Background
Time is money…and so are vacant positions, adding pressure to Human Resource departments to find qualified candidates. The job recruiting process is one of the most important functions of Human Resources. The goal is to search for the right person for the right job at the right time. There are five steps in the recruiting process to be thorough and achieve consistency. However, the steps may vary depending on the company and its organizational structure. Lets take a look at the general structure.
Step 1: Planning
The first step in job recruiting is to identify the companys needs. This requires the identification of skills and expertise required of a new employee, also known as job analysis. From the job analysis comes the job description and job specification. Lets learn more about each one:
A job analysis is the determination of the precise characteristics of a job or position through detailed observation and critical examination of sequential activities, facilities required, conditions of work, and the qualifications needed in a worker usually as a preparatory step toward a job description (Job analysis, n.d.). Once prepared, this analysis will be used in determining the need and preparing the job description. An analysis ensures a thorough understanding of key roles, requirements, responsibilities, and processes, in addition to helping streamline the system. A good job analysis can determine the following:
Who can perform the job
When and where the job must be done
The perks, salaries, and benefits related to the job
Educational qualifications, skills set, and work experience required
Criteria for recruitment, selection, performance evaluation, and compensation (Job analysis, 2020).
A job description can be defined as an orderly record of the essential activities involved in the performance of a task that is abstracted from a job analysis and used in classifying and evaluating jobs and in the selection and placement of employees (Job description, n.d.). Thats a mouthful, but just remember that a good job description is necessary because this defines what you are searching for in terms of an employee.
The job description will include educational requirements, skills, and physical capabilities. Once the job description has been written, it will be shared or posted on multiple job listing sites. This could include Internet sites, such as monster.com, or it could be posted on local job boards. The company may decide to work with a recruiter in order to find the best applicants.
Finally, the job specification focuses on the specific parameters needed to complete the job, such as skills required, completed training, professional qualifications, and the key responsibilities and characteristics needed to complete the job (Job analysis, 2020). This component is a briefer version of the job description and narrows in on the most critical needs for the job.
You can see in the graph below how these three elements overlap yet provide valuable information. Keep in mind that not only do these tasks assist HR managers, but they also help new employees understand what is required of them related to goals and objectives.
Click to view media
Image of three circles connecting. Circle 1 says Job Analysis. Circle 2 says one title position location, two duties, reporting, three machines, workplace environment. Circle 3 says one education, work experience, skills, two responsibilities, trainings, three personal and emotional characteristics.
Beyond the processes mentioned above, here are some additional factors you should consider during the planning process:
Do you have financial limitations or budget concerns?
What is your time limit? Do you need to recruit now, or do you have some time?
How is the labor market in your area?
What is your business strategy?
How many people do you need to hire?
Once you have determined the answers to these questions, you are ready to move on to step two.
Step 2: Sourcing/Recruitment options
This step forms your recruitment strategy, which is defined as a structured plan to effectively and efficiently identify talent pools, attract candidates, and find the best fit (Ghosh, 2020). In the HR world today, your strategy should be relevant, innovative, driven by business needs, and people-focused. Here are a few benefits of a proper recruitment strategy:
Lower costs: save time and money with a plan
Objective decisions: guiding strategy removes bias
Acumen for agility: foundation in place with fine-tuning when necessary
Competitive advantage: studying the market and upcoming trends keep you ahead of the curve (Ghosh, 2020).
Part of your strategy will include if you are hiring internally, which involves former employees, applicants, referrals, and transferring or promoting current employees, or externally, including job sites, headhunters, employment agencies, job fairs, and professional associations. Now lets look at some common recruiting methods in the table below:
Strategy What it is Pros Cons
Automated systems Mid-size to large companies are likely to use automated systems, or applicant tracking systems (ATS), to screen candidates, such as LinkedIn or Indeed. They can also use software such as Peoplesoft or Workday to filter candidates.
ATSs can filter large volumes of candidates.
ATSs reduce the amount of time you or your team needs to spend vetting 100s of applicants.
ATSs can miss quality candidates whose resume doesn’t flag according to filters.
ATSs lack human instincts.
Recruiting company These agencies work as the middleman between employers and job seekers.
Recruiting companies provide faster hiring.
They find higher-quality candidates.
They have specialist knowledge.
Recruiting companies have a higher cost.
They dont do cultural fit assessments.
There is a lack of employer branding.
It can also be risky to hunt employees who are not actively searching for a job.
Internal recruiter This person works for the company already, likely in HR, and assesses current staff to fill vacancies by internal transfer or promotion.
Internal recruiters are less expensive since they are in-house and already under salary.
Internal recruiters understand company culture best.
They can assist with the interview process since in-house.
Internal recruiters may be less motivated.
They must rely on passive methods to find candidates.
Their salary is maintained even if the company is not actively searching for candidates.
Employee-leasing company
The Professional Employer Organization
(PEO) handles payroll, insurance, and liability for the employee for a specified amount of time. Your company just pays a fee.
PEOs offer flat rate cost and limited liability.
PEOs allow hiring companies to focus on other tasks.
PEO handles legal formalities.
If you want to keep the employee, then you can make them an offer.
PEOs mean you have less control over employees.
There is a lack of employee loyalty and motivation.
Some employees chose to stay as leased employees.
Now its time to move to the third step: screening.
Step 3: Screening
Once the position has been posted, applications will begin coming in, and these must be screened. Screening involves skimming cover letters and resumes to find a close match. In doing so, consider qualifications, skills, and experience. Screening applicants is a skilled process of using a candidates resume and interview to determine who will be the best fit for the position.
