Vanessas 6 | - Freelance Writer
Mar 31, 2018 | #1
Success within an organization is measured in great part by the collective abilities and productivity of its staff, which places high priority on recruiting as one of the most innovative tasks a company will undertake. To maintain its competitive edge, an organization must attract qualified candidates from a variety of backgrounds and differing work experiences. This writer aims to define recruitment and strategic recruitment and its importance to organizational success, to critically analyze the major recruitment methods and the advantages and disadvantages of each, and to discuss the recruitment of women, people with disabilities, older workers and minorities. As the context of this paper will illustrate, the importance of recruitment is linked to the global competition facing many organizations, including changing demographics of the workforce and global skill shortages.
According to the CBS Interactive Business Network, recruitment is the "activity of employing workers to fill vacancies or enrolling new members" (Recruitment). Employment recruitment is not a simple effort; instead it is comprised of a number of phases or stages including "verifying that a vacancy exists; drawing up a job specification; finding candidates; selecting them by interviewing and other means such as conducting a psychometric test; and making a job offer" (Recruitment). The methods utilized in recruiting determine whether the outcome is effective where the effectiveness is measured by the achievement of high organizational performance and minimal labor turnover. Recruiting can be internal or external or both.
Strategic recruitment entails an organization's literal recruitment needs based on the needs of the organization and its efforts to fill those needs by tying them to the overall strategic business plan. The needs vary by organization but typically include elements related to number, quality, and specialized skills and talents in every area of the organization's activities. Strategic recruitment is also an organization's method of adapting to changes within the business environment, which can be related to specific changes within a respective industry or it can be related to changes in terms of prospect demographics, education changes or improvements, and overall changes in the hiring environment, among others.
Human resource managers have expressed a number of recruitment concerns but the most common issue is typically related to worker retention. In 2006, the results of survey of a group of human resource managers revealed that 70% feel worker retention is already a primary concern, 40% report a turnover increase in the past 12 months, and 55% expect workforce retention will be a high to very high challenge for their organization in the next five years. According to the same respondents, 69% reveal the use of employee satisfaction surveys as an informal method of reducing turnover. However, of those using employee satisfaction surveys, only 32% report making personnel and workplace changes based on the findings (p. 1).
Given the ongoing retention concerns organizations face, human resource managers must recognized and place strong emphasis on the importance of the recruitment process from start to finish and beyond. To maintain a competitive edge and ensure organizational productivity there is no room for error or shortcuts. In fact, shortcuts can lead to problems later on and these problems may very well prove detrimental to the overall organization. CVS, a major pharmaceutical corporation, learned the hard way that taking short cuts when recruiting can lead to damages in terms of money and a tarnished reputation. CVS failed to do an extensive background check on a new pharmacist the company hired. While the individual did indicate a prior felony conviction on the employment application, CVS did not investigate the extent of the conviction and it was later discovered that the individual was a federally excluded pharmacist and allowed him to work as a pharmacist filling prescriptions. This incident ended up costing the corporation $1.8 million as a settlement to cases brought against CVS. This incident should serve as a stern example that effective recruiting methods can never include oversight and the lack of follow up and follow through.
As organizations face increased global competition the methods of recruiting must change to fit the needs of the organization and to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Innovative strategies can be internal and external, but the most common major recruitment methods include the use of the Internet. Advertising remains a major method but this has also been predominantly replaced by electronic advertising methods as opposed to the traditional use of print job ads in local and major newspapers. As explained previously, however, the recruitment process involves much more than simply advertising a position and waiting on prospective employees to submit an application. Human resource managers must understand what the organization's needs entail, what experience and/or education applicants should possess, and the background of applicants and how elements in individual backgrounds will impact the organization. These steps must be taken before beginning the interview phase.
