Recruitment and Selection - Introduction

Recruitment and Selection is an important operation in HRM, designed to maximize employee strength in
order to meet the employer's strategic goals and objectives. In short, Recruitment and Selection is the
process of sourcing, screening, shortlisting and selecting the right candidates for the filling the required
vacant positions.

In this tutorial, we will discuss the various aspects of Recruitment and Selection such as
the recruitment process, the factors affecting recruitment, recruitment planning,
methods of recruitment, recruitment interviews, selection process and making an offer.

The Scope of Recruitment and Selection

The scope of Recruitment and Selection is very wide and it consists of a variety of
operations. Resources are considered as most important asset to any organization.
Hence, hiring right resources is the most important aspect of Recruitment. Every
company has its own pattern of recruitment as per their recruitment policies and
procedures.

The scope of Recruitment and Selection includes the following operations −

 Dealing with the excess or shortage of resources

 Preparing the Recruitment policy for different categories of employees

 Analyzing the recruitment policies, processes, and procedures of the organization

 Identifying the areas, where there could be a scope of improvement

 Streamlining the hiring process with suitable recommendations

 Choosing the best suitable process of recruitment for effective hiring of resources

Any organization wants it future to be in good and safe hands. Hence, hiring the right
resource is a very important task for any organization.

Case Study: How to Improvise Recruitment Process

Let’s assume there is a company called ABC Systems, which sells FMCG products. The
company is lately suffering due to its high attrition rates. In this case study, we will see
how ABC Systems can improve its recruiting process and focus on maintaining the
efforts required for filling a job vacancy. We will also learn how the HR team of ABC
Systems can reduce the time and effort involved in sourcing good resources for the
vacant positions.

We suggest here seven different steps that ABC Systems can utilize to resolve its
problems.
Step 1 − Define the Problem

First, define the problem in exact terms and then, design a step-wise recruitment
process that can be easily followed.

Recruitment Process

Step Activity

1 Sending the resignation communication message to HR with request for

initiating the recruitment process

2 Manager-HR directs the hiring team to start the recruitment process

3 Logging into the employment website and contacting different recruiters

4 Sourcing, identifying, and collecting the resumes of the candidates

5 Receiving relevant resumes

6 Shortlisting the resumes

7 Sending the shortlisted resumes to the department manager

8 Schedule interview dates

9 Calling the candidates for interview

10 Interviewers complete the feedback form and the feedback is shared with the
HR

11 This process repeats for many candidates till the best candidates are finalized.

12 The HR team negotiates the package and compensation

13 Final confirmation and agreements

 14 Send offer letter

15 Offer accepted

Step 2 − Research the Causes

Analyze the root cause of the problem at hand. Why the attrition rate is so high? There
are several ways to arrive at the root cause behind a problem.

In case of ABC Systems, it was observed that there is only a less percent of candidates
who are rejected in the process of review. Hence, there is a need to improve this
process by increasing the number of rejections with an efficient review process.

Screening of resumes must be very effective, because the selection of the candidates
through resume screening has maximum percentage of a positive outcome, which is
explained below −

Reviewers can use a set of defined criteria to screen the resumes, which can then be
compiled as shown below.

Step 3 − Countermeasure Ideas Generation

It is mandatory to have a basis of standardization in selecting the candidates. The

shortlisting of the relevant criteria is done as shown in the following table −

The shortlisted list of candidates is reviewed by the department heads and they can
suggest modification which can then be incorporated as new criteria.

Step 4 − Testing and Modifying the Ideas

The next step is to test the defined set of criteria with three batches. After the
selections are done, the set of criteria is analyzed to see it was effective or not.

Step 5 − Implementing the Ideas

If found effective, then implement the new set of criteria for future recruitments.

Step 6 − Standardize Procedures

The next step is to standardize the procedure. First, make a note of the improvements
achieved recruitment efficiency. It can done as shown in the following tables −

With the help of the above processes, there will be a reduction of about 30%-40% in
the hiring process in shortlisting, reviewing and selecting the candidates for the right
job positions. This process was standardized and adopted in the regular practice.

Step 7 − Compiling the Quality Improvement Story

At last, the improvised and the quality story is compiled and presented to the senior
management for a better recruitment process.

What is Recruitment?

Recruitment is a process of identifying, screening, shortlisting and hiring potential

resource for filling up the vacant positions in an organization. It is a core function of
Human Resource Management.

Recruitment is the process of choosing the right person for the right position and at the
right time. Recruitment also refers to the process of attracting, selecting, and
appointing potential candidates to meet the organization’s resource requirements.

The hiring of the candidates can be done internally i.e., within the organization, or
from external sources. And the process should be performed within a time constraint
and it should be cost effective.

Importance of Recruitment

Recruitment is one of the most fundamental activities of the HR team. If the

recruitment process is efficient, then

 The organization gets happier and more productive employees

 Attrition rate reduces.

 It builds a good workplace environment with good employee relationships.

 It results in overall growth of the organization.

Here is a list that shows the purpose and importance of Recruitment in an organization
−

 It determines the current and future job requirement.

 It increases the pool of job at the minimal cost.

 It helps in increasing the success rate of selecting the right candidates.

 It helps in reducing the probability of short term employments.

 It meets the organization’s social and legal obligations with regards to the work
force.

 It helps in identifying the job applicants and selecting the appropriate resources.

 It helps in increasing organizational effectives for a short and long term.

 It helps in evaluating the effectiveness of the various recruitment techniques.

  It attracts and encourages the applicants to apply for the vacancies in an
organization.

 It determines the present futures requirements of the organization and plan

according.

 It links the potential employees with the employers.

 It helps in increasing the success ratio of the selection process of prospective

candidates.

 It helps in creating a talent pool of prospective candidates, which enables in

selecting the right candidates for the right job as per the organizational needs.

Factors Affecting Recruitment

Recruitment is an important function of the Human Resource Management in an

organization, and it is governed by a mixture of various factors. Proactive HR
Professionals should understand these factors influencing the recruitment and take
necessary actions for the betterment of the organization.

When the market condition changes, the organization also needs to monitor these
changes and discover how it affects the resources and analyze these functions for
making recruitment an effective process.

We have Internal Factors as well as External Factors that influence the recruitment
process. In this chapter, we will be discussing these factors in detail.

Internal Factors

Organizations have control over the internal factors that affect their recruitment
functions. The internal factors are −

 Size of organization

 Recruiting policy

 Image of organization

 Image of job

Size of Organization

The size of the organization is one of the most important factors affecting the
recruitment process. To expand the business, recruitment planning is mandatory for
hiring more resources, which will be handling the future operations.

Recruiting Policy
Recruitment policy of an organization, i.e., hiring from internal or external sources of
organization is also a factor, which affects the recruitment process. It specifies the
objectives of the recruitment and provides a framework for the implementation of
recruitment programs.

Image of Organization

Organizations having a good positive image in the market can easily attract competent
resources. Maintaining good public relations, providing public services, etc., definitely
helps an organization in enhancing its reputation in the market, and thereby attract the
best possible resources.

Image of Job

Just like the image of organization, the image of a job plays a critical role in
recruitment. Jobs having a positive image in terms of better remuneration, promotions,
recognition, good work environment with career development opportunities are
considered to be the characteristics to attract qualified candidates.

External Factors

External factors are those that cannot be controlled by an organization. The external
factors that affect the recruitment process include the following −

 Demographic factors − Demographic factors are related to the attributes of

potential employees such as their age, religion, literacy level, gender,
occupation, economic status, etc.

 Labor market − Labor market controls the demand and supply of labor. For
example, if the supply of people having a specific skill is less than the demand,
then the hiring will need more efforts. On the other hand, if the demand is less
than the supply, the hiring will be relative easier.

 Unemployment rate − If the unemployment rate is high in a specific area,

hiring of resources will be simple and easier, as the number of applicants is very
high. In contrast, if the unemployment rate is low, then recruiting tends to be
very difficult due to less number of resources.

 Labor laws − Labor laws reflect the social and political environment of a
market, which are created by the central and state governments. These laws
dictate the compensation, working environment, safety and health regulations,
etc., for different types of employments. As the government changes, the laws
too change.

 Legal considerations − Job reservations for different castes such as STs, SCs,
OBCs are best examples of legal considerations. These considerations, passed by
 government, will have a positive or negative impact on the recruitment policies
of the organizations.

 Competitors − When organizations in the same industry are competing for the
best qualified resources, there is a need to analyze the competition and offer the
resources packages that are best in terms of industry standards.

Recruitment Process

Recruitment is a process of finding and attracting the potential resources for filling up
the vacant positions in an organization. It sources the candidates with the abilities and
attitude, which are required for achieving the objectives of an organization.

Recruitment process is a process of identifying the jobs vacancy, analyzing the job
requirements, reviewing applications, screening, shortlisting and selecting the right
candidate.

To increase the efficiency of hiring, it is recommended that the HR team of an

organization follows the five best practices (as shown in the following image). These
five practices ensure successful recruitment without any interruptions. In addition,
these practices also ensure consistency and compliance in the recruitment process.
Recruitment process is the first step in creating a powerful resource base. The process
undergoes a systematic procedure starting from sourcing the resources to arranging
and conducting interviews and finally selecting the right candidates.

Recruitment Planning

Recruitment planning is the first step of the recruitment process, where the vacant
positions are analyzed and described. It includes job specifications and its nature,
experience, qualifications and skills required for the job, etc.

A structured recruitment plan is mandatory to attract potential candidates from a pool

of candidates. The potential candidates should be qualified, experienced with a
capability to take the responsibilities required to achieve the objectives of the
organization.

Identifying Vacancy

The first and foremost process of recruitment plan is identifying the vacancy. This
process begins with receiving the requisition for recruitments from different department
of the organization to the HR Department, which contains −

 Number of posts to be filled

 Number of positions

 Duties and responsibilities to be performed

  Qualification and experience required

When a vacancy is identified, it the responsibility of the sourcing manager to ascertain

whether the position is required or not, permanent or temporary, full-time or part-time,
etc. These parameters should be evaluated before commencing recruitment. Proper
identifying, planning and evaluating leads to hiring of the right resource for the team
and the organization.

Job Analysis

Job analysis is a process of identifying, analyzing, and determining the duties,

responsibilities, skills, abilities, and work environment of a specific job. These factors
help in identifying what a job demands and what an employee must possess in
performing a job productively.

Job analysis helps in understanding what tasks are important and how to perform them.
Its purpose is to establish and document the job relatednessof employment
procedures such as selection, training, compensation, and performance appraisal.

The following steps are important in analyzing a job −

 Recording and collecting job information

 Accuracy in checking the job information

 Generating job description based on the information

 Determining the skills, knowledge and skills, which are required for the job

The immediate products of job analysis are job descriptions and job specifications.

Job Description

Job description is an important document, which is descriptive in nature and contains

the final statement of the job analysis. This description is very important for a
successful recruitment process.

Job description provides information about the scope of job roles, responsibilities and
the positioning of the job in the organization. And this data gives the employer and the
organization a clear idea of what an employee must do to meet the requirement of his
job responsibilities.

Job description is generated for fulfilling the following processes −

 Classification and ranking of jobs

 Placing and orientation of new resources

 Promotions and transfers

  Describing the career path

 Future development of work standards

A job description provides information on the following elements −

 Job Title / Job Identification / Organization Position

 Job Location

 Summary of Job

 Job Duties

 Machines, Materials and Equipment

 Process of Supervision

 Working Conditions

 Health Hazards

Job Specification

Job specification focuses on the specifications of the candidate, whom the HR team is
going to hire. The first step in job specification is preparing the list of all jobs in the
organization and its locations. The second step is to generate the information of each
job.

