Best Recruitment Methods You Need to Know About

There are many different types of recruitment that organizations use to attract the best people. Not every job has the same requirements and every company has different needs. This means that employers need to use recruitment tactics that are appropriate to their environment and to attract the candidates they are looking for.

Different types of recruitment methods can be used within the same company, depending on the role and department. For example, if you work in manufacturing, you will need to fill positions in design, engineering, marketing, sales, finance, administration, and crafts from entry level to management level. You cannot use the same recruitment methods to find the best candidates within each department.

What is best: internal or external recruitment efforts?

Neither is better than the other. Depending on your company and the position to be filled, there are advantages and disadvantages for both. So what is the difference? In short, internal recruitment means that you select candidates to fill a position from your existing workforce. With external recruitment, you go outside your company to attract people you have never met before.

Internal recruitment can be a huge time-saver because there are no lengthy job interviews and familiarization processes. The other side of the coin is that keeping everything close to you can hinder new ideas, innovation and diversity.

External recruitment brings new ideas, a fresh approach and new energy. But it is a costly and time-consuming process. Before a hiring decision is made, candidates must be sought, interviewed, evaluated and reviewed.

The 12 best recruitment methods you should know

Every recruiter knows that, as much as we would like to plan ahead so that we can fill vacancies within the best recruitment period, things regularly do not go as we had hoped. Under pressure, we fall into old habits (which we know don't always work) because recruitment managers turn up the heat.

The temptation to drop the job ad on any available job board and keep your fingers crossed that a great candidate shows up is a common symptom of reactive recruitment. And sometimes we get lucky, but that's about all we get.

Experienced recruiters know that they need to have an arsenal of quick options available to attract people in different ways. We'd like to introduce you to the different types of recruitment you can use:

direct advertising
Job advertisements on your career site, in job boards, social media and industry publications are an excellent way to find many applicants. It also brings out your employer branding and enhances the reputation of your company. The other side of the coin is that external advertising can be very expensive. If you don't target your ads, you could also attract unsuitable applicants or receive too few applications.

Talent pool databases

You should always search your talent pool databases for applicants and candidates who were not hired, but were suitable enough to save money. For most hiring decisions, you must choose between at least two or three candidates. If a new position is available, search your talent pool for similar skills and experience. This could save you a lot of time.

Recommendations from employees

Most companies have some kind of employee referral program in place. The employee referral program is a combination of internal and external recruitment. Existing employees are encouraged to recommend people they know for vacancies. The value is that it is cost-effective, fast and you can be confident that employees will not recommend unsuitable candidates. In addition, the newly hired employee will already know more about your company than an external employee.

Boomerang employees

The reinstatement of former employees is becoming increasingly popular. Known as boomerang employees, these are people who have worked well in a company, but then left the company under good conditions for a variety of reasons. Employers recognize the value of their reinstatement because they know their skills and the employee knows the company culture and fits into it. Bringing a boomerang employee back on board shortens the hiring time, eliminates the risk of a bad hire and reduces the cost per hire.

Promotions and transfers

Promotions and transfers are not quite the same, but the concept is the same. Internal employees are identified to fill vacancies. A promotion means that the person rises on the ladder and receives more responsibility and also a pay rise. A transfer usually does not involve more responsibility or more money and is a horizontal step. Employees can be transferred to the same role in another branch or region, or they can take on a similar position in another department or division.

Employment services

Although not available in all countries, employment services in other countries are compulsory. An employment agency is a government initiative that keeps records of unemployed jobseekers. Employers submit new job offers to the exchange and receive details of suitable candidates. The use of a job exchange is inexpensive, but it is particularly suitable for junior, factory, agricultural and craft professions.

Recruitment agencies

You can outsource your recruitment process to a recruitment agency. Agencies manage the entire recruitment cycle on your behalf. Although the cost of using an agency is high, this gives you more time to focus on more urgent matters. Recruitment agencies are a great option for hard-to-fill positions and for companies that do not have the internal HR resources to focus on recruitment.

You can also hire an external recruiter to contact specific people you want to attract to your company. You may know a passive candidate who is a perfect fit for your role, but he works for your opposition. So you do not want to make direct contact. An executive search recruiter or headhunter would be the perfect choice.

Professional organisations

If you need to fill a highly qualified position, professional organizations can be an excellent source of candidates. Many professions require that you register with the relevant professional association when you qualify. There are also other organisations where registration is voluntary, but it increases the credibility of a candidate's qualifications. A partnership with these associations and organisations can put you in touch with top talent.

Internships and apprenticeships

The offer of internships and apprenticeships is an excellent way of getting to know the strengths of the individual and can be seen as a job interview. During the contact period, line and recruitment managers can evaluate the potential to identify interns and trainees who can be further qualified and developed to fill future positions. Future managers have to start somewhere, and they are all initially hired in an entry-level position. Well-managed internship and apprenticeship programs are a fertile ground for recognizing future talent and leaders.

Recruiting events

For large organizations or companies planning to expand, recruitment events are perfect for attracting the kind of people you need. Events can range from open house events to job fairs, a hackathon and graduate recruitment events on campus. Events can be costly. To make sure you get the best ROI, you need to know exactly what type of candidates you want to attract and what value your employer offers.

Job shadowing is another great way to identify potential candidates. It's also a great way to promote your employer's brand and let people know that your company supports talent development.

Word of mouth

Large brands and multinational companies can easily use word-of-mouth methods of recruitment because unsolicited jobseekers turn to them daily. Their employer brand is established and they are recognised as employers of choice. All they have to do is spread the word that they are hiring and they will get a good response.

This method can also work, but in remote areas where individual companies employ a significant percentage of the local population. Examples would be mining companies and sawmills. And even in small towns, companies on the street can attract applicants by spreading the word through the local grapevine.

Notice boards

There are still jobs that can be advertised on bulletin boards. Factory and agricultural jobs are typical examples. Unemployed people often wait at the factory gates for the announcement of day or contact points. In agriculture, seasonal workers gather at local markets or cooperatives to see job lists drawn up by local farms.

What do these types of recruitment opportunities tell us?

Firstly, there is no single job selection procedure, which is the only way to attract applicants. Most importantly, these options show that recruiters need to be creative. Recruitment methods in human resource management must not be set in stone. Recruiters and recruiters must be prepared to try all forms of internal and external recruitment if they are to find the best candidates.

Of course, these are not the only forms of recruitment you can use. In the face of the pervasive war for talent, your innovative recruitment methods will attract attention and make your employer brand stand out. Your company will be seen as an employer of choice, even if you are a start-up or small business.