Finding the right candidate to fill a vacancy is not an easy task, so finding the optimal type of recruitment is an important job. In addition to attracting candidates interested in the company, several factors must be considered to ensure that professionals fit the organization’s profile. Job posting, vacancy analysis, interviews, and hiring are parts of the external recruitment process that can be complicated. Although it is said that finding the perfect candidate is like a love at first sight, it happens infrequently.
Due to the challenges involved in the selection process, many human resources (HR) departments focus on internal recruitment. This strategy involves searching among the current employees of the organization for someone who can fill the vacancy. Internal recruitment can be faster and more cost-effective than other options, but it also limits interaction with the labor market and may prevent new talent from joining the team, which can be beneficial for the company.
As a result, external recruitment remains the preferred option for companies as it allows them to access a larger pool of professionals and enrich themselves with their experience in other companies.
What is external recruitment?
External recruitment involves hiring professionals outside the company to fill available vacancies. This process is carried out by searching for candidates in the labor market. There are several approaches to executing this process, including preselecting candidates by HR or department head, creating a succession plan to identify potential candidates, or analyzing the company’s database, knowledge, and skills to find the best candidates.
The company must carefully consider which positions are available and decide on the best method for finding the ideal candidate. In this regard, it is important to make decisions about whether to opt for external or internal recruitment.
External recruitment vs. internal recruitment.
As the name suggests, the distinction between both processes is evident.
In the case of external recruitment, a professional who does not belong to the company is sought and hired, while in internal recruitment, the selection process is carried out among the current employees of the organization. Instead of posting the job offer on a job portal, HR issues an internal call for employees to have the opportunity to apply for the vacancy.
Stages of external recruitment.
The external recruitment process usually follows some steps, including:
- Vacancy analysis: The HR professional, along with the vacancy manager, develops a list of the minimum requirements needed for the candidate, such as level of education, necessary technical skills, language proficiency, etc. This information is used to create a clear description of the vacancy.
- Vacancy dissemination: The second step is to promote the vacancy on different communication channels, such as job search platforms, social networks (mainly LinkedIn), talent agencies, universities, and unions. Interested candidates submit their resumes to be evaluated by HR.
- Interviewing process: There are several ways to interview candidates in the external recruitment process. Usually, an initial phone interview is conducted to gather basic information about the candidates and confirm the data listed on their resumes. Afterward, individual or group interviews are scheduled to evaluate the candidates’ behavior and skills.
Another important step is to conduct different types of tests, including psychometric tests. These predictors are currently very helpful in making decisions to fill a vacancy.
- Hiring: The final stage of the external recruitment process involves selecting the ideal candidate and gathering all the necessary documