PROCESS OF RECRUITMENT

               Recruitment refers to the process of identifying and attracting job seekers so as to build a pool of qualified job applicants. The process comprises five interrelated stages, viz,

Ø Planning.

Ø Strategy development.

Ø Searching.

Ø Screening.

Ø Evaluation and control.

             The ideal recruitment programme is the one that attracts a relatively larger number of qualified applicants who will survive the screening process and accept positions with the organization, when offered. Recruitment programme can miss the ideal in many ways i.e. by failing to attract an adequate applicant pool, by under/over selling the organization or by inadequate screening applicants before they enter the selection process. Thus, to approach the ideal, individuals responsible for the recruitment process must know how many and what types of employees are needed, where and how to look for the individuals with the appropriate qualifications and interests, what inducement to use for various types of applicants groups, how to distinguish applicants who are qualified from those who have a reasonable chance of success and how to evaluate their work.

STAGE 1:

RECRUITMENT PLANNING:

              The first stage in the recruitment process is planning. Planning involves the translation of likely job vacancies and information about the nature of these jobs into set of objectives or targets that specify the (1) Numbers and (2) Types of applicants to be contacted.

• Number of contacts:

Organization, nearly always, plan to attract more applicants than they will hire. Some of those contacted will be uninterested, unqualified or both. Each time a recruitment Programme is contemplated, one task is to estimate the number of applicants necessary to fill all vacancies with the qualified people.

• Types of contacts:

It is basically concerned with the types of people to be informed about job openings. The type of people depends on the tasks and responsibilities involved and the qualifications and experience expected. These details are available through job description and job specification. 

STAGE 2:

 STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT:

             When it is estimated that what types of recruitment and how many are required then one has concentrate in (1). Make or Buy employees. (2). Technological sophistication of recruitment and selection devices. (3). Geographical distribution of labour markets comprising job seekers. (4). Sources of recruitment. (5). Sequencing the activities in the recruitment process.

• ‘Make’ or ‘Buy’:

             Organization must decide whether to hire le skilled employees and invest on training and education programmes, or they can hire skilled labour and professional. Essentially, this is the ‘make’ or ‘buy’ decision. Organizations, which hire skilled and professionals shall have to pay more for these employees.

• Technological Sophistication:

           The second decision in strategy development relates to the methods used in recruitment and selection. This decision is mainly influenced by the available technology. The advent of computers has made it possible for employers to scan national and international applicant qualification. Although impersonal, computers have given employers and Job seekers a wider scope of options in the initial screening stage.

• Where to look:

            In order to reduce the costs, organizations look in to labour markets most likely to offer the required job seekers. Generally, companies look in to the national market for managerial and professional employees, regional or local markets for technical employees and local markets for the clerical and blue-collar employees. 

• When to look:

       An effective recruiting strategy must determine when to look-decide on the timings of events besides knowing where and how to look for job applicants.

STAGE 3:

SEARCHNG:

      Once a recruitment plan and strategy are worked out, the search process can begin. Search involves two steps

•  SOURCE ACTIVATION:

           Typically, sources and search methods are activated by the issuance of an employee requisition. This means that no actual recruiting takes place until lone managers have verified that vacancy does exist or will exist.

           If the organization has planned well and done a good job of developing its sources and search methods, activation soon results in a flood of applications and/or resumes.

         The application received must be screened. Those who pass have to be contacted and invited for interview. Unsuccessful applicants must be sent letter of regret. 

•  SELLING:

           A second issue to be addressed in the searching process concerns communications. Here, organization walks tightrope. On one hand, they want to do whatever they can to attract desirable applicants. On the other hand, they must resist the temptation of overselling their virtues.

            In selling the organization, both the message and the media deserve attention. Message refers to the employment advertisement. With regards to media, it may be stated that effectiveness of any recruiting message depends on the media. Media are several-some have low credibility, while others enjoy high credibility. Selection of medium or media needs to be done with a lot of care.

STEP 4:

 SCREENING:

            Screening of applicants can be regarded as an integral part of the recruiting process, though many view it as the first step in the selection process. Even the definition on recruitment, we quoted in the beginning of this chapter, excludes screening from its scope. However, we have included screening in recruitment for valid reasons. The selection process will begin after the applications have been scrutinized and short-listed. Hiring of professors in a university is a typical situation. Application received in response to advertisements is screened and only eligible applicants are called for an interview. A selection committee comprising the Vice-chancellor, Registrar and subject experts conducts interview. Here, the recruitment process extends up to screening the applications. The selection process commences only later.