As CVS learned, prospective employers must know all they can about prospective employees to ensure that the hiring process does not put the organization at risk. As part of the background research process, managers will want to include some form of behavioral and/or personality testing process as these methods help determine which applicants are best suited for a given position within the organization. The organization will want to inventory its current employee pool to determine where changes may be needed (e.g. does the organization need more female or minority employees). When the determination has been made, the application process can include questions that require applicants to reveal their sex and nationality. However, caution must be applied to ensure the hiring process is not discriminatory, a subject that is discussed in greater detail later in this paper.
Before delving deeper into major recruitment methods, this writer will briefly discuss the benefits of internal recruitment. Internal recruiting is often the process of hiring or promoting from within the organization. Internal methods are also considered motivation techniques that encourage employees to become more productive, which have also been found to reduce turnover. Employees who feel they are valued and those who are given the opportunity to advance or promote within the company are more likely to work hard, become more productive, and remain with the organization long term. Organizations that offer little incentive to advance risk losing employees and among those employees who do stay with the organization morale decreases to the point that the organization's business objectives are hindered.
Apart from internal recruiting, external recruiting offers managers a vehicle for enticing prospective employees based on specific requirements that must be met to qualify for a given position. The use of electronic recruiting resources is an excellent method of gathering information and obtaining permissions (e.g. permissions needed to conduct background searches, et al) while also organizing applicants according to gender, age, experience, and other related factors. For example, job applicants using the Monster employments system are categorized according to each company's preferences. If an organization is interested in receiving resumes or applications from individuals with a two-year degree and two years experience, the Monster system will recommend individuals based on these requirements. If a position is offered only to local candidates, this preference can be included as a requirement.
In addition to professional online recruiting resources, many organizations are turning to social media resources for soliciting potential employees. Facebook is becoming widely used for recruiting and, in fact, most organizations have a Facebook page that aids in promoting its product or service making the recruiting and hiring process easier. Not only can managers post position openings, they can also view applicants' individual Facebook profiles to get an idea of the individuals' personality and how he or she handles themselves with others. The creativity of the individual in his or her posts can provide insight into their potential as an employee as well. The way one presents themselves in social network situations is more realistic than the way they present themselves in the face to face interview. Managers can obtain a more accurate image of the individual's talent and potential in a matter of minutes.
While some managers have listed retention as a major obstacle, others claim that talent is becoming a problem in the recruitment process. A global lack of talent management is believed by some to be a large part of the problem with retaining high quality performers in the workplace. It is here that many organization begin to fail by being unprepared to handle the elements involved in the recruitment steps and to manage employees once a hiring decision is made. Collectively, "the least prepared organizations will not only find themselves at a significant disadvantage over time, but may lose critical momentum in trying to catch up to more advanced peers once recovery is in full swing" (Companies Worldwide).
With the enactment of several federal laws protecting workers from discrimination, organizations must be careful to ensure the recruitment process meets local, national, and global employment standards. Operating in the global market entails more than hiring and waiting for productivity to happen. Human resource managers must be on top of their roles in ways that work for the good of both the organization and the employee. When recruiting based on unique factors such as the recruitment of women, people with disabilities, older workers and minorities.
Recruiting methods can include the solicitation of biographical data that allows managers to categorize prospective employees. However, when making a hiring choice managers must be cautious to avoid the appearance of being discriminatory. For this reason, among others, the recruitment process must include a clear description of the job and the responsibilities the position entails. Some positions are more suitable for certain applicants but to refuse to hire an applicant because of gender, age, disability or ethnicity is discriminatory, unless the organization provides clear details that make it understood to all applicants that no everyone will be a match for a given position.
Prescreening resumes is an innovative means of reducing discrimination claims. By using recruiting resources (e.g. Monster or other external recruiting sources), organizations can pick prospective employees that it feels will be an asset in achieving organizational objectives. For example, if a corporation seeks to hire females between the ages of 30-45 with a Bachelor's degree, these preferences can be determined by the prescreening process. Organizations that conduct business that would not be suitable for an individual with a disability can prescreen these factors as well; however, it must be noted that many applicants are not required to disclose a disability unless it will put themselves or the company at risk. The same premise applies to all workers, especially when considering factors that may give the slightest appearance of discrimination.
