Recruitment And Selection Strategies For The Modern Workforce (Part 1)

Times have changed and so have the basic atmosphere, approach and working patterns of organizations. One of the major areas of revolution has been in the style of recruitment and the strategies implemented for recruiting. Here’s a quick look at it!

Recruitment in Olden Days

Word of Mouth – Limited number of companies and limited number of literate population in an otherwise overpopulated era. Probably, the word ‘recruitment’ was non-existent in the dictionary then. Companies used to catch hold of prospective candidates through word of mouth. These candidates would usually be relatives, friends and acquaintances of the one looking for employees.

Direct appointment without any formality was one of the most practised and implemented forms of recruitment then.

Caste-based Recruitment – One of the most rampant ways of recruitment was hiring people based on their caste. Precisely speaking, the (so-called higher caste) Brahmins used to be blindly given preference over those belonging to other castes. In short, caste and religion mattered more than skill, talent and efficiency.

Then came the era of newspaper advertisements. Putting up advertisements on local newspapers, magazines and tabloids about job opportunities was one of the most common and convenient ways of reaching out to potential employees. This would be followed by a common written test, eventually followed by interviewing shortlisted candidates.

Selection Strategies Today

• Social Media – Evolution of technology and internet has come a long way. Finding, tracking, and reaching out to people is now a cakewalk for all. Apart from portals specifically designed to post job ads, people have taken to ‘going that extra mile’ by taking advantage and making full use of social media for finding the right candidate. Tweeting, Facebooking and Whatsapping have become the most preferred forms of communication, where all the needs are met and attended to, at one go. In other words, everything is ‘just a click away’.
• Recruitment Drives, Events and Campus Interviews – Over recent years, employers have taken to conducting campus interviews, and participating in recruitment drives and events. This is a sure shot and proven technique used by recruiters, as it aids in garnering responses from talented jobseekers and enthusiastic interns alike.
• Placement Firms – Helping someone find a job was considered ‘divine’ in earlier times. But now, it means business. With the sudden and unmanageable rise in the number of jobseekers and very limited opportunities, placement/ recruitment firms have come to the rescue of many. Its business with nominal investment, which enables these agencies to tie up with organizations, helping them out with their recruitment needs.

Strategies used for recruitment have always differed from one organization to another. There has been a considerable amount of distinction in this, between established firms and startups. Elaborate report below!

Recruitment Strategies – Established Organizations

• Round the Clock Recruitment – Established firms use recruitment as an on-going process and not just as an event. Every time an employer comes across someone promising enough, they either directly offer them a role which is already vacant, whereas some go to the extent of even ‘creating a role’ for the right candidate.
• Work-life Balance – An organization that offers employee benefits like flexibility, paid vacations, sabbaticals etc, are the ones that attract the maximum number of talent. These benefits have also aided in employee retention to a large extent.
• Employee Referral/Internal Recruitment – Reference from an existing employee usually proves beneficial for everyone, as the existing employee tends to bring in the right candidate, since he/ she would already be aware of the pulse and requirements of the organization.
• Advance Recruitment – Keeping track of the organization’s requirements and employee resignations, preparing a relevant candidate database in advance, and contacting them at the time of need, is something that a well-established firm swears by.

Recruitment Strategies – Startups

• Being Sure of the Requirement – Knowing the desired skill set in detail is the primary step towards finding the right talent for well-known firms and startups alike. Startups tend to make the mistake of ‘hasty hiring’ in order to quickly find someone to share the workload, which later proves costly in many cases.
• Appearance Matters – One of the most cost-effective methods that startups follow is investing in creating an eye-catching website. Just content and technicalities are passé. A dash of bright colours and design add to the spunk and overall look of the website.
• Social Media and Online Search – This can never go wrong, when it comes to reaching out to imminent job aspirants, and its here to stay.
• Interiors, Ambiance and Work Culture – Most of the startups at present, willingly spend a bomb in creating ‘that perfect atmosphere’ for its employees, which is not restricted to stunning interiors and captivating decors alone. Right from ‘chill out/ pass out zones, recreation rooms, in-house gym, to an office pet’ (who not only acts as a stressbuster but also contributes to group discussions and brainstorming sessions by just idling around or falling asleep on the conference table); startups are making every effort to create an inviting workspace and a pampering work culture for its employees.

And it doesn’t end here! In our next session, we shall be taking a detailed look at other areas, comprising of the pros and cons of diverse recruitment strategies, as well as some interesting statistics and figures based on employee retention. So stay tuned for more!