Recruiting Strategies

All of us are worried about getting good employment. But did you know that employers are equally worried about hiring good employees, if not more? Although, more often than not, job seeking candidates themselves approach the employers, the strategy 'you find us' does not work always. A single mistake during the recruitment process might end up in hiring a wrong employee. This mistake may not always cost you in terms of financial losses, but in cases where your company's reputation is at stake, this mistake can prove to be quite expensive. Hence, every organization must formulate some recruiting strategies that will enable the HR personnel to employ right candidates.

Types of Recruiting Strategies

Basically there are two types of recruiting strategies, 'you find us' strategy and the 'we find you' strategy. About 95% of the organizations adopt a 'you find us' strategy. The drawback of this strategy is that it lacks proactive efforts at the individual level. The requirements are only broadly defined, thereby making it difficult to separate the 'potential candidates' from the 'job seekers'. There is a lot of ambiguity regarding the job description of the position as well as employee expectations from the job. On the contrary, 'we find you' strategy follows a systematic approach which ends in the recruitment of the right candidate. The organization is very clear about their requirements, which enables them to find the person that perfectly fits in their requirements. Proactive efforts are made by granting scholarships and mentor ships so as to mold the candidate according to the organizations requirements. Unfortunately, only 5% of the organizations follow this strategy.

Stages of Recruitment

Develop a Job Description
This is the first step to successful recruiting. Understanding the skills and responsibilities for a particular position is of immense importance from the HR perspective. Unless the HR himself is aware of the job description, it is not possible for him to recruit right people. Hence, it is a must that HR analyzes the skills and responsibilities for a particular position and develops a relevant job description by accurately defining the role an employee is supposed to play.

Plan a Strategy
Now that you have your job description at hand, you may actually start looking for people with the requisite qualifications, experience and skill. You need to formulate a recruiting strategy that will allow you to reach job applicants. A previously implemented policy can be implemented, if it has been successful in the past. Once, the strategy has been formulated, its execution should begin. Newspapers, billboards, job sites, references of the current employees are some of the common ways of inviting applications for recruitment. Job fairs, campus recruitment and local events are another options of reaching your potential employees. Pick the strategy that suits your business the most.

Maintain a Checklist
Whether you are only filling in a single position or you are recruiting in bulk, it is important to maintain a proper checklist. A checklist keeps track of your recruiting efforts and progress. It also helps to keep your recruitment efforts on track by forcing you to adhere to your strategy.

Scan the Applications
Sifting through a pile of resumes and job applications is definitely not an easy job. Nonetheless, you should carefully scan each applicant's credentials and cross check them against your list of requirements. Shortlist the candidates that you think fit into your expectations and requirements.

Set a Prescreening Interview
Many a time, the candidate appears very strong on paper, but may not be as appealing personally. The idea of a prescreen interview is to check if the applicant fits into your organization's culture and if his expectations are congruent with your job offer. A prescreen interview saves a lot of time for the selection committee. Only the applicants that pass the prescreen interview are invited for the final interview session with the selection committee.

Interviewing the Right Candidates
Interviewing is the most crucial step in the recruitment process. It gives the chance to the employer to personally meet the potential employee. It is important to ask right questions to the candidate and fairly evaluate his replies. This is the stage where you separate the extraordinary candidates from the average ones. Find more articles on job interview tips and job interview questions and answers.

Perform Background Checks
The interview helps you to zero in upon a right candidate. However, before making a job offer to him, it is important that his credentials are verified. A thorough background check must be performed to ensure that the candidate has provided his credentials with integrity.

Make a Job Offer
Making a formal job offer to the candidate selected for the concerned position is the final step of the recruitment strategy. The verbally negotiated terms and conditions are defined in the offer letter.

Every organization follows recruiting strategies which adhere to its rules, regulations and culture. These are the strategies that are formulated to work best for the particular organization. Hence, irrespective of your recruiting strategy make sure you always end up with the most deserving workforce.