The way a recruiter executes roles and responsibilities affects the overall outcome an organization will have. The purpose of this paper is to introduce and deepen the understanding of human resources recruitment and selection and explain the different roles and responsibilities within recruitment in an organization. This paper also will explain the changes organizations have made to move forward from the pandemic and the different processes recruiters have adopted.
Roles and Responsibilities in Recruitment
The primary role of a recruiter is to create a pool of qualified candidates for a specific job (Recruiter.com, n.d.-a). They are also responsible for coordinating the recruitment strategy for an entire company and filling positions within the organization they work for (Recruiter.com, n.d.-a). Working closely with managers, executives, and the human resources team, they create a plan that determines what kind of candidates are needed and which methods to use to reach them (Recruiter.com, n.d.-a). They are also in charge of creating and posting job descriptions, continually source potential candidates and keeping tabs on how the recruiting plan is doing (Recruiter.com, n.d.-a).
A talent sourcer is a professional used for “highly specialized talent searches” and within an organization’s hiring and talent acquisition strategy (Recruiter.com, n.d.-b). For example, an organization could be looking for an individual with a background in data science who can interpret specific biological data (Recruiter.com, n.d.-b). A talent sourcer also needs to have a comprehensive understanding of the job requirements and the industry to source qualified candidates (Recruiter.com, n.d.-b). This knowledge will help them determine the best keywords and backgrounds when screening candidates (Recruiter.com, n.d.-b).
A job design specialist is mainly in charge of coordinating and performing duties associated with job analysis, preparing job descriptions, and receiving approval from management (Five Continents Technical & Industrial Services Est, 2018). They need to analyze jobs within the organization using various job analysis methods, which must be well documented (Catano et al., 2019, p. 152). Job design specialists must also be trained in various techniques to ensure they collect objective information during their job analysis (Catano et al., 2019, p. 152).
Recruiting supervisors monitor activities within the employment sector of human resources. Looking into the hiring practices and processes, an individual in this position can oversee current recruitment methods to shift the process in a better direction if needed (Betterteam, 2020). These individuals also ensure that current recruitment practices align with the organization’s needs by determining the success of these policies and filling the job positions.
In regard to colleagues of the future employee, when hiring new candidates, they need to have the skills to complete the job and fit into the work culture. An organization needs to work together to be successful, especially within its human resources department. Colleagues play a big part in an employee’s ethical behavior because they influence how an individual can complete a job. When hiring a candidate, an organization needs to consider this applicant’s ethics, take into account the societal ethics, and the way this can fit into the professional ethics within the company (McFarlin, 2019).
Hiring managers work in coordination with the Human Resources department, and their job is to hire the most qualified individuals (SmartRecruiters, n.d). Hiring managers are responsible for a wide range of tasks (SmartRecruiters, n.d). These tasks consist of: identifying the staffing requirement for a new or open position, crafting an accurate and detailed job description to attract the best candidates, defining roles and responsibilities for the hiring team, setting expectations for the interview process, and other positions that the organization may need (SmartRecruiters, n.d). If the hiring manager concludes that none of the applicants are sufficient, they notify the recruiting team to compile another applicant pool (SmartRecruiters, n.d). They also serve an important role as the mediator between applicants during contract negotiations (SmartRecruiters, n.d).
Sources such as SMEs or “subject matter experts” are used by trained professional job analysts to provide a better analysis of candidates versus self-reports and survey instruments used by employees currently holding the position (Catano et al., 2019, 4-b). SMEs are most accurate when data from “job incumbents” (employees currently holding the position) and their immediate supervisor is collected by those most knowledgeable about a job and how it is performed (Catano et al., 2019, 4-1b).
Three Benefits of Using Internal Recruitment Methods
As per Rashimi (2010), the most useful internal recruitment methods are Promotion, Transfer, and Cross-functional movement. In most internal hiring cases, employee seniority and skill are of considerable importance. With the following opportunities, “employees are promised employment for a lifetime; employees become more engaged in the organization; their performance is elevated” (Dlugos, 2020). It comes down to cutting down costs associated with hiring new employees.
1- Promotions
As per Rashmi “current employees who exhibit potential in their current roles are promoted” (Rashmi, 2010). They tend to be motivated, better performers, and are more engaged in the tasks. Dlugos mentions that “Employee's seniority is essential when the employee needs to be promoted to an available position” (Dlugos, 2020).
2- Transfer
Fica mentions that “you may not have seen employee performance in specific tasks, but you know what the employee’s work is about” (Fica T., April 14, 2020). And Rashmi adds that “potential employees are transferred location wise” (Rashmi, 2010). Fica adds that “current employees have a greater understanding of their work and work environment” (Fica, 2018, p. 11). Dlugos argues that “firms and employees have more knowledge of each other; it enables employees to enter jobs that complement their knowledge, skills, and abilities” (Dlugos, 2020).
3- Cross-functional movement
Employees are located around as per their desire; management places them as per their expertise in different positions to form more functional teams. Recent studies suggest that existing employees are moved around; 70% of new organizations' posts are filled through the internal talent market (Dlugos, 2020).
Roles and Responsibilities for Succession Planning
Succession planning is a recruitment method often used to fill higher positions in a company with someone who already works there (Welsh, 2019). By doing so, a business can have an individual that is already knowledgeable about how the company operates, as well as the organizational culture (Rogers, 2019). For this to be successful, the right individual must be selected. The role of the recruiter is to essentially “develop and implement recruiting plans and strategies designed to fulfill company staffing needs” (HumanResourcesEDU.org, n.d.). The recruiter would fulfill the need for a successor by having high potential candidates hired and screened from the beginning and have a career plan for those roles in the future.
The roles of recruiters include, but are not limited to: discovery and recognition of high potential candidates, screening, interviewing and reference and background checking (HumanResourcesEDU.org, n.d.). Candidate screening, according to HumanResourcesEDU.org (n.d.), is the process of determining which resumes have candidates that meet the minimum qualifications for the job listing. The candidates that meet the requirements and show high potential to move up in the company then move on to initial interviewing, which the recruiter is responsible for. The initial interview process is “used to narrow down the number of potential candidates who will be interviewed by the hiring manager” (HumanResourcesEDU.org, n.d.). If the hiring manager and/or other executive-level personnel participating in the interview express interest in hiring the candidate, the recruiter will often be the one to coordinate the references and background checks.
In succession planning, the predecessor plays a role in preparing the successor, who is already a member of the company, in matters such as “historical, operational, technical and cultural knowledge sharing” (Rogers, 2019). This allows the successor to integrate and make the best decisions in the future with context from the past from the predecessor and anticipate challenges. Executive-level peers also help determine which candidate will succeed as the successor must be able to collaborate and work with them. The success of the new executive depends on the way this new team works and how well the different skill sets, leadership styles, and pre-existing dynamics mix together (Rogers, 2019). To help determine the compatibility of candidates, 95% of executive leaders took part in regular reviews, while 99% participated in succession planning meetings (Welsh, 2019).
Discussion and Conclusion
The key take-away that could benefit organizations whose recruitment methods are still primarily grounded in the use of job postings and reviewing applications is to put a validation study in place (Catano et al., 2019, 2-4a). These studies help align if the company’s recruitment strategies are being administered properly and are correctly chosen and used by the organization. There are multiple different validation strategies that can be used, and it is commonly the HR’s job to properly pick the right one for their company that best aligns with the business’ strategy (Catano et al., 2019, 2-4a).