ay in hRecruitment refers to a process by which an organisation identifies, screens and selects potential employees. It is known to be an important part of the HR department since it contributes to the human capital of the organisation which plays a vital role in the success of a company. (Parry and Wilson, 2009). The first and foremost step in the recruitment process is the job analysis, which consists of the job description and the job specification. The job description explains the responsibilities to be taken by the applicant, whereas job specification lists the skills required for completing tasks successfully in the company. After the job analysis, the organisation shortlists a target group. The organisation will then screen the applications of the shortlisted group of applicants on the basis of whether the applicants’ skills align with the specifications of the job and interest in the job. If the applicant is hired, they will work for the company throughout the duration specified in the job contract. (Melanthiou, Pavlou and Constantinou, 2015) The steps that follow the selection of a target group; shortlisted by the screening process include an initial interview and a final interview, after which selected applicant is trained.
One of the latter but fundamental steps in the recruitment process is the selection of an efficient and effective recruitment tool (the method used to announce job vacancies to potential applicants). The factors evaluated by organisations in this process include cost and time required to reach the target group, organisation culture and public relations to decide an appropriate recruitment tool for the company (Galanaki, 2002).
There have been changes in the use of recruitment tools in the past decade and there has been a slight shift from the use of traditional methods to online recruitment due to the development and efficiency of the internet. Traditional methods of recruitment included employee referrals and campus selections mainly along with other tools such as media which comprised of newspaper, magazines, radio and television.
Employee referrals referred to candidates referred by employees of the organisation as the name suggests. According to Breaugh (2009), the use of employee referrals was regarded as the best way to select individuals that possess the required skills for the job application by employers, this might be due to the fact that these applicants are initially screened by the employees after which they refer these applicants to the employer. Studies conducted by Fernandez and Weinberg (1997) and Castilla (2005) provide evidence that employee referrals have proved to have better pre-hire and post-hire outcomes and have been beneficial for the organisation. (Breaugh, 2013)
Another traditional method used for recruitment is College-campus recruiting. In this method of recruitment, advertising plays a larger role compared to employee referrals. The recruitment actions taken by the organisation that affected the attraction of applicants towards the company included scholarship funding, advertisements on campus and word of mouth. Collins and Han (2004) studied the effect of the recruitment actions taken by the company on various per-hire outcomes such as a student’s probability of applying for the job, opinion about the employer and submission of the application and it was noticed that the methods used by the organisation had positive effects on these outcomes. Hence it is recommended that organisations take appropriate recruitment actions prior to the beginning of the recruitment process to ensure the quality and quantity of applicants. (Breaugh, 2013).
Even though Traditional methods of recruitment have been considered as effective tools of recruitment, online recruitment, has become a more popular and widely used mode of recruitment, as it made the process of recruitment more cost-efficient and effective.
The development of the internet has brought changes to the traditional methods of recruitment due to the significant rise in the use of technology and has made it easier for organisations to reach out to potential applicants on a larger scale. since the introduction of social network services (SNS) in 1997 there have been a lot of changes in the way these services are used, it was previously used as a platform where one could create a profile, view other profiles and make connections with them whereas now it has developed to be a business tool which enabled companies to become recognized and easily approachable (Galanaki, 2002). Competitive advantage is attained by an organisation which utilise these networks appropriately to recruit talented individuals. The development of social networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn has made recruitment simpler for companies (Allden and Harris, 2013).
Online recruitment also known as E-recruitment; is a relatively new tool used for recruitment compared to that of traditional methods. It refers recruitment that takes place online. It can be divided into two depending on whether the applicant uses job boards or the company’s website.
The use of e-recruitment has increased over the past decade in organisations due to the accessibility it provides to applicants and employers, this enables people to overcome unemployment and financial crisis. According to Doherty (2010), Galanaki (2002) and workforce (2002), Organisations adopted E-R as a mode of recruitment due to the following reasons.
Firstly, it enables companies to reach a larger pool of people with various favourable skills and capabilities. Secondly, E-R is cost effective if the use of SNS is planned properly. Lastly, information processing takes less time, therefore making the process effective. (Galanaki, 2002) states that this process improves the quality of applications as the applicants have knowledge about computers and are familiar with the use of technology. Hays (1999) states that using online recruitment has increased organisation image as it indicates creativity and flexibility of a company which increases the number of applications that organisations receive. Since E-recruitment allows companies to reach out to people across national borders, it can be said that E-R has no boundaries because it’s global coverage provides it with an edge against traditional methods, such as newspapers, which are restricted by geographical limitations. (Melanthiou, Pavlou and Constantinou, 2015)
Although E-recruitment presents companies with several advantages, the growing popularity of this method of recruitment is constricted by certain disadvantages, such as a lack of proper knowledge and reluctance to shift from traditional methods. The Internet is not the first option for a vast majority job seekers, aside from Graduates and IT job seekers due to the access and knowledge of the internet. The popularity of social media among graduates might be a reason for their attraction towards E-R methods (Galanaki, 2002). Legality refers to following the rules created by the law. The legality is an important factor that affects an organisation’s reluctance to utilise e-recruitment as it is an area of major concern, this is due to the fact that there is minimal segregation of information between the applicant and organisation. It is vital for organizations to distingish between useful and private information on SNS and use appropriate information for decision making. Ignorance of this aspect may lead organsations to face legality issues . The cost compared to traditional methods is reduced though there is a significant requirement for funds to install proper software for recruitment process and train staff to update appropriate information and analyse the website. It is effective for organisations that are already recognised and use technology hence it is advantageous mainly only for large organizations. Selecting wrong social media for communication might cause misunderstanding among the company and applicants. (Melanthiou, Pavlou and Constantinou, 2015). Complicated websites have indicated an effect on the amount of applications the organisation receives. (Maurer and Liu, 2007)
Following the analysis of traditional methods of recruitment vs E-recruitment, it can be concluded that a combination of both methods of recruitment would be an effective solution for organisations. However, this would not be a perfect solution for medium and smaller scale companies; due to cost restraints. Though there are disadvantages of using E-recruitment, it is known to be an effective tool for recruitment, because it bridges the gap caused by geographical restrictions present in traditional methods. E-recruitment makes the recruitment process more cost effective and helps in building image and recognition of the company. Creating a website that is relatively simple to understand and easy to access, along with providing knowledge and information richness about the organisation and job specification has positively affected the recruitment process and has proved to be beneficial for the success of companies. (Maurer and Liu, 2007)
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