Staffing Organizations
Learning Objectives for Chapter 5
Engage in strategic recruitment planning activities
Understand the difference between open and targeted recruitment
Create a persuasive communication message
Learn about a variety of recruitment media
Recognize how applicant reactions influence the effectiveness of a recruiting plan
Utilize a variety of recruitment sources
Evaluate recruiting based on established metrics
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External Recruitment
Strategic Recruitment Planning
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Planning, Communicating, and Implementing Strategic Recruiting
Jump to Planning, Communicating, and Implementing Strategic Recruiting, Appendix
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Defining Strategic Recruiting Goals
Goals for attraction
Based on organization’s strategic goals
Person-job fit
Person-organization fit
Goals for speed
Need new employees right away
Long-term needs
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Open Versus Targeted Recruiting
| Recruitment Type | Technique | Advantages | Best When |
| Open | Advertising position with a message appealing to a wide variety of job seekers in a variety of media outlets that will reach the highest possible audience | Ensures that a diverse set of applicants are contacted and considered Lower resource and personnel cost per applicant located | Large numbers of applicants are required Pre-entry qualifications are not as important |
| Targeted | Focusing advertising and recruiting efforts by tailoring message content to attract segments of the labor market with specific KSAOs or demographic characteristics | Narrows the pool of potential applicants, allowing the organization to concentrate efforts on the most qualified Facilitates a more personal approach to each applicant | The organization needs specific skill sets that are in short supply Hiring for high-leverage positions |
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Open Versus Targeted Recruiting
Open Recruitment: With an open recruitment approach, organizations cast a wide net to identify potential applicants for specific job openings. Very little effort is made in segmenting the market into applicants with the most desirable KSAOs. This approach is very passive in that anyone can apply for an opening, and all who apply for a position are considered, regardless of their qualifications
A targeted recruitment approach is one whereby the organization identifies segments in the labor market where qualified candidates are likely to be. Often, this is done to find applicants with specific characteristics pertinent to person/job or person/organization match
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Target Recruitment Groups
Key KSAO holders—the objective here is to identify applicants with specific new areas of knowledge or “hot” skills
Diverse job seekers—often, one must go beyond open recruitment and make special efforts to reach diverse groups
Passive job seekers or non-candidates—sometimes excellent candidates can be found in “trailing spouses” or other dual-career couples
Former military personnel—especially those with key competencies such as leadership
Employment-discouraged—long-term unemployed, homemakers, welfare recipients, teenagers, and people with disabilities
Reward-seekers—those who are attracted to the organization’s employee value proposition, which might offer benefits such as flexible work schedules and fully paid health care
Former employees—those with good track records while they were employees
Reluctant applicants—individuals who have interest in an organization but are conflicted; research shows that flexible work arrangements may help attract such individuals
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External Recruitment
Applicant Reactions
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Applicant Reactions
Job and organization characteristics
The most important attraction features
Job characteristics
Wages
Opportunity for growth and development
Interesting characteristics
Organization characteristics
Prestige
Reputation for treating employees well
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Applicant Reactions
Reactions to recruiters
Influence of recruiter vs. job characteristics
Influence of recruiter on attitudes and behaviors
Demographics of recruiters
Influential recruiter behaviors
Warmth and knowledge of the job
Reactions to recruitment process
Relationship of screening devices to job
Delay times in recruitment process
Funding of recruitment process
Credibility of recruiter during recruitment process
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Reactions to Diversity Issues
Advertising in publications targeted at women and minorities
Advertisements should depict diversity, especially among those in positions of authority
Target older workers by flexible schedules, health and pension benefits, and part-time opportunities
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Consideration Related to Recruiters: Selection
Desirable characteristics of recruiters
Strong interpersonal skills
Knowledge about company, jobs, and career-related issues
Technology skills
Enthusiasm
Various sources of recruiters
HR professionals
Line managers
Employees
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External Recruitment
Communication
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Comparing Choice of Messages
| Types of Messaging | Information Conveyed | Applicant Reactions | Potential Drawback | Best For |
| Branded | An appealing description is developed based on marketing principles, emphasizing unique features of the organization | Positive view of the organization, increased intention to apply for jobs, and better prehire information about benefits of the job | Overly positive message may result in employee dissatisfaction after hire | Tight labor markets or higher-value jobs |
| Targeted | Advertising themes are designed to a attract a specific set of employees | Better fit between application message and specific applicant groups | May dissuade applicants who aren’t interested in work attributes featured in the message from applying | Specific KSAOs, or seeking a specific type of applicant |
| Realistic | Both positive and negative aspects of a job and organization are described | Some applicants self-select out; those who remain will have a better understanding of the job and will be less likely to leave | The best potential applicants may be more likely to leave | Loose labor markets or when turnover is costly |
