Introduction
Recruitment and selection are some of the most important processes within an organization. It allows the employer to hire various individuals who offer their technical skills and competencies towards achieving specific objectives. Recruitment refers to the process of establishing that an organization needs to hire someone until the time when interested individuals submit their application forms (Kumari, 2012).
On the other hand, selection refers to the process of listing the qualified applicants who are then invited for an interview in order to hire the most suitable candidate for the vacant position (Braun, 2005). It is important for recruiting firms or organizations to ensure the efficiency of the process because having a workforce with essential skills plays a crucial role in achieving prolonged success (Catano, 2009). According to management experts, the recruitment and selection process has the same value to both new and established organizations in terms of creating an all-rounded workforce.
Issues and discussions
One of the major issues to consider during recruitment and selection is establishing the need to recruit. This often happens through increased demand for additional human resources, replacing a departed employee, or creating a new department (Wanous & Reichers, 2000). This element is very important because it ensures that an organization is not understaffed. Another important issue to consider during the recruitment and selection process is the checklist.
This provides the steps to be followed during the process and the minimum qualities that the successful candidate ought to have (Braun, 2005). The key steps in the process are identifying a vacancy, evaluating the need to fill it, developing a description for the position, creating a recruitment plan, selecting a search committee, advertising the position, reviewing applicants, conducting interviews, selecting the successful candidate, and hiring (Breaugh, 2000).
The course of action and support
In order to ensure the efficiency of the recruitment and selection process, organizations need to invest ample time in evaluating the need for filling a vacant position (Wanous & Reichers, 2000). According to management experts, this element helps to prevent the occurrence of a situation in which an organization hires an employee they do not need or avoid filling a position because they feel they have enough human resources to meet the demand (Catano, 2009).
Therefore, human resource managers have a huge task of ensuring that the need to hire new employees aligns with the capacity of an organization to meet its goals in an effective manner. For example, in a situation where the organization is having financial challenges, it is advisable to avoid hiring new employees who often lead to an increase in the wage bill. The efficiency of the process also depends a lot on the kind of support the organization offers to the recruiting firm (Breaugh, 2000).
This involves both financial resources to actualize the plan and reliable information for providing a clear description of the vacant position. It is also important to ensure the support of the employees because the introduction of new members into the workforce can easily destabilize the workplace environment if the changes are not managed effectively. The main reason for this is the fact that a new employee can influence changes in the workforce, which would eventually shift the status quo (Wanous & Reichers, 2000). In addition, human resource managers should also conduct a regular analysis of core competencies for various positions to make it easier to establish the need for the additional workforce.
Action plan
The recruitment and selection process requires a well laid out action plan that guarantees the organization and employees a better workplace environment and increased ambition (Dale, 2003). It is important to ensure that all employees have enough information about the changes that will happen and their role in actualizing them. The recruitment and selection team should ensure that they identify the duties and responsibilities of the vacant position in a clear manner. According to management experts, the task of developing a job description should be preceded by crucial steps such as generating general information, purpose, essential functions, minimum requirements, and preferred qualifications for the position (Breaugh, 2000).
The action plan should also stipulate other essential elements such as posting period, placement goals, and the source of advertising resources. It should also have a timeline within which the advertisement for the position should run (Dale, 2003). One of the most important elements to consider when developing an action plan is the fact that it is possible not to get the right candidate among the people who apply following the initial posting. Therefore, it should factor in the possibility of re-advertising the position.
Conclusion
Employees are one of the most valuable assets in every workforce, thus the recruitment and selection process should be conducted with a high degree of professionalism. Employers should use the process to hire the most qualified individuals to fill different positions within the workforce. The recruiting firm should develop an easy action plan with clear guidelines for those that are involved in the process. One of the most effective strategies that employers can use to increase the efficiency of the recruitment and selection process is open communication, which allows the employees to contribute towards the proceedings.
References
Braun, S.A. (2005). Helping managers become effective job interviewers. Industrial Management, 37, 5-8.
Breaugh, J.A. (2000). Research on employee recruitment: So many studies, so many remaining questions. Journal of Management, 26, 405-434.
Catano, V.H. (2009). Recruitment and Selection. New York, NY: Cengage Learning.
Dale, M. (2003). A Manager’s Guide to Recruitment & Selection. Los Angels, CA: Kogan Page Publishers.
Kumari, N. (2012). A study of the recruitment and selection process: SMC global. Industrial Engineering Letters, 2(1), 34-45.
Wanous, J.P., & Reichers, A.E. (2000). New employee orientation programs. Human Resource Management Review, 10, 435-451.