A company is nothing without its employees. Recruitment is thus, one amongst the most important things that a company does.
Finding talent in the market is really difficult and Human Resource Managers have to try new methods of recruitment in order to find best possible candidates that suit their organizations.
Everyone wants to recruit talent which will develop the organization and take it ahead of its competitors.
There have been two different types of methods used for recruitment – traditional and modern or the non-traditional recruiting methods.
Both methods have their own pros and cons and are widely used to find best possible candidates.
Let us have a look at few traditional and nontraditional methods before we look into their benefits.
Traditional Recruiting Methods:
1. Newspapers:
Newspapers are among the oldest methods of communicating about vacancies to people. They are read by a major segment of people even today.
2. Local Employment Office:
Postings vacancies at local employment offices is an effective way and they usually operate a wide networked database, training programmes for candidates, financial support hiring programmes for further assistance.
3. Hiring Internally:
It is a time tested method and one of the easiest methods to hire right person for the job. The team knows the existing employees and their potential, working styles, background, and performance. Hence internal hiring works well.
4. Temporary Employment Agencies:
Temporary Employment Agencies are one of the most used methods for short listing candidates and finding people who suit the organization’s preference and experience requirements.
Non Traditional Recruiting Methods:
1. Tapping Smart Phones:
Smart Phones have made it easy to connect with the world and the young generation is glued to it. Any page can be accessed through it. Organizers use this and interact with the candidates by providing info about their companies online, optimizing company’s portal and even using sms for communications.
2. Tap in Social Media:
Facebook and Twitter are used more than any other medium nowadays. People use it for everything ranging from news to updating their job requirements. Organizations and recruiters use this medium to engage with their prospective candidates, employees, and even with trade patrons, in a few cases.
3. Event Recruitment:
This concept has been pioneered by CISCO. Sponsoring events and building brand value is a relatively useful concept. Companies sponsor events which are related to their ethic value, value which they wish to represent through their association. It helps them gain popularity and their message goes across a wide net of people. Common minded people gather at such places and such events are a great way to recruit suitable employees.
Now that we have looked upon few methods of each type, let us discuss the suitability of each method in reference to few main points.
1. Based on Online systems:
Non Traditional Methods are mainly based on online workings. They make use of documents which are in digital format, soft copies. Online Recruitment Methods use web base which is a complex system and available at all times and all places for communication between recruiters and candidates. All the processes are carried out online using a variety of electronic means. It uses these systems and softwares to fill vacancies – effectively and efficiently.
2. Time Frame:
Traditional method of posting vacancies in newspaper, then waiting for responses for a week or so and then beginning the process of sorting the received applications – this took a lot of time. Online systems, needless to say, are quick, fast and reduce the time requirement. However, in online systems, the job openings are posted instantly, responses can be received in real time and sorting can be done very quickly based on eligibility and required criteria, using softwares. All this saves a lot of time.
3. Money Factor:
Traditional methods were long and costly ways to fill up openings. However, online systems are cost effective and offer a variety of services at half the rate of traditional methods.
4. Parallel Processing:
Traditional Methods adapted a process wherein next phase could begin only after previous phase had completed. This meant that time increased and the error of one phase was carried on to the next phase. Thus, a mistake in beginning phases would result in erroneous processing throughout. However in modern systems, processing is done in a parallel stream and the error can be identified and corrected then and there. It saves the risk of carry forward of errors.
5. Success Rate:
Traditional method of print media – national, regional or trade press faces restrictions. It appears for a limited time, say a week or so. Online methods of recruitment, gives a better rate of success for recruiters. However, an advertisement for vacancy on your own site or on pages linked to facebook, twitter, linked in stays there for as long as you wish it to be – weeks, months or longer. The chances of people visiting the page and responding to the ad, becomes higher and so does the success rate.
6. Reach:
Online methods give a wider reach as compared to traditional methods. The number of recruiters and job seekers using internet for their career related searches is increasing day by day. It reaches out to people beyond boundaries of geographical and national restrictions. Thus it gives access to larger pool of talented and qualified people.
7. Depth and detail:
Traditional methods offer no way of assessing a candidate’s eligibility and personality and his/her suitability for the job apart from the job criteria. However, while using online recruitment methods, the recruiter can attach a quiz to gauge the person’s capability and competence then and there itself. It can be used to pre screen the applicants and hence only those who meet the recruiter’s requirement will proceed to the next level of hiring.
8. Personal Touch:
Traditional Methods have a personal touch to them which is lacking in non traditional methods. Lack of human contact, everything being done through electronic means, over the internet or through an outsourced agency makes it unsuitable for some organizations. In traditional methods, the recruiter can discuss their requirements, ask for additional details or assess a person through his personality. Also, they can be asked for their opinions on a large myriad of topics, apart from the job requirement, just to weigh their overall competence. This is often missing in online methods.
9. Competition:
There is tough competition amongst the recruiting companies also, to hire the best person. Each and every company is using non traditional methods and thus, to stand out from the rest, the company needs to offer something additional. They need to put in a lot of efforts to be visible in the crowd.
10. Size of Organization:
Small organizations often do not use non traditional methods as they find traditional ones to be more comforting and within their reach. Such companies still believe that referral is the best way to hire people as the employees are much more reliable in such methods.
11. Technical Competence:
Using the power of internet or social media to hire people is not a very bright idea for some people. It needs technical competence and proper management to secure employees through these methods. Not all organization have such competent people who can manage the online portal, the social media platforms and the received responses effectively and thus they prefer the traditional methods.
As we can see, both the methods have something that the other does not. It is entirely an entity’s decision whether they want to go for traditional or the non traditional method of hiring. It is best to list out the requirements and priorities before opting for any one method.
A combination may also be used, depending upon the organization. The channel which meets the criteria in the best way should be used.
Regarding the decision about which method is better, the debate will go on a long time and till then both methods will exist concurrently.
