Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Sources of Attracting Candidates (Recruiting)

This part of the recruitment stage is where you spend time and resources attracting a suitable pool of candidates from which to make a selection. There are formal and informal methods of recruiting. Formal could include: printed adverts, external agencies, internet advertising, the Job centre and using education establishments. Informal includes word of mouth and referrals from existing members of staff.
1-Internal Job Postings 

Another common way of filling job openings is by using internal  job postings.  This tactic of “hiring from within” simply involves an  employer  posting  a  description  of  job  openings  and  inviting  all  interested  and  qualified  employees  to  apply.  It  is  suggested  that you: 
             Develop   and   fully   communicate   a   policy   on   job 
             postings,  including  what  kinds  of  jobs  are  posted.  
             Outline  where,  when  and  how,  the  applicant  review 
             and feedback process will take place and describe the 
             appeals procedure. 
            Postings should include: eligibility requirements such 
            as  minimum  length  in  current  position;  length  of 
            posting period; and how to apply. 
            Job postings should state the need to balance 
            individual career goals with organizational priorities.   
            Coach supervisors to support the process. 

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF INTERNAL JOB POSTINGS


Advantages:
     1- Enhances development opportunities for staff                       
     2-Limited investment of time and money                                         
     3- Promotes good employee relations                                     
     4- Minimizes accusations of unfair treatment or discrimination
Disadvantages:
      1-The skills you require may not be “in house”
      2- Does not provide for new skills and fresh perspectives
      3-Unsupportive supervisors may block employee participation
  
2- Newspaper Ads 

 This method of finding candidates  is still widely used.  A Royal  Bank survey showed that this form of advertising accounts for up to 50 percent of all new hires.   
Let’s take a look at a newspaper advertisement.                                        

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF  NEWSPAPER ADVERTISING 
Advantages                               

       1- It is effective when the job responsibilities and  competencies are well defined.              .   
       2-It can reach people in the local, provincial and national community.                                 

Disadvantages
     1-It is more expensive than “word of mouth” and referral methods of recruiting
     2-It may bring in many applications that are not a particularly good fit for the position 
        being advertised.

The use of newspaper advertisements may mean a long recruitment process. Since  the  good  candidates  you  locate  via  this  method  may  be  sending applications  to  a  number  of  sources,  it  is  important to interview the better applicants as quickly as possible.  It  is  equally  important  to  make  decisive  choices  as  soon  as  you  have  interviewed and evaluated the candidates.  The best candidates may  be hired quickly before you act. 

3-Websites 

More and more employers and candidates are using websites as part of their recruitment and job-seeking processes.  Companies can place job postings on their own websites or surf the Internet to find other recruitment websites. For example, the website 
(www.scanjobs.net)  provides  a  number  of  resources  –  including  job  banks  –  for both  employers  and  job  seekers. , (www.jobsfuture.blogspot.com)
Website recruiting requires fast follow-up because potential candidates typically apply to  many other websites and job advertisements.   

ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF WEBSITES
Advantages:                                   

       1- It is a quick and effective way of matching employers and potential candidates.                         
       2-More information can be inexpensively communicated. Companies can effectively                     
           Illustrate their culture.  For instance, they can quite clearly, perhaps even
           humorously, define the kind of people they want and don’t want.

Disadvantages:
      1-Your ad can only be seen by those with computers and Internet access.
      2- Web pages with a lot of pictures can take a long time to load for many people in
          rural areas
      3- This method is limited because not everyone is accustomed to looking for jobs in
           this   manner.
4-Referrals by Friends, Business Colleagues, and Employees 

Referrals   by   friends,   business   colleagues,   and   employees   are among the most highly used forms of recruitment for any firm.  They are particularly beneficial to small and medium-size businesses.   
  ADVANTAGES & DISADVANTAGES OF REFERRALS
  Advantages:                                  

        1-It is inexpensive.
        2-People who know your culture are likely to refer candidates who will fit in well.                            
        3-The reputation of people doing the referring will be enhanced if they recommend 
           good qualify people Therefore, they typically recommend people with good
           potential.                                   
         4-It is a relatively fast method of finding candidates.
Disadvantages:
        1-It may take up unnecessary time since you may feel obligated to interview all the
           Candidates who are referred to you, even if they are not suitable for the position or
            are not a match for the work culture.
     2- Relationships may be destroyed if people continue to refer inappropriate
          candidates.             
How to Ensure Good Referrals: 

                 Make  sure  friends,  business  colleagues,  and  employees 
                 know  the  skills  and  competencies  you’re  looking  for 
                 and  have  a  good  understanding  of  the  type  of  person 
                 who     will    fit  in   with     the   work     culture.    Reward 
                 employees who find new employees.   
5-Media Advertising
Media advertising refers to recruitment using radio, television, newspapers, and so forth. This is a technical area requiring expertise not normally available within the HR function. Writing effective advertisements frequently calls for professionals in the field. Professionally done media advertising can be an extremely effective and cost-efficient recruitment method. It allows the organization to reach a large number of potential applicants, often resulting in significant savings in hiring costs. By use of appropriate outlets targeted protected groups can be reached, which facilitates diversity and affirmative action efforts. However, when poorly done media advertising can be extremely expensive

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