Recruitment – How to Find a Successful Applicant

Recruitment is a core function of human resource management. Recruitment refers to the overall process of attracting, selecting and appointing suitable candidates for job-roles within your organisation. Your organisation’s strategic and operational plan will outline the overall direction, philosophy and purpose of your business. Through workforce planning managers, more specifically the HR manager, within your workplace will inform you when they would like you to recruit new employees.

Your organisation’s recruitment policy and procedure will outline the steps involved to recruit successful applicants. This policy should include your organisation’s preferred method of advertising the position – internet based recruitment, recruitment agencies or organisation networks for example. As a result from this advertising you will receive resumes to start the application process. This process involves reading applicant’s cover letters and resumes to determine their suitability for the position including their experience and qualifications. The HR Manager will then short list the successful applicants from this screening process to start interviewing.

From either the job analysis or job description of the advertised position you will know what that departments Manager is wanting in a potential new employee. An interview questionnaire should include questions that assist you in determining whether the applicant has experience and could complete the tasks. The interview questionnaire should also include behavioural based questions that inform you if this potential new employee will be suitable in your organisation and work well within your existing team. Depending on your organisation’s policy you may have an interview panel, which includes managers, supervisors and HR personnel to make decisions on the success of each applicant.

When one or more successful applicants have been chosen the next process may include any psychometric testing and/or reference checking your organisation performs. These processes will assist the interview panel in choosing one successful applicant for the position. The successful applicant will be contacted by the HR manager to inform them of their success in gaining employment and complete that process with a letter of appointment including a start date for induction.

Written by Jennifer Montague

Human Resources Manager