4.7 Recruitment Methods

It is time to start recruiting!

It is essential to mention that your recruitment plan should be in place first. The recruitment plan should outline where to recruit and your expected timelines. For example, if one of your methods is to submit an ad to a trade publication website, you should know their deadlines. Also of consideration is ensuring you recruit from various sources to ensure diversity. Lastly, consider the country and region’s economic situation. With high unemployment, you may receive hundreds of applications for one job. You may not receive many applications in an up economy and should consider using various sources.

Here are some of the more popular internal recruitment methods. The following section will cover external methods.

Internal Recruitment

Internal recruitment is often the most cost-effective method of recruiting potential employees. It uses existing company resources and talent pool to fill needs and may, therefore, not incur any extra costs.

Here are some familiar sources used to attract Internal candidates:

Advertising job openings internally: This method uses existing employees as a talent pool for open positions. The organization may post job openings on its intranet ( a private network accessible only to its employees). Internal job boards are often created as a company intranet page. The internal job boards may also be physical notices displayed in common areas like an employee break-out area or staffroom.

Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS): Internal recruitment can be greatly facilitated by using an HRIS that contains an employee database with information about each employee’s previous work experience, skills, education and certifications, job and career preferences, performance, and attendance. These systems enable HR professionals and hiring managers to identify potential candidates for internal opportunities. Promotions and job transfers are the most common results of internal recruiting. Most organizations, large and small, promote from within and manage the upward mobility of their employees.

Employee referrals: Networking can be used in a variety of different ways. First, this recruitment technique asks existing employees whether anyone knows of qualified candidates who could fill a particular position. Known as employee referrals, this method often includes giving large bonuses to the existing employee if the recommended applicant is hired. The quality of referred applicants is outstanding since most people only recommend someone they think is capable of the job. Most employee referral programs require the new employee to stay a specified period before the existing employee receives their ‘recruitment’ bonus. To make an employee referral (ERP) program effective, some key components should be put into place:

• 

  Communicate the program to existing employees.

• Track the success of the program using metrics of successful hires.
• Be aware of the administrative aspect and the time it takes to implement the program effectively.

Another example of networking is using industry contacts and membership in professional organizations to help create a talent pool through word-of-mouth information about the organization’s needs.

Succession Planning/Replacement charts

Succession planning and replacement charts are strategic tools organizations use to prepare for future staffing needs by identifying and developing internal candidates for critical positions. Succession planning ensures the organization has capable and ready employees to step into leadership positions and other vital roles.

Replacement Charts are the visual tools used to map out current employees who are ready or can potentially fill critical positions. These charts help quickly identify who can step into a role if it becomes vacant. For example, by taking an inventory, you may find that Richard will retire next year, but no one in his department has been identified or trained to take over his role. Keeping the inventory helps you know where gaps might exist and allows you to plan for these gaps.

Transparent communication and clear guidelines are essential for successful internal recruitment. Organizations should establish a transparent process for communicating job openings, qualifications, and expectations to employees. This ensures all employees have equal access to information and opportunities, promoting a fair and inclusive internal recruitment culture.

“4.3 Recruitment Strategies” from Human Resource Management by [Author removed at request of original publisher] is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: Used first paragraph, edited; Used section Referrals, edited, reorganized.

“7.2 Employee Recruitment” from Introduction to Management by Kathleen Rodenburg is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: Used section Internal labour market, edited.

“Recruitment” from Introduction to Business by Linda Williams and Lumen Learning is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, except where otherwise noted.—Modifications: Used section Internal recruitment.