Recruitment – Factors affecting and Sources of Recruitment

Recruitment refers to the process of finding possible candidates for a job or a function.

According to Flippo, “Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs in an organization.”

 It has been defined as the process of searching for prospective employee and stimulating them to apply for jobs in an organization. Through the process of recruitment a job vacancy is identified and potential employees are notified. The hiring process of every organization is regulated by and subject to the employment law of the country.

Factors affecting Recruitment –

Internal factors-

• Recruitment policy of the organization
• Size of the organization
• Costs involved in recruitment
• Past Practices of the orgainzation
  
• Influence and power of Trade unions
  
• Growth and expansion plans of the organization
  

External factors-

• Nature of Competition for human resources – Supply and demand of specific skills in the market
• Company image
• Political Environment
• Social Environment
• Legal Environment
• Economic Environment

Sources of Recruitment

(1) Transfer and Promotion – Transfer involves shifting of an employee from one job to another or from one department to another, within a substantive change in the responsibilities and the status of the employees. A promotion leads to shifting of an employee to a higher position in the organization carrying higher responsibilities, facilities, status and pay.

(2) Campus Recruitment – Colleges and institutes of management and technology have become a popular source of recruitment for technical, professional and managerial jobs.  Many big organisations visit universities, vocational schools and management institutes to recruit qualified person.

(3) Recommendations of employees – Applicants introduced by present employees, or their friends and relatives may prove to be a good source of recruitment.  Such applicants are likely to be a good employees.

(4) Direct Recruitment – Under the direct recruitment, a notice is placed on the Notice Board of the enterprise specifying the details of the jobs available.  Job seekers assemble outside the premises of the organisations on the specified date and selection is done on the spot.  The practice of direct recruitment is followed usually for casual vacancies of the unskilled or semi-skilled jobs.  Such workers are known as casual or `badli’ workers.

(5) Employment Exchange – Employment exchanges run by the Government are regarded as a good source for recruiting unskilled and skilled workers for daily operative jobs.  In some cases compulsory notification of vacancies to employment exchange is required by law.

(6) Casual Callers – Many reputed business organisations keeps a database of unsolicited applicants in their offices.  Such job-seekers can be a valuable source of manpower.  A list of job seekers can be a valuable source of manpower and can be prepared & screened to fill the vacancies as they arise. The major merit of this source is that it reduces the cost of recruiting workforce in comparison to other sources.

(7) Advertisement – Advertisement in newspaper or trade and professional journals is generally used to recruit employees when a wider choice is required.  Most of the senior positions in an organization are filled by this method.  The advantages of advertising is that more information about the organisation and job can be given in the advertisement.