What is recruitment?

Recruitment is the task and process of identifying, vetting and hiring the best possible candidates for open positions in your organization. The recruitment process is lengthy, and it can involve multiple steps and stakeholders, depending on how your company organizes and manages recruitment. Some companies utilize full cycle recruiting, in which one person manages the entire hiring process, while other companies divide up the recruitment tasks between a team of employees. 

Related: Recruitment Tips: Concepts Every Hiring Manager Should Know

Importance of having an effective recruitment process

A strong and effective recruiting process is vital to a strong and effective workforce. Consider the benefits of implementing a thoughtful recruitment process:

• Finding excellent candidates: Spending time and energy on identifying the best possible candidates with a formal recruiting process will help you ensure you hire the right person. 
• Managing resources: Using an established process for every potential candidate increases the likelihood that you’ll save time and money long term. 
• Reducing legal concerns: Ensuring you use the same process for every potential candidate can protect you from hiring-related lawsuits or bias accusations. 

Related: Recruitment Metrics: How Hiring Managers Should Use Them

Tips for having a good recruitment process

Use these tips to help you establish an effective recruitment process for your organization: 

Establish a consistent process

Ensure your recruitment process is consistent and effective. It may take some trial and error to develop the ideal procedure for your company, but once you do, make sure your employees follow the plan with every potential candidate. 

Train your recruiters

Make sure you train your recruitment team well. They should not only understand every step of your recruitment process but feel well-prepared to manage each step independently. Invest in regular training to keep them up-to-date on industry trends and advances. 

Build relationships with external resources

If you use external recruitment resources like consultants or recruiters, take the time to build positive relationships with them. The more they know about you and your organization, the better prepared they’ll be to supply you with effective potential candidates. 

Maintain your own careers website

Make a careers website or add a careers page to your existing website. You can manage job postings and applications through that webpage rather than working with a third-party site or dealing with emails. 

Use technology

There are many resources out there to help streamline and automate much of the recruitment process. Look into various relationship management and recruiting platforms to see what types of technology can best help your team make their process more efficient. 

Manage candidate relationships

Make sure you have a strong communication plan in place for recruiters and candidates. Building positive relationships with potential candidates ensures they’ll feel supported if they do get the job, or they’ll feel good about applying later if they don’t get the position. 

Ensure compliance

All of your recruitment employees should know and understand the federal, state and legal compliance rules related to recruitment and hiring. Make compliance a part of the training process for your team, so you’re sure they understand it. 

Seek internal referrals

Ask internal employees to help find potential candidates for open positions. Employee referrals are a great, low-cost way to find potential candidates and make current employees a part of the recruitment process. 

Overview of the recruitment process

The recruitment process can vary depending on the demands of the specific industry and the needs of the company, but the basic recruitment process follows these steps: 

1. Determine the need for a new employee

The first step in the process is identifying the need for a new employee. Usually, this step also includes assessing the tasks associated with the position and the necessary skills and qualifications the person who takes the job will need. 

2. Create the job posting

Using the information you gathered in step one, write a thorough job posting that describes the following:

• The job title
• The key job tasks
• Necessary education
• Necessary experience 
• How to apply 

You can also include salary and benefits information or any other details about the company you’d like to give potential applicants for a fuller understanding of the job. 

3. Post the job description and look for candidates

Post the description on your website at a minimum. If you’re handling the recruitment process entirely in-house, then you might also consider placing the job posting on a recruitment site like Indeed for broader reach. If you’re working with an external recruitment team, share your job posting with them. 

4. Screen applications

Once you receive applications, look through them closely to find potential candidates. Ensure the information the candidates include in their application meets the basic requirements as described in the job posting. Create a list of the candidates you’re most interested in meeting. 

5. Conduct interviews

Hold interviews with your top choice candidates to get to know them better. Ask questions about their education, work experience and career goals. You might administer personality tests or aptitude tests at this stage, depending on the specifics of the position. 

6. Select a candidate

Choose a candidate to hire based on your application screening, interview and any testing you conduct. Ensure all stakeholders approve of the candidate before taking any next steps in the recruitment process. 

7. Make a job offer

Make a job offer to the chosen candidate. Provide information about salary, benefits and start date to help them make an informed decision about the role. They may provide a counter offer. Negotiate as needed until you and the candidate come to an agreement. 

Roles involved in recruitment

Some companies use full-cycle recruiting, in which one person performs all the roles in the recruitment process. Others assign single tasks in the recruitment process to individual employees who specialize in that area. Common roles associated with recruitment include:

• Recruiters: Recruiters usually manage or oversee the entire recruitment process from start to finish. Some take an active role with each potential candidate, while others serve more as managers for other recruitment employees.
• Human resources representative: Some human resources representatives take an active role in the full recruitment process, while others assist at the end of the process with the job offer and subsequent training. 
• Sourcer: Sourcers look for quality candidates who meet the requirements of the open job position.
• Hiring manager: Hiring managers are usually the direct managers of the open position. They often conduct or participate in the interviews and candidate selection.
• Core team members: Some organizations include core team members or those employees who will work directly with the new employee once hired, in the recruitment and training process.
• Direct supervisor: For some positions, the direct supervisor may be a different person than the hiring manager. In these cases, the direct supervisor often also participates in interviews and candidate selection.
• CEO: The top of the company often wants to know and approve of any new employee hires. They’re rarely involved in the early stages of the hiring process but often participate in the final stages.

The recruitment process is vital for bringing quality employees into your company. Understand how the process works and who you need in recruitment positions to find the best possible candidates.