By Victoria Butanu
Many companies believe that hiring mistakes cost nothing, according to a report by REC, a well-known UK-based recruitment and employment confederation. However, there are multiple costs that remain unrecoverable when a company parts ways with a new employee only months after recruitment. What are the most important steps of the recruitment process that, if omitted, generate additional costs?
Researchers from the Recruitment & Employment Confederation found that one out of three companies believe hiring mistakes cost nothing at all. However, besides the wasted salary, there is the cost of training as well as overall lost productivity and the momentum of the entire team.
Types of recruiting
- Internal and External Recruiting: Filling the vacancy either from within the organization (internal) or from outside (external)
- Retained Recruiting: Involves hiring a recruiting firm to fill the vacancy. The organization pays the firm an upfront fee and the firm is then responsible for finding the best candidate for the job.
- Contingency Recruiting: Similar to the above except for the fact that the recruiting firm is paid only when a candidate provided by them is hired.
- Staffing Recruiting: Recruiting firms match candidates to job openings that are mostly short-term and temporary.
- Reverse Recruiting: A process whereby the employee is encouraged to find a more suitable job.
Tips for effective recruiting
Recruitment is a complex process that can bring benefits if undertaken correctly or be very costly if done in a rush. Here are some tips for effective recruiting:
- Look internally before turning to the exterior: Consider the employees you already have. By hiring someone from within, you will have someone who is already familiar with the culture and your internal processes which will make the transition from one post to another smoother and faster.
- Reach out to “passive” candidates: Sometimes great candidates have already been hired elsewhere so are not actively looking for new jobs and thus will miss your ad. Consider scouting through platforms (such as LinkedIn) for strong resumes, take time to attend industry events, and develop connections with leaders in the relevant academic fields thus expanding your network of potential hires. Encourage your employees to refer candidates they consider suitable.
- Hire the sure thing: When choosing the final candidate, the best option is to go with that person who is already seen to be excelling in your industry.
Why work with a recruitment agency?
Attractive job openings may draw many applications and for a small or medium-size company, this can become overwhelming. Furthermore, besides prospective employees having the hard skills to do the job, employers are now looking for those who fit their values and will thrive in their corporate culture.
Recruitment agencies get to know the individual client really well before they engage in identifying potential candidates and are able to find the right employee, rather than the “right-now” person. The agencies are totally dedicated to finding the perfect fit for the client and have the expertise to find that ideal candidate where others one may not even think to look or have no time to do so. By working with a recruitment agency, some companies can even reduce the staff level within their own recruitment department.
Over the last 10 years, the ability to identify ideal candidates in the international development sector has been the main asset of DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions (DRS). The team’s experience and fine-tuned recruitment processes can meet every client’s needs. Whether you are looking for a senior project manager in sub-Saharan Africa or an M&E specialist in South-East Asia, DRS can assist you. Enjoy your recruitment process today, by reaching out to us.