Recruitment is the process of actively seeking out, finding and hiring candidates for a specific position or job.  

•  vacancy arises

• Carry out a job analysis

• Draw up a job description and person specification

• Decide whether to recruit internally or externally

• Advertisements drawn up and placed in appropriate media

• Application forms are issued and/or CVs and letters of application are requested

This is when a vacancy is advertised within a company. Many businesses will first try to fill vacancies from within as this can be less costly. Some of the most common methods of internal recruitment include...

•Notice boards (A board often hung on a wall in the staff room that notices can be printed and stuck to)

•Company newsletters (These are a summary of news and events within a business which are usually shared monthly, they can be printed or attached to an email)

•E-mail ( An email detailing a job can be sent around all staff)

•Intranet (Details of a job could be posted on an internal webpage or stored in a folder for staff to access)

Benefits of internal recruitment

•Employee’s abilities are known already

•Motivational

•Quicker

•Shorter induction

•Less expensive

•Reduces risk of employing wrong person

Drawbacks of Internal Recruitment

•Limited range of applicants

•No new ideas or skills brought into the business

•Staff resentment due to jealousy/rivalry

•Vacated position will need to be filled

This is when a vacancy is advertised for external applicants. The method used to advertise these jobs include:

•Media

•Internet

•Job centres

•Private recruitment agencies

Media

Newspaper and magazine advertisements.  Jobs which require limited skills are advertised locally, while more specialist jobs are advertised more widely, perhaps even in specialist magazines.

Internet

There are several websites on the internet which advertise a range of jobs.  Many firms also have their own websites on which they advertise their vacancies.  Advertising on the internet is not expensive and has a wide audience.

Job centre

These are found in major towns and are government operated.  They display jobs on cards either in the window or inside the building on notice boards and people seeking work are encouraged to come in and look around.  The staff will arrange appointments with firms for people who are interested in a particular job.

Private Employment Agencies

They help businesses to recruit staff.  They are common in secretarial work, nursing etc. A firm looking for staff will approach an agency, which will supply workers who are interviewed by the agency, the firm or both. The agency gets a commission related to the salary of the person they have found for the firm.

Benefits

•Large choice of applicants

•‘new blood’ (new ideas, more willing to make changes)

•Overcomes jealousies

•Insight into other firms

•May save money on training

Drawbacks

•Settling in time required – potentially a longer induction period

•Demotivating for existing staff

•More expensive than internal recruitment

•Process takes longer