This information about each job in an organization is as follows −

 Physical specifications

 Mental specifications

 Physical features

 Emotional specifications

 Behavioral specifications

A job specification document provides information on the following elements −

 Qualification

 Experiences

 Training and development

 Skills requirements

 Work responsibilities

 Emotional characteristics

 Planning of career

Job Evaluation
Job evaluation is a comparative process of analyzing, assessing, and determining the
relative value/worth of a job in relation to the other jobs in an organization.

The main objective of job evaluation is to analyze and determine which job commands
how much pay. There are several methods such as job grading, job
classifications, job ranking, etc., which are involved in job evaluation. Job evaluation
forms the basis for salary and wage negotiations.

Recruitment Strategy

Recruitment strategy is the second step of the recruitment process, where a strategy is
prepared for hiring the resources. After completing the preparation of job descriptions
and job specifications, the next step is to decide which strategy to adopt for recruiting
the potential candidates for the organization.

While preparing a recruitment strategy, the HR team considers the following points −

 Make or buy employees

 Types of recruitment

 Geographical area

 Recruitment sources

The development of a recruitment strategy is a long process, but having a right

strategy is mandatory to attract the right candidates. The steps involved in developing
a recruitment strategy include −

 Setting up a board team

 Analyzing HR strategy

 Collection of available data

 Analyzing the collected data

 Setting the recruitment strategy

Searching the Right Candidates

Searching is the process of recruitment where the resources are sourced depending
upon the requirement of the job. After the recruitment strategy is done, the searching
of candidates will be initialized. This process consists of two steps −

 Source activation − Once the line manager verifies and permits the existence
of the vacancy, the search for candidates starts.

 Selling − Here, the organization selects the media through which the
communication of vacancies reaches the prospective candidates.
Searching involves attracting the job seekers to the vacancies. The sources are broadly
divided into two categories: Internal Sources and External Sources.

Internal Sources

Internal sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees within the organization

through −

 Promotions

 Transfers

 Former Employees

 Internal Advertisements (Job Posting)

 Employee Referrals

 Previous Applicants

External Sources

External sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees outside the organization

through −

 Direct Recruitment

 Employment Exchanges

 Employment Agencies

 Advertisements

 Professional Associations

 Campus Recruitment

 Word of Mouth

Screening / Shortlisting

Screening starts after completion of the process of sourcing the candidates. Screening
is the process of filtering the applications of the candidates for further selection process.

Screening is an integral part of recruitment process that helps in removing unqualified

or irrelevant candidates, which were received through sourcing. The screening process
of recruitment consists of three steps −

Reviewing of Resumes and Cover Letters

Reviewing is the first step of screening candidates. In this process, the resumes of the
candidates are reviewed and checked for the candidates’ education, work experience,
and overall background matching the requirement of the job
While reviewing the resumes, an HR executive must keep the following points in mind,
to ensure better screening of the potential candidates −

 Reason for change of job

 Longevity with each organization

 Long gaps in employment

 Job-hopping

 Lack of career progression

Conducting Telephonic or Video Interview

Conducting telephonic or video interviews is the second step of screening candidates. In

this process, after the resumes are screened, the candidates are contacted through
phone or video by the hiring manager. This screening process has two outcomes −

 It helps in verifying the candidates, whether they are active and available.

 It also helps in giving a quick insight about the candidate’s attitude, ability to
answer interview questions, and communication skills.

Identifying the top candidates

Identifying the top candidates is the final step of screening the resumes/candidates. In
this process, the cream/top layer of resumes are shortlisted, which makes it easy for
the hiring manager to take a decision. This process has the following three outcomes −

 Shortlisting 5 to 10 resumes for review by the hiring managers

 Providing insights and recommendations to the hiring manager

 Helps the hiring managers to take a decision in hiring the right candidate

Evaluation and Control

Evaluation and control is the last stage in the process of recruitment. In this process,
the effectiveness and the validity of the process and methods are assessed.
Recruitment is a costly process, hence it is important that the performance of the
recruitment process is thoroughly evaluated.

The costs incurred in the recruitment process are to be evaluated and controlled
effectively. These include the following −

 Salaries to the Recruiters

 Advertisements cost and other costs incurred in recruitment methods, i.e.,

agency fees.

 Administrative expenses and Recruitment overheads

  Overtime and Outstanding costs, while the vacancies remain unfilled

 Cost incurred in recruiting suitable candidates for the final selection process

 Time spent by the Management and the Professionals in preparing job

description, job specifications, and conducting interviews.

Finally, the question that is to be asked is, whether the recruitment methods used are
valid or not? And whether the recruitment process itself is effective or not? Statistical
information on the costs incurred for the process of recruitment should be effective.

Types of Recruitment

For any organization, recruitment is a crucial part of developing and maintaining an

effective and efficient team. A good recruitment strategy will cut down the wastage of
time and money, which would have incurred for extensive training and development of
unqualified resources.

Have you ever thought of, how a recruiter finds the right candidates? Recruiters use
different methods to source, screen, shortlist, and select the resources as per the
requirements of the organization. Recruitment types explain the means by which an
organization reaches potential job seekers.
In this chapter, we will shed some light on the secrets of hiring and recruiting methods,
used by the recruiters. Recruitment is broadly classified into two different categories
− Internal Sources and External Sources.

Internal Sources of Recruitment

Internal sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees within the organization

internally. In other words, applicants seeking for the different positions are those who
are currently employed with the same organization.

At the time recruitment of employees, the initial consideration should be given to those
employees who are currently working within the organization. This is an important
source of recruitment, which provides the opportunities for the development and
utilization of the existing resources within the organization.

Internal sources of recruitment are the best and the easiest way of selecting resources
as performance of their work is already known to the organization. Let us now discuss
more on the various internal sources of recruitment.

Promotions

Promotion refers to upgrading the cadre of the employees by evaluating their

performance in the organization. It is the process of shifting an employee from a lower
position to a higher position with more responsibilities, remuneration, facilities, and
status. Many organizations fill the higher vacant positions with the process of
promotions, internally.

Transfers

Transfer refers to the process of interchanging from one job to another without any
change in the rank and responsibilities. It can also be the shifting of employees from
one department to another department or one location to another location, depending
upon the requirement of the position.

Let’s take an example to understand how it works. Assume there is a finance company
called ABC Ltd. Having two branches, Branch-A and Branch-B, and an employee from
Branch-A resigned from his job responsibilities. Hence, this position has to be filled for
the continuation of the project in Branch-A.

In this scenario, instead of searching or sourcing new candidates, which is time

consuming and expensive, there is a possibility of shifting an employee from Branch-B
to Branch-A, depending upon the project requirements and the capabilities of that
respective employee. This internal shifting of an employee from one branch to another
branch is called as Transfer.

Recruiting Former Employees

Recruiting former employees is a process of internal sources of recruitment, wherein

the exemployees are called back depending upon the requirement of the position. This
process is costeffective and saves plenty of time. The other major benefit of recruiting
former employees is that they are very well versed with the roles and responsibilities of
the job and the organization needs to spend less on their training and development.

Internal Advertisements (Job Posting)

Internal Advertisements is a process of posting/advertising jobs within the organization.

This job posting is an open invitation to all the employees inside the organization,
where they can apply for the vacant positions. It provides equal opportunities to all the
employees working in the organization. Hence, the recruitment will be done from within
the organization and it saves a lot of cost.

Employee Referrals

Employee referrals is an effective way of sourcing the right candidates at a low cost. It
is the process of hiring new resources through the references of employees, who are
currently working with the organization. In this process, the present employees can
refer their friends and relatives for filling up the vacant positions.
Organizations encourage employee referrals, because it is cost effective and saves time
as compared to hiring candidates from external sources. Most organizations, in order to
motivate their employees, go ahead and reward them with a referral bonus for a
successful hire.

Previous Applicants

Here, the hiring team checks the profiles of previous applicants from the organizational
recruitment database. These applicants are those who have applied for jobs in the past.
These resources can be easily approached and the response will be positive in most of
the cases. It is also an inexpensive way of filling up the vacant positions.

Pros and Cons of Internal Sources of Recruitment

Internal sources of recruitment, i.e., hiring employees within the organization, has its
own set of advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are as follows −

 It is simple, easy, quick, and cost effective.

 No need of induction and training, as the candidates already know their job and
responsibilities.

 It motivates the employees to work hard, and increases the work relationship
within the organization.

 It helps in developing employee loyalty towards the organization.

The drawbacks of hiring candidates through internal sources are as follows −

 It prevents new hiring of potential resources. Sometimes, new resources bring

innovative ideas and new thinking onto the table.

 It has limited scope because all the vacant positions cannot be filled.

 There could be issues in between the employees, who are promoted and who are
not.

 If an internal resource is promoted or transferred, then that position will remain

vacant.

 Employees, who are not promoted, may end up being unhappy and demotivated.

External Sources of Recruitment

External sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees outside the organization

externally. In other words, the applicants seeking job opportunities in this case are
those who are external to the organization.

External employees bring innovativeness and fresh thoughts to the organization.

Although hiring through external sources is a bit expensive and tough, it has
tremendous potential of driving the organization forward in achieving its goals. Let us
now discuss in detail the various external sources of recruitment.

Direct Recruitment

Direct recruitment refers to the external source of recruitment where the recruitment of
qualified candidates are done by placing a notice of vacancy on the notice board in the
organization. This method of sourcing is also called as factory gate recruitment, as
the blue-collar and technical workers are hired through this process.

Employment Exchanges

As per the law, for certain job vacancies, it is mandatory that the organization provides
details to the employment exchange. Employment exchange is a government entity,
where the details of the job seekers are stored and given to the employers for filling the
vacant positions. This external recruitment is helpful in hiring for unskilled, semi-skilled,
and skilled workers.

Employment Agencies

Employment agencies are a good external source of recruitment. Employment agencies

are run by various sectors like private, public, or government. It provides unskilled,
semi-skilled and skilled resources as per the requirements of the organization. These
agencies hold a database of qualified candidates and organizations can use their
services at a cost.

Advertisements

Advertisements are the most popular and very much preferred source of external
source of recruitment. The job vacancy is announced through various print and
electronic media with a specific job description and specifications of the requirements.
Using advertisements is the best way to source candidates in a short span and it offers
an efficient way of screening the candidates’ specific requirements.

Let’s take an example. Assume that there is a Sales Company called XYZ Ltd which has
got a new project of selling a product in a short span of time, as the competition is very
high. In this scenario, choosing the specific recruitment plays a vital role. Here the ideal
type of recruitment which should be chosen is Advertisement.

Advertisement is the best suitable practice for this kind of hiring, because a large
volume of hiring in a short span can be done through Advertisement only.
Advertisement is one of the costliest way to recruit candidates, but when time and
number are important, then advertisement is the best source of recruitment.

Professional Associations
Professional associations can help an organization in hiring professional, technical, and
managerial personnel, however they specialize in sourcing mid-level and top-level
resources. There are many professional associations that act as a bridge between the
organizations and the job-seekers.

Campus Recruitment

Campus recruitment is an external source of recruitment, where the educational

institutions such as colleges and universities offers opportunities for hiring students. In
this process, the organizations visit technical, management, and professional
institutions for recruiting students directly for the new positions.

Word of Mouth Advertising

Word of mouth is an intangible way of sourcing the candidates for filling up the vacant
positions. There are many reputed organizations with good image in the market. Such
organizations only need a word-of-mouth advertising regarding a job vacancy to attract
a large number of candidates.

Pros and Cons of External Sources of Recruitment

External sources of recruitment, i.e., hiring employees outside an organization, has

both its benefits and drawbacks. The benefits are as follows −

 It encourages new opportunities for job seekers.

 Organization branding increases through external sources.

 There will be no biasing or partiality between the employees.

 The scope for selecting the right candidate is more, because of the large number
candidates appearing.

The disadvantages of recruiting through external sources are as follows −

 This process consumes more time, as the selection process is very lengthy.