Conclusion
Global competition makes it more important than ever to carefully screen prospective employees and take the collective recruiting process seriously. The methods of recruiting have become as advanced as the technology that drives them, but the end results are determined by the manual efforts of human resource managers. Furthermore, it is the manager's responsibility to ensure the recruitment process adheres to organizational policies while also ensuring that all legal requirements are met. By taking a close look at the organization's current and projected needs, managers will have a better understanding of what the recruitment process should entail.
The organization's strategic business plan is the starting point for determining its recruiting needs. Based on the roles and responsibilities within the organization managers will know which applicants are best suited for specific positions both for short and long term needs. However, there is much more to the recruitment process than announcing a position and beginning the interview phase. Organizations must know their prospective employee before the interview phase. Background checks and recruiting tests are beneficial in determining an applicants potential and in weeding out those who will not be a match for the organization, which saves the human resource manager valuable time.
When recruiting women, people with disabilities, older workers and minorities, managers must ensure the organization's recruitment and hiring processes do not present the slightest appearance of being discriminatory. All open positions should be clearly detailed to avoid organizational liability in the future. These issues are especially important in the global business world as applicants will come from a variety of backgrounds. Diversity in the workplace is a proven benefit to success. Determining how diversity will be used to benefit the organization, however, begins with the human resource manager.
References
70 Percent of HR Managers Concerned about Workforce Retention, According to Monster Study; Related Aberdeen Group Report Further Explores Worker Turnover. 2006. Business Wire.
Cole, M. S., et al. Recruiters' Inferences of Applicant Personality Based on ResumeScreening: Do Paper People have a Personality? J Bus Psychol 24, 5-18. Print.
Companies Worldwide View Talent as Biggest Obstacle to Future Growth, Towers Watson.
Survey Finds. 2010. Business Wire. Print.
Dickson, D. R., and Nusair, K. 2010. An HR perspective: the global hunt for talent in the digital age. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 2, No. 1, 86. Print.
Edwards, J. 2011. CVS Pays $1.8M for Failing to Do a Google Search. BNet.
Jones, S. 2001. Going global: How international firms are using the Internet to recruit. Canadian HR Reporter, Dec 3, Vol. 14, No. 21, 21. Print.
Recruitment and Its Roles
According to the CBS Interactive Business Network, recruitment is the "activity of employing workers to fill vacancies or enrolling new members" (Recruitment). Employment recruitment is not a simple effort; instead it is comprised of a number of phases or stages including "verifying that a vacancy exists; drawing up a job specification; finding candidates; selecting them by interviewing and other means such as conducting a psychometric test; and making a job offer" (Recruitment). The methods utilized in recruiting determine whether the outcome is effective where the effectiveness is measured by the achievement of high organizational performance and minimal labor turnover. Recruiting can be internal or external or both.Strategic recruitment entails an organization's literal recruitment needs based on the needs of the organization and its efforts to fill those needs by tying them to the overall strategic business plan. The needs vary by organization but typically include elements related to number, quality, and specialized skills and talents in every area of the organization's activities. Strategic recruitment is also an organization's method of adapting to changes within the business environment, which can be related to specific changes within a respective industry or it can be related to changes in terms of prospect demographics, education changes or improvements, and overall changes in the hiring environment, among others.
Human resource managers have expressed a number of recruitment concerns but the most common issue is typically related to worker retention. In 2006, the results of survey of a group of human resource managers revealed that 70% feel worker retention is already a primary concern, 40% report a turnover increase in the past 12 months, and 55% expect workforce retention will be a high to very high challenge for their organization in the next five years. According to the same respondents, 69% reveal the use of employee satisfaction surveys as an informal method of reducing turnover. However, of those using employee satisfaction surveys, only 32% report making personnel and workplace changes based on the findings (p. 1).
