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Running head: RECRUITMENT VS. SELECTION Recruitment vs. Selection October 24, 2008 To What Extent Can Recruitment and Selection Be Considered As Separate Processes With Different Aims and Outcomes? Introduction Both recruitment and selection are processes related to the searching and accepting appropriate candidates for employment, however, although at the first sight it seems there is no significant difference between them, these concepts are not only two separate processes, but also have different aims and outcomes. The present paper examines recruitment and selection and explains the main differences between these mechanisms of organizational modification and maintenance, and the extent to what recruitment and selection can be considered as separate processes with different aims and outcomes. Recruitment vs.
Selection First of all, it is very important to understand the difference in selection and recruitment definitions. In contrast to selection process, recruitment implies the ways of searching for appropriate candidates and attracting them for job vacancies (Cascio 1998). This search can be conducted both internally and externally. During the recruitment new candidates for employment are found and are introduced to the employees, responsible for recruitment in the given organization. Recruitment process implies communication with potential or actual candidates seeking for employment, strategies undertaken by the organization to motivate potential job seekers to make application to the given organization, and convincing job seekers that they have an intention to become an employee of the specific organization (Muchinsky 1997). Therefore, the major aims of recruitment process are focused on attraction of the right candidates for a job of a right professional quality in the right manner (Stone 2002).
It is a common knowledge that labor market is also highly competitive. Some potential job seekers face the choice to leave the place they are currently employed in, while some candidates initially have no well-shaped and sound decision to leave their present jobs. In addition, with a relatively high employment rates (or labor shortage) within a specific industry, there may be quite difficult to find a right candidate for a job (Breaugh 1992), as he or she can be satisfied with his or her present job and have no intention to leave it or change it for an unknown place. Recruitment takes place across all occupations in the labor markets, embracing candidates from unskilled to professionals (Gatewood 1994). Different companies often have their own recruitment policies and strategies. Basically, recruitment process comprises of the few major elements, such as public relations, culture maintenance and power about it.
What concerns recruitment and public relations involved, while seeking appropriate candidates for a job the company needs to express its intention concerning employment opportunity to the potential job seekers, thus opening its doors to the outside world. In such a way, recruitment becomes more than just a maintenance process within the organization, and involves various promotional, marketing, organization development and quality aspects (Spector 2000). Also, while communicating with the potential candidates the company needs to present itself to the job seekers with all positive features and benefits it can offer. Also, while speaking about recruitment and culture maintenance and power about it, the recruiters are committed to employ candidates, who are not only professionals and have appropriate set of skills and are competent, but also those who will suit the organization and all its criteria (also including cultural ones). Therefore, the recruitment process may imply recruiting candidates in compliance with the company's desires and preferences, and their expectations and visions of an ideal employee, to mention a few.
At the same time, although selection is often considered to be similar to recruitment, this process is relatively different. Selection is not similar to the recruitment, but is a latter phase of it. While recruitment is more focused on the process of seeking job candidates, selection, being a latter stage of it, is focused on strategies allowing the companies to choose appropriate qualified and competent job applicants suiting the position currently available within the given organization. Also, selection implies choosing new members of the company (Statt 2004).
In terms of selection, it is possible to dwells on selection skills and methods related to the contribution to the reliability of selection decisions made. What concerns selection methods, in contrast to the methods used during the recruitment stage, selection methods may vary from references, job interviews (one of the most popular methods of selecting the desired candidate), the evaluation of potential candidates performance or behavior in various group activities that are important to the company and its overall business strategies, various probation and trial periods, skill testing with work or task simulations (for example, skills related to the computer programming (for programmers), typing, or other skills crucial to the employer), graphology, and various psycho-metric tests, to mention a few (Breaugh 2000). In such a way, in contrast to selection process, the major aims in recruitment are as follows. First of all, the purpose of recruitment is to attract and to encourage more persons to apply in the company. Recruitment also pursues objective to create a talent pool of potential job applicants that is supposed to be used during the selection process (Phillips 1998). In addition, recruitment is aimed to define both current and potential requirements within a specific organization together with its personnel planning and job analysis undertakings.
