para: State the main purpose of the job, emphasizing significant aspects of
it and any unique selling points/attractions. Equally mention any possible
disincentives such as the need to work away or to travel. Avoid over selling the
job or making false statements. Beware of too much detail. Information for the
second para would be found in the job description.
5. Third Paragraph: Set out the essential qualifications and experience required. Also
include any contra-indicators –for example if car drivers only are required. You
will find this information in the person specification.
6. Fourth Paragraph: Address the benefits, rewards, terms and conditions of
employment. Highlight the benefits that above average.
7. Sign-off: Invite applications, give details of to whom they should be sent and
preferably the time-scale for reply and interview dates. It saves a great deal of
administrative time.

Junior level vacancies

1. For less senior posts, replace the business like copy used for executive positions
by a more relaxed person-to-person approach. Words like candidates and
applicants can be replaced by you, the company . The sign off is less formal,
inviting candidates to phone for an application form or call in. The advertisement
is not so detailed.
2. Include job title (make sure the advertisement gives a clear picture about the job –
if not provide an explanation), rate of pay, main duties, benefits such as canteen,
flexi-time, location of work etc.
Many organizations place what is referred to as a blind ad, one in which there is no
identification of the organization. Respondents are asked to reply to a post box
number or to a consulting firm that is retained by the organization. Large
organizations with national reputations will seldom use blind ads to fill lower level
positions. However when the organization does not wish to publicize the fact that is is
seeking to fill an internal position or when it seeks to recruit for a position in the
place of a person likely to be displaces, a blind ad may be appropriate. This is
especially true when the position to be filled is likely to draw an extraordinary
number of applications.

Employment Exchanges: Employment exchanges have been set up all over the
country in deference to the provisions of the Employment Exchanges Act. The Act
applies to al industrial establishments having 25 workers or more. The Act requires to
notify the vacancies before they are filled. The major functions of the exchanges are
to increase the pool of possible applicants and do the preliminary screening.

Campus Recruitment: Colleges, universities, research laboratories and institutes are

fertile ground for recruiters. In fact in some companies, recruiters are bound to recruit
a given number of candidates from some institutes every year.

Walk-ins, write-ins and Talk-ins: The most common and least expensive approach for
candidates is direct applications in which job seekers submit unsolicited application
letters or resumes. Direct applications can also provide a pool of pool of potential
employees to meet future needs. From employee’ viewpoint walk-ins are preferable
as they are free from the hassles with other methods of recruitment. This method is
used more for entry and junior level and unskilled vacancies. Write-ins are those who
send written enquiries. These job seekers are asked to complete application forms for
further processing. Talk-ins are becoming popular nowadays. Job aspirants are
required to meet the recruiter for detailed talks. No application is required to be
submitted to the recruiter

Consultants: ABC Consultants, Ferguson Associates, Head hunters are some fo the
numerous recruiting agencies. These and other agencies are retained by organizations
for recruiting and selecting managerial and executive personnel. Consultants have
nation wide contacts and lend professionalism to the hiring process. But the cost can
be a deterring factor. Most consultants charge fees from 20 to 50 percent for the first
year salaries of the individuals placed.

Contractors: Contractors are used to recruit casual workers. The names of the
workers are not entered in the company records and hence difficulties experienced in
maintaining permanent workers are avoided.

Acquisitions and Mergers: Another method of staffing organizations is a result of the

merger or acquisition process. When organizations combine into one, they have to
handle a large pool of employees some of whom may no longer be necessary in new
 organizations. Consequently the new organization has, in effect, a pool of qualified
job applicants. Drawing the best-qualified applicants from this employee pool can
readily staff both new and old jobs.

Competitors: Rival firms can be a source of recruitment. Popularly called poaching or

raiding this method involves identifying the right people in rival companies, offering
them better terms and luring them away. For example many employees left HMT to
join Titan etc. There are legal and ethical issues involved in raiding firms for potential
candidates. From the legal point of view, an employee is expected to join a new
organsiation only after obtaining a no objection certificate from hi present employer.
A challenge for the HR manager is to prevent this job hopping for just some more
money.

Evaluation of External Recruitment

1. The organization will have the benefit of new skills, new talents and new
experiences
2. The management will be able to fulfill reservation requirements in favor of the
disadvantaged sections of the society
3. Scope for resentment, and jealousy can be avoided.

Internal v/s external sources: a Comparison

Advantages
Internal sources
• Morale of promotee
• Better assessment of abilities
• Lower costs for some jobs
• Motivator for good performance
• Causes a succession of promotions
• Have to hire only at entry level
External Sources
• “New Blood” New perspectives
• Cheaper than training a professional
• No group of political supporters
within the organization
• May bring industry insights
Disadvantages
• Inbreeding
• Possible morale problems of those
not promoted
• Political infighting for promotions
• Need strong management
development program
• May not select someone who will fit
• May cause morale problems for
those internal candidates
• Longer adjustment or orientation
time
When to look ?

An effective recruitment strategy must determine when to look – decide ton the timings
of the events – besides knowing where and how to look for job applicants. Time lapsed
data will be highly useful in determining the average time that elapses between major
decisions points in the recruitment process.

SEARCHING

Once a recruiting plan and strategy are worked out, the search process can begin. It
involves two steps (l) source activation (ll) Selling
• Source activation is typically when the sources and search methods are activated
by the issuance of an employee requisition. That means no actual recruiting takes
place until line manager have verified that a vacancy does exist or will exist. If the
organization has planned well and done a good job of developing its sources and
search methods, activation soon results in a flood of applications.
• Selling is the second issue to be addressed. It concerns communication. Here
organizations walk a tightrope. On one hand they want to attract desirable
applicants. On the other they must resist the temptation of overselling their
virtues.

EVALUATION AND CONTROL

Considerable costs are incurred in the recruitment process. The costs generally incurred
are
• Salaries for recruiters
• Management and professional time spent on preparing job descriptions, job
specifications, advertisements, agency liason etc
• Costs of advertisements and/or other recruitment methods
• Cost of producing supporting literature
• Recruitment overheads and administrative expenses
• Costs of overtime and outsourcing while the vacancies remain unfilled
• Cost of recruiting suitable candidates for the selection process.
Questions should always be asked whether the recruitment methods used are valid and
whether the recruitment process is effective
Evaluation of Recruitment Process

The recruitment process has the objective of searching and obtaining applications from
job seekers in sufficient numbers and quality. The evaluation of the process might include
• Return rate of applications sent out
• Number of suitable candidates for selection
• Retention and performance of the candidates selected
• Cost of the recruitment process
• Time lapsed data
• Comments on image projected.

Challenges faced by the HR manager in the Recruitment Process

• Attract people with multi-dimensional experiences and skills

• Induct outsiders with a new perspective to lead the company
• Infuse fresh blood at every level in the organization
• Develop a culture that attracts people to the company
• Locate people whose personalities fit the company’ values
• Search for talent globally, not just within the country
• Design entry pay that competes on quality, and not quantum
• Anticipate and find people for positions that do not exist yet.