 The cost incurred is very high when compared to recruiting through internal
sources.

 External candidates demand more remuneration and benefits.

To conclude, the HR department should be flexible enough to choose between internal

or external methods of recruitment, depending upon the requirement of the
organization.

Recruitment Interviews
An interview is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and
communication between two or more persons. Generally, an interview is a process of
private meeting conversation between people, where questions are asked and
answered, for obtaining information about qualities, attitudes, prospectus etc.

An interview refers to a conversation with one or more persons acting as the role of
an interviewer who ask questions and the person who answers the questions acts as
the role of an interviewee.

The primary purpose of an interview is to transfer information from interviewee to

interviewer. Interviews can be either formal or informal,
structured or unstructured. Interviews can be carried out one-to-one or in groups;
they can be conducted over telephone or via video conferencing.

There are different meanings of the word “interview”, as different scholars defined the
term differently. However, interviews have some basic objectives, which are as follows−

 Through interviews, recruiters can verify the information obtained through

application forms and tests.

 Recruiters can obtain additional information about the candidates which are not
mentioned in the application forms or resumes.

 Interviews provides an applicant the information and the necessary facts about
the job and the organization.

 Interviews establish a mutual understanding between the applicant and the

organization.

How to Interview?

Various researches have proved that organizations that spend more time on recruitment
have benefitted greatly in long term. An important thing to do, when you are planning
for an interview is to think, whom you are interviewing and what kind of information
you want from that person. Hence, you should prepare a list of questions, which you
want to ask, prior to conducting an interview.

Interviewing is both an art and a science. Hence, how to interview is a technique that
every HR professional should learn and try to implement.

The following five P’s should be taken into consideration in order to ensure effective
selection and interviewing −
  Prepare − Preparation is the first step of conducting an interview. Prior to
interview, the interviewer should make sure that he/she understands the key
elements of the job. And the interviewer should go through the resume of the
candidate for understanding his/her qualities and efficiencies

 Purpose − The interviewer should have knowledge about the purpose of the
interview, why he/she is conducting it. The interviewer should project the
organization as the best place to work to the interviewee, which helps in
selecting the right candidate.

 Performance − An interviewer must identify the attitude, attributes, knowledge

and skills of the applicants, who are needed for the success of the organization.
If the requirement is about special education and technical skills, then hiring
high-performing applicants plays an important role.

 People Skills − The applicant, who comes for an interview, will not be
completely transparent. Hence, it is the job of an interviewer to un-mask the
applicant and discover the inner qualities and skills during the interview. This
good practice of hiring will help in selecting the right candidate for the
organization.

 Process − Every interviewer should follow a structured interview process to get

better results. A structured process of interview avoids bias and gives equal and
fair chance to all the applicants. The best way for accomplishing this process is
by using the behavioral based questions and situational questions.

Importance of Interview

An interview provides an organization the scope to learn more about the applicants,
who come for an interview, while the applicants get an opportunity to become more
familiar with the demands of a given position. Interviews enable both the parties to
exchange information, ask questions and also help in evaluating the potential for
establishing a professional working relationship with the organization.

Interviews help in gathering a wide range of information about the applicants’ attitude,
feelings and motivations, which in turn help in the decision-making process to hire the
right candidates.

The following points explain the importance of conducting interviews −

 Interviews help in selecting the right candidate from a group of applicants, who
applied for a job.

 Interviews are a medium to help collect useful information about potential

candidates.
  Information given in the application form or resume is very less. Recruiters can
ask the candidates to provide an elaborate explanation during the interview.

 A good interviewer gives good impression about the organization, which in turn
increases the goodwill of the organization.

 Interviews also help in promotions and transfers of the candidates, as per the
requirements of the organization.

Interview Process

Interviewing candidates is the final stage in the recruitment process. Hence, to find the
right person for a specific position, there should be a proper process, that has to be
followed for the right results.

An ideal interview process for selecting the right candidates is as follows

 Determine the requirements of the job. Conduct a thorough job analysis.

 Prepare a specific job description and a job specification.

 Make a plan − how and where to find qualified candidates.

 Collect and review applications and resumes and from them, select the most
potential and qualified candidates for further proceedings.

 Interview the shortlisted candidates based upon the job description and
specification.

 Verify the candidates’ background with the references provided by them.

Following such an interview process, the HR department can hire the best possible
candidates for a vacant job position.

Types of Interviews

Depending up the requirements, situations, locations and time, the interviews are
broadly classified into ten different categories. Recruiters should be knowledgeable
enough to understand which type of interview should be used when.

The ten different types of interviews are as follows −

 Structured Interview − In this type, the interview is designed and detailed in

advance. A structured interview is pre-planned, accurate, and consistent in
hiring the candidates.

 Unstructured Interview − This type of interview is an unplanned one, where

the interview questionnaire is not prepared. Here, the effectiveness of the
 interview is very less and there is a tremendous waste of time and effort of both
the interviewer and the interviewee.

 Group Interview − In this type of interview, all the candidates or a group of

candidates are interviewed together. Group interviews are conducted to save
time when there is a large number of applications for a few job vacancies. A
topic will be given to discuss among the candidates and the interviewer judges
the innovativeness and behavior of each candidate in the group.

 Depth Interview − Depth interview is a semi-structured interview, where the

candidates have to give a detailed information about their education
background, work experience, special interests, etc. And the interviewer takes a
depth interview and tries in finding the expertise of the candidate.

 Stress Interview − Stress interviews are conducted to discover how a

candidate behaves in stressful conditions. In this type of interview, the
interviewer will come to know whether the candidate can handle the demands of
a complex job. The candidate who maintains his composure during a stress
interview is normally the right person to handle a stressful job.

 Individual Interview − In an individual interview, the interview takes place

one-on-one i.e., there will be a verbal and a visual interaction between two
people, an interviewer and a candidate. This is a two-way communication
interview, which helps in finding the right candidate for a vacant job position.

 Informal Interview − Such interviews are conducted in an informal way, i.e.,

the interview will be fixed without any written communication and can be
arranged at any place. There is no procedure of asking questions in this type of
interview, hence it will be a friendly kind of interview.

 Formal Interview − A formal interview held in a formal way, i.e., the candidate
will be intimated about the interview well in advance and the interviewer plans
and prepares questions for the interview. This is also called as a planned
interview.

 Panel Interview − Panel interview, as the name indicates, is being conducted

by a group of people. In this type of interview, three to five members of the
selection committee will be asking questions to the candidates on different
aspects. The final decision will be taken by all the members of the panel
collectively.
  Exit Interview − Exit interviews are conducted for those employees who want
to leave the organization. The importance of the exit interview is to discover why
an employee wants to leave his job.

Example

Suppose there is a software company Global Systems, which has an executive

requirement for the position CEO. This kind of position cannot be fulfilled in a short
span. This kind of requirements need a keen observation and a lot of planning.

There are different types of interviews, which are explained in the above list. The best
type of interview suitable for hiring a CEO would be a “Structured Interview”. Hiring a
CEO for an organization is a big task and it can only be fulfilled with lots of planning.
Hence the interview process needs to be well structured and it has to be executed in a
perfect way.

What is Selection?

Selection is the process of picking or choosing the right candidate, who is most suitable
for a vacant job position in an organization. In others words, selection can also be
explained as the process of interviewing the candidates and evaluating their qualities,
which are required for a specific job and then choosing the suitable candidate for the
position.

The selection of a right applicant for a vacant position will be an asset to the
organization, which will be helping the organization in reaching its objectives.

Different authors define Selection in different ways. Here is a list of some of the
definitions −

 Employee selection is a process of putting a right applicant on a right job.

 Selection of an employee is a process of choosing the applicants, who have the

qualifications to fill the vacant job in an organization.

 Selection is a process of identifying and hiring the applicants for filling the
vacancies in an organization.

 Employee selection is a process of matching organization’s requirements with the

skills and the qualifications of individuals.

A good selection process will ensure that the organization gets the right set of
employees with the right attitude.

Difference between Recruitment and Selection

 The major differences between Selection
Recruitment and Selection are as
follows −Recruitment

Recruitment is defined as the process of Selection is defined as the process of

identifying and making the potential choosing the right candidates for the vacant
candidates to apply for the jobs. positions.

Recruitment is called as a positive Selection is called as a negative process

process with its approach of attracting with its elimination or rejection of as many
as many candidates as possible for the candidates as possible for identifying the
vacant jobs right candidate for the position.

Both recruitment and selection work hand in hand and both play a vital role in the
overall growth of an organization.

Importance of Selection

Selection is an important process because hiring good resources can help increase the
overall performance of the organization. In contrast, if there is bad hire with a bad
selection process, then the work will be affected and the cost incurred for replacing that
bad resource will be high.

The purpose of selection is to choose the most suitable candidate, who can meet the
requirements of the jobs in an organization, who will be a successful applicant. For
meeting the goals of the organization, it is important to evaluate various attributes of
each candidate such as their qualifications, skills, experiences, overall attitude, etc. In
this process, the most suitable candidate is picked after the elimination of the
candidates, who are not suitable for the vacant job.

The organization has to follow a proper selection process or procedure, as a huge

amount of money is spent for hiring a right candidate for a position. If a selection is
wrong, then the cost incurred in induction and training the wrong candidate will be a
huge loss to the employer in terms of money, effort, and also time. Hence, selection is
very important and the process should be perfect for the betterment of the
organization.

Advantages of Selection

A good selection process offers the following advantages−

 It is cost-effective and reduces a lot of time and effort.

 It helps avoid any biasing while recruiting the right candidate.

  It helps eliminate the candidates who are lacking in knowledge, ability, and
proficiency.

 It provides a guideline to evaluate the candidates further through strict

verification and reference-checking.

 It helps in comparing the different candidates in terms of their capabilities,

knowledge, skills, experience, work attitude, etc.

A good selection process helps in selecting the best candidate for the requirement of a
vacant position in an organization.

Selection Process and Steps

As we have discussed that Selection is very important for any organization for
minimizing the losses and maximizing the profits. Hence the selection procedure should
be perfect. A good selection process should comprise the following steps −

 Employment Interview − Employment interview is a process in which one-on-

one session in conducted with the applicant to know a candidate better. It helps
the interviewer to discover the inner qualities of the applicant and helps in taking
a right decision.

 Checking References − Reference checking is a process of verifying the

applicant’s qualifications and experiences with the references provided by him.
These reference checks help the interviewer understand the conduct, the
attitude, and the behavior of the candidate as an individual and also as a
professional.

 Medical Examination − Medical examination is a process, in which the physical

and the mental fitness of the applicants are checked to ensure that the
 candidates are capable of performing a job or not. This examination helps the
organization in choosing the right candidates who are physically and mentally fit.

 Final Selection − The final selection is the final process which proves that the
applicant has qualified in all the rounds of the selection process and will be
issued an appointment letter.

A selection process with the above steps will help any organization in choosing and
selecting the right candidates for the right job.

Salary Negotiations

Salary negotiation is done ahead of issuing an offer letter. This is the heart of
recruitment and selection process, wherein the actual worth of a right candidate will be
evaluated. The remuneration offered should be balanced, acceptable and agreed by
both the parties – the employer and the employee.

Some organizations have salary grades, which are already assigned for each and
every position, hence the new employee also receives the salary as per the grade for
which the candidate is qualified and selected for.

A Win-Win Situation

The negotiations should be a win-win situation, where both the candidate and the
employer should benefit.

If the candidate expects and demands for a higher salary than the offered salary, then
the employer can raise the package (if the budget permits) in the following cases −

 The candidate is highly talented with a potential to deliver great results.

 The candidate has exceptional skills which are rare in the market.

Sometimes there is high demand for a skill and the market does not have sufficient
supply of qualified candidates to fill the gap. In such cases, the HR team offers lucrative
packages in order to attract talented professionals.

