Effective Recruitment: Sources and Methods for Hiring
Internal Recruitment Sources
Internal recruitment occurs when a company fills a position by promoting or transferring existing employees.
Advantages:
- Mutual knowledge between the employee and the business
- Increased employee security and motivation
- Development of internal competition
- Lower cost
Disadvantages:
- Difficulty finding candidates with the required qualifications
- Potential for infighting and lack of cooperation
- Inbreeding, preventing the entry of new ideas
Methods:
- Bulletin board
- Word of mouth
- Personnel files
- Ready-for-promotion lists
Noticeboard Advantages:
- Provides equal opportunities
- Informs all employees of available positions
- Increases knowledge of position characteristics
- Allows employees to choose where they best fit
External Recruitment Sources
When there are not enough qualified internal candidates, companies resort to external recruitment.
Advantages:
- Introduction of new ideas
- Leveraging training from other companies
Disadvantages:
- Potentially higher turnover
- Higher cost
- Potential for staff frustration
- Possible impact on wage policy (comparative grievances)
Techniques:
1. Spontaneous Applications
Individuals become candidates by approaching an employment office. They usually fill out an application, which is added to a database. The database is periodically updated, removing unsuitable candidates and those who have not used these services for a long time.
Advantage: Low cost
Disadvantage: Not suitable for management positions
2. Employee Recommendations
Advantages:
- Applicants already have information about the company and the job
- Employees tend to recommend qualified candidates
- Useful for hard-to-find profiles
- Low cost
3. Advertising
A highly effective quantitative technique.
Characteristics of an effective advertisement:
- Attracts attention (placement, font, etc.)
- Creates interest (e.g., including the company name if it has prestige)
- Causes desire (e.g., mentioning the salary)
- Encourages action
Media: Newspapers, magazines
- Language must be clear and concise
Information to include in a job advertisement:
- Sector
- Job title
- Functions
- Responsibilities
- Reporting lines
- Work location and hours
- Required degree/training and experience
4. Employment Agencies
- Organizations specializing in recruitment and selection
- Can be public or private
- Useful for finding workers with specific expertise and for certain positions
- Significant growth in recent times, attracting senior executives (fees can be up to 33% of the annual salary). They often have an international scope and are known as “headhunters.”
5. Temporary Work Agencies
- Provide contracted workers to other companies
- Regulated by specific legislation
- Advantages: Cost savings for businesses and specialization
- Disadvantages: Job insecurity and difficulty defending workers’ rights
6. Associations and Professional Organizations
7. Technical and Educational Institutions
- Very useful when seeking highly trained candidates without experience
8. Radio and TV
- Seldom used, expensive, and difficult for listeners or viewers to retain information
9. Online Recruitment
- An indispensable tool
- Advantages: Broader coverage and more content, low cost, equal opportunities for large and small businesses, increased presence, 24/7/365 access, instant communication, better candidates (due to technology skills)
Evaluation of Recruitment Methods
The best method depends on the position being filled. A cost-benefit analysis of each method is necessary. Factors influencing cost include intrinsic factors (medium used) and extrinsic factors (job characteristics, environmental factors, and the labor market).
The effectiveness of the recruitment process can be measured using yield ratios and time-lapse data.