by Geoff Hardy

Created on: August 17, 2009   Last Updated: August 02, 2011

There is a tremendous amount of money wasted every year by companies who do not give sufficient priority to recruiting and selecting the most appropriate staff for positions that arise. As well as recruitment costs, companies also waste the time and money invested in induction training if the successful applicant subsequently leaves. In the call centre industry, for example, there is often high turnover of staff with new starters staying only a few weeks before deciding the role is not for them.

What is often overlooked is the impact on staff who have been in the company for a longer period and who see a succession of new colleague join and then leave. This can have a negative impact on morale within the work environment.

The steps involved in the formal recruitment and selection process are often fairly standard, but there are a number of factors to consider along the way.

Initially, the recruiting manager should draw up a job description and person specification for the vacant role if these are not already available. These are generally standard company-wide documents that specify the duties that the appointee will carry out and also the skills and competencies that applicants should have. For example, in a sales role, it will be beneficial for applicants to have developed some negotiation and customer presentation skills. The Human Resource Manager will be able to review these documents or help draw them up.

If a job grading system is in place, the role should go through the relevant process. The job grading process will identify the salary band that the role falls into and the benefits package that comes with it.

The next step is to decide whether the role will be permanent or temporary. In the UK, a number of new starters are recruited on temporary contracts. This brings with it the advantage that, if the successful applicant does not fit into the role, the company can let them go. However, the disadvantage is that new starters on temporary contracts will often continue to look for a permanent role elsewhere and could leave early in their employment.

Attracting candidates for the role can be a time-consuming and costly process. The company may well have standard processes for managers to follow at this stage. If the company does not have a standard policy, a cost analysis should be undertaken to determine if it will be more effective to advertise the role and through which channels, or to use an agency or specialist recruitment firm.

Using employment agencies

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