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Recruitment and selection: bringing the best people into your business

Arguably, the single greatest asset an organisation has is its people. Team members are the ones who build customer relationships, who innovate and inspire, whose efforts lead to brand building and increased revenue. They’re the ones who make work environments the dynamic, inclusive, vibrant places they can be.

But effective, collaborative, productive teams don’t happen by accident: everything begins with who is invited through the door in the first instance. As such, recruitment and selection is one of the key responsibilities – and priorities – of the human resource (HR) management function, with the overarching aim of finding the best-suited candidate for any given role. How does a company find the best candidates? What should the recruitment process look like? Is it possible to predict whether a hiring decision is the right one?

Approaches to recruitment and selection

Ideally, any selection process should aim to be unbiased, time-effective, cost-effective and aligned to company values and ambitions. There are numerous selection methods that HR departments can choose from, with the chosen tactics varying according to industry, role, budget, individual company preference and business need.

Here are a handful of the many approaches often used as part of the hiring process:

  • Testing cognitive ability. LinkedIn states that cognitive ability is the number one predictor of job performance, across all levels and industries. Psychometric assessments are designed to evaluate how well candidates use wide-ranging mental processes, including problem-solving, comprehension and abstract thinking. They can also indicate an applicant’s learning agility, which is their ability to apply their skills and previous experiences to new and unfamiliar situations.  
  • Resume/CV sorting. This is one of the most-common recruitment techniques. Reviewing resumes involves selecting the best candidates from application materials – alongside CVs, these could include supporting statements, application forms and cover letters – which are usually uploaded to online platforms. The documents are then assessed against certain criteria – for example, experience, qualifications and skills – to ascertain how closely the applicant fits the job description and personal specification. Recruiters and job platforms may use artificial intelligence software to search for certain keywords before deciding whether or not to review a resume, helping to narrow the applicant pool to the most-qualified candidates and save time in the process.
  • Interviews. There is no one-size-fits-all interview process. Generally, they act as a second step of assessing suitability in greater depth, following a round of reviewing applications and shortlisting candidates. They can be structured, where the conversation follows a predetermined set of interview questions, or unstructured, where there is no fixed format and conversations are more spontaneous. They may include presentations, discussion of work samples and portfolios, and tests. Depending on the organisation and the number of applicants and available roles, group interviews and assessment centres may also be the preferred route. The Covid-19 pandemic necessitated much of the traditional, in-person interview process to move online – an approach many companies have decided to retain moving forward.
  • Skills-based, practical assessments. Ability tests can take place at any point during the process; while some occur at time of application, others are an integrated element of the interview itself. For example: a chef may be required to prepare a dish for tasting by a panel; a marketing professional may be required to design a product launch campaign; or a teacher may be required to plan and deliver a lesson or assembly. Tests are tailored to what organisations are looking for and are therefore extremely varied.
  • Background and reference checks. Background checks tend to occur later in the employee selection process; as a time-saving venture, it is only necessary to conduct checks for individuals who are likely to be offered roles. The checks aim to verify certain information about potential employees, and take many forms depending on the role and sector. For example, they can be used to verify if work histories and qualifications are accurate, as well as driving, credit and criminal background checks.

Other selection techniques include physical assessments – required for more manual roles, referrals, personality assessments, job knowledge evaluations, internships and apprenticeships, ‘headhunting’ – for example via LinkedIn, and work simulations. Most hiring managers use a combination of methods rather than a single approach. A more holistic method can make it more likely for an employer to end up with the right candidates for their vacancies as it enables a fuller picture of the candidate’s experience, ability and skills. Plus, it offers the candidate opportunities to perform in different areas.

Recruitment tools

Many businesses rely on recruitment tools to streamline recruitment efforts and coordinate the myriad tasks involved in sourcing potential employees. Tools are available to support with managing job postings, organising applicant information, tracking applications, communicating with candidates, onboarding new starters and recording recruitment efforts. They also serve to simplify the recruitment process for both job applicants and employers, saving time, energy and money.

Using online recruitment job boards – such as Indeed, Monster and Reed – connects employers with applicants, with many also offering valuable pre-screening questions to filter out less-suitable candidates. Tools such as pre-made assessments, AI chatbots, interviewing software, applicant tracking systems and social networks can also be highly effective methods for finding prospective employees. For organisations with the resources, outsourcing efforts to recruitment companies and talent acquisition professionals can be a great way to secure a supply of qualified candidates, making the in-house process more streamlined and efficient.

Onboarding new employees

After the selection decision and subsequent job offer, HR professionals can switch focus to a new starter’s onboarding process.

Onboarding statistics compiled by Click Boarding underscore the important role it plays:

  • 69% of employees are more likely to stay with a company for three years if they experienced great onboarding.
  • Up to 20% of employee turnover happens in the first 45 days.
  • Manager satisfaction increases by 20% when their employees have formal onboarding training.
  • Only 37% of companies extend their onboarding programmes beyond the first month.
  • 35% of companies have no formal onboarding programme.

Organisations only get one shot to give an individual a positive onboarding experience. When handled poorly, it can clearly have significant consequences for retention, time and financial cost, and overall job performance. The requirement for effective onboarding is further exacerbated by the increasing number of employees who now work remotely, so it’s critical to get it right. As HR managers design both general and job-specific training for new hires, they should focus on: promoting communication; creating a sense of belonging; individualising plans; and utilising online tools.

Gain the skills to enhance recruitment, selection and retention in your business

Combining critical theory with practical, real-life application, the University of Lincoln’s online MSc Management with Human Resources programme is designed to provide a solid understanding of responsible leadership and management.

Whether changing career or seeking progression into more senior roles in your current field, you’ll have the opportunity to develop the specialist tools and expertise to excel in all areas of management – with a specific focus on human resource management. This degree also covers managing employment relations, organisational design and development, strategy and project management, marketing, finance and accounting, and much more.