Introduction
When a company has a vacancy in its workforce, the human resources department is tasked with the hiring process. Before hiring new employees, the department utilizes both recruitment and selection processes to identify suitable candidates. On the one hand, recruitment involves actively searching for and promoting potential candidates, as well as generating their interest in the available positions. On the other hand, the selection is a procedure of determining the best individual from a list of applicants.
There are two approaches to the two processes, including rational and processual. In the first theory, the employer determines the requirements of a vacancy and relays this information to those intending to apply. In the second approach, a negotiation occurs between an individual and an organization regarding the content and nature of the work. Web-based, virtual, or e-recruitment refers to the use of web-based technology for various recruitment procedures through which employers can reach a larger number of potential employees. A notable example is McKinsey & Company, which has innovated its recruitment process to be more interactive.
As a strategy and management consulting organization, they must hire talent with strong problem-solving capabilities. Thus, they ask their candidates to play online, and those who resolve the problem stand a better chance of getting employed. It is essential to recognize that, eventually, web-based recruitment and selection will supersede other methods, which would be beneficial as it facilitates recruiting when subjects are far away.
Recruitment and Selection
Recruitment is a process of attracting capable candidates for a job position, while selection is a procedure of identifying and choosing the right candidate for that particular job. The contribution of every employee plays a crucial role in the growth and sustainability of a company (D’Silva, 2020, p. 205). It is crucial to select suitable individuals for the task.
In the same manner, a square peg does not fit inside a round hole; a poor hire can influence the overall brand outcomes. The impact on an organization when it hires the wrong person is usually much greater than not hiring at all (D’Silva, 2020, p. 206). Recruitment is both an operational activity and a strategic activity for the firm. Therefore, companies need to develop a strong recruitment and selection method.
The right process should reflect the firm’s professionalism and depict its maturity in attracting and hiring qualified talent. An effective procedure helps proactively create a talent list. Thus, it helps meet both medium-term and long-term business goals (D’Silva, 2020, p. 208). Recruiting involves multiple stakeholders, including senior-level employees within an organization, and can be costly in terms of both time and resources. Therefore, there is a need for the process to be well-defined and optimized to cater to the stakeholders’ needs.
To ensure a smooth hiring process, human resources should incorporate job postings with descriptions and simplify the application procedure. They need to create a database of postings and connect vacancies to well-defined descriptions and capabilities (D’Silva, 2020, p. 208). This makes it more straightforward for recruiters, managers, and candidates.
Additionally, it is essential to excite the applicant and sell the position to them. A complex application procedure is one way of limiting the number of people applying for a job. The process should be made to work on every device and allow a seamless experience. Candidates must be able to register once and submit their resumes to different positions.
Approaches to Recruitment and Selection
There are two approaches to recruitment and selection, as mentioned earlier, that is, rational and processual. The rational approach is a one-way procedure whereby the employer determines the vacancy’s requirements and communicates them to potential applicants, generating a list of candidates to support the selection process. Job evaluation, description, and specifications are core to this as the job is fixed, and the effort is placed on finding who best suits the position.
A dominant role in management is presumed, and candidates are viewed as holding the least power. Critics argue that there is a lack of recognition for the politics and power that permeate organizational life and undermine the ostensibly rational methods. They argue that this approach ignores the potential candidate’s role (Nazliansyah and Gunawan, 2022, p. 11).
Increasingly, recruitment is perceived as a social process, and there is a lack of recognition of the need to influence candidates to attract them to apply (Nazliansyah and Gunawan, 2022, p. 12). Lastly, some analysts in the human resource field state that the approach heavily depends on competencies. The emphasis is placed on identifying a candidate who fits appropriately into the organization, rather than a preoccupation with a restrictively defined role.
Another approach to recruitment and selection is processual, which establishes a significant interest in employer branding and advocates for competing for the workforce by borrowing methods utilized in marketing items to potential consumers. Most organizations have sought to position themselves as employers of choice in the job market, aiming to attract stronger applications from potential employees (Potočnik et al., 2021, p. 165).
Those who have succeeded have typically found that their recruitment expenses decrease as they receive a significantly higher number of unsolicited applications (Potočnik et al., 2021, p. 166). This is due to the organization’s development over time of a positive brand reputation as an employer, ensuring that potential employees view the firm as a desirable place to work.