Hiring managers, most of the time, have a budget for each position and they are under
pressure to hire the right candidates without overshooting their assigned budget.

Tips for Good Salary Negotiation

Hiring managers should keep the following points in mind while negotiating salary with
a potential candidate −

 Research about the job posting well in advance and have a clear understanding
of the demand and supply of skilled professionals in the job market.
  Make the candidates understand the break-up of the total package that is
offered.

 Do not let the candidate know the maximum salary that can be offered.

 Do not reject a candidate if his expectations are beyond the budget, rather try to
make them understand the fringe benefits that is being offered in the package.

Salary negotiation is extremely important, as it can either make or break a selection.

Sometimes, hiring managers tend to go overboard and offer an extraordinary package
to attract a right candidate. At other times, a potential candidate rejects the offer
because it was not up to his expectation. Hence, it is very important to maintain
balance between hiring the right candidates and working within the boundaries of the
assigned budget.

Making a Job Offer

Making a job offer is the final stage of recruitment and selection. Once a candidate is
selected, he/she will be issued an offer letter, which describes the designation, job
location, role, responsibilities, remuneration, benefits, and a few terms related to the
company policies.

Most HR professionals tend to believe that making an offer is a simple process, but in
many cases, it is not so. Making an offer is a crucial part of recruitment and selection,
because it’s a stressful and demanding process until the candidate joins the company,
after issuing an offer. At this stage, a lot of responsibility lies on the shoulders of the HR
with regards to the process after making an offer.

How to Make a Job Offer?

Making a job offer is a delicate process and it should be handled carefully. The outcome
of this process can be one of the following −

 the candidate may accept and start working with the organization, or.

 the candidate may accept a better job offer from another organization, if he gets
one.

Hence, the HR team should take quick action at his stage. The following points should
be kept in mind while making a job offer −

 Do Not Delay − Issue an offer letter as soon as a candidate is selected,

especially if the resources are limited.
  Put the job offer on the table − While issuing an offer letter, do not wait for
the right time. Contact the selected candidate over phone and give him a verbal
confirmation that he/she is selected to fill the position vacant.

 Set a deadline to accept the offer − Once the offer is issued to the candidate,
set a reasonable deadline to accept the offer. Take a confirmation from the
candidate that he/she should join as per the date of joining mentioned in the
offer letter.

 Stay connected − Even after the offer is accepted by the candidate, it is the
responsibility of the hiring manager to be in touch with the selected candidate,
till he/she joins the organization.

After finding the right resource for the vacant job in the organization, the offer is
prepared and released to the candidate. It is crucial at this stage to follow a correct
process in order to close the deal and ensure that the selected candidate joins the
organization as per the terms issued in the offer letter.

Preparing a Job Offer Letter

Once the salary negotiations are completed, the next step is preparing and issuing a job
offer letter. During the confirmation of the job offer through phone call or mail, it is best
to make the initial offer and discuss about the terms of the employment.

A formal job offer should include the following −

 Name of the employee

 Title or designation of the job

 The remuneration or salary offered

 Employment commencement date

 Roles and responsibilities of the job

 Terms and conditions (contract/temporary/permanent) of the job

 Compensations and benefit

 Conditions during the probationary period

 Additional condition, which includes legal, background verification etc.

Once the offer letter is prepared and issued to the selected candidate, ask the candidate
to send a signed copy of the offer letter, as a token of acceptance of the job offer.
The process of recruitment and selection starts right from understanding the
requirements, sourcing, scheduling, shortlisting, interviewing, selecting and finally
issuing the offer letter. The process is not over till the candidate joins.

What Next after Issuing a Job Offer?

Employees usually have to serve a notice period before switching jobs. So, there is a
time-gap of one month or so after a candidate accepts the Offer Letter till the time he
joins the organization. During this time-gap, the role of a recruiter is important because
the candidate may or may not join, even after accepting the offer letter! Hence, the
recruiter should be in touch with the candidate through mails/messages/calls till he/she
joins the company.

This communication and the relationship between the recruiter and the candidate will
help the process to complete and reduce the risks of the candidate not joining the
company. Hence, communication plays a vital role in the process of recruitment and
selection.

The following steps are important after a candidate accepts the Job Offer −

 Documentation process − This process includes collecting documents such as

educational certificates, id proof, address proof, previous company offer letter,
relieving letters, etc. If a candidate responds positively, then it is an indicator
that he/she is actually interested in joining the organization.

 Employment verification process − Collecting an employment verification

document, which consists of the details of the previous employers and their
references. It provides information regarding the behavior and attitude of the
candidate.

 Contacting the candidates − Be in contact with the candidate through calls or

mails or messages, which helps in building a relationship between the recruiter
and a potential employee. It also helps in knowing the status of the candidate
joining the organization.

 Resignation from current employment − As soon as an offer letter is issued

to the candidate, make sure that the candidate resigns his current job and
shares a copy of the resignation document/mail. Later on, do follow up with
regards to the resignation acceptance document/mail from the current employer.

 Following up for the joining date − Finally, keep following up with the
candidate about the joining date, because it will help in knowing the status of
the candidate joining the organization as per the joining date mentioned in the
offer letter.
All the above points help the employer in identifying the interest and the seriousness of
a candidate in joining the organization.

Recruitment and Selection - Quick Guide

Recruitment and Selection - Introduction

Recruitment and Selection is an important operation in HRM, designed to maximize

employee strength in order to meet the employer's strategic goals and objectives. In
short, Recruitment and Selection is the process of sourcing, screening, shortlisting and
selecting the right candidates for the filling the required vacant positions.

In this tutorial, we will discuss the various aspects of Recruitment and Selection such as
the recruitment process, the factors affecting recruitment, recruitment planning,
methods of recruitment, recruitment interviews, selection process and making an offer.

The Scope of Recruitment and Selection

The scope of Recruitment and Selection is very wide and it consists of a variety of
operations. Resources are considered as most important asset to any organization.
Hence, hiring right resources is the most important aspect of Recruitment. Every
company has its own pattern of recruitment as per their recruitment policies and
procedures.

The scope of Recruitment and Selection includes the following operations −

 Dealing with the excess or shortage of resources

 Preparing the Recruitment policy for different categories of employees

 Analyzing the recruitment policies, processes, and procedures of the organization

 Identifying the areas, where there could be a scope of improvement

 Streamlining the hiring process with suitable recommendations

 Choosing the best suitable process of recruitment for effective hiring of resources

Any organization wants it future to be in good and safe hands. Hence, hiring the right
resource is a very important task for any organization.

Case Study: How to Improvise Recruitment Process

Let’s assume there is a company called ABC Systems, which sells FMCG products. The
company is lately suffering due to its high attrition rates. In this case study, we will see
how ABC Systems can improve its recruiting process and focus on maintaining the
efforts required for filling a job vacancy. We will also learn how the HR team of ABC
Systems can reduce the time and effort involved in sourcing good resources for the
vacant positions.

We suggest here seven different steps that ABC Systems can utilize to resolve its
problems.

Step 1 − Define the Problem

First, define the problem in exact terms and then, design a step-wise recruitment
process that can be easily followed.

Recruitment Process

Step Activity

1 Sending the resignation communication message to HR with request for

initiating the recruitment process

2 Manager-HR directs the hiring team to start the recruitment process

3 Logging into the employment website and contacting different recruiters

4 Sourcing, identifying, and collecting the resumes of the candidates

5 Receiving relevant resumes

6 Shortlisting the resumes

7 Sending the shortlisted resumes to the department manager

8 Schedule interview dates

9 Calling the candidates for interview

10 Interviewers complete the feedback form and the feedback is shared with the
HR

11 This process repeats for many candidates till the best candidates are finalized.
 12 The HR team negotiates the package and compensation

13 Final confirmation and agreements

14 Send offer letter

15 Offer accepted

Step 2 − Research the Causes

Analyze the root cause of the problem at hand. Why the attrition rate is so high? There
are several ways to arrive at the root cause behind a problem.

In case of ABC Systems, it was observed that there is only a less percent of candidates
who are rejected in the process of review. Hence, there is a need to improve this
process by increasing the number of rejections with an efficient review process.

Screening of resumes must be very effective, because the selection of the candidates
through resume screening has maximum percentage of a positive outcome, which is
explained below −

Resume Selection Test

Reviewer Resumes Provided Resumes Selected Successful Selections*

1 10 8 4

2 10 5 2

3 10 7 2

Reviewers can use a set of defined criteria to screen the resumes, which can then be
compiled as shown below.

Tabulation of Selection Criteria Used

Criteria Reviewer 1 Reviewer 2 Reviewer 3

 1 X X X

2 X X X

3 X

4 X X

5 X X X

6 X X

7 X X

8 X X X

Step 3 − Countermeasure Ideas Generation

It is mandatory to have a basis of standardization in selecting the candidates. The

shortlisting of the relevant criteria is done as shown in the following table −

Selection Criteria – Standardized

Criteria Reviewer 1 Reviewer 2 Reviewer 3 Criteria to Keep

1 X X

2 X X X X

3 X X

4 X X

5 X X X X
 6 X X X

7 X X X

8 X X X X

The shortlisted list of candidates is reviewed by the department heads and they can
suggest modification which can then be incorporated as new criteria.

Step 4 − Testing and Modifying the Ideas

The next step is to test the defined set of criteria with three batches. After the
selections are done, the set of criteria is analyzed to see it was effective or not.

Step 5 − Implementing the Ideas

If found effective, then implement the new set of criteria for future recruitments.

Step 6 − Standardize Procedures

The next step is to standardize the procedure. First, make a note of the improvements
achieved recruitment efficiency. It can done as shown in the following tables −

Improvements in Recruitment Efficiency

Before After

Resumes 100 92

Selected 18 24

Interviews 170 142

Improvements in Recruitment Efficiency

Before After Percentage Improvement

R/C 6.25 4.1 34

I/C 10 6 40
With the help of the above processes, there will be a reduction of about 30%-40% in
the hiring process in shortlisting, reviewing and selecting the candidates for the right
job positions. This process was standardized and adopted in the regular practice.

Step 7 − Compiling the Quality Improvement Story

At last, the improvised and the quality story is compiled and presented to the senior
management for a better recruitment process.

What is Recruitment?

Recruitment is a process of identifying, screening, shortlisting and hiring potential

resource for filling up the vacant positions in an organization. It is a core function of
Human Resource Management.

Recruitment is the process of choosing the right person for the right position and at the
right time. Recruitment also refers to the process of attracting, selecting, and
appointing potential candidates to meet the organization’s resource requirements.

The hiring of the candidates can be done internally i.e., within the organization, or
from external sources. And the process should be performed within a time constraint
and it should be cost effective.

Importance of Recruitment

Recruitment is one of the most fundamental activities of the HR team. If the

recruitment process is efficient, then

 The organization gets happier and more productive employees

 Attrition rate reduces.

 It builds a good workplace environment with good employee relationships.

 It results in overall growth of the organization.

Here is a list that shows the purpose and importance of Recruitment in an organization
−

 It determines the current and future job requirement.

 It increases the pool of job at the minimal cost.

 It helps in increasing the success rate of selecting the right candidates.

 It helps in reducing the probability of short term employments.

 It meets the organization’s social and legal obligations with regards to the work
force.

 It helps in identifying the job applicants and selecting the appropriate resources.
  It helps in increasing organizational effectives for a short and long term.

 It helps in evaluating the effectiveness of the various recruitment techniques.

 It attracts and encourages the applicants to apply for the vacancies in an

organization.

 It determines the present futures requirements of the organization and plan

according.

 It links the potential employees with the employers.

 It helps in increasing the success ratio of the selection process of prospective

candidates.

 It helps in creating a talent pool of prospective candidates, which enables in

selecting the right candidates for the right job as per the organizational needs.

