Recruitment: Definition, Meaning and Sources of Recruitment

According to Edwin B. Flippo, "Recruitment is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating them to apply for jobs in the organization."

 What is Recruitment?

The process of identification of different sources of personnel is known as recruitment. It is a positive process as it attracts suitable applicants who apply for suitable jobs.

Recruitment is concerned with listing the candidates for consideration of selection to various jobs. It enables the management to select suitable employees for different jobs. It is significant to point out that selection is a negative progress since it involves taking of suitable candidates for the organization and rejection of the other applicants. 

Sources of Recruitment

The various sources of recruitment may be grouped into the following two categories:

1. Internal Sources
2. External Sources   

Internal Sources

Such sources of labour supply exist within the organization. There are two internal sources of recruitment, namely, transfer and promotion. These are discussed below-

1. Transfer: It involves shifting of an employee from one job to another, one department to another or from one shift to another. The transfer is a good source of filling vacancies with employees from overstaffed departments or shifts. It may also be used as a tool for training.

At the time of transfer, it is ensured that the employee to be transferred to the new job is capable of performing it. In fact, a transfer does not involve any drastic change in the responsibilities, pay and status of the employee.

2. Promotion: It leads to shifting an employee to a higher position, carrying higher responsibilities, facilities, status and pay. Many companies follow the practice of filling higher jobs by promoting employees who are considered fit for such positions. Filling vacancies in higher jobs from within the organization has the benefit of motivating the existing employees. It has a great psychological impact on the employees. A promotion at the higher level may also lead to a chain of promotions at lower levels in the organization.

 Merits of Internal Sources 

Filling jobs from within the organization have the following merits: 

• Employees are motivated to improve their performance.
• Morale of the employee is increased.
• Industrial peace prevails in the enterprise because of promotional avenues.
• Filling of jobs internally is cheaper as compared to getting candidates from external sources.
• A promotion at a higher level may lead to a chain of promotions at lower levels in the organization. Thus, many employees are satisfied.
• Transfer or job rotation is a tool for training employees for higher jobs.
• The transfer has the benefit of shifting workforce from the surplus department to those where there is a shortage of staff.

Limitations of Internal Sources

Internal sources of recruitment have certain demerits also. These are listed below:

• When vacancies are filled through internal promotions, the scope for fresh talent is reduced.
• The employees may become lethargic if they are sure of time-bound promotions.
• The spirit of competition among the employees may be hampered.
• Frequent transfers of employees may reduce the overall productivity of the organization.
• It may not be possible for an organization to fill all the vacancies from internal sources.
• Any new organization cannot apply internal source to fill all the vacancies.   

External Sources

Every new enterprise has to tap external sources for various job positions. Running enterprises have also to recruit employees from outside for filling the positions whose specifications cannot be met by present employees. The commonly used external sources of recruitment are discussed below:

1. Direct Employment or Recruitment at Factory Gates: An important source of recruitment is direct recruitment by placing a notice on the noticeboard of the enterprise, specifying the details of the jobs available. It is known as recruitment at factory gates. 

Usually, a large number of unemployed persons assemble every day at the gate of every big factory. Whenever unskilled workers are required, the Personnel Manager will scrutinise in a general way the workers available and pick up the required number of workers. This method of recruitment has the following advantages:

• It is a direct method of recruitment. It does not involve the cost of advertising the vacancies.
• It is the cheapest method to fill casual vacancies.
• Whenever there is a rush of work or a large number of workers are absent, this source of labour may be easily used

2. Casual Callers: Some organisations, which are regarded as good employers, draw a steady stream of unsolicited applications in their offices. This serves as a valuable source of manpower. If adequate attention is paid to maintain pending application folders for various jobs, the personnel department may find the unsolicited applications very useful in filling the vacancies whenever they arise. The merit of this source of recruitment is that it saves the costs of recruiting workforce from other sources.
 

 3. Campus Recruitment: Jobs in many industrial organisations have become increasingly technical and complex to the point where college degrees are widely required. Consequently, big organisations maintain a close liaison with the universities, vocational institutes and management institutes for a recruitment to various jobs. Recruitment from educational institutions is a well-established practice of thousands of business and other organisations. It is also known as campus recruitment.

Organisations which require a large number of clerks or which seek applicants for continuing apprenticeship programme usually recruit from technical institutions or polytechnics offering vocational courses.

4. Media Advertisement: Advertisement in newspapers or trade and professional journals is generally given to search qualified and experienced personnel for the vacant jobs. Most of the senior positions in industry as well as commerce are filled by this method. The advantage of advertising is that information about the organisation, job description and job specifications can be given in the advertisement to facilitate self-screening by the prospective candidates. 

Advertisements give the management a wider range of candidates to choose from. Its disadvantage is that it brings in a flood of response, and many times, from quite unsuitable candidates.

5. Employment Exchange: Employment exchanges run by the government are regarded as a good source of recruitment for unskilled and skilled operative jobs. They provide a nationwide service in attempting to match demand for and supply of human resources. They charge fees for their services from the employers and sometimes from the candidates selected for a job through them.

6. Recommendations: Applicants introduced by trusted employees, friends and relatives may prove to be a good source of recruitment. In fact, many employers prefer to take such persons because something about their background is known. it is presumed that the recommending person will rarely recommend a person who is not suitable for a job.

7. Web or Internet Recruitment: There are certain organizations which have created specialised websites to collect data about job-seekers and job providers. Some of the popular websites include naukri.com, monster.com, jobstreet.com, etc. They are frequently visited by a large number of job seekers and organisations searching for suitable employees.

 Merits of External Sources

The merits of external sources of recruitment are as under:

1. Qualified Personnel: By using external sources of recruitment, the management can make qualified and trained people apply for vacant jobs in the organisation.

2. Wider Choice: When vacancies are advertised widely, a large number of applicants from outside the organisation apply. The management has a wider choice while selecting the people for employment.

3. Fresh Talent: The insiders may have limited talents. External sources facilitate the infusion of fresh blood with new ideas into the enterprise. This will improve the overall working of the enterprise.

4. Competitive Spirit: If a company can tap external sources, the existing staff will have to compete with the outsiders. They will work harder to produce better performance.

Limitations of External Sources

The drawbacks of filling vacancies from external sources are as follows:

1. Dissatisfaction among Existing staff: External recruitment may lead to dissatisfaction and frustration among existing employees. They may feel that their chances of promotion are reduced.

2. Lengthy Process: Recruitment from outside takes a long time. The business has to notify the vacancies and wait for applications to initiate the selection process.

3. Costly Process: It is very costly to recruit staff from external sources. A lot of money has to be spent on advertisement and processing of applications.