What is recruitment and selection?

Regardless of the size of the company or the field of specialty in which it operates, sooner or later all organizations need new talent. There might be a myriad of reasons to start a recruitment process. In general, when a company reaches a point where it’s no longer possible to operate regularly with the current workforce, it’s necessary to hire new personnel.  

What do you really know about the recruitment process? At T2W we have extensive experience in recruitment and selection, so we can tell you all you need to know about this. In this article, we’ll delve into the world of recruitment and the way it works. Let’s start! 

What is recruitment and selection? 

In short, we can say that personnel recruitment is the process of searching, sourcing, evaluating and hiring people in a company. Of course, this process can be very complex and is comprised of several different stages. 

On the other hand, it’s necessary to consider that recruitment is the first step in the human resources management process. Ideally, this process should start with the first contact the company has with the future employee. In addition, the organization should offer a good experience not only during the recruitment processes, but also all along the employee life cycle until the end of the employment relationship. 

Now, it’s important considering that not all recruitment processes are the same. Some might take more time and require some additional steps. In general, a recruitment process can take from 10 to 30 days. However, the duration can change depending on the specialty level and the demand of the position. 

Stages in a recruitment process 

As we previously mentioned, each recruitment process is a different story. However, despite the differences there may be, the stages of the recruitment process tend to be more or less the same. First, before looking for candidates, it’s important to define the characteristics of the vacant position such as the responsibilities, knowledge and experience necessary.  

The next stage is selecting the type of recruitment. There are many types of recruitment and each one of these offers several benefits. Once the type of recruitment has been identified, you need to define the channel where you’ll look for candidates. While today digital channels are the most common channel, it’s necessary to define this according to the vacant position. 

After that, you have to select the recruitment method. The most common is the job ad, but there are some other alternatives. The method selected will provide you with a large number of resumes to check carefully. That stage is the first filter of the process. Then, once the best applicants have been selected, you need to start the interview stage to get to know them better and the way they would fit in the position. 

Depending on the type of position, many companies choose to have an evaluation stage, in which recruiters assess the technical and specialized knowledge of the candidates through a series of tests. Also, some people add a stage of psychological a medical test. Once these phases are over, there can be a proper selection of the ideal candidate. 

Types of recruitment 

There are 2 main types of recruitment. These are divided based on the scenario in which candidates will be sourced.

1. External recruitment

External recruitment is the most common type of recruitment among organizations. Through this method, recruiters search for candidates among the available options in the labor market. This provides a great number and variety of professionals. The downside would be that interviewing and evaluating all these candidates can take some time. This type of recruitment is ideal when you need to fill a new position in a company, and it requires new knowledge and skills.

2. Internal recruitment

With internal recruitment, recruiters search for candidates in the same organization that has the vacant position. In this case, the process entails internal mechanisms such as promotions and transfers. It might be necessary to offer upskilling and reskilling to properly integrate the candidate into the new position. The great advantage of internal recruitment is that all applicants will be familiar with the company, its culture, the way of working and the people. This makes internal recruitment the fastest alternative.  

Recruitment methods 

We have seen the types of recruitment. Now, each type has a series of recruitment methods. Let’s take a look. 

1. External recruitment methods

Undoubtedly, the most common recruitment method is job ads. Today these are widely used through digital channels such as social media and job sites.  

Another common method are talent pools. With these, recruiters create databases in which they constantly add up new attractive profiles of potential candidates for different areas and use it when necessary.  

A method that cannot be overlooked are employee referral programs. With these, employees of the company can suggest professionals who might fit the position and the organization. 

2. Internal recruitment methods

Transfers are usually the most successful recruitment method. With these, a person who is part of the company can be transferred to a different area. This helps employees to pursue different objectives and grow their career. 

Likewise, promotions are a great alternative when an organization needs a professional who is already familiar with the way the company and the area work, so the person will adapt quickly. 

Now you know what recruitment is and the way it works. These are the characteristics that will help you have a better perspective about the world of recruitment and all its possibilities. 

At Talent2Win, we strive to align your company’s business objectives with the best Talent Acquisition strategies available. If you want to learn more about the services we offer, do not hesitate to contact us.