Page 71 - DMGT106_MANAGING_HUMAN_ELEMENTS_AT_WORK

Unit 3: HR Planning, Recruitment, Selection, Placement and Induction

• Describing decision rules that will be used. Notes
• Making application forms available.

• Informing all applicants how and when the job was filled.
External Sources
These sources lie outside the organization. They may include:
(i) Advertisements: Advertising in newspapers, trade journals and magazines is the most
frequently used method. In order to be successful, an advertisement should be carefully
written. If it is not properly written, it may not draw the right type of applicants or
it may attract too many applicants who are not qualified for the job.
(ii) Employment Exchanges: An employment exchange is an office set-up for bringing together
as quickly as possible candidates searching for employment and employers looking
for prospective employees. The main functions of employment exchanges are registration
of job seekers and their placement in notified vacancies.
(iii) Campus Recruitment: Sometimes, recruiters are sent to educational institutions where
they meet the placement officer or the faculty members who recommend suitable
candidates. This system is prevalent in the US where campus recruitment is a major
source. However, today the idea of campus recruitment has slowly caught the fancy
of Indian employers too.

(iv) Unsolicited Applicants: Unsolicited applicants are another source. Some candidates send
in their applications without any invitation from the organization.
(v) Labour Contractors: Many organizations employ labour contractors to hire workers.
This method is usually resorted to when the work is of a temporary nature.

(vi) Employee Referrals: Friends and relatives of present employees are also a good source
from which employees may be drawn.
(vii) Field Trips: An interviewing team makes trips to towns and cities, which are known
to contain the kinds of employees required. In this method of recruitment, carefully
prepared brochures describing the organization and the job it offers are distributed to
the candidates before the interviewer arrives. The arrival dates and the time and venue
of interview are given to the candidates in advance.

Table 3.2: Comparative Advantages and Disadvantages of
External Sources of Recruitment

Advantages Disadvantages

1. The organization has the freedom to 1. The cost of hiring could go up
select candidates from a large pool. substantially as advertisements have
Thus the choice is larger and persons to be put in the media and
with requisite qualifications could candidates paid TA/DA to attend
be picked up. There will be no the interview.
compromise on quality.
2. External sources of recruitment could 2. External sources of recruitment is
help in injection of fresh blood. very time consuming process. It
Thus, external sources of recruitment takes time to advertise, screen, test
discourage inbreeding and help and select suitable employees. If
organizations to select people with suitable ones are not available the
special skills and knowledge. process has to be repeated after
some time which again results in
delay in filling up vacancies.
Contd...

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