Recruiting refers to the process whereby candidates who are suitable for a position are selected for the job in an organization. The candidates provide the skill set required by the organization and are suitable for the task while the organization is ready to offer them some form of remuneration for their skill set. Recruitment is carried out by different members of an organization depending on its size and scope of operation. In small enterprises, recruitment is carried out by the manager but in complex multinationals, recruitment is carried out by the human resources department.

Recruiting is predominantly a four step process; it entails highlighting the job analysis, sourcing for candidates, screening/selection and finally hiring.

  • Job analysing: When a job opening comes up in an organization, the responsible people sit and analyze the skill set that is needed to effectively perform these tasks.
  • Sourcing for candidates: Thereafter, people are sourced from either advertising on a job board, by headhunter, via referral, or directly from the university (see more approaches below).
  • Screening / selection: The most suitable person is selected out of the eligible candidates typically based on the results of interviews, assessment centers, case studies.
  • Hiring: The selected candidate is hired for the job and this finalizes the recruitment process.

The process of recruitment may differ from one organization to another and will vary in the complexity or ease thereof.

There are six major approaches to recruiting.

  • The first and most common is the in house recruitment approach whereby the managers will either use internal referrals or internal recruiters. This type of recruiting is advantageous because the managers have a chance at seeing and meeting the candidate before hiring him.
  • The second approach to recruiting is outsourcing. This is the process of hiring someone who is based somewhere else and therefore the administrative costs are minimized.
  • The third approach to recruiting is whereby fresh graduates are recruited on campus. This type of recruitment offers the recruiters fresh talent that they are looking for.
  • The fourth approach is the use of employment agencies. Employment agencies are a third party entity that is entrusted with the process of recruiting. The advantage of using employment agencies is that they have no stake in the recruitment process and for that reason they will not favor any candidate.
  • The fifth and sixth approaches to recruitment are headhunters and internet recruitment services. Headhunters are scouts for candidates that are already established in the industry and may be looking for greener pastures, while internet recruitment services is usually done using online job boards.

The process of recruiting is very important in a business because it ensures that the organization’s talent pool is constantly replenished such that the organization is better placed to meet its demands and goals.