Introduction to effective recruitment
Recruitment has always been key to organisations retaining their competitive edge. Having the right processes can help you select the best potential candidates.
Recruiting a new team member should be underpinned by a clear definition of the requirements of the role. The requirements set out the knowledge skills and behaviours required and as such provide a set of criteria against which you can assess candidates and avoid attracting inappropriate candidates. However, you may also need to consider and identify:
- Qualifications or training that candidates should have undertaken
- Particular experience/s that you require – for example categories of work or organisations, types of achievements and activities previously undertaken
- Special requirements – perhaps relating to working conditions (hours, locations, mobility etc).
Terms and conditions of the job and performance objectives also need to be clear when recruiting for a particular position.
Clearly, when recruiting you will want to have a choice from amongst the best candidates available These may be within the organisation, such as high potential employees with scope for promotion to management or leadership positions.
However, there may be occasions when you need to look outside the organisation to fill a position – for example, where you are looking for someone with new ideas to ‘break the mould’ or where you need specific expertise which is unavailable internally.
The conventional approach via advertising through local media, trade press and on the internet may help you attract candidates. But for more specialist roles, or to recruit from a wider pool you might also consider:
- Specialist recruitment agencies with expertise in the sector or in particular grades: this is one of the fastest-growing techniques according to CIPD, with over 80% of organisations now using agencies.
- Employee referral: many organisations offer staff a bonus or incentive if they recommend a friend or contact who is subsequently recruited.
- Forming relationships with colleges or community groups: larger employers with a regular intake of school leavers or graduate trainees often benefit from links to colleges or student groups, in terms of forming a strong and positive ‘employer brand’ at an early stage. Organisations trying to make their staff more representative of their customer base or trying to reach specific customer groups sometimes approach community groups to arrange specific recruitment events.
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