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Designing Communication to External Recruiting
Designing the communication message will require developing a message that is effective from a marketing standpoint in attracting applicants, targeted from the organization’s perspective in attracting applicants with the right KSAOs, and constructed well from a legal perspective so that no violation or employment laws and regulations occurs. The message should reflect the content of the job requirements and job rewards matrices. It should have a style that reflects the level and availability of the focal job. For example, realistic messages may be appropriate when supply of the employees being sought is great. An attractive message might be more advisable when labor supply is tight. It is recommended that, if the organization has access to legal counsel, the message receive a legal review before being used
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Searching: Communication Media
Media richness
Allow for timely personal feedback
Provide ample information
Customized to user needs
Credibility
Honest
Accurate
Thorough
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Communication Media
Arranged from lowest richness and credibility to highest richness and credibility
Advertisements
Recruitment brochures
Organizational websites
Videoconferencing
Direct contact
Richer, more credible sources tend to be the most expensive per applicant contacted
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Features of High-Impact Organizational Websites
Easily navigated
A “job cart” function
Résumé builders
Detailed information on career opportunities
Clear graphics
Allow applicants to create profiles
Self-assessment inventories
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Communication Media
Word-of-mouth
Personally known to the potential applicant
Largely outside of the organization’s control
Heavily involved with the reputation of the organization
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Advantages of conveying a realistic recruitment message as opposed to portraying the job in a way that the organization thinks that job applicants want to hear
The realistic message contains details regarding both the negative and the positive aspects of the job, and many HR specialists feel this is the optimal type of message for a number of reasons.
The realistic message conveys the most detailed and accurate information about the actual nature of the job, which greatly increases the amount of self-selection that will occur on the part of the potential applicants.
Even for applicants who continue through the recruitment process are likely to have expectations more in line with what actual job conditions are likely to be. This will enhance retention and long-term commitment, and reduce the potential for legal problems that might occur because an employees feels the “real” job is not as advertised.
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Advantages of conveying a realistic recruitment message as opposed to portraying the job in a way that the organization thinks that job applicants want to hear
Effective self-selection saves the organization money because time and funds are not expended on applicants who would not truly be satisfied with the conditions of the focal job.
In today’s society, where individuals are also putting more emphasis on their own values, advertisements that portray the job in a way that the organization “thinks that job applicants want to hear” are probably dangerous from a legal point-of-view, and wasteful in terms of the poor hires that result from such an approach.
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Advantages of conveying a realistic recruitment message as opposed to portraying the job in a way that the organization thinks that job applicants want to hear
The best advertisement will use professional marketing techniques in writing ad copy so that the following occur: 1. the ad presents the positive attributes of the job in an attractive way; 2. negative attributes appear later in the ad and are presented in a straightforward and honest fashion; 3. the ad is written to match the KSAOs and motivation required by the organization to a personality and skill profile of the type of applicants the organization hopes to attract.
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Advantages of conveying a realistic recruitment message as opposed to portraying the job in a way that the organization thinks that job applicants want to hear
As an example of how to handle a negative attribute, consider the negative attribute of extensive travel. An advertisement should not contain this attribute in the headline. It would probably appear in the middle of the body of the ad, or second or third among a list of job attributes. It might also be combined with positive attributes.
For example, in advertising position for direct sales personnel, the advertisement might read: “Since extensive overnight travel is required for this position, Organization XYZ seeks experienced sales professionals who are able to work independently and are skilled in self-organization and time management.” This statement identifies the negative attribute, but it also solicits applicants with positive characteristics for the job of sales.
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External Recruitment
Strategy Implementation
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Strategy Implementation
Individual recruiting sources
Target individual job seekers, direct from the organization and its representatives
Applicant initiated, general employment websites, niche employment websites
Social recruiting sources
Rely on relationships that employees have with current employees or those who would endorse the company
Employee referrals, social networking sites, professional associations
Organizational recruiting sources
Access to a large number of similar applicants
Colleges and placement offices, employment agencies, executive search firms, social service agencies
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Metrics for Evaluating Recruiting Methods
Quantity
Quality
Cost
Impact on HR Outcomes
Employee satisfaction
Job performance
Diversity
Retention
Jermaine Byrant
Nicole Johnson
OVER
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