Factors Affecting Recruitment

Recruitment is an important function of the Human Resource Management in an

organization, and it is governed by a mixture of various factors. Proactive HR
Professionals should understand these factors influencing the recruitment and take
necessary actions for the betterment of the organization.

When the market condition changes, the organization also needs to monitor these
changes and discover how it affects the resources and analyze these functions for
making recruitment an effective process.

We have Internal Factors as well as External Factors that influence the recruitment
process. In this chapter, we will be discussing these factors in detail.

Internal Factors

Organizations have control over the internal factors that affect their recruitment
functions. The internal factors are −

 Size of organization

 Recruiting policy

 Image of organization

 Image of job

Size of Organization

The size of the organization is one of the most important factors affecting the
recruitment process. To expand the business, recruitment planning is mandatory for
hiring more resources, which will be handling the future operations.

Recruiting Policy
Recruitment policy of an organization, i.e., hiring from internal or external sources of
organization is also a factor, which affects the recruitment process. It specifies the
objectives of the recruitment and provides a framework for the implementation of
recruitment programs.

Image of Organization

Organizations having a good positive image in the market can easily attract competent
resources. Maintaining good public relations, providing public services, etc., definitely
helps an organization in enhancing its reputation in the market, and thereby attract the
best possible resources.

Image of Job

Just like the image of organization, the image of a job plays a critical role in
recruitment. Jobs having a positive image in terms of better remuneration, promotions,
recognition, good work environment with career development opportunities are
considered to be the characteristics to attract qualified candidates.

External Factors

External factors are those that cannot be controlled by an organization. The external
factors that affect the recruitment process include the following −

 Demographic factors − Demographic factors are related to the attributes of

potential employees such as their age, religion, literacy level, gender,
occupation, economic status, etc.

 Labor market − Labor market controls the demand and supply of labor. For
example, if the supply of people having a specific skill is less than the demand,
then the hiring will need more efforts. On the other hand, if the demand is less
than the supply, the hiring will be relative easier.

 Unemployment rate − If the unemployment rate is high in a specific area,

hiring of resources will be simple and easier, as the number of applicants is very
high. In contrast, if the unemployment rate is low, then recruiting tends to be
very difficult due to less number of resources.

 Labor laws − Labor laws reflect the social and political environment of a
market, which are created by the central and state governments. These laws
dictate the compensation, working environment, safety and health regulations,
etc., for different types of employments. As the government changes, the laws
too change.

 Legal considerations − Job reservations for different castes such as STs, SCs,
OBCs are best examples of legal considerations. These considerations, passed by
 government, will have a positive or negative impact on the recruitment policies
of the organizations.

 Competitors − When organizations in the same industry are competing for the
best qualified resources, there is a need to analyze the competition and offer the
resources packages that are best in terms of industry standards.

Recruitment Process

Recruitment is a process of finding and attracting the potential resources for filling up
the vacant positions in an organization. It sources the candidates with the abilities and
attitude, which are required for achieving the objectives of an organization.

Recruitment process is a process of identifying the jobs vacancy, analyzing the job
requirements, reviewing applications, screening, shortlisting and selecting the right
candidate.

To increase the efficiency of hiring, it is recommended that the HR team of an

organization follows the five best practices (as shown in the following image). These
five practices ensure successful recruitment without any interruptions. In addition,
these practices also ensure consistency and compliance in the recruitment process.

Recruitment process is the first step in creating a powerful resource base. The process
undergoes a systematic procedure starting from sourcing the resources to arranging
and conducting interviews and finally selecting the right candidates.
Recruitment Planning

Recruitment planning is the first step of the recruitment process, where the vacant
positions are analyzed and described. It includes job specifications and its nature,
experience, qualifications and skills required for the job, etc.

A structured recruitment plan is mandatory to attract potential candidates from a pool

of candidates. The potential candidates should be qualified, experienced with a
capability to take the responsibilities required to achieve the objectives of the
organization.

Identifying Vacancy

The first and foremost process of recruitment plan is identifying the vacancy. This
process begins with receiving the requisition for recruitments from different department
of the organization to the HR Department, which contains −

 Number of posts to be filled

 Number of positions

 Duties and responsibilities to be performed

 Qualification and experience required

When a vacancy is identified, it the responsibility of the sourcing manager to ascertain

whether the position is required or not, permanent or temporary, full-time or part-time,
etc. These parameters should be evaluated before commencing recruitment. Proper
identifying, planning and evaluating leads to hiring of the right resource for the team
and the organization.

Job Analysis

Job analysis is a process of identifying, analyzing, and determining the duties,

responsibilities, skills, abilities, and work environment of a specific job. These factors
help in identifying what a job demands and what an employee must possess in
performing a job productively.

Job analysis helps in understanding what tasks are important and how to perform them.
Its purpose is to establish and document the job relatednessof employment
procedures such as selection, training, compensation, and performance appraisal.

The following steps are important in analyzing a job −

 Recording and collecting job information

 Accuracy in checking the job information

  Generating job description based on the information

 Determining the skills, knowledge and skills, which are required for the job

The immediate products of job analysis are job descriptions and job specifications.

Job Description

Job description is an important document, which is descriptive in nature and contains

the final statement of the job analysis. This description is very important for a
successful recruitment process.

Job description provides information about the scope of job roles, responsibilities and
the positioning of the job in the organization. And this data gives the employer and the
organization a clear idea of what an employee must do to meet the requirement of his
job responsibilities.

Job description is generated for fulfilling the following processes −

 Classification and ranking of jobs

 Placing and orientation of new resources

 Promotions and transfers

 Describing the career path

 Future development of work standards

A job description provides information on the following elements −

 Job Title / Job Identification / Organization Position

 Job Location

 Summary of Job

 Job Duties

 Machines, Materials and Equipment

 Process of Supervision

 Working Conditions

 Health Hazards

Job Specification

Job specification focuses on the specifications of the candidate, whom the HR team is
going to hire. The first step in job specification is preparing the list of all jobs in the
organization and its locations. The second step is to generate the information of each
job.

This information about each job in an organization is as follows −

  Physical specifications

 Mental specifications

 Physical features

 Emotional specifications

 Behavioral specifications

A job specification document provides information on the following elements −

 Qualification

 Experiences

 Training and development

 Skills requirements

 Work responsibilities

 Emotional characteristics

 Planning of career

Job Evaluation

Job evaluation is a comparative process of analyzing, assessing, and determining the

relative value/worth of a job in relation to the other jobs in an organization.

The main objective of job evaluation is to analyze and determine which job commands
how much pay. There are several methods such as job grading, job
classifications, job ranking, etc., which are involved in job evaluation. Job evaluation
forms the basis for salary and wage negotiations.

Recruitment Strategy

Recruitment strategy is the second step of the recruitment process, where a strategy is
prepared for hiring the resources. After completing the preparation of job descriptions
and job specifications, the next step is to decide which strategy to adopt for recruiting
the potential candidates for the organization.

While preparing a recruitment strategy, the HR team considers the following points −

 Make or buy employees

 Types of recruitment

 Geographical area

 Recruitment sources
The development of a recruitment strategy is a long process, but having a right
strategy is mandatory to attract the right candidates. The steps involved in developing
a recruitment strategy include −

 Setting up a board team

 Analyzing HR strategy

 Collection of available data

 Analyzing the collected data

 Setting the recruitment strategy

Searching the Right Candidates

Searching is the process of recruitment where the resources are sourced depending
upon the requirement of the job. After the recruitment strategy is done, the searching
of candidates will be initialized. This process consists of two steps −

 Source activation − Once the line manager verifies and permits the existence
of the vacancy, the search for candidates starts.

 Selling − Here, the organization selects the media through which the
communication of vacancies reaches the prospective candidates.

Searching involves attracting the job seekers to the vacancies. The sources are broadly
divided into two categories: Internal Sources and External Sources.

Internal Sources

Internal sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees within the organization

through −

 Promotions

 Transfers

 Former Employees

 Internal Advertisements (Job Posting)

 Employee Referrals

 Previous Applicants

External Sources

External sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees outside the organization

through −

 Direct Recruitment
  Employment Exchanges

 Employment Agencies

 Advertisements

 Professional Associations

 Campus Recruitment

 Word of Mouth

Screening / Shortlisting

Screening starts after completion of the process of sourcing the candidates. Screening
is the process of filtering the applications of the candidates for further selection process.

Screening is an integral part of recruitment process that helps in removing unqualified

or irrelevant candidates, which were received through sourcing. The screening process
of recruitment consists of three steps −

Reviewing of Resumes and Cover Letters

Reviewing is the first step of screening candidates. In this process, the resumes of the
candidates are reviewed and checked for the candidates’ education, work experience,
and overall background matching the requirement of the job

While reviewing the resumes, an HR executive must keep the following points in mind,
to ensure better screening of the potential candidates −

 Reason for change of job

 Longevity with each organization

 Long gaps in employment

 Job-hopping

 Lack of career progression

Conducting Telephonic or Video Interview

Conducting telephonic or video interviews is the second step of screening candidates. In

this process, after the resumes are screened, the candidates are contacted through
phone or video by the hiring manager. This screening process has two outcomes −

 It helps in verifying the candidates, whether they are active and available.

 It also helps in giving a quick insight about the candidate’s attitude, ability to
answer interview questions, and communication skills.

Identifying the top candidates

Identifying the top candidates is the final step of screening the resumes/candidates. In
this process, the cream/top layer of resumes are shortlisted, which makes it easy for
the hiring manager to take a decision. This process has the following three outcomes −

 Shortlisting 5 to 10 resumes for review by the hiring managers

 Providing insights and recommendations to the hiring manager

 Helps the hiring managers to take a decision in hiring the right candidate

Evaluation and Control

Evaluation and control is the last stage in the process of recruitment. In this process,
the effectiveness and the validity of the process and methods are assessed.
Recruitment is a costly process, hence it is important that the performance of the
recruitment process is thoroughly evaluated.

The costs incurred in the recruitment process are to be evaluated and controlled
effectively. These include the following −

 Salaries to the Recruiters

 Advertisements cost and other costs incurred in recruitment methods, i.e.,

agency fees.

 Administrative expenses and Recruitment overheads

 Overtime and Outstanding costs, while the vacancies remain unfilled

 Cost incurred in recruiting suitable candidates for the final selection process

 Time spent by the Management and the Professionals in preparing job

description, job specifications, and conducting interviews.

Finally, the question that is to be asked is, whether the recruitment methods used are
valid or not? And whether the recruitment process itself is effective or not? Statistical
information on the costs incurred for the process of recruitment should be effective.

Types of Recruitment

For any organization, recruitment is a crucial part of developing and maintaining an

effective and efficient team. A good recruitment strategy will cut down the wastage of
time and money, which would have incurred for extensive training and development of
unqualified resources.

Have you ever thought of, how a recruiter finds the right candidates? Recruiters use
different methods to source, screen, shortlist, and select the resources as per the
requirements of the organization. Recruitment types explain the means by which an
organization reaches potential job seekers.

In this chapter, we will shed some light on the secrets of hiring and recruiting methods,
used by the recruiters. Recruitment is broadly classified into two different categories
− Internal Sources and External Sources.

Internal Sources of Recruitment

Internal sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees within the organization

internally. In other words, applicants seeking for the different positions are those who
are currently employed with the same organization.

At the time recruitment of employees, the initial consideration should be given to those
employees who are currently working within the organization. This is an important
source of recruitment, which provides the opportunities for the development and
utilization of the existing resources within the organization.

Internal sources of recruitment are the best and the easiest way of selecting resources
as performance of their work is already known to the organization. Let us now discuss
more on the various internal sources of recruitment.

