Select your language
Suggested languages for you:
Recruitment And Selection
Employees make up the backbone of any company. They play a hugely important role in conducting the business's operations. Senior management sets the vision and the objectives, but the employees are responsible for putting in the work to keep the company on the right path to achieving its vision and objectives. Therefore it is crucial to understand the recruitment and selection process that companies use.
The importance of recruitment
What is recruitment?
Recruitment is the procedure of searching for, finding, and hiring new employees.
Before discussing the recruitment process, you must first understand what has brought about the need for recruitment. In the case of a new business, employees would need to be recruited to perform operational tasks.
If a company wants to expand its operations, it will look to recruit employees. The expansion may be planned in terms of increasing production or manufacturing different products for new markets. The need for recruitment also arises when existing employees are leaving or have left the company. The company will then naturally want to replace these staff with new employees.
Types of recruitment
Recruitment may be done internally by the company’s Human Resources (HR) department, or it can be delegated to other recruitment companies with the expertise to effectively complete the process of recruitment. There are two primary types of recruitment:
Internal recruitment – In this type of recruitment, a company recruits employees from the existing employees. It is usually done by promoting the existing employees to more senior positions or by transferring them to different departments. A vacancy notice is posted on the company’s internal communication platforms, and in some cases senior managers recommend an employee for a new job role.
There are many benefits to internal recruitment. For example, the company does not have to advertise externally, thereby reducing costs. Existing employees are already familiar with the company and its working environment; therefore, they would not take too long to adjust to new roles.
External recruitment – In this type of recruitment, a company wants to hire people from outside the company. External recruitment is necessary when a company is either new or wants to expand its operations by producing new products for new markets.
The job is typically advertised on the internet, in newspapers, magazines, etc. This recruitment can be done either by the company’s HR department or the external recruiters. It is a good method to add fresh talent to the existing pool of employees but it is more costly than internal recruitment.
The method of recruitment
Figure 1 below outlines the recruitment process:
Recruitment needs identification – The process starts with identifying the need for recruitment. A new business opening, expansion, or job role in the company are all examples of recruitment needs.
Job analysis – Job analysis should be conducted in the next step. This analysis helps in interpreting the role of the job. Important details such as job description and applicant specifications are identified through job analysis. These analyses help in determining the duties associated with the job and the key attributes a potential applicant must have to be considered for the job.
Job advertisement – In this step, the jobs are advertised. Appropriate advertising channels are used for specific recruitments. Internal and external advertisements are employed depending on the type of recruitment a business is looking for.
Creation of a pool of applicants – People apply for the jobs after reading about them via advertisement. This process continues till the application deadline. Finally, a pool is created of all the applicants.
Recruitment and Selection: The importance of selection
Selection is an integral part of the overall recruitment process, happening after the creation of a pool of applicants. Once the HR department or the external recruiter has a list of applicants, they start the process of selection.
Selection is about choosing the employees who are the most suited for the advertised job from the pool of applicants.
The whole process depends on the effectiveness of selection. Applicants are shortlisted at this stage, and they are put through different tests to check their competence. A wrong selection could put the entire recruitment process at risk, meaning a loss of financial resources, time, and effort.
Recruitment and Selection: Method of selection
The following methods are the most used by employers in the selection process.
Interview – This is the most common method used in selection. A panel comprised of two or more people interviews applicants. Different questions related to the applicant and the job are asked during the interview. This helps give a general impression of the applicant.
Psychometric test – In this kind of test, multiple-choice questions are asked from the applicant. This test helps in determining the personality of the applicant. It is an effective method to use in the selection because it shows whether the applicant is a right fit for the role and the company culture or not.
Assessment centre – In this method, applicants are required to complete a set of tasks. These tasks are usually like the actual tasks on the job. It could give a comprehensive analysis of the applicant’s expertise and personality for the role.
Why an effective recruitment and selection process is important
An effective recruitment and selection process ensures the appointment of the right employees for the job. It means employees who are skilled and experienced in the field join the workforce. It could be a costly process, but its benefits outweigh its costs.
Increase in productivity – Having skilled and experienced employees would increase productivity in any business. Employees can produce more in less time. This means the cost of production could decrease as the production becomes efficient.
Quality products – Employees with expertise and knowledge produce quality products. It often happens that quality is compromised during production due to a lack of knowledge and skill. Having competent employees certainly reduces the likelihood of a lapse in the production process.
Better customer service – Customer service is an important factor in the success of a business. Employees, who are best at their jobs, are better equipped to give value to customers. They know the product and can assist the customers in a better way. This will result in customer satisfaction and better customer service overall.
Higher employee retention – Effective recruitment and selection process ensures appointing employees who are more suited and motivated for the job. Employees with motivation who enjoy their work are less likely to leave their jobs. For businesses, this means a higher employee retention rate. This is significant because the whole process of recruitment can cost a lot. Having long-term employees mean that employers do not have to spend on recruitment repeatedly.
Recruitment and Selection: Employment contracts
An employment contract is a legal agreement between an employer and an employee.Important details about the job are included, such as salary, duties, holidays, and the duration of the contract. Businesses hire candidates as either full-time or part-time. A full-time employee is usually expected to work five days a week and eight hours a day, whereas part-time employees' weekly working hours are less than 40 hours a week.