Purpose of screening

               The purpose of screening is to remove from the recruitment process, at an early stage, those applicants who are visibly unqualified for the job. Effective screening can save a great deal of time and money. Care must be exercised, however, to assure that potentially good employees are not rejected without justification. In screening, clear job specifications are invaluable. It is both good practice and a legal necessity that applicant’s qualification is judged on the basis of their knowledge, skills, abilities and interest required to do the job.

             The techniques used to screen applicants vary depending on the candidate sources and recruiting methods used. Interview and application blanks may be used to screen walk-ins. Campus recruiters and agency representatives use interviews and resumes. Reference checks are also useful in screening.

STAGE 5:

EVALUATION AND CONTROL:

Evaluation and control is necessary as considerable costs are incurred in the recruitment process. The costs generally incurred are: -

• Salaries for recruiters.
• Management and professional time spent on preparing job description, job specifications, advertisements, agency liaison and so forth.
• The cost of advertisements or other recruitment methods, that is, agency fees.
• Recruitment overheads and administrative expenses.
• Costs of overtime and outsourcing while the vacancies remain unfilled.
• Cost of recruiting unsuitable candidates for the selection process.

EVALUATION OF RECRUITMENT PROCESS:

               The recruitment has the objective of searching for and obtaining applications for job seekers in sufficient number and quality. Keeping this objective in the mind, the evaluation of recruitment might include:

Ø Return rate of application sent out.

Ø Number of suitable candidates for selection.

Ø Retention and performance of the candidates selected.

Ø Cost of the recruitment process

Ø Time lapsed data

Ø Comments on image projected.    

SCOPE OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (HRM)

According to Dale Yoder the scope of Human Resource Management is very wide. It consists of the following functions.

•  Setting general and management policy for organizational relationships, and establishing and maintaining a suitable organization for leadership and co-operation.
• Collective bargaining, contract negotiation, contract administration and grievance handling.
• Staffing the organization, identifying, securing and positioning and grievance handling.
• Aiding in the self-development of employees at all levels providing opportunities for personal development and growth as well as for acquiring requisite skill and experience.

The institute of Personnel Management (IIPM) has described the scope of Human Resource Management into the following aspects: 

The Labour or Personnel Aspects:

            It is concerned with manpower planning , recruitment, selection, placement, induction, transfer, promotion, demotion, termination, training, and development, lay off and retrenchment, wage and salary administration, incentives, productivity, etc. 

The Welfare aspect:

           This aspect is concerned with the working conditions and amenities such as canteens, restrooms, lunch rooms, housing, transportation, education, medical help, health and safety, washing facilities, recreation and cultural facilities, etc. 

The Industrial Relating Aspect : 

           This is concerned with the company’s relations with the employees. It includes union-management relation, negotiating, collective bargaining, grievance handling, disciplinary actions, participative management settlement of industrial disputes, etc. All the above aspects are concerned with human element in industry as distinct from the mechanical element.   

FUNCTIONS OF HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT (HRM)

          Every organization has certain functions to perform. These functions of Human resources management can broadly be classified into two categories such as Managerial Functions and Operative Functions. 

  

     Managerial Functions of HRM:

                Managing people is the essence of being a Manager. Like other managers, a human resource manager performs the functions of planning, organizing, directing and controlling.

•  Planning:

                A plan is a pre-determined course of action. Planning is a process of deciding the goals and formulating policies and programs to achieve the goals. Planning involves forecasting and research. It helps to face successfully the changes those are likely to take place in future without planning the events, which are left to chance? It is the Means to manage change. Planning today avoid crisis tomorrow. 

         In the area of human resource management, planning involves deciding personal goals, formulating personnel policies and programs preparing the human resources budget etc. 

·      Organizing:
              In order to implement the plans, a sound organization structure is required. Organizing is the process of allocation tasks among its people and integrating their activities towards the common objectives. The right organization structure is the foundation of effective management because without it the best performance in all other areas will be ineffective. Organization is the frame through which management directs controls and co-ordinates the efforts of the people.

·      Directing:              

          Directing is the process of motivating, activating, leading and supervising people. Directing includes all those activities by which a manager influences the action of subordinates. It is the heart of the management process because it is concerned with initiating action. It helps to secure the willing and effective co-operation of employees for attaining organizational goals. A manager can tap the maximum potential of employees through proper direction. It also helps in building sound individual and human relations in the organization.      

·      Controlling:               

          It implies checking, verifying and regulating to ensure that everything occurs in conformity with the plans adopted and instructions issued. Such monitoring plans helps to minimize the gap between desire results and actual performance involves auditing training programs, analysing labour turnover records, directing morale survey, conducting separation interviews and many other means. 

                                          

  Operative Functions of HRM:

              The operative or service functions of human resources management are the tasks which are entrusted to the personnel department? These functions are concerned with specific activities of procuring, developing, compensating and maintaining an efficient work force.

