An Overview of Recruitment and Induction

In each case, it is likely that your specialist knowledge of the role requirements and how it fits into your existing team will be needed to feed into the process, so an understanding of the recruitment cycle is essential.

Getting It Right and Getting It Wrong

Good recruitment practice can make a significant contribution to the performance of your team or department and ultimately, your organization. However, ineffective approaches can have far-reaching negative consequences. This table highlights the difference between getting recruitment, selection and induction right, and where ineffective processes and poor decision-making can have a damaging impact.

Getting it right

Getting it wrong

Good selection decisions result in increased performance as talented candidates work towards achieving your team’s goals.

Poor performance can result from a mismatch in candidate expectations and the reality.

Lower turnover as effective recruitment processes mean that employees are less likely to leave your team in search of a more suitable post.

Higher turnover (and resulting replacement, training and induction costs) as unhappy people leave your team or organization.

Good employee relations result from effective recruitment practice as future perceptions are set for developing employee trust and confidence with your team.

Low team morale and engagement resulting from poor fit contribute to a negative team (and organizational) culture.

A positive public image and enhanced employer brand is created as both successful and unsuccessful candidates have a positive recruitment experience.

Poor procedure can lead to contravention of employment legislation and costs arising from tribunal claims.[1]

The Elements of a Successful Recruitment Strategy

This article provides a framework which you can follow to create a successful approach to recruitment. It is important to consider the recruitment process not as a series of individual tasks but as a cycle of activity which comprises:

• preparing for the recruitment process, including developing an accurate job description or role profile and person specification
• using a range of cost effective methods to source appropriate candidates for the role
• ensuring a positive experience for both successful and unsuccessful candidates
• determining appropriate selection methods to help decide on the most suitable candidate for your role
• implementing effective induction activities to help you integrate new recruits into your team quickly

1. Preparing for the Recruitment Process

A vacancy is created when someone leaves or the requirements of your team change. If a team member resigns or moves to a different department, you may be under pressure to fill the post quickly. Don’t be tempted to use an old job description (which describes the specific responsibilities of a particular role) or an out-of-date person specification (which describes the skills, knowledge and attributes needed to perform the role) to save time, as rushing into things will only lead to poor decisions. At the beginning of the recruitment process, take some time to analyze the needs of your team, department and the wider organization so that you can create a vacancy which meets expectations. Developing an accurate job description and person specification will help you determine how the responsibilities of the role will fit with your existing team, and which skills and competencies to focus on during the selection process.

2. Sourcing Candidates Effectively

The aim of recruitment sourcing is to attract a pool of suitably qualified candidates for your vacancy. Depending on the role in question, and your budget, you might use:

• a traditional print advertisement in a newspaper or relevant journal (e.g. the British Medical Journal for medical/scientific positions)
• an online advert posted on an internet job site (e.g. Monster or Stepstone) or in the industry specific sections of online newspapers (e.g. Guardian jobs)
• a recruitment agency or head-hunting service (e.g. to find candidates for a highly specialist role or senior position)
• word of mouth or employee referrals

3. Ensuring a Positive Candidate Experience

Recruitment is a two-way process, so it is important to remember that candidates will be assessing both you and your organization. Remember that individuals can choose to deselect themselves from the process at any time, so you have a key role to play in giving them a realistic overview of the job, the working environment in your team and your organization’s culture. You can help to create a positive candidate experience by:

• providing a recruitment pack which includes information about the job and the organization
• responding to candidate inquiries and applications quickly and courteously
• ensuring that candidates don’t spend a disproportionate amount of time and effort applying for the role e.g. try not to use an overly complex application form or superfluous selection procedures
• familiarizing yourself with each application and asking specific, relevant questions
• providing accurate, timely feedback after the selection process is completed

4. Using a Variety of Selection Methods

The aim of the selection process is to determine the most suitable candidate for your vacancy. There are a range of methods available to help you do this, including:

• an initial screening of CVs and application forms
• inviting suitable candidates for a one-to-one or panel intervie
• inviting candidates to attend an assessment center where a variety of selection techniques can be used e.g. group discussions and activities, in-tray exercises and role-plays
• conducting aptitude tests (e.g. to test verbal and numerical reasoning)
• work sampling, where candidates are asked to complete a piece of relevant work (e.g. give a presentation for a sales role or produce an article for an editorial role)

Interviews are a highly popular method of selection. However it is important to be aware that poorly planned interviews and a lack of interviewing skills can reduce their overall effectiveness. You can improve your interviewing abilities by:

• explaining the format of the interview at the beginning
• asking a range of open, behavioral, and probing questions to gather information
• using reflective and closed questions to confirm facts and clarify understanding of key points
• giving the candidate an opportunity to ask questions about the role, your team and the wider organization
• explaining the next steps in the selection process, and when the candidate can expect to hear your decision

5. Developing Induction Processes

In employment, first impressions are important. The so-called induction crisis affects many new recruits, with up to a third deciding to leave a new job in the first few weeks or months. For new employees, first impressions are based on the effectiveness of the induction provided by their immediate line manager. Furthermore, effective induction is the first step in helping you retain skilled employees. To help your new employees settle into their roles quickly, local induction should provide a broad introduction to your organization and department, and cover practical information to enable individuals to become productive quickly. It is important that your induction processes are:

• Well planned. Taking time to plan out which content to include in your induction program, as well as when and how it will be delivered will ensure that the right information is conveyed to the new employee over a period of time. It is important not to overwhelm new recruits with too much information, and effective planning will help you strike the right balance. You should also build in regular reviews throughout the induction period to check that expectations are being met.
• Effectively delivered. Involving the right people in delivering your induction processes will ensure that new recruits receive the right amount of detail about the responsibilities of their role and the operation of the wider team. For example, you might need to include input from HR, colleagues within your team and from other departments. Also think about how the induction will be delivered, for example you may wish to give new employees access to written guidelines and operating procedures, the company websites or intranet, or ask them to meet with key individuals to gather information proactively.
• Regularly evaluated. Evaluation is important to ensure that the content of your induction program remains relevant and the process continues to be effective. You can evaluate your induction processes by asking participants for feedback (e.g. via a questionnaire or survey) and determining whether any aspects could be improved.

Conclusion

Recruitment can be a costly business, especially when the wrong person is selected. However, adopting a process which is thorough and fair will help you enhance the performance of your team by making the right recruitment and selection decisions, and developing an induction program which contributes to employee retention.