There is also another kind of employment contract called a job-share. This is a contract in which two or more people share a part-time job. From duties to salary, everything is divided according to the level of work they are doing.
Finally, there is a zero-hour contract in which the employer is not obligated to give any minimum number of working hours to the employee. Such employees are called into work when there is more work available than usual.
The process of recruitment and selection is crucial for any business. It ensures that the business has the right employees to perform the operational tasks. Financial costs can be saved by using this process effectively. There are many benefits associated with it that have a significant impact on the success of the business.
Recruitment and selection - Key takeaways
- Employees are responsible for putting in the work to keep the company on the path to achieving its vision and objectives.
- The procedure of searching, finding, and hiring new employees is called recruitment.
- Recruitment is needed when a business is new or expanding.
- Recruitment is done either internally or externally.
- Recruitment needs identification, job analysis, job advertisement, and the creation of a pool of applicants are all parts of the recruitment process.
- Selection is about choosing the employees from the pool of applicants who are most suited for the advertised job.
- Interviews, psychometric tests, and assessment centres are the methods of selection.
- An increase in productivity, quality products, better quality service, and higher employee retention are the benefits of an effective recruitment and selection process.
- Full-time and part-time are the two types of employee contracts.
Frequently Asked Questions about Recruitment And Selection
Recruitment is the procedure of searching for, finding, and hiring new employees.
Selection is about choosing the employees who are the most suited for the advertised job from the pool of applicants.
Identifying needs, job analysis, job advertisement, and pool creation are the methods of recruitment.
Interviews, psychometric tests, and assessment centers are the methods of selection.
Hiring the right candidate, effective process, and delayed hiring are some of the challenges in recruitment and selection.
The process of recruitment and selection is important for any business. It ensures that the business has the right employees to perform the operational tasks. Financial costs can be saved by using this process effectively
Internal recruitment is done within the company and the existing employees are the applicants.
External recruitment is done to hire candidates from outside.
Final Recruitment And Selection Quiz
Answer
The procedure of searching, finding, and hiring new employees.
Show question
Question
Who is responsible for performing the operational tasks in a business?
Show answer
Question
Why recruitment is required?
Show answer
Answer
In the case of a new business, expansion, and in case of vacant roles.
Show question
Question
What does expansion mean?
Show answer
Answer
The expansion could be in terms of increasing production or producing different products for new markets.
Show question
Question
The two types of recruitment
Show answer
Question
What is internal recruitment?
Show answer
Answer
A company recruits employees from the existing employees.
Show question
Question
What is external recruitment?
Show answer
Answer
A company hires people from outside the company.
Show question
Answer
Recruitment needs identification, job analysis, job advertisement, and the creation of a pool of applicants.
Show question
Answer
It is about choosing the employees who are more suited for the advertised job from the pool of applicants.
Show question
Question
Methods used in the selection
Show answer
Answer
Interviews, Psychometric tests, and assessment centers.
Show question
Question
Benefits of using effective recruitment and selection process
Show answer
Answer
An increase in productivity, quality products, better quality service, and higher employee retention.
Show question
Question
What is higher employee retention rate?
Show answer
Answer
If fewer employees leave their jobs in a company, it would mean the company has a higher employee retention rate.
Show question
Question
Types of employee contracts
Show answer
Question
Difference between full-time and part-time contract
Show answer
Answer
A full-time contract means working five days a week and eight hours a day.
A part-time contract means working less than 40 hours a week.
Show question
Question
What is a psychometric test?
Show answer
Answer
In this test multiple-choice questions are asked from the applicant. This test helps in determining the personality of the applicant.
Show question
Answer
Recruitment is the process of finding and hiring the best-qualified candidates for a job.
Show question
Question
What are some recruitment methods?
Show answer
Answer
Methods of recruitment include Internal promotion, Career websites, Employee referrals, and Recruitment events.
Show question
Question
What is internal promotion?
Show answer
Answer
Promoting vacant job opportunities with the organisation to be filled by qualified employees.
Show question
Question
Posting job openings on career websites are a methods of
Show answer
Question
If you are working in a firm, and refer someone qualified you know for a vacant job position in the firm, this is called
Show answer
Question
Define the selection process.
Show answer
Answer
Selection is a series of steps that help recruiters find the right candidates from a pool of applicants.
Show question
Question
How do recruitment events help recruitment?
Show answer
Answer
Recruitment events are held on college campuses and job fairs. Such events are effective ways of getting to know local talents, and also to increase awareness about the company.
Show question
Answer
Selection is a series of steps that help recruiters find the right candidates from a pool of applicants.
Show question
Question
How do group interviews help the selection process?
Show answer
Answer
Recruiters assign a task to a group of shortlisted candidates and assess them based on their progress and final results. This will give the recruiters an idea of the candidates' working strategy, their adaptability to work in a team, and also help the candidates understand how the company functions.
Show question
Question
What is the screening process?