Promotions

Promotion refers to upgrading the cadre of the employees by evaluating their

performance in the organization. It is the process of shifting an employee from a lower
position to a higher position with more responsibilities, remuneration, facilities, and
status. Many organizations fill the higher vacant positions with the process of
promotions, internally.

Transfers

Transfer refers to the process of interchanging from one job to another without any
change in the rank and responsibilities. It can also be the shifting of employees from
one department to another department or one location to another location, depending
upon the requirement of the position.

Let’s take an example to understand how it works. Assume there is a finance company
called ABC Ltd. Having two branches, Branch-A and Branch-B, and an employee from
Branch-A resigned from his job responsibilities. Hence, this position has to be filled for
the continuation of the project in Branch-A.

In this scenario, instead of searching or sourcing new candidates, which is time

consuming and expensive, there is a possibility of shifting an employee from Branch-B
to Branch-A, depending upon the project requirements and the capabilities of that
respective employee. This internal shifting of an employee from one branch to another
branch is called as Transfer.

Recruiting Former Employees

Recruiting former employees is a process of internal sources of recruitment, wherein

the exemployees are called back depending upon the requirement of the position. This
process is costeffective and saves plenty of time. The other major benefit of recruiting
former employees is that they are very well versed with the roles and responsibilities of
the job and the organization needs to spend less on their training and development.

Internal Advertisements (Job Posting)

Internal Advertisements is a process of posting/advertising jobs within the organization.

This job posting is an open invitation to all the employees inside the organization,
where they can apply for the vacant positions. It provides equal opportunities to all the
employees working in the organization. Hence, the recruitment will be done from within
the organization and it saves a lot of cost.

Employee Referrals

Employee referrals is an effective way of sourcing the right candidates at a low cost. It
is the process of hiring new resources through the references of employees, who are
currently working with the organization. In this process, the present employees can
refer their friends and relatives for filling up the vacant positions.
Organizations encourage employee referrals, because it is cost effective and saves time
as compared to hiring candidates from external sources. Most organizations, in order to
motivate their employees, go ahead and reward them with a referral bonus for a
successful hire.

Previous Applicants

Here, the hiring team checks the profiles of previous applicants from the organizational
recruitment database. These applicants are those who have applied for jobs in the past.
These resources can be easily approached and the response will be positive in most of
the cases. It is also an inexpensive way of filling up the vacant positions.

Pros and Cons of Internal Sources of Recruitment

Internal sources of recruitment, i.e., hiring employees within the organization, has its
own set of advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are as follows −

 It is simple, easy, quick, and cost effective.

 No need of induction and training, as the candidates already know their job and
responsibilities.

 It motivates the employees to work hard, and increases the work relationship
within the organization.

 It helps in developing employee loyalty towards the organization.

The drawbacks of hiring candidates through internal sources are as follows −

 It prevents new hiring of potential resources. Sometimes, new resources bring

innovative ideas and new thinking onto the table.

 It has limited scope because all the vacant positions cannot be filled.

 There could be issues in between the employees, who are promoted and who are
not.

 If an internal resource is promoted or transferred, then that position will remain

vacant.

 Employees, who are not promoted, may end up being unhappy and demotivated.

External Sources of Recruitment

External sources of recruitment refer to hiring employees outside the organization

externally. In other words, the applicants seeking job opportunities in this case are
those who are external to the organization.

External employees bring innovativeness and fresh thoughts to the organization.

Although hiring through external sources is a bit expensive and tough, it has
tremendous potential of driving the organization forward in achieving its goals. Let us
now discuss in detail the various external sources of recruitment.

Direct Recruitment

Direct recruitment refers to the external source of recruitment where the recruitment of
qualified candidates are done by placing a notice of vacancy on the notice board in the
organization. This method of sourcing is also called as factory gate recruitment, as
the blue-collar and technical workers are hired through this process.

Employment Exchanges

As per the law, for certain job vacancies, it is mandatory that the organization provides
details to the employment exchange. Employment exchange is a government entity,
where the details of the job seekers are stored and given to the employers for filling the
vacant positions. This external recruitment is helpful in hiring for unskilled, semi-skilled,
and skilled workers.

Employment Agencies

Employment agencies are a good external source of recruitment. Employment agencies

are run by various sectors like private, public, or government. It provides unskilled,
semi-skilled and skilled resources as per the requirements of the organization. These
agencies hold a database of qualified candidates and organizations can use their
services at a cost.

Advertisements

Advertisements are the most popular and very much preferred source of external
source of recruitment. The job vacancy is announced through various print and
electronic media with a specific job description and specifications of the requirements.
Using advertisements is the best way to source candidates in a short span and it offers
an efficient way of screening the candidates’ specific requirements.

Let’s take an example. Assume that there is a Sales Company called XYZ Ltd which has
got a new project of selling a product in a short span of time, as the competition is very
high. In this scenario, choosing the specific recruitment plays a vital role. Here the ideal
type of recruitment which should be chosen is Advertisement.

Advertisement is the best suitable practice for this kind of hiring, because a large
volume of hiring in a short span can be done through Advertisement only.
Advertisement is one of the costliest way to recruit candidates, but when time and
number are important, then advertisement is the best source of recruitment.

Professional Associations
Professional associations can help an organization in hiring professional, technical, and
managerial personnel, however they specialize in sourcing mid-level and top-level
resources. There are many professional associations that act as a bridge between the
organizations and the job-seekers.

Campus Recruitment

Campus recruitment is an external source of recruitment, where the educational

institutions such as colleges and universities offers opportunities for hiring students. In
this process, the organizations visit technical, management, and professional
institutions for recruiting students directly for the new positions.

Word of Mouth Advertising

Word of mouth is an intangible way of sourcing the candidates for filling up the vacant
positions. There are many reputed organizations with good image in the market. Such
organizations only need a word-of-mouth advertising regarding a job vacancy to attract
a large number of candidates.

Pros and Cons of External Sources of Recruitment

External sources of recruitment, i.e., hiring employees outside an organization, has

both its benefits and drawbacks. The benefits are as follows −

 It encourages new opportunities for job seekers.

 Organization branding increases through external sources.

 There will be no biasing or partiality between the employees.

 The scope for selecting the right candidate is more, because of the large number
candidates appearing.

The disadvantages of recruiting through external sources are as follows −

 This process consumes more time, as the selection process is very lengthy.

 The cost incurred is very high when compared to recruiting through internal
sources.

 External candidates demand more remuneration and benefits.

To conclude, the HR department should be flexible enough to choose between internal

or external methods of recruitment, depending upon the requirement of the
organization.

Recruitment Interviews

An interview is a purposeful exchange of ideas, the answering of questions and

communication between two or more persons. Generally, an interview is a process of
private meeting conversation between people, where questions are asked and
answered, for obtaining information about qualities, attitudes, prospectus etc.

An interview refers to a conversation with one or more persons acting as the role of
an interviewer who ask questions and the person who answers the questions acts as
the role of an interviewee.

The primary purpose of an interview is to transfer information from interviewee to

interviewer. Interviews can be either formal or informal,
structured or unstructured. Interviews can be carried out one-to-one or in groups;
they can be conducted over telephone or via video conferencing.

There are different meanings of the word “interview”, as different scholars defined the
term differently. However, interviews have some basic objectives, which are as follows−

 Through interviews, recruiters can verify the information obtained through

application forms and tests.

 Recruiters can obtain additional information about the candidates which are not
mentioned in the application forms or resumes.

 Interviews provides an applicant the information and the necessary facts about
the job and the organization.

 Interviews establish a mutual understanding between the applicant and the

organization.

How to Interview?

Various researches have proved that organizations that spend more time on recruitment
have benefitted greatly in long term. An important thing to do, when you are planning
for an interview is to think, whom you are interviewing and what kind of information
you want from that person. Hence, you should prepare a list of questions, which you
want to ask, prior to conducting an interview.

Interviewing is both an art and a science. Hence, how to interview is a technique that
every HR professional should learn and try to implement.

The following five P’s should be taken into consideration in order to ensure effective
selection and interviewing −

 Prepare − Preparation is the first step of conducting an interview. Prior to

interview, the interviewer should make sure that he/she understands the key
 elements of the job. And the interviewer should go through the resume of the
candidate for understanding his/her qualities and efficiencies

 Purpose − The interviewer should have knowledge about the purpose of the
interview, why he/she is conducting it. The interviewer should project the
organization as the best place to work to the interviewee, which helps in
selecting the right candidate.

 Performance − An interviewer must identify the attitude, attributes, knowledge

and skills of the applicants, who are needed for the success of the organization.
If the requirement is about special education and technical skills, then hiring
high-performing applicants plays an important role.

 People Skills − The applicant, who comes for an interview, will not be
completely transparent. Hence, it is the job of an interviewer to un-mask the
applicant and discover the inner qualities and skills during the interview. This
good practice of hiring will help in selecting the right candidate for the
organization.

 Process − Every interviewer should follow a structured interview process to get

better results. A structured process of interview avoids bias and gives equal and
fair chance to all the applicants. The best way for accomplishing this process is
by using the behavioral based questions and situational questions.

Importance of Interview

An interview provides an organization the scope to learn more about the applicants,
who come for an interview, while the applicants get an opportunity to become more
familiar with the demands of a given position. Interviews enable both the parties to
exchange information, ask questions and also help in evaluating the potential for
establishing a professional working relationship with the organization.

Interviews help in gathering a wide range of information about the applicants’ attitude,
feelings and motivations, which in turn help in the decision-making process to hire the
right candidates.

The following points explain the importance of conducting interviews −

 Interviews help in selecting the right candidate from a group of applicants, who
applied for a job.

 Interviews are a medium to help collect useful information about potential

candidates.
  Information given in the application form or resume is very less. Recruiters can
ask the candidates to provide an elaborate explanation during the interview.

 A good interviewer gives good impression about the organization, which in turn
increases the goodwill of the organization.

 Interviews also help in promotions and transfers of the candidates, as per the
requirements of the organization.

Interview Process

Interviewing candidates is the final stage in the recruitment process. Hence, to find the
right person for a specific position, there should be a proper process, that has to be
followed for the right results.

An ideal interview process for selecting the right candidates is as follows −

 Determine the requirements of the job. Conduct a thorough job analysis.

 Prepare a specific job description and a job specification.

 Make a plan − how and where to find qualified candidates.

 Collect and review applications and resumes and from them, select the most
potential and qualified candidates for further proceedings.

 Interview the shortlisted candidates based upon the job description and
specification.

 Verify the candidates’ background with the references provided by them.

Following such an interview process, the HR department can hire the best possible
candidates for a vacant job position.

Types of Interviews

Depending up the requirements, situations, locations and time, the interviews are
broadly classified into ten different categories. Recruiters should be knowledgeable
enough to understand which type of interview should be used when.

The ten different types of interviews are as follows −

 Structured Interview − In this type, the interview is designed and detailed in

advance. A structured interview is pre-planned, accurate, and consistent in
hiring the candidates.

 Unstructured Interview − This type of interview is an unplanned one, where

the interview questionnaire is not prepared. Here, the effectiveness of the
 interview is very less and there is a tremendous waste of time and effort of both
the interviewer and the interviewee.

 Group Interview − In this type of interview, all the candidates or a group of

candidates are interviewed together. Group interviews are conducted to save
time when there is a large number of applications for a few job vacancies. A
topic will be given to discuss among the candidates and the interviewer judges
the innovativeness and behavior of each candidate in the group.

 Depth Interview − Depth interview is a semi-structured interview, where the

candidates have to give a detailed information about their education
background, work experience, special interests, etc. And the interviewer takes a
depth interview and tries in finding the expertise of the candidate.

 Stress Interview − Stress interviews are conducted to discover how a

candidate behaves in stressful conditions. In this type of interview, the
interviewer will come to know whether the candidate can handle the demands of
a complex job. The candidate who maintains his composure during a stress
interview is normally the right person to handle a stressful job.

