Finding the right candidates to fill job openings is crucial for any organization. The procedure for recruitment involves several important steps to attract, screen, and select qualified individuals. Following systematic steps helps businesses hire candidates who are a good fit. In this article, I will review the seven steps in the procedure for recruitment.
What is Recruitment?
According to SHRM, recruitment refers to identifying, attracting, interviewing, selecting, hiring and onboarding employees. Recruiting encompasses all aspects of hiring new individuals to work for a company.
Importance of a well-defined procedure for recruitment
Attracts high-quality candidates: By presenting the organization as professional and organized, clearly communicating employer brand, values, and job requirements. This increases the chance of attracting qualified candidates.
Saves time and reduces costs: According to SHRM survey results, the average cost-per-hire in the US is $4,683.Clear guidelines and standardized procedures streamline the recruitment cycle from creating job descriptions to hiring decisions. This improves efficiency and reduces the chances of costly mistakes.
Promotes fairness and equal opportunity: Ensures applicants are evaluated based on the same criteria and procedures, eliminating biases and favouritism. Helps protect from legal issues related to discrimination.
Builds positive employer brand: By providing clear communication and smooth candidate experience, organizations can build a reputation as employers of choice. This leads to better referrals and a larger talent pool.
Enables better decision-making: A well-defined procedure for recruitment provides a systematic approach to evaluate and compare candidates based on predetermined skills, qualifications, experience, and cultural fit. This reduces subjectivity in decision-making.
Sets stage for smooth onboarding: Candidates clearly understand roles and responsibilities, aiding seamless transition into new positions. This improves engagement, satisfaction, and retention, reducing turnover costs.
Procedure for recruitment: 7 Steps
Procedure for recruitment Step 1: Planning, Job analysis, and Description:
In the planning stage of the procedure for recruitment, the hiring manager evaluates the organization’s current and future human resource needs. This involves understanding the job functions that need to be performed to meet business objectives. A thorough job analysis determines the job duties, responsibilities, required qualifications, and skills for the opening.
A detailed job description and specification document are drafted based on the job analysis. This outlines the core job components like essential job functions and requirements regarding experience, education etc. It also describes the important soft skills necessary to succeed in the role.
Relevant job parameters, such as employment type (full-time, part-time, contract), compensation structure, training needs, performance metrics, and growth opportunities, are defined. The position level and relationship within the organizational hierarchy are clearly defined.
According to Indeed, the planning process helps determine the ideal candidate profile. It guides decisions about the hiring strategy, from outreach channels to using an interview format, ensuring the right fit is identified and brought on board. A well-planned procedure for recruitment sets the stage for acquiring top talent.
Procedure for recruitment Step 2: Develop a recruitment strategy
The strategy involves forming a recruitment team to find suitable candidates for the open position. This may include internal recruiters, talent acquisition specialists, and hiring managers from the relevant department.
The strategy determines the target location and scope of the candidate search. This could be local applicants or those globally who can work remotely. Provisions for relocation support are considered if sourcing candidates located outside the local area.
Various outreach channels are identified to advertise the job vacancy and raise awareness among potential candidates. These could involve job portals, career websites, employee referrals, specialist recruiters, and social media platforms such as LinkedIn, job fairs, or campus placements based on the requirements.
Factors like budget, timelines, and industry benchmarks influence the recruitment approach. For example, if competitors typically hire post-graduate candidates, the strategy may focus on new graduates from relevant Master’s programs.
The procedure for recruitment is optimized by selecting diverse channels that attract quality applicants while working within cost and resource constraints. An effective strategy improves the chances of finding the best talent match.
Procedure for Recruitment Step 3: Sourcing Candidates
Sourcing candidates is an important early phase of the procedure for recruitment. The goal at this stage is to cast a wide net and identify a large pool of potential applicants for open job roles. Recruiters utilize various sourcing methods to generate awareness about positions and attract suitable candidates.
Internal sourcing involves promoting job openings to current employees and looking at former employees who may be qualified and interested in returning. This leverages existing talent within the organization familiar with the company culture. External sourcing looks outward at candidates beyond existing employees. Sources may include job boards, professional networking platforms, Alumni groups, and more.
Recruiters can also conduct targeted sourcing by posting jobs in specific communities or databases aligned with requirements. For example, a role may be posted on a forum for a particular industry to reach qualified professionals. Recent graduates can be sourced through campus partnerships and career fairs. Recruitment agencies and talent partners also provide access to large candidate pools through their proprietary databases.