Show answer
Answer
Sometimes recruiters send the primarily shortlisted candidates a series of tests to assess their qualifications and abilities. These results will help them to further narrow down the candidates to the next step. These tests can include personality tests, intelligence tests, aptitude tests, and so on.
Show question
Question
What does filtering resumes mean?
Show answer
Answer
Resumes received are filtered by recruiters by narrowing it down to candidates that have most or all the specified qualities. They look for relevant keywords to make the selection process easier.
Show question
Question
How does filtering resumes help recruiters?
Show answer
Answer
It helps to narrow down the number of candidates based on their qualifications.
Show question
Question
Why are background checks important in the selection process?
Show answer
Answer
They are usually performed by recruiters to make sure that the information that was given by candidates are are actually true.
Show question
Question
The recruitment process is an integral part of the Human Resource (HR) department.
True or False?
Show answer
Question
The recruitment and selection processes vary among organisations.
True or False? Justify your answer.
Show answer
Answer
True. This is because the job specifications vary among organisations and therefore, the process will also vary accordingly.
Show question
Question
Name the steps involved in recruitment and selection process.
Show answer
Answer
Recruitment planning, recruitment strategy, finding the right candidates, screening, tests, interviews, and appointments are the steps involved in the recruitment and selection process.
Show question
Question
This step analyses job specifications, its nature, and required skills and qualifications.
Show answer
Question
The method of hiring (internal or external is decided in the recruitment strategy.
Show answer
Question
Name the steps in the selection that help to narrow down the application pool.
Show answer
Answer
Screening, tests, interviews.
Show question
Question
What are the types of employment contracts?
Show answer
Answer
Full-time, part-time, job share or zero-hour contract.
Show question
Question
Name a few disadvantages of a full-time job.
Show answer
Answer
- Monotonous routine.
- Poor work-life balance.
- More stress.
Show question
Question
Name a few advantages of a full-time job.
Show answer
Answer
- Fixed steady income.
- Paid leave (including sick leaves and maternity leaves).
- Corporate benefits.
- More challenging tasks helpful for career growth.
Show question
Question
Helps employer to reduce costs, boosts employee morale and productivity, flexible working hours better work-life balance - these are the advantages of
Show answer
Question
What are the disadvantages of having a part-time job?
Show answer
Answer
- Can have a negative effect on employee career growth.
- Difficulty organizing meetings due to varying working hours.
- Employees do not enjoy other benefits enjoyed by a full-time employee.
Show question
Question
Job sharing is a type of part-time job.
Show answer
Question
Advantages of job-sharing include:
Show answer
Answer
- Ideas and inputs from two people.
- Employer does not incur additional costs.
- Easier method of completing highly stressful or important work.
- Higher productivity.
Show question
Question
That if the two employees are not compatible in terms of communication and decision-making process, working together can be a challenge, is a disadvantage of job-sharing.
Show answer
Question
State the disadvantages of job-sharing.
Show answer
Answer
- If the two employees are not compatible in terms of communication and decision-making process, working together can be a challenge.
- Supervision can be difficult as the supervisor has to monitor not one, but two employees.
- Conflicts can occur if the distribution of work is not equal.
Show question
Question
What are zero-hour contarcts?
Show answer
Answer
In zero-hour contracts, the employer is not obliged to give the employee regular work, but are on-call in case they are needed to work. Employees under such a contract do not have minimum working hours and are not obliged to take up the work offered.
Show question
Question
What are the advantages of zero-hour contarcts?
Show answer
Answer
- Unforeseen absences can be dealt with.
- Unforeseen extra work can be assigned to zero-hour employees, reducing the stress on regular employees.
- Flexibility of work.
- Can present you with the opportunity to work for your dream company, if full-time or part-time positions are not available.
Show question
Question
Disadvantages of zero-hour contracts include:
Show answer
Answer
- Being assigned to work at unforeseen hours.
- Low and unfixed income.
- No extra benefits.
Show question
Question
What are some common circumstances in which the company will have to perform recruitment?
Show answer
Answer
Circumstances such as an expansion of the company, the termination or retirement of staff, etc.
Show question
Question
Recruitment can only be done internally by the company's HR department.
Show answer
Question
_________ is usually done by promoting the existing employees to more senior positions or by transferring them to different departments.
Show answer
Question
Senior managers have no say in the internal recruitment process and the decisions are solely made by the HR department
Show answer
Discover the right content for your subjects
No need to cheat if you have everything you need to succeed! Packed into one app!
Study Plan
Be perfectly prepared on time with an individual plan.
Quizzes
Test your knowledge with gamified quizzes.
Flashcards
Create and find flashcards in record time.
Notes
Create beautiful notes faster than ever before.
Study Sets
Have all your study materials in one place.
Documents
Upload unlimited documents and save them online.
Study Analytics
Identify your study strength and weaknesses.
Weekly Goals
Set individual study goals and earn points reaching them.
Smart Reminders
Stop procrastinating with our study reminders.
Rewards
Earn points, unlock badges and level up while studying.
Magic Marker
Create flashcards in notes completely automatically.
Smart Formatting
Create the most beautiful study materials using our templates.
Sign up to highlight and take notes. It’s 100% free.