A successful business relies on professional and motivated employees. This is why the successful recruiting of staff who possess the necessary knowledge at affordable costs (salary) adds value to a business. Alternatively, inefficient recruitment and poor selection can cause a number of issues such as decreased productivity, interpersonal issues, disruptions in the work process, customer service problems, and long-term expense. It is therefore crucial that a company carefully selects, manages, and retains talented employees.
What is recruitment and selection?
Recruitment and selection can be defined as the processes of recognizing the need to fill a new or existing vacancy, defining the requirements of it, advertising the position, and selecting the candidate who best matches its requirements.
Recruitment – Recruitment is a method of searching for and attracting a pool of potential employees who possess the necessary skills and knowledge. Recruitment allows a company to ensure it has the ability to choose those that could fill a certain vacancy.
Selection – As soon as the pool of candidates has been found via the recruitment process, the selection process identifies those who are most suitable which involves carrying out interviews and assessing candidates in terms of meeting the requirements of the particular position being recruited for.
Steps in the recruitment and selection process
As the phrase implies, the recruitment and selection process begin with the recruitment of applicants and ends with the selection of the most suitable candidate for the job. To achieve better hires, there are certain steps that should be considered.
1. Obtaining a job order
The recruitment process can begin as soon as a job order has been obtained and this should feature a clear job description of the position the company is looking to fill.
The job description should tell candidates everything they need to know about the position and this may include the job title, a detailed job description, the qualifications required, the location, and the salary scale.
2. Finding candidates
Both active (i.e. those actively seeking a job) and passive (i.e. those not seeking a job) candidates can be sourced in a variety of ways:
- Via social media channels
- Using online job boards
- Surfing an in-house recruiting database
- Exploring referrals
3. Screening candidates
This step enables the number of candidates to be reduced by learning a little more about each one of them. Screening can be carried out via phone or video conference and should involve asking applicants about themselves, their experience, and their professional goals.
4. Shortlisting
This step involves selecting several potential candidates (usually three) who will be invited to a face-to-face interview.
5. Interviewing
A face-to-face interview offers the opportunity to get to know the candidate better by, for example, examining their body language. During the interviews, it is important to rank each candidate based on their knowledge, education, and skills.
6. Testing
It can take between 30 and 60 minutes to complete a job-fit test. The test should feature a series of questions to which a candidate must respond honestly. Each candidate should also be the subject of a background check and it is advisable to consider reviewing references to double-check the information given and learn more about the person’s character.
7. Extending the job offer
Once a candidate has been selected and given some time to make a decision, they may attempt to negotiate the salary. However, should they decide to decline the job offer then the company will be forced to begin the recruitment and selection process all over again.
During the recruitment process, specific employment laws should be considered in order to avoid any acts of discrimination.
How to avoid discrimination in recruitment
Discrimination refers to the prejudiced and unequal treatment of an individual due to a certain characteristic (age, disability, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, etc.).
Unfortunately, discrimination in hiring is a real problem and it is important to avoid this in order to create a positive environment within the company. Furthermore, if you are open up the vacancy to all potential candidates, you will have a far better chance of finding the ideal person for the job. Here are some tips to follow to avoid discrimination:
1. Clearly describe the skills the candidate needs to possess
It is important for a candidate to understand the skills required for the job and the responsibilities it entails. When defining these, it should be ensured that these are achievable by people from all backgrounds. It is also important to clarify which skills are “essential” and which are “desirable.”
2. Publish a balanced job advertisement
Avoid phrases that people could perceive to be discriminatory and do not use any language that might be seen as restrictive. Place an emphasis only on the required skills. If the job has specific requirements, it is important to define these. For example, if the job requires the applicant to operate in a single-sex environment then making this fact known is a must.
3. Throw away prejudices when choosing candidates for the interview
Do not let stereotypes influence the process of selecting candidates. It is necessary to be consistent in making a decision. To ensure the company selects from a diverse pool of talent, consider diversification in terms of the platforms from which applicants are chosen.
4. Prepare a list of questions for each interview and ask a colleague to review these
Prepare the questions that need to be asked, ensuring they cannot be perceived to be discriminatory. Each candidate should be offered an equal chance to define why they are the best choice for the job. Avoid asking direct questions regarding the applicant’s age, disability, religion, and other personal characteristics.
5. Make an objective job offer
It is important to place an emphasis on ascertaining if an individual’s skills and knowledge match the required criteria.
6. Always provide feedback
Rejected candidates should always be provided with feedback that offers accurate and well-explained reasons why they were not chosen. It is also advisable to offer suggestions for improvement.
By ensuring a first-rate and reliable recruitment and selection process, a company will significantly increase its chances of creating a better working environment and motivated employees. Recruitment and selection are two consecutive but different processes that complement each other. The first step, recruitment, is based on attracting and identifying suitable individuals for the selection phase which involves conducting interviews and evaluating individuals in order to choose the best candidate for the job.
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