In addition to passive candidates actively looking for new opportunities, recruiters may choose to source by headhunting individuals who meet qualifications even if they are not job searching. Screening profiles, recommendations, and conducting informational interviews helps cast the widest possible net to find active and passive candidates that best fit organizational needs.
For tips on effective job advertising, click here:
Procedure for Recruitment Step 4: Screening and shortlisting candidates
Screening and shortlisting candidates step of the procedure for recruitment helps narrow down the large pool generated through sourcing. Initial reviews assess qualifications, skills, and attributes against job requirements. Recruiters evaluate if minimums are met based on criteria like education, certifications, and technical/soft skills as presented.
Screening may also involve resume screening software to handle volume efficiently. Options range from built-in tools to AI analyzers predicting quality, though bias risks require monitoring. Phone/video screenings refine matches and align expectations covering compensation, hours, availability, and other aspects.
Pre-selection assessments further differentiate candidates through cognitive tests, job simulations, or skills evaluations predictive of new hire success. Simulations provide realistic role previews of positives and challenges for authentic insight, aligning employer and employee expectations. Tools are useful for high-volume roles to focus on remaining candidates. Not all are perfectly accurate, so carefully select assessment designers.
By reducing pools through layered screening and candidate understanding, recruiters focus their interviews on 3-10 individuals best positioned for roles according to prerequisites and responsibilities.
This screening may involve supplementary forms requesting further details to aid analysis. From there, top prospects are shortlisted to progress to subsequent stages, like interviews, based on their screening evaluation.
For steps to effectively screen or shortlist candidates, click here.
Procedure for Recruitment Step 5: Interviews
Interviewing is crucial for candidate evaluation and selection in the procedure for recruitment. After screening has narrowed the pool of applicants, interviews provide an opportunity to assess potential hires further.
Different types of interviews are suitable for different roles and levels within an organization, such as initial phone screens, one-on-one interviews, panel interviews, case studies, and behavioural-based questions. The goal is to engage candidates in discussions that reveal their qualifications, experience, cultural fit, communication skills, and other must-have competencies for the job.
Strong interview planning and standardized questioning help ensure fairness and that interviews follow legal guidelines. Areas to evaluate should connect to the job description. Interviewer training on interactive techniques and identifying red flags is recommended.
Accurate interview notes capture candidate responses, body language, and concerns for later review.
Procedure for Recruitment Step 6: Selection
The next critical phase of the procedure for recruitment is making the hiring decision. At this stage, the goal is to identify the candidate with the greatest potential to contribute to and grow with the organization long-term meaningfully. Sometimes, this may involve selecting an applicant who, while perhaps less experienced currently, has evidenced a strong commitment to ongoing learning and a willingness to stay aligned with the evolving needs of the role and company.
A data-driven methodology should be employed wherein predefined, job-relevant evaluation criteria are applied consistently to all prospects based on ratings from screening and interviews. Quantitative metrics directly tied to qualifications help pinpoint the most qualified individual. Typically, the hiring manager makes the ultimate choice, though input may be gathered from other managers and colleagues to provide a holistic view of each option.
Procedure for Recruitment Step 7: Onboarding
Once the ideal candidate has been selected and an offer extended and accepted, attention shifts to onboarding them successfully into their new role and environmental integration within the organization. Onboarding marks the final phase of the recruitment journey and sets the foundation for a long-term productive working relationship.
The goals at this stage are to acclimate the new hire to workplace culture, policies, and expectations while imparting crucial institutional knowledge that enables immediate contribution.
A thorough onboarding program eases anxiety and provides the framework for long-term contentment and retention. Early impressions prove formative, so orientation prioritizes clarifying responsibilities and acclimating to teammates, resources, and workflow.
Comprehensive onboarding materials coupled with scheduled interactions help assimilate recruits seamlessly. Mentorship assists with networking, navigating initiatives, and sustaining motivation.
Strong onboarding ultimately yields skills actualization, rapid productivity, and workplace identification vital to value delivery down the line. 69 percent of employees say they are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they have a good induction.
Conclusion
Properly executing the multi-step procedure for recruitment is key to finding and attracting the right talent that will help drive a company’s success. From initial sourcing through onboarding, each stage is important in bringing qualified candidates into the organization. Following best practices at each step helps maximize the chances of hiring individuals who will be highly engaged and productive employees.
- 7 steps in the recruitment process - September 28, 2023