Given the ongoing retention concerns organizations face, human resource managers must recognized and place strong emphasis on the importance of the recruitment process from start to finish and beyond. To maintain a competitive edge and ensure organizational productivity there is no room for error or shortcuts. In fact, shortcuts can lead to problems later on and these problems may very well prove detrimental to the overall organization. CVS, a major pharmaceutical corporation, learned the hard way that taking short cuts when recruiting can lead to damages in terms of money and a tarnished reputation. CVS failed to do an extensive background check on a new pharmacist the company hired. While the individual did indicate a prior felony conviction on the employment application, CVS did not investigate the extent of the conviction and it was later discovered that the individual was a federally excluded pharmacist and allowed him to work as a pharmacist filling prescriptions. This incident ended up costing the corporation $1.8 million as a settlement to cases brought against CVS. This incident should serve as a stern example that effective recruiting methods can never include oversight and the lack of follow up and follow through.
Major Recruitment Methods
As organizations face increased global competition the methods of recruiting must change to fit the needs of the organization and to remain competitive in the global marketplace. Innovative strategies can be internal and external, but the most common major recruitment methods include the use of the Internet. Advertising remains a major method but this has also been predominantly replaced by electronic advertising methods as opposed to the traditional use of print job ads in local and major newspapers. As explained previously, however, the recruitment process involves much more than simply advertising a position and waiting on prospective employees to submit an application. Human resource managers must understand what the organization's needs entail, what experience and/or education applicants should possess, and the background of applicants and how elements in individual backgrounds will impact the organization. These steps must be taken before beginning the interview phase.
As CVS learned, prospective employers must know all they can about prospective employees to ensure that the hiring process does not put the organization at risk. As part of the background research process, managers will want to include some form of behavioral and/or personality testing process as these methods help determine which applicants are best suited for a given position within the organization. The organization will want to inventory its current employee pool to determine where changes may be needed (e.g. does the organization need more female or minority employees). When the determination has been made, the application process can include questions that require applicants to reveal their sex and nationality. However, caution must be applied to ensure the hiring process is not discriminatory, a subject that is discussed in greater detail later in this paper.
Before delving deeper into major recruitment methods, this writer will briefly discuss the benefits of internal recruitment. Internal recruiting is often the process of hiring or promoting from within the organization. Internal methods are also considered motivation techniques that encourage employees to become more productive, which have also been found to reduce turnover. Employees who feel they are valued and those who are given the opportunity to advance or promote within the company are more likely to work hard, become more productive, and remain with the organization long term. Organizations that offer little incentive to advance risk losing employees and among those employees who do stay with the organization morale decreases to the point that the organization's business objectives are hindered.
Apart from internal recruiting, external recruiting offers managers a vehicle for enticing prospective employees based on specific requirements that must be met to qualify for a given position. The use of electronic recruiting resources is an excellent method of gathering information and obtaining permissions (e.g. permissions needed to conduct background searches, et al) while also organizing applicants according to gender, age, experience, and other related factors. For example, job applicants using the Monster employments system are categorized according to each company's preferences. If an organization is interested in receiving resumes or applications from individuals with a two-year degree and two years experience, the Monster system will recommend individuals based on these requirements. If a position is offered only to local candidates, this preference can be included as a requirement.
In addition to professional online recruiting resources, many organizations are turning to social media resources for soliciting potential employees. Facebook is becoming widely used for recruiting and, in fact, most organizations have a Facebook page that aids in promoting its product or service making the recruiting and hiring process easier. Not only can managers post position openings, they can also view applicants' individual Facebook profiles to get an idea of the individuals' personality and how he or she handles themselves with others. The creativity of the individual in his or her posts can provide insight into their potential as an employee as well. The way one presents themselves in social network situations is more realistic than the way they present themselves in the face to face interview. Managers can obtain a more accurate image of the individual's talent and potential in a matter of minutes.
