Stages of Recruitment

What is recruitment?

• Recruitment is the process of having the right person, in the right place, at the right time.
• Recruitment is a critical activity, not just for the HR team but also for line managers who are increasingly involved in the selection process.
• All those involved in recruitment activities should be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills.
• Recruitment is not only carried out to fulfill current needs. It should always be aware and refer to future plans that have implications for organizational resourcing. Recruiters also be fully aware of equal opportunities legislation and understand how discrimination can occur both directly and indirectly in the recruitment process

The recruitment process involves working through a series of stages such as:

Defining the role:

Job analysis :

Before recruiting for a new or existing position, it’s important to invest time in gathering information about making up the job, job’s purpose, the outputs required by the job holder and how it fits into the organization’s structure . The job analysis be made as follows.

Job description:

This explains the job to candidates and helps the recruitment process by providing a clear guide to all involved about the requirements of the job.

Latest thinking suggests that job descriptions should focus on the work someone needs to achieve rather than the skills and experience, as this is more likely to result in choosing someone with the right abilities.

Person specification/job profile:

A person specification or job profile states the necessary and desirable criteria for selection. Increasingly such specifications are based on a set of competencies identified as necessary for the performance of the job.

As per the Sub-sections (1) and (2) of Section 3 of the Labour Act, 2049, the Proprietor shall classify the job of the workers and employees of the Enterprise according to the nature of production process, service or functions of the Enterprise and shall provide the information thereof to the concerned Labour Office .

If the classification done pursuant to Sub-section (1) requires any amendment, the Labour Officer may, stating the reasons thereof, issue a directive to the Proprietor and it shall be the duty of the Proprietor to abide by such directive.

Attracting applications:

There are mostly two methods to generate interest from potential candidates those are as follows.

Internal methods:

It’s important not to forget the internal talent pool when recruiting. Providing opportunities for development and career progression increases employee engagement and retention and supports succession planning.

Employee referral schemes:

These schemes usually offer an incentive to existing employees to assist in the recruitment of friends or contacts. But employers should not rely on such schemes at the expense of attracting a diverse workforce and they should complement other methods.

External methods:

Survey indicates that the most popular methods for seeking candidates include employer’s corporate website, recruitment agencies, commercial job boards, mass media and professional networking sites such as LinkedIn. There is growing expectation from candidates to be able to search and apply for jobs online and via mobile devices. Advertisements should be clear and indicate:

• requirements of the job
• necessary and desirable criteria for job applicants (to limit the number of inappropriate applications received)
• the organization’s activities
• job location
• reward package
• job tenure (for example, contract length) details of how to apply and the deadline

External recruitment services:

Some organizations use external providers to assist with their recruitment such as recruitment agencies or consultants and they offer employers a range of services – attracting candidates, managing candidate responses, screening, and shortlisting, or running assessment centres on the employer’s behalf.

As per the Section 4 of the Labour Act, 2049 of Nepal in cases where it is required to appoint a worker or employee in any post classified pursuant to Section 3, the Manager Shall have to advertise in order to select such a worker or employee and the worker or employee so selected.

Managing the application and selection process: There are two main formats in which applications are likely to be received those are as follows.

Application forms:

Application forms allow for information to be presented in a consistent format, and therefore make it easier to collect information from job applicants in a systematic way and assess objectively the candidate’s suitability for the job.

CVs:

CVs make it possible for candidates to include lots of additional, irrelevant material which may make them harder to assess consistently.

Dealing with applications:

All applications should be treated confidentially and circulated only to those individuals involved in the recruitment process.

The ‘candidate experience’
The experience of candidates (both successful and unsuccessful) at each stage of the recruitment process will impact on their view of the organization. This could be both from the perspective of a potential employee and, depending on the nature of the business, as a customer.

Selecting candidates:

Selecting candidates involves two main processes: shortlisting and assessing applicants to decide who should be offered a job.

Selection decisions should be made having used appropriate tools, time and resources. Selection should be made on the basis of relevant to the job and the business objectives of the organization.

Making the appointment:
Before making an offer of employment, employers have responsibility for checking that applicants have the right to work in the country so advertised such as Nepal, India, UK etc. and are appropriate for the work.

References:

A recruitment policy should state clearly how references will be used, when in the recruitment process they will be taken up and what kind of references will be necessary (for example, from former employers).

Medical examinations:

It is unlawful to ask candidates to complete a medical questionnaire before being offered a job. Only essential medical issues should be discussed at this stage.

Employment offer:

Offers of employment should always be made in writing. But it is important to be aware that a verbal offer of employment made in an interview is as legally binding as a letter to the candidate.

Joining the organization:

Well-planned induction enables new employees to become fully operational quickly and should be integrated into the recruitment process.

Documentation:

The recruitment process should be documented accurately and access limited to recruitment staff for confidentiality reasons.