The approach has been positively utilized by numerous public sector employers in the United Kingdom, offering jobs that are presented as intrinsically rewarding rather than highly remunerated during the recruitment process. Additionally, it is used in the voluntary sector to attract potential employees whose values align with those of the company (Bowe, Bly, and Whipple, 2021, p. 480). Nevertheless, developing a great brand image is a more straightforward task for larger firms with household names than for those that are highly specialized. However, the possibility of sustaining an image as a great employer is something from which every organization stands to benefit.
Web-Based Recruitment and Selection
In recent times, web-based or virtual recruiting has changed from a novelty to a necessity for recruiters worldwide. Disruptions to the global economy and people’s ability to travel and gather have only made e-recruitment more essential to every firm’s hiring approach (Daniel et al., 2022, p. 8). This involves the use of web-based technology for various processes, including attracting, evaluating, selecting, and recruiting candidates (Daniel et al., 2022, p. 9). Through this, employers reach a larger number of potential employees (Abia and Brown, 2020, p. 371).
Organizations can build their platforms in-house, use software, or hire agencies that offer e-recruitment as part of their services. Traditionally, many employers depended on in-person career fairs on high school as well as college campuses (Geetha and Bhanu, 2018, p. 64). Nowadays, they can expand their reach to more job seekers by hosting online hiring events (Geetha and Bhanu, 2018, p. 65). Not only can recruiters be in multiple places simultaneously, but the data that applicants also share is stored and centralized, making it easier to conduct follow-ups.
Virtual events can also comprise seminars, webinars, and professional development sessions. The fastest way to reach job seekers is via text messaging and applications. When an organization cannot attend to every applicant at once, it employs the use of a chatbot, which answers the most frequently asked questions, provides directions, and suggests job opportunities. In some instances, they can even schedule appointments or interviews. For many, the future of work is defined by remote employees, dispersed teams, flexible schedules, and a hybrid of in-office and at-home work (Hmoud and Laszlo, 2019, p. 23).
The recruiting solutions aid in hiring teams, hosting interviews, and analyzing candidates irrespective of their work arrangements (Hmoud and Laszlo, 2019, p. 23). The advantage of this type of recruiting is its ability to continue its efforts even in challenging circumstances, such as when it is not safe to meet face-to-face. In addition, it can be conducted despite long distances between subjects, which makes it more reliable and ensures it will eventually supplant conventional methods.
McKinsey & Company
McKinsey & Company has developed a recruitment process that is not only web-based but also incorporates a virtual game, fostering interactivity with potential candidates. As a consulting firm, they must get individuals with the best problem-solving capabilities (Searle and Al-Sharif, 2018, p. 220). To effectively compile their candidate lists, the organization strategically utilizes an interactive game. A simulated universe enables individuals to demonstrate how they would think and find solutions to problems (Searle and Al-Sharif, 2018, p. 220).
This is done to test their abilities and allow them to exhibit their skills in an engaging way, which is positive since it has been able to massively reduce the time to hire and all the related expenses. Additionally, it has enabled the hiring of the best person, irrespective of age, gender, or race (Mohamed Atef, Hamza, and AlBalushi, 2019, p. 56). Lastly, it has created an enjoyable candidate experience (Mohamed Atef, Hamza, and AlBalushi, 2019, p. 56). Firms that guarantee a positive user experience have their brand identity enhanced and are more likely to attract a stronger talent market.
Conclusion
The future of hiring employees, known as recruitment and selection, will likely be dominated by web-based methods, a beneficial development because it allows companies to easily hire individuals from distant locations. To find new staff, an HR department relies on two key processes: recruitment, which involves the ongoing effort to search for, advertise job openings to, and attract the interest of potential candidates; and selection, which is the formal procedure for evaluating applicants to choose the most qualified person.
Hiring typically follows one of two main strategies: the rational approach or the processual approach. However, the rational method is heavily criticized for two reasons: it fails to recognize the influence of organizational politics and power that often interfere with objective procedures, and it ignores the active role a potential job candidate plays in the process.
Due to recent disruptions in the global economy and limitations on travel and gatherings, using the internet for hiring, or e-recruitment, has become crucial for businesses. This process utilizes web technology for every hiring step, including attraction, screening, selection, and hiring, allowing employers to reach a vastly larger number of candidates. Organizations can implement e-recruitment using their own platforms, specific software, or external services. As web-based methods are poised to replace older techniques, recruiters and applicants alike need to understand and adapt to the new digital procedures.
Reference List
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