While some managers have listed retention as a major obstacle, others claim that talent is becoming a problem in the recruitment process. A global lack of talent management is believed by some to be a large part of the problem with retaining high quality performers in the workplace. It is here that many organization begin to fail by being unprepared to handle the elements involved in the recruitment steps and to manage employees once a hiring decision is made. Collectively, "the least prepared organizations will not only find themselves at a significant disadvantage over time, but may lose critical momentum in trying to catch up to more advanced peers once recovery is in full swing" (Companies Worldwide).
Recruiting Minorities and Other Groups
With the enactment of several federal laws protecting workers from discrimination, organizations must be careful to ensure the recruitment process meets local, national, and global employment standards. Operating in the global market entails more than hiring and waiting for productivity to happen. Human resource managers must be on top of their roles in ways that work for the good of both the organization and the employee. When recruiting based on unique factors such as the recruitment of women, people with disabilities, older workers and minorities.
Recruiting methods can include the solicitation of biographical data that allows managers to categorize prospective employees. However, when making a hiring choice managers must be cautious to avoid the appearance of being discriminatory. For this reason, among others, the recruitment process must include a clear description of the job and the responsibilities the position entails. Some positions are more suitable for certain applicants but to refuse to hire an applicant because of gender, age, disability or ethnicity is discriminatory, unless the organization provides clear details that make it understood to all applicants that no everyone will be a match for a given position.
Prescreening resumes is an innovative means of reducing discrimination claims. By using recruiting resources (e.g. Monster or other external recruiting sources), organizations can pick prospective employees that it feels will be an asset in achieving organizational objectives. For example, if a corporation seeks to hire females between the ages of 30-45 with a Bachelor's degree, these preferences can be determined by the prescreening process. Organizations that conduct business that would not be suitable for an individual with a disability can prescreen these factors as well; however, it must be noted that many applicants are not required to disclose a disability unless it will put themselves or the company at risk. The same premise applies to all workers, especially when considering factors that may give the slightest appearance of discrimination.
Conclusion
Global competition makes it more important than ever to carefully screen prospective employees and take the collective recruiting process seriously. The methods of recruiting have become as advanced as the technology that drives them, but the end results are determined by the manual efforts of human resource managers. Furthermore, it is the manager's responsibility to ensure the recruitment process adheres to organizational policies while also ensuring that all legal requirements are met. By taking a close look at the organization's current and projected needs, managers will have a better understanding of what the recruitment process should entail.
The organization's strategic business plan is the starting point for determining its recruiting needs. Based on the roles and responsibilities within the organization managers will know which applicants are best suited for specific positions both for short and long term needs. However, there is much more to the recruitment process than announcing a position and beginning the interview phase. Organizations must know their prospective employee before the interview phase. Background checks and recruiting tests are beneficial in determining an applicants potential and in weeding out those who will not be a match for the organization, which saves the human resource manager valuable time.
When recruiting women, people with disabilities, older workers and minorities, managers must ensure the organization's recruitment and hiring processes do not present the slightest appearance of being discriminatory. All open positions should be clearly detailed to avoid organizational liability in the future. These issues are especially important in the global business world as applicants will come from a variety of backgrounds. Diversity in the workplace is a proven benefit to success. Determining how diversity will be used to benefit the organization, however, begins with the human resource manager.
References
70 Percent of HR Managers Concerned about Workforce Retention, According to Monster Study; Related Aberdeen Group Report Further Explores Worker Turnover. 2006. Business Wire.
Cole, M. S., et al. Recruiters' Inferences of Applicant Personality Based on ResumeScreening: Do Paper People have a Personality? J Bus Psychol 24, 5-18. Print.
Companies Worldwide View Talent as Biggest Obstacle to Future Growth, Towers Watson.
Survey Finds. 2010. Business Wire. Print.
Dickson, D. R., and Nusair, K. 2010. An HR perspective: the global hunt for talent in the digital age. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, Vol. 2, No. 1, 86. Print.
Edwards, J. 2011. CVS Pays $1.8M for Failing to Do a Google Search. BNet.
Jones, S. 2001. Going global: How international firms are using the Internet to recruit. Canadian HR Reporter, Dec 3, Vol. 14, No. 21, 21. Print.