The human resources hiring manager will identify which candidates will be offered an interview. To reach this point, consider the following steps:
Start by eliminating candidates who do not meet the minimum criteria. Some people will apply for positions that they aren’t qualified for, maybe to fulfill application submissions (which is a requirement for some work programs), or they are just hoping for a chance.
Once the first set of candidates is narrowed down, closely examine the resumes for the top candidates (the number will vary). Those can move into a pre-screen or interview phase. Consider the following:
Check the basic requirements: the mandatory fields for the position.
Scan for preferred qualifications: good-to-have skills.
Match the overall picture of the candidate to the position.
Remember that how well this stage is done determines the kind of hire you end up making.
Once the pre-screen or interview phase is done, use screening notes to narrow the candidates further. If the company has a panel or group interview criteria, then schedule your candidates for the next round of interviews.
Job boards can often result in hundreds of applications; therefore, the screening and the short-listing process are critical. Now it is time for selection, step four.
Step 4: Selecting
One of the most important tasks youll have is hiring decisions. So by the time you arrive at step four, you want to be certain of the candidate fit, skills, and qualifications. Here are some tips to guide you:
Note candidates who have overcome difficult obstacles in the past.
Place value on work ethic, attitude, and motivation.
Remember that charm and eloquence dont always equate to the best candidate.
Once you select your candidate, you or the resource you have used for recruiting should notify them and offer the position. Now you are ready for step five: hiring.
Step 5: Hiring
The hiring process is where the candidate provides the necessary credentials and completes paperwork to become an employee. Paperwork is part of the hiring phase and can be completed in person or remotely. Forms may include:
Background Check
I-9
W-4
State withholding
Contract
Benefit set-up
Employee handbook
Step 6: Onboarding
The final phase is onboarding to get your new hire ready to start their position by offering internal training. New employees should also receive a warm welcome letter before their start date. Their workspace should be cleaned and equipped with what theyll need to perform their job. If they need to attend orientation, that scheduling occurs during this step. In addition, many employers today are assigning mentors to new employees as a way to help them settle into their new job.
Wrapping Up
As a future HR manager, remember you will play varying but vital roles in your company. Some of your duties will be overlapping, and youll be expected to be resilient and adaptable. You will advocate for the organization and the people working in it. And youll head up the recruitment process, and in doing so, youll have an important role in building company culture. Knowing how to work through the recruitment process, which can be challenging at times, will lead to employee productivity, a positive impact on the work environment, and a successful employment relationship.
References
Ghosh, P. (2020, June 1). Top 10 employee recruitment strategies for 2020 to hire the best talent. Toolbox HR. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://hr.toolbox.com/articles/top-employee-recruitment-strategies/
Job analysis. (2020, May 16). MBA Skool. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.mbaskool.com/business-concepts/human-resources-hr-terms/1797-job-analysis.html
Job analysis (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/job%20analysis
Job description. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/job%20description
Sources of Information
Bika, N. (n.d.). The most common recruiting challenges and how to overcome them. Workable. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://resources.workable.com/stories-and-insights/common-recruiting-challenges
Doyle, A. (2019, May 17). How to get your resume past the applicant tracking system. The Balance Careers. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/how-to-get-your-resume-past-the-applicant-tracking-system-2063135#:~:text=Automated%20Systems%20That%20Screen%20Resumes%20To%20screen%20this
,significant%20number%20of%20mid-size%20organizations%20do%20the%20same
Doyle, A. (2020, June 3). Inside the recruitment and hiring process. The Balance Careers. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/recruitment-and-hiring-process-2062875#:~:text=The%20recruitment%20phase%20of%20the%20hiring%20process%20takes,in%20for%20
interviews%20and%20other%20methods%20of%20assessment.
Ghosh, P. (2019, October 23). Candidate screening and selection process: The complete guide for 2020. HR Technologist. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.hrtechnologist.com/articles/recruitment-onboarding/what-is-candidate-screening-and-selection/
Harness, J. (2019, August 9). The recruitment and selection process of HR. Biz Fluent. Retrieved on June 26, 2020. https://bizfluent.com/info-8212981-recruitment-process-hr.html
Heathfield, S. (2020, June 14). Job specification sample: Human resources director. The Balance Careers. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.thebalancecareers.com/job-specification-sample-human-resources-director-1918559#:~:text=3%20Essential%20Components%20of%20a%20Job%20Specification%201,…%203%20
Required%20skills%2C%20knowledge%2C%20and%20characteristics.%20
Knowles, E. (2019, May). Recruitment agencies. Prospects. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.prospects.ac.uk/careers-advice/getting-a-job/recruitment-agencies
Reddy, C. (n.d.). Employee leasingTop 20 advantages and disadvantages. Wise Step. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://content.wisestep.com/top-advantages-disadvantages-employee-leasing/
The pros and cons of using internal versus external recruiters. (2019, December 23). Connexis. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://blog.connexissearch.com/employersblog/the-pros-and-cons-of-using-internal-versus-external-recruiters
Zojceska, A. (2018, November 15). Pros and cons of using recruitment agencies. TalentLyft. Retrieved on June 27, 2020. https://www.talentlyft.com/en/blog/article/230/pros-and-cons-of-using-recruitment-agencies
PROMPT
How would you compare the application and recruitment process from your first job to what you are learning about today’s recruitment process? How do you foresee the process changing in the future?
For your citation, you might use articles that show tips forscreening applications. You can also find articles from experts that suggestthe best-recruiting methods for small, medium, and large businesses.
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