What is Recruitment and Selection?

Recruitment and Selection is the process of defining the requirements of the job vacancy, describing the essential need of the vacancy and the job holders, advertising for the required job position and picking the most desirable and suitable person for the job.

As human resources are very important for the achieving the organization goal and success. If the organization does not recruit or select the appropriate candidates for the required jobs than it can bear the lose in the future.

So, recruitment and selection of the right person for the right job is the key to success for any organization

Recruitment

Recruitment Meaning

Recruitment is a process of searching and attracting effective job seekers for employment. Recruitment of candidates is a function which takes place before the process of the selection, which helps to create a pool of prospective employees for the organization so that the management can choose the right person for the right job from this selected list.

Recruitment Definitions by Authors

According to Dalton E. Mc. Farland, ” The term recruitment applies to the process of attracting potential employees to the company”.

According to Edwin B. Flippo, ” Recruitment is the process of searching the candidates for employment and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization”.

Recruitment Needs

Planned. i.e. the needs arising from changes in the organization and retirement policy.

Anticipated. i.e. these needs are those activities, which an organization can predict by analyzing trends in internal and external environment.

Unexpected. i.e. resignation, deaths, accidents, illness, etc. give rise to unexpected needs.

After recruitment process is done than immediately selection process starts i.e. the final interviews and the decision making, conveying the decision and the appointment formalities.

Recruitment Sources

Every organization has the option to choose the candidates for recruitment process from two types of recruitment: internal and external sources.

The sources which take place within the organization (like transfer of employees from one department to other, promotions, etc) to fill a desired position are known as internal sources of recruitment.

Recruiting candidates from all other sources which take place outside the organization (like outsourcing agencies etc) are known as external sources of recruitment.

Internal Sources of Recruitment
  • Transfers. According to the need the employees are transferred within the organization from one department to another according to their knowledge and experience.
  • Promotions. Some employees are promoted in the organization with more benefits and greater responsibilities based on their skills and experience.
  • Upgrading and Demotion of current employees in the organization according to their work performance.
  • Any time if there is a need than some Retired and Retrenched employees can also be recruited again if there is shortage of skilled and qualified people or increase in load of work. This type of recruitment saves time and costs of the organization as these people are already aware about the organizational culture, policies and procedures.
  • Many companies also recruit some dependents and relatives of Deceased and Disabled employees so that the family members of these employees do not become dependent on others.
External Sources of Recruitment
  • Press Advertisement. Advertisement of the vacancies in newspapers and journals are a widely used source of recruitment. It is a widely reached method in a short span of time.
  • Educational Institutes. Various management institutes, engineering colleges, medical colleges, etc are good source of recruiting the best talent. They provide the facilities for interviews and placements in the campus and due to which it is known as campus recruitment.
  • Placement Agencies. There are many private consultancy firms who perform recruitment for their client companies by charging a fee. It is known as RPO (Recruitment Process Outsourcing).
  • Employment Exchanges. Government organizes public employment exchange program throughout the country. They provide information about the job to the job seekers and help the employers to identifying desired candidates.
  • Manual workers can be recruited through contractors who maintain contacts with the sources of such workers. The labor for the construction jobs are recruited through this method.
  • Unsolicited Applicants. Many job seekers visit the office of some reputed companies for the job by their own. This can help in creating the talent pool or to get the desirable candidate for the job.
  • Employee Referrals / Recommendation. In many organization there is a system where the current employees of the organization can refer their friends, family members and relatives for some positions in their organization.
  • Recruitment at Factory Gate. Some workers are recruited at the factory gate and this type of workers are unskilled workers who are employed whenever a permanent worker is absent. And some of them may be recruited to fill permanent vacancies according to their efficiency and skills.
  • Internships. In this process various students got a chance to gain and obtain a valuable work experience working with the organization. In this way the organization can also get the candidates who will be suitable for the various vacant posts in the organization.
  • E-Recruitment. It is also known as online recruitment as it is the process of finding and hiring the suitable and desired candidates for the vacant job positions through internet. Nowadays, almost every organization make use of the internet to reach a large number of job seekers and hire the best talent for the company.

Selection

Selection Meaning

Selection is the process by which candidates for employment are distinguished between those who are suitable for the position and those who are not.

When the process of selection is done than the organization gets the most suitable persons who possess the ability, qualifications and skills to perform on the required posts for which they are selected.

recruitment and selection of employees

In a selection process more candidates are rejected and less of them are selected, so it can also be called rejection. This is the reason why selection is called a negative process.

Selection Definitions by Authors

According to Dale Yoder, “Selection is the process in which candidates for employment are divided into two classes, those who are to be offered employment and those who are not”.

According to Terry, “Selection involves a series of steps by which candidates are screened for choosing the most suitable persons for vacant jobs in the organization”.

Difference between Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment and Selection in Human Resource Management can be distinguished as follows;

BASISRECRUITMENTSELECTION
MeaningSearching candidates to
apply for particular job.
It is appointing the employees
on the right job.
NatureIt is positive process.It is negative process.
AimTo attract more and more
candidates for the vacant job.
To reject unsuitable candidate
and select suitable candidate
for the job.
ContractNo contractual relation is
created.
Contractual relation is created
in the selection process.
SequenceIt precedes the selection.It follows the recruitment
ProcessIt is simple process.It is complicated process.
EconomyIt is economical.It is expensive.
TimeIt is less time consuming.It is more time consuming.


Related Posts;

Recruitment and Selection Process

Human resource planning

Training and Development

Conclusion

The success of any organization depends upon its employees. If the organization has optimum and perfect employees than the organization will enjoy the benefits of its unbeatable success.

Recruitment and Selection help the organization to choose the right candidate for the right job. And it helps in reducing the losses of any organization.