·      Procurement Function:  

               It is concerned with securing and employing the right kind and proper number of people required for accomplishing the organizational objectives. It consists of activities like Job Analysis, Human Resource Planning, Recruitment, Selection, Induction and placement.

·      Development Function: 

               Human Resource Development is the process of improving the knowledge, skills, aptitudes and values of employees so that they can perform the present and future jobs easily and more effectively. This function comprises activities like Performance and potential appraisal, training, executive development and career planning and development.

·      Compensation Function: 

                It refers to providing equitable and fair remuneration to employees for their contribution to the attainment of organizational objectives. It consists of activities like Job Evaluation, Wage and Salary Administration incentives, Bonus etc.

·      Integration & Maintenance Functions:  

                It is the process of reconciling the goals of the organization with those of its members. It involves motivating employees through financial and non-financial incentives, providing job satisfaction, handling employees grievances timely through formal grievance procedures, collective bargaining, workers participation in management, conflict resolution.

              Developing the sound human relations, employee counselling, improving the quality of work etc. Maintenance concerned with protecting and promoting the physical and mental health of employees.

IMPORTANCE OF HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (HRM)

            The significance of Human Resource Management can be discussed at four levels namely corporate, professional, social and national.

          Significance of Corporate Enterprise:            

                    Human Resource Management can helps an enterprise in achieving its goals more efficiently and effectively in the following ways.

•  Attracting and retaining the required talent through effective Human resource planning, recruitment, selection, placement, and orientation compensation and promotion policies.
• Developing the necessary skills and right attitudes among the employees through Training, development, performance etc.
• Securing willing co-operation of employees through motivation, participation, grievance handling etc.
• Utilizing effectively available Human Resources.
• Ensuring that the enterprise will have in future a team of competent and dedicated employees.                                                                                                                                            
• Professional Significance:

                 Effective Management of Human Resources helps to improve the quality of work life. It permits team work among employees by providing a healthy, working environment. It contributes to professional growth in the following ways.

• Providing maximum opportunities for personal development of each employee.
• Maintaining healthy relationships between individuals, and different work groups Allocation work property.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        
• Social Significance:

                Sound Human Resource Management has a great significance for the society. It helps to enhance the dignity of labour in the following ways.

• Providing suitable employment that provides social and psychological satisfaction to the people.
• Maintaining a balance between the job available and the job seekers in terms of numbers, qualification, needs and aptitudes.
•  Eliminating waste of human resources through conservation of physical and mental health.                                                                                                                                                                National Significance:

             Human Resources Management play a vital role in the utilization of nation’s natural, physical and financial resources require an efficient and committed manpower. There are wide differences in development between countries with similar resources due to differences helps to speed up the process of economic growth that in turn leads to higher standards of living and full employment.

Human resource management has become very significant in recent decades due to the following.

• Increase in the size and complexity of organization e.g. a MNC employing million persons.
•  Rapid technology developments like automation, computerization etc.
•  Rise of professional and knowledgeable workers.
•  Increasing proportion of women to the work force.
• Growth of powerful nation-wide trade unions.
• Widening scope of legislation designed to project the interests of the working class.
• Revolution in information technology that might effect the work force.
• Rapidly changing jobs and skills requiring long-term manpower planning. 

HUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT (HRM)

 What is an organization?

                   Organizations comprise of people and function through efforts of an individual. Without people organizations cannot exits. The resource of men, money, materials and machinery are collected, co-ordinated and utilized through people. These resources by themselves cannot fulfil the objectives of an organization. They should be united into a team. It is through the combined efforts no organization can achieve its goals.

  
Definitions of Human Resource Management (HRM)   

          "Human Resource Management or Personnel Management or HRM can be defined as planning, organizing, directing and controlling of the procurement, development, compensation, integration, maintenance and separation of human resources to the end that individual,organizational and social objectives are achieved."
                                                                                           - Edwin Flippo 

           "HRM is a process comprising four functions - acquisitions, development, Motivation and maintenance of Human Resources."
                                                                                           -Robins & Duecento

        “ Business houses are built or broken over time not by markets capital, patents or equipments but by men”. From the national view point Human resources management may be defined as “the knowledge, skills, creative abilities, talents and aptitudes obtained from the population”.                                                                                            
                                                                                            -L.F. Uric

                                Human Resources Management (HRM) can be defined as managing (planning,organising,directing and controlling) the functions of employing,developing and compensating to human resources resulting in creation and development of human relations with a view to contribute proportionately to the organisational,individual and social goals.

                               In the view point of an organization, human resources represent the individuals at work. According to Juices, human resources or human factors refers to “a whole consisting of interrelated, interdependent and interacting physiological, sociological and ethical components”. Thus human resources represent the quantitative and qualitative measurement of the work force required in an organization.