STRATEGIC STAFFINGCHAPTER 7 – RECRUITING

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Learning Objectives7-2

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

Describe the purpose of recruiting. Explain what recruitment “spillover effects” are. Understand what makes a recruiter more or less

effective. Describe the various strategies used to attract

applicants. Describe how recruiting guides and the EEOC’s

best recruiting practices promote recruiting consistency and quality.

Recruiting7-3

Definition: activities that convert the leads generated during sourcing into job applicants, generate interest in a company and its jobs, and persuade candidates to accept extended job offers Can be done by recruiters, hiring managers, or

employees

Applicant Reactions7-4

An important goal of recruitment is to give every applicant a positive feeling about the organization

Organizational and individual perspectives are both relevant Effective recruitment requires considering the

applicant’s perspective and needs Both parties are pursuing a business

relationship

Three Types of Fairness7-5

Distributive: did you get the job or promotion?

Procedural: beliefs that the policies and procedures that resulted in the hiring or promotion decision were fair Respect applicants’ privacy, avoid delays, use job-

related assessments, give fair opportunity to perform Interactional: fairness of the interpersonal

treatment and amount of information received during the hiring process Honesty, respect, recruiter warmth, and in

formativeness

Spillover Effects7-6

Definition: effects that extend beyond the activity itself

Most job candidates do not get the job or promotion – so what happens next? If they were forced to wait extended periods for

pre-scheduled interviews, met unprepared and distracted interviewers, felt that the selection process was unfair, and were not made to feel important or welcome, will they still fly your airline or buy your products? Apply for another job with you in the future? Tell their friends and family how impressed they were with your firm and influence them to become customers or job applicants?

Spillover Effects7-7

What if they were greeted by name, given a quick tour of the facility, treated fairly and respectfully, interviewed on time by prepared and enthusiastic employees, and heard from the company when it said it would follow up?

Many firms treat job candidates as if they should feel privileged the firm is even considering them for a position, and treat rejected candidates as if that was the end of their relationship. This is simply not the case.

Important Recruiter Characteristics

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Table 7-1

Who Should Recruit?7-10

Internal recruiters External recruiters Employees Hiring managers Recruiter profiles The recruiter should be someone who

can relate to a targeted recruit and persuade him or her to apply and/or accept a job offer

Factors Influencing Recruiter Effectiveness

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Figure 7-1

Recruiter Training7-12

Recruiter knowledge Interpersonal skills Presentation skills Cultural skills Organizational goals and recruiting objectives Legal issues Multiple assessments Applicant attraction

Recruiter Goals & Feedback7-13

An organization usually has specific goals for recruiter activities including: Employer branding Candidate screening Generating candidates’ interest

For a recruiter to pursue the organization’s goals: The organization’s goals must be known by the

recruiter and be consistent with the recruiter’s personal goals

The recruiter must receive feedback in relation to these goals

Organizational Image7-15

Definition: a general impression based on both feelings and facts.

What comes to mind when you think of Nieman-Marcus, Goldman Sachs, and Tiffany’s?

The more favorable a company’s image, the more people are likely to consider the organization attractive as an employer and state a willingness to respond to its recruitment advertisements.

Employer Image7-16

Definition: attitudes toward and perceptions of the organization as an employer

Employer brands reinforce the employer image: Johnson & Johnson: “Small Company

Environment, Big Company Impact” Eli Lilly: “Innovation Has a Face: Our People” Medtronic: “Careers with a Passion for Life” Abbott Labs: “Inspired to Achieve. Make a

Difference in Your World” Sharp: “From Sharp Minds Come Sharp Products”

Realistic Job Previews7-20

Definition: provide both positive and potentially negative information to job candidates.

Rather than trying to sell the job and company by presenting the job opportunity in the most positive light, realistic job previews strive to present an honest and accurate picture.

The goal is not to deter candidates by focusing on factors that might be perceived negatively, but to provide objective information that job candidates can use to self-assess their fit with the job and organization.

Self-Assessment Tools7-21

Perceiving a good fit with a company’s culture and job opportunities improves a job seeker’s attraction to the organization

Bad fits self-select out Self-assessments should be anonymous

and not used for selection On-line self-assessments

Timing of Information7-22

Figure 7-2

Recruitment Consistency7-23

Recruiting guide A formal document that details the process to be

followed in recruiting for an open position. Addresses both internal and external recruiting

processes. Clarifies company policies and procedures relating to

appropriate budgets, activities, timelines, responsible staff, legal issues, and the specific steps to be taken in recruiting for the position.

Helps to standardize the recruiting procedures used by the organization, clarify which employees are expected to perform what roles during the recruitment process, and helps to ensure that all of the relevant recruiting policies and procedures are followed during the recruitment process.

EEOC Best Practices in Recruiting

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Ensure that there is a communication network notifying interested persons of opportunities, including advertising within the organization, with the general media, and with minority, persons with disabilities, older persons, and women-focused media.

Communicate the competencies, skills, and abilities required.

Communicate about family-friendly and work-friendly programs.

Where transportation is an issue, consider arrangements with the local transit authority.

Participate in career and job fairs and open houses. Work with professional associations, civic

associations, and educational institutions with attractive numbers of people with protected characteristics.

EEOC Best Practices in Recruiting

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Ensure that personnel involved in the recruitment and hiring process are well trained in their equal employment opportunity responsibilities.

Explore community involvement options so the company’s higher profile may attract more interested persons.

Eliminate practices which exclude or present barriers to minorities, women, persons with disabilities, older persons, or any individual.

Include progress in equal employment opportunity recruitment and hiring as factors in management evaluation.

Discussion Questions7-28

Why is it important that organizations continue to actively recruit job candidates even after they have applied?

If you wanted to request funding from your CEO to evaluate and improve the quality of your company’s recruiters, how would you persuade him that doing so would be a good investment?

Discussion Questions7-29

What recruiter characteristics matter to you when you are applying for a job? Why? Which do not matter much or at all? Why not?

Does an organization’s image or its brand as an employer affect its attractiveness to you as an employee or a potential employee? What elements of its brand matter the most to you? Why?

What could a recruiter do to interest you in applying for a company you have never heard of before? What tactics or information might persuade you to apply?

Develop Your Skills Exercise7-30

This chapter’s “Develop Your Skills” feature presented four steps for developing a positive employer brand.

Working in a group of 3-5 students, use this process to design an employer branding strategy for a job held by one of your group members.

Describe the brand you would like to create, and outline the activities you would undertake to establish that image among targeted applicants for your chosen job. Be prepared to share your ideas with the class.