Recruitment process

The recruitment process in Company X is clear, structured and defined. It follows approximately the common recruitment processes that for example Chungyalpa & Karishma defined in 2016. The process is presented and summarized with some differences, but in the end both mostly include the same sections and parts, under different names.

Rozario et al researched and found critical aspects of the recruitment process, from both hiring member and applicant perspectives (2019A), which can be seen in figure 2. Both of these perspectives are important in creating a successful recruitment process, and need to be taken into

consideration. Rozario’s five dominant factors for an effective selection system are checked off, as the recruiting managers go through an extensive training, for example, that enhances the probability that the recruiting they undergo is successful. Each of the dominant factors were discussed in the educating material. Some comments on the critical aspects, on both perspectives, rose in the answers in the interview.

Each of these critical aspects are in a way or another discussed in the managers’ education material, and their importance is weighted. The critical aspects have been considered thoroughly in the designing of the Company X’s recruitment processes. From applicant’s perspective, the equal panel participation has been thought as the education material for recruiters has several mentions of the importance of the flow, mutual discussion and chances to ask questions, for example.

There are also relevant interview questions, as the company has created an optional set of fundamental questions, which can be used in the interview. Nonetheless, the company gives the recruiters room for adapting according to the needs of the job, for example. The interview process has a ready frame that makes them more standardized and planned. A representative of People Operations also takes part in one of the two interviews, so they help recruiters and make sure that the interview has a good and structured fluency and adds professionalism. In addition, the importance of these factors, and time management and flow, for example, are given weight in the educating material.

When it comes to the hiring member’s perspective, the interview training is a strength. The material and the resources invested in the education of the recruiting manager, in addition to the help they receive from the other participant in interviewing, make the interview process go smoother. The managers receive technological assistance, as they have tools that help make the recruitment process less overwhelming. The technology helps to make the processing more effective and fast, and it takes care of some of the manual work, saving resources such as time.

It was mentioned in the interview’s answers that a new and more modern system for recruiting is going to come into use. Some participants also mentioned that the tools used should be updated. It needs to be taken into consideration that technology has been found to have a positive impact on the recruitment processes, and they can make the process more effective (Abdul et al. 2020).

Therefore it is suggested that the tools used receive enough consideration and that the market for recruiting technology is followed for modern solutions.

The interviews are structured and have a good framework, and the benefits of a structured interview, according to Levashina (2014) for example, are gained. The company’s framework for interviews also follows the systematic approach for effective interview that is defined by Ullah (2010), in different forms however, with its multiple-part explanations of the steps included in the interview. As each recruiter has more and more experience, the interviews become more structured whilst being fitting to the recruiter’s style and team. It needs to be considered again, if a more structured process could be useful, or would it sacrifice too much of the chance of adaption each recruiter have in different situations.

The objective measures that can be gained from using a scoring matrix is an important part, as it helps to keep the selection objective and the scores comparable. The material suggests filling a form after interviews, for example. As testing of the applicants has been made mandatory in the recruitment process, the tests provide comparable results and objective measuring of the applicant’s attributes, skillsets and ways of working. However, the situation in which the applicant does the tests, is taken into consideration as it can affect the results. Providing applicant feedback happens naturally in communication and it is reminded that this is an important part. However, it could have a stronger position in the framework, as feedback giving is quite an easily forgettable part if the recruiter is under a tight schedule, for example, even though it has a lot of impact on the successfulness of the interview and the experience.

There are some critical parts, defined by Rozario et al. that would require some extra attention, so that the recruitment can be improved further. These critical aspects should be considered applying directly to the best practices and made mandatory, especially as the applicant’s perspective is essential in building a good impression and stronger employer branding. The frame created for recruitment has previously not included mandatory feedback that would be sent to the applicant, though it is advised, nor the duration of the interview, which however naturally depends on the type of the interview. The feedback questionnaire has required manual work, but as the company is introducing a new system for recruitment, the sending of the feedback form will be automatized and sent to all the applicants who do not get chosen. The asking for feedback could be automatized

and standardized into a process in a way that in each stage and after every touchpoint the applicant has the option to give feedback easily, fast and in a simple way, though the sending of forms could be done on the most critical stages. This is so that both giving and getting feedback does not get overwhelming to either parties but still the whole process, from the eyes of the applicant, can be mapped and analyzed better in order to get a better employer branding, for example.

As Company X has invested in defining the process and creating a clear frame on the way the recruitments proceed, whilst educating the recruiting people on it, the process has become quite standardized. Münstermann et al introduced the benefits of standardizing a process in 2010. The study also applied and tested the theory of standardizing processes successfully on recruitment processes in particular. By having a standardized process, Company X gets benefits in enhanced process times, costs and quality.

However, as there is only a frame for the process and there are differences in the way teams and recruiters recruit, it could be standardized even further to gain even stronger benefits from a standardized process. The process could be standardized further by setting the different functions more clearly into the process. A more detailed process could be achieved by setting Ullah’s (2010) systematic approach models different stages in the framework more clearly, for example.

It needs to be taken into consideration, however, that the recruiters should not be limited too much, as each team has some different needs in recruiting, and they should be left room for necessary adaptation. The recruiting managers are also individuals, which have their own preferences and ways of doing things that are more comfortable and fitting than a detailed general frame could offer.

Also, each situation, such as lack of resources, affects the recruitment, limiting the amount of standardization that can be done without sacrificing too much elasticity.