Many companies use interview and the conventional resume as the best methods for recruiting new graduate employees. Several other tools such as videos and academic portfolios are also used by recruiters to assess the skills and qualifications of new graduate applicants (Carroll, Marchington and Earnshaw 237). This paper will thus discuss a number of HR strategies used by companies in the recruitment process.
Moody, Stewart, and Bolt-Lee conducted a study to develop the framework used by recruiters to assess skills of prospective applicants. The researchers mailed survey instruments to about 1500 recruiters in the United States. Corporate recruiters were asked to rank the desirable skills they expected from prospective candidates. They were also asked to specify how these skills could be best demonstrated by applicants prior to selection (Moody, Stewart and Bolt-Lee 23).
According to the findings of this study, over 50% of the respondents (recruiters) ranked communication skills at the top of their lists. The respondents believed that oral and written skills would be best demonstrated through personal interviews and the resumes. In addition, computer knowledge- such as database, spreadsheets and word processing- was deemed a necessary skill. The respondents stated that prospective applicants could showcase their computer skills through academic portfolio and resume (Moody, Stewart and Bolt-Lee 24). Granted, recruiters consider academic portfolio as the best HR practice in the interview process.
Academic portfolios have traditionally been used by prospective applicants to provide evidence of their skills during the interview process. In many cases, academic portfolios- which contain a compilation of academic and professional achievements- are used to complement resumes. Many recruiters believe that academic portfolios “enhance students’ job search processes” and “enhance their ability to pass the initial screening process” (Moody, Stewart and Bolt-Lee 25).
Therefore, it is important that students are taught how to craft effective academic portfolios that mirror their knowledge and skills. When asked the respondents were asked about the relevance of academic portfolios in the recruitment process, most of them stated that it enabled them to assess applicants’ knowledge and skills effectively. For example, they stated that academic portfolios enabled them to learn about the strengths and qualifications of applicants through personal interviews (Moody, Stewart and Bolt-Lee 27).
Video is also another method used by companies to recruit new graduate employee. Recruiters were explicitly asked if video was a valuable method in revealing skills of a candidate. However, none of the respondents deemed video as the best HR practice during the recruitment process. Most of the recruiters stated that videos had a several limitations such as racial biasness (Moody, Stewart and Bolt-Lee 29).
The present study sought suggestions from the respondents (recruiters) on how teachers could assist students to enhance their performance during the interview process. The recruiters made a number of suggestions. First, they recommended that students should be taught how to write better resumes. Second, students must be taught communications skill to enable to bolster their ability to express themselves during the interview process. Finally, students must learn how to behave in a professional manner during the recruitment process (Moody, Stewart and Bolt-Lee 30).
Works Cited
Carroll, Marilyn, Mick Marchington, and Jill Earnshaw. “Recruitment in small firms: Processes, methods and problems.” Employee Relations 21.3(1999): 236-250. Web.
Moody, Janette, Brent Stewart, and Cynthia Bolt-Lee. “Showcasing the Skilled Business Graduate: Expanding the Tool Kit.” Business Communication Quarterly 65.1 (2002): 21-36. Business Source Premier. EBSCO. Web.