 Individual Interview − In an individual interview, the interview takes place

one-on-one i.e., there will be a verbal and a visual interaction between two
people, an interviewer and a candidate. This is a two-way communication
interview, which helps in finding the right candidate for a vacant job position.

 Informal Interview − Such interviews are conducted in an informal way, i.e.,

the interview will be fixed without any written communication and can be
arranged at any place. There is no procedure of asking questions in this type of
interview, hence it will be a friendly kind of interview.

 Formal Interview − A formal interview held in a formal way, i.e., the candidate
will be intimated about the interview well in advance and the interviewer plans
and prepares questions for the interview. This is also called as a planned
interview.

 Panel Interview − Panel interview, as the name indicates, is being conducted

by a group of people. In this type of interview, three to five members of the
selection committee will be asking questions to the candidates on different
aspects. The final decision will be taken by all the members of the panel
collectively.
  Exit Interview − Exit interviews are conducted for those employees who want
to leave the organization. The importance of the exit interview is to discover why
an employee wants to leave his job.

Example

Suppose there is a software company Global Systems, which has an executive

requirement for the position CEO. This kind of position cannot be fulfilled in a short
span. This kind of requirements need a keen observation and a lot of planning.

There are different types of interviews, which are explained in the above list. The best
type of interview suitable for hiring a CEO would be a “Structured Interview”. Hiring a
CEO for an organization is a big task and it can only be fulfilled with lots of planning.
Hence the interview process needs to be well structured and it has to be executed in a
perfect way.

What is Selection?

Selection is the process of picking or choosing the right candidate, who is most suitable
for a vacant job position in an organization. In others words, selection can also be
explained as the process of interviewing the candidates and evaluating their qualities,
which are required for a specific job and then choosing the suitable candidate for the
position.

The selection of a right applicant for a vacant position will be an asset to the
organization, which will be helping the organization in reaching its objectives.

Different authors define Selection in different ways. Here is a list of some of the
definitions −

 Employee selection is a process of putting a right applicant on a right job.

 Selection of an employee is a process of choosing the applicants, who have the

qualifications to fill the vacant job in an organization.

 Selection is a process of identifying and hiring the applicants for filling the
vacancies in an organization.

 Employee selection is a process of matching organization’s requirements with the

skills and the qualifications of individuals.

A good selection process will ensure that the organization gets the right set of
employees with the right attitude.

Difference between Recruitment and Selection

The major differences between Recruitment and Selection are as follows −

 Recruitment Selection

Recruitment is defined as the process Selection is defined as the process of

of identifying and making the potential choosing the right candidates for the vacant
candidates to apply for the jobs. positions.

Recruitment is called as a positive Selection is called as a negative process with

process with its approach of attracting its elimination or rejection of as many
as many candidates as possible for the candidates as possible for identifying the
vacant jobs right candidate for the position.

Both recruitment and selection work hand in hand and both play a vital role in the
overall growth of an organization.

Importance of Selection

Selection is an important process because hiring good resources can help increase the
overall performance of the organization. In contrast, if there is bad hire with a bad
selection process, then the work will be affected and the cost incurred for replacing that
bad resource will be high.

The purpose of selection is to choose the most suitable candidate, who can meet the
requirements of the jobs in an organization, who will be a successful applicant. For
meeting the goals of the organization, it is important to evaluate various attributes of
each candidate such as their qualifications, skills, experiences, overall attitude, etc. In
this process, the most suitable candidate is picked after the elimination of the
candidates, who are not suitable for the vacant job.

The organization has to follow a proper selection process or procedure, as a huge

amount of money is spent for hiring a right candidate for a position. If a selection is
wrong, then the cost incurred in induction and training the wrong candidate will be a
huge loss to the employer in terms of money, effort, and also time. Hence, selection is
very important and the process should be perfect for the betterment of the
organization.

Advantages of Selection

A good selection process offers the following advantages−

 It is cost-effective and reduces a lot of time and effort.

 It helps avoid any biasing while recruiting the right candidate.

 It helps eliminate the candidates who are lacking in knowledge, ability, and
proficiency.
  It provides a guideline to evaluate the candidates further through strict
verification and reference-checking.

 It helps in comparing the different candidates in terms of their capabilities,

knowledge, skills, experience, work attitude, etc.

A good selection process helps in selecting the best candidate for the requirement of a
vacant position in an organization.

Selection Process and Steps

As we have discussed that Selection is very important for any organization for
minimizing the losses and maximizing the profits. Hence the selection procedure should
be perfect. A good selection process should comprise the following steps −

 Employment Interview − Employment interview is a process in which one-on-

one session in conducted with the applicant to know a candidate better. It helps
the interviewer to discover the inner qualities of the applicant and helps in taking
a right decision.

 Checking References − Reference checking is a process of verifying the

applicant’s qualifications and experiences with the references provided by him.
These reference checks help the interviewer understand the conduct, the
attitude, and the behavior of the candidate as an individual and also as a
professional.

 Medical Examination − Medical examination is a process, in which the physical

and the mental fitness of the applicants are checked to ensure that the
candidates are capable of performing a job or not. This examination helps the
organization in choosing the right candidates who are physically and mentally fit.

 Final Selection − The final selection is the final process which proves that the
applicant has qualified in all the rounds of the selection process and will be
issued an appointment letter.
A selection process with the above steps will help any organization in choosing and
selecting the right candidates for the right job.

Salary Negotiations

Salary negotiation is done ahead of issuing an offer letter. This is the heart of
recruitment and selection process, wherein the actual worth of a right candidate will be
evaluated. The remuneration offered should be balanced, acceptable and agreed by
both the parties – the employer and the employee.

Some organizations have salary grades, which are already assigned for each and
every position, hence the new employee also receives the salary as per the grade for
which the candidate is qualified and selected for.

A Win-Win Situation

The negotiations should be a win-win situation, where both the candidate and the
employer should benefit.

If the candidate expects and demands for a higher salary than the offered salary, then
the employer can raise the package (if the budget permits) in the following cases −

 The candidate is highly talented with a potential to deliver great results.

 The candidate has exceptional skills which are rare in the market.

Sometimes there is high demand for a skill and the market does not have sufficient
supply of qualified candidates to fill the gap. In such cases, the HR team offers lucrative
packages in order to attract talented professionals.

Hiring managers, most of the time, have a budget for each position and they are under
pressure to hire the right candidates without overshooting their assigned budget.

Tips for Good Salary Negotiation

Hiring managers should keep the following points in mind while negotiating salary with
a potential candidate −

 Research about the job posting well in advance and have a clear understanding
of the demand and supply of skilled professionals in the job market.

 Make the candidates understand the break-up of the total package that is
offered.

 Do not let the candidate know the maximum salary that can be offered.

 Do not reject a candidate if his expectations are beyond the budget, rather try to
make them understand the fringe benefits that is being offered in the package.
Salary negotiation is extremely important, as it can either make or break a selection.
Sometimes, hiring managers tend to go overboard and offer an extraordinary package
to attract a right candidate. At other times, a potential candidate rejects the offer
because it was not up to his expectation. Hence, it is very important to maintain
balance between hiring the right candidates and working within the boundaries of the
assigned budget.

Making a Job Offer

Making a job offer is the final stage of recruitment and selection. Once a candidate is
selected, he/she will be issued an offer letter, which describes the designation, job
location, role, responsibilities, remuneration, benefits, and a few terms related to the
company policies.

Most HR professionals tend to believe that making an offer is a simple process, but in
many cases, it is not so. Making an offer is a crucial part of recruitment and selection,
because it’s a stressful and demanding process until the candidate joins the company,
after issuing an offer. At this stage, a lot of responsibility lies on the shoulders of the HR
with regards to the process after making an offer.

How to Make a Job Offer?

Making a job offer is a delicate process and it should be handled carefully. The outcome
of this process can be one of the following −

 the candidate may accept and start working with the organization, or.

 the candidate may accept a better job offer from another organization, if he gets
one.

Hence, the HR team should take quick action at his stage. The following points should
be kept in mind while making a job offer −

 Do Not Delay − Issue an offer letter as soon as a candidate is selected,

especially if the resources are limited.

 Put the job offer on the table − While issuing an offer letter, do not wait for
the right time. Contact the selected candidate over phone and give him a verbal
confirmation that he/she is selected to fill the position vacant.

 Set a deadline to accept the offer − Once the offer is issued to the candidate,
set a reasonable deadline to accept the offer. Take a confirmation from the
candidate that he/she should join as per the date of joining mentioned in the
offer letter.
  Stay connected − Even after the offer is accepted by the candidate, it is the
responsibility of the hiring manager to be in touch with the selected candidate,
till he/she joins the organization.

After finding the right resource for the vacant job in the organization, the offer is
prepared and released to the candidate. It is crucial at this stage to follow a correct
process in order to close the deal and ensure that the selected candidate joins the
organization as per the terms issued in the offer letter.

Preparing a Job Offer Letter

Once the salary negotiations are completed, the next step is preparing and issuing a job
offer letter. During the confirmation of the job offer through phone call or mail, it is best
to make the initial offer and discuss about the terms of the employment.

A formal job offer should include the following −

 Name of the employee

 Title or designation of the job

 The remuneration or salary offered

 Employment commencement date

 Roles and responsibilities of the job

 Terms and conditions (contract/temporary/permanent) of the job

 Compensations and benefit

 Conditions during the probationary period

 Additional condition, which includes legal, background verification etc.

Once the offer letter is prepared and issued to the selected candidate, ask the candidate
to send a signed copy of the offer letter, as a token of acceptance of the job offer.

The process of recruitment and selection starts right from understanding the
requirements, sourcing, scheduling, shortlisting, interviewing, selecting and finally
issuing the offer letter. The process is not over till the candidate joins.

What Next after Issuing a Job Offer?

Employees usually have to serve a notice period before switching jobs. So, there is a
time-gap of one month or so after a candidate accepts the Offer Letter till the time he
joins the organization. During this time-gap, the role of a recruiter is important because
the candidate may or may not join, even after accepting the offer letter! Hence, the
recruiter should be in touch with the candidate through mails/messages/calls till he/she
joins the company.
This communication and the relationship between the recruiter and the candidate will
help the process to complete and reduce the risks of the candidate not joining the
company. Hence, communication plays a vital role in the process of recruitment and
selection.

The following steps are important after a candidate accepts the Job Offer −

 Documentation process − This process includes collecting documents such as

educational certificates, id proof, address proof, previous company offer letter,
relieving letters, etc. If a candidate responds positively, then it is an indicator
that he/she is actually interested in joining the organization.

 Employment verification process − Collecting an employment verification

document, which consists of the details of the previous employers and their
references. It provides information regarding the behavior and attitude of the
candidate.kkk

 Contacting the candidates − Be in contact with the candidate through calls or

mails or messages, which helps in building a relationship between the recruiter
and a potential employee. It also helps in knowing the status of the candidate
joining the organization.

 Resignation from current employment − As soon as an offer letter is issued

to the candidate, make sure that the candidate resigns his current job and
shares a copy of the resignation document/mail. Later on, do follow up with
regards to the resignation acceptance document/mail fkkkrom the current
employer.

 Following up for the joining date − Finally, keep following up with the
candidate about the joining date, because it will help in knowing the status of
the candidate joining the organization as per the joining date mentioned in the
offer letter.

All the above points help the employer in identifying the interest and the seriousness of
a candidate in joining the organization.

On a scale of one to ten, rate me as an interviewer.

Thank you so much sir for giving me this opportunity to judge you. Sir you are the HR of this company
and I am just a student who came here to get job in your company but still if you wanna know, I will
give you 9/10 because I think that no one is perfect in this world.
 Why do you want to leave your present job?

The reasons for switching the job could be numerous. The best answer to offer for this question is to
say, “for better prospects”.