During the recruitment stage potential candidates are linked with the employer; therefore, recruitment is aimed to increase number of potential job candidates at a minimum possible cost. What concerns the outcomes, recruitment is also aimed to enhance the success rate of the selection process, as it is aimed to decrease the number of unqualified and unsuitable candidates for a job. In addition, if implemented correctly, recruitment process allows the companies to reduce the probability that job candidate, who was approved and selected, with leave the company after a relatively short period of time. Recruitment also is aimed to assist organizations to meet their social and legal obligations concerning the composition of their personnel. It is also pursues an objective to identify and prepare potential job seekers who will be chosen as the appropriate candidates for further selection (Davis 1984). Finally, recruitment process is aimed to increase individual and organization efficiency of different techniques and sources used during the recruitment for all possible types of job candidates.
At the same time, undesirable outcomes of recruitment and selection mostly involve reduced performance effectiveness within the organization, higher rates of turnover, lower job satisfaction and reduced work motivation levels for the employees. Conclusion In such a way, recruitment and selection are two different processes and two different stages of the employment process. While recruitment should be treated as a process that involves seeking for appropriate candidates for future employment and encouraging potential job seekers to apply for job in the company, selection implies methods and steps by which these potential candidates for employment that were found during the recruitment process, are being screened and selected by the people responsible for employment, for selecting the most appropriate and the most wanted individuals for available vacant positions within given organization (Nankervis 2002). Also, the main aim of recruitment process within the organization is to create a so-called talent pool of potential job candidates in order to make possible for the company to select the best candidates it needs or will need in the future by encouraging more individuals to apply in the given organization. At the same time, in contrast to recruitment, the major aim of the selection process is to select the appropriate candidate for positions in the company, when necessary.
In contrast to recruitment, selection is a negative process, because it implies rejection of the candidates that are found to be not appropriate, with no required qualification or with inappropriate or inadequate skills (Huston 1989). At the same time, recruitment is a positive process, as it involves encouraging candidates to apply to the company. Finally, selection is more focused on selecting the most appropriate job candidate by use of various tests and interviews, while recruitment process is more focused on tapping the sources of human resources within the organization. Also the process of selection involves a contract of service between the candidate, who was selected and the employer, while recruitment involves no contract of service established.
In such a way, taking into consideration the abovementioned differences, it is possible to come to conclusion that recruitment and selection can be considered as separate processes with different aims and outcomes. References Breaugh, J. (1992), Recruitment: Science and Practice, PWS-Kent, Boston. Breaugh, J. , Research on employee recruitment: So many studies, so many remaining questions, Journal of Management, 26, 2000, pp. 405 - 434 Cascio, W. (1998), Applied Psychology in Human Resource Management, Prentice-Hall, Upper Saddle River, New Jersey. Davis, R. (1984), A Psychological Theory of Work Adjustment, University of Minnesota Press, Minneapolis. Gatewood, R. (1994), Human Resource Selection, Dryden, New York. Huston, C. (1989), Retention and Productivity Strategies for Nurse Managers, Lippincott, Philadelphia.
Muchinsky, P. (1997), Psychology Applied To Work, Brookes/Col, Pacific Grove, CA. Nankervis, A. (2002), Strategic Human Resources Management, South-Western, Southbank, Victoria. Phillips, J. , Effects of realistic job previews on multiple organizational outcomes: A meta-analysis, Academy of Management Journal, 41, 1998, pp. 673 - 690 Spector, P. (2000), Industrial and Organizational Psychology: Research and Practice, Wiley, New York. Statt, D. (2004), Psychology and the World of Work, Palgrave Macmillan, Hampshire, UK. Stone, R. (2002), Human Resource Management, John Wiley & Sons, Milton, Queensland.
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Research essay sample on Human Resource Management Recruitment And Selection