Now they can ask you another question, what do you mean by better prospects? To this you can say,
better prospects in terms of experience, and exposure.

If you have been made redundant, put your words across very carefully. Your wrong words can give
an impression that only you were the one whose position was made redundant, which hardly might be
the case.

May be you can say something like, “Over last 8 months a lot of restructuring was going on in the
company and 40 positions became surplus. One of them was mine but I have learnt a lot during my
tenure at XYZ company and I am sure I can add a lot of value to a position like the one we are
discussing about”.

What is Recruitment ?

- Recruitment is the process of identifying, screening and hiring the most suitable candidate for a job vacancy.
- The candidate might be hired internally or from external sources
- The process must be performed in timely and cost effective manner
- It can also be termed as a process linking the employers and the employees

Explain the purpose and importance of recruitment.

The purpose of recruitment is to:

- Attract the maximum number of candidates to the organization and encourage them to apply
- Create strong database and select the best candidate for the position
- Ascertain the current and future manpower requirements of the organization
- Make the hiring exercise a cost effective one

Importance of recruitment is:

- To identify the potential candidates within the organization for future man power requirements
- To identify the outside candidates and hire them to meet the man power requirements
- To establish various sources of candidates
- To help in increasing the success of hiring process

Explain recruitment process.

The recruitment process tries to get the best manpower for the organization. It can be considered as the first strategic step towards
the success of an organization.

The process consists of following major steps:

- Identifying the vacancy

- Preparing the job specifications and description of the potential candidate
- Advertising the requirement
- Receiving and managing the applications
- Short listing the candidates
- Arranging the interviews
- Conducting the interviews and deciding on the candidate

What are the various internal and external sources of recruitment?

There can be two kinds of sources of recruitment for organizations - Internal and External.

Internal recruitment - It means getting the candidate from within the organization to fulfil a vacancy. Internal recruitment can be
done by:

- Transfer - transferring an employee from one location/ department to other.

- Promotion - Taking the employee higher up in the hierarchy
- Ex-employees - These could be the retired or retrenched employees
- Demotion - Lowering the position of an employee in the hierarchy for various reasons

External recruitment - It means getting the absolutely new candidate to the company. The sources of these employees could be
many:

- Job notifications in the print/ online media

- College campuses
- Placement agents
- Unsolicited applicants
- Employee referral program
- Employment exchange
- Labour contractors

Explain the internal and external factors affecting recruitment.

There can be various internal and external factors which affect the recruitment process.

Internal factors - The factors which are under the control of organization are called internal factors.

These could be -

i.) Recruitment policy of the organization

ii.) Human Resource Planning
iii.) Expansion plans
iv.) Cost of recruitment

External factors - These are the factors which are not under the control of the organization.

These could be -

i.) Availability of talent

ii.) Brand image of the organization
iii.) Politico-social environment
iv.) Legal conditions
v.) Economic condition of the market
vi.) Recruitment policy of the competitors

What should be the focus of recruitment policy of a company?

A good recruitment policy helps the organization in developing an effective recruitment process. It can be termed as the first step in
developing an efficient recruitment process. A recruitment policy defines the recruitment objectives and clearly defines the framewor
to work within.

A good recruitment policy should focus on:

- Being unbiased towards all candidates

- Recruiting the best talent
- Helping the employees identify their potential
- Promoting transparent, merit based selection
- Developing cost effective recruitment process
- Appointing an authority for final decision
- Being socially, politically, legally and economically friendly

List some factors that affect the recruitment policy of a company.

Various factors which can affect the recruitment policy of a company are:

- Its objectives
- Policies of the competitors
- Government laws - Social and economic
- Political environment
- Cost of recruitment
- Time available
- Preferred recruitment sources

What are the main components of a recruitment policy?

The main components of a recruitment policy are:

- Terms of recruitment
- Sources of recruitment
- Using the services of placement agents
- Payment terms and conditions for placement agents
- Recruitment of contractual employees
- Obtaining requirements from departments
- Selection process
- Employment terms and conditions

What are the advantages of outsourcing the recruitment services?

Many organizations outsource their recruitment services to the placement agencies. The main advantages of doing so are as
follows:
- It allows the organizations to focus on core and strategic activities
- It leads to optimal use of resources and time
- It provides access to the expertise of the placement agents
- Reduction in recruitment cost

Explain Poaching/ Raiding.

Poaching in recruitment means hiring the employee of a competitor who is working in the same capacity as desired by you. This is a
major challenge faced by the HR managers as it causes the leakage of talent from an organization and effects its
productivity.

The employee is usually hired by offering him better salary and perks.

List the e-recruitment techniques. What are the advantages of e-recruitment?

E-recruitment means using internet for the recruitment services.

Three main techniques used in e-recruitment are:

- Advertising on job portals

- Building a recruitment section on company's website.
- Screening the database of candidates on job portals

The advantages of e-recruitment are:

- Lower cost of advertising the job openings

- Helps in saving time
- Large pool of candidates to choose from
- Day in - day out access to the database
- Screening the database brings in only relevant candidates
- Paper less process - more organised

Differentiate between recruitment and selection.

- Recruitment aims at searching for the talent and promoting the candidates to apply for the position while selection is the process o
screening the candidates to fill a position with the most suitable candidate.

- Recruitment process get a pool of candidates for the selection process to work and choose the best one.
- Recruitment encourages more and more people to apply while selection eliminates unsuitable candidates to zero down on the bes
one.

- There is no contractual agreement between the employee and the employer in the recruitment process while after the selection a
contract is agreed upon by the employee and the employer.

What is recruitment management system? What are its features and benefits?

- Recruitment management system is a tool for effective management of recruitment process. It helps in quick, reliable, accurate and
unbiased processing of various applications.

- The system helps in efficient management of system by automatically maintaining the database of candidates.

- It works as a good interface between various parties involved in the whole process

- It helps in better communication.

How would you maximize your ROI on recruitment?

Recruitment is a time and money consuming activity. In order to maximize the ROI through recruitment activities, a company should
keep following things in mind:

- Clearly define the achievements you expect from the recruitment process. Establishing the clear goals doesn't leave a place for
confusion in the system.
- Develop effective ways to measure critical results.
- Precise estimation of time and cost of recruitment.
- Ensure that the people working in the recruitment process are well trained.
- Estimate the tangible and intangible benefits that have come from the recruitment exercise.

Explain the process of recruitment through placement agents.

The process of recruitment through placement agents consists of following steps:

- Brief the consultant about the profile and the candidate

- Placement consultant shortlist some candidates and sends the CVs
- Company's representative shortlists the CVs sent by consultants
- Interview is scheduled by the agent
- Interview conducted by the company's representative
- If the candidate is selected, he is given an offer after the negotiation else the consultant sends another candidate

What qualities would you look for in consultants before getting them on board for your recruitment activities?

If a company decides to outsource its recruitment activities, it looks for a consultant to do this job. Following are the important
qualities, a company should look for in the consultant before hiring them -

- Experience and expertise in the sector

- Resources they possess
- Achievements in the last projects
- Flexibility and adaptability
- Result orientation

What are the elements of an effective recruitment strategy?

The purpose of a recruitment strategy is to hire the best talent a company desires in a timely and cost effective manner. Following
are the main elements of an effective recruitment strategy:

- Identifying the jobs

- Type of candidates required depending on their - performance, experience, domain knowledge.
- Sources to tab - job portals, campuses, competitor's employees, employee referral
- Assigned recruiters
- Process to evaluate and hire candidates

What challenges have you faced as a recruiter?

Major challenges a recruiter faces are:

- Lack of candidates in some particular domain

- Changing trends of the market
- Lack of self motivation
- Lack of agility in the process
- Lack of job prioritization
- Lack of proper job analysis
If you are required to recruit expats, what qualities will you try to judge during the interview?

When there is a shortage of skills and talents at a particular geographical location, the company tries to hire people from other
geographical locations. These people are called expats. Sometimes the companies require only expats for certain positions -
depending on their recruitment strategy. While hiring expats it is important to judge following qualities in them:

- Professional qualifications and expertise

- Adaptability and Flexibility
- Cultural sensitivity
- Family conditions
- Open mindedness
- Any past international work experience
- Level of self-motivation

What do you understand by "Equal Employment Opportunity"?

Equal employment opportunity means an equal and fair treatment for all people. There is no discrimination among the employees or
candidates on the basis of:
race, age, sex, marital status, disability, sexuality, pregnancy etc.

Equal employment Opportunities help in overall development of both the society as well as the organization. They help the
organizations in creating a good image for themselves and discharging their social responsibilities.

Explain Employee Motivation.

Motivation can be defined as the enthusiasm of an employee which causes him to take actions at work.

Which non-monetary factors do you think help in building up the motivation level of employees?

Following are some of the effective ways to motivate employees:

i.) Respectful treatment

ii.) Recognising the individual and performance
iii.) Training
iv.) Regular performance and behavioural feedback
v.) Clear communication from the management
vi.) Involvement in activities that desire responsibility
vii.) Challenges
viii.) Clearly defined goals and plan of action

What kind of work culture do you think increases the motivation level of an employee?

Following are some of the characteristics of the culture that increases motivation level of an employee:

i.) Suggestions and feedback from the employees are heard

ii.) Employees are well informed about the things affecting them
iii.) Communication among the team members and with the superiors is open in nature
iv.) Employees are trusted and treated with respect
v.) Employees work and deliver as a team
vi.) Employees see a path to grow and are regular trained for development

Explain Taylor's theory of motivation.

Frederick Taylor put forward a theory about worker’s motivation. Its main features are:

i.) Workers do not enjoy work.

ii.) They need constant supervision
iii.) They are motivated mainly by the “salary”

What are the main points of Mayo's theory of motivation?

Mayo’s theory believes that money is not the only motivation for workers. They are highly motivated by factors like:

i.) Communication between them and managers

ii.) More involvement of manager in their work life
iii.) Working in teams

How is Mayo's theory different from Taylor's theory of motivation?

i.) Taylor’s theory focuses on the negative aspect of a worker’s behaviour while Mayo’s theory focuses on positive aspects.
ii.) Taylor’s theory treats money as the biggest motivation while Mayo’s theory lays more emphasis on non-monetary factors.

Explain Maslow's theory of hierarchy of needs. Do you think it applies in real life?

- Maslow’s theory of hierarchy of needs believes that each individual has some needs arranged in hierarchical order. Only when a
lower need is satisfied, does the higher need come into picture.

- Thus the incentives offered to the workers at each level have to be different.

These needs are classified as grouped as below:

Level 1 – Basic needs – Food, clothes, shelter

Level 2 – Safety needs – Security and protection
Level 3 – Social needs
Level 4 – Esteem needs
Level 5 – Self actualization

What is Herzberg's theory of motivation?

Herzberg came out with two-factor theory of motivation which believed that there are certain factors which enthuse motivation in
workers while others de- motivate them. The factors demotivating the workers are called the hygiene factors.

Motivators are the factors that give satisfaction. For e.g.

- Recognition
- Challenges
- Responsibility

The other set of factors are hygiene factors – their presence doesn’t motivate the employees but their absence surely de-motivates
them. For e.g. –

- Work conditions
- Salary
- Job security etc.
Who proposed theory X and Y of motivation? What were the major differences between X and Y observations?

Theory X and Y of motivation was proposed by Douglas McGregor. The major difference between these theories are:

- Theory X takes a negative view of the employees while the Theory Y takes a positive view.
- Theory X believes that employees are lazy and do not like work while Theory Y believes that employees enjoy work.
- Theory X believes that money is the only motivation for work while Theory Y believes that the satisfaction that employees achieve
after doing a work well is a bigger motivation.
- Theory X believes in doing the business in an authoritarian way while Theory Y tries to remove ;;;;he barriers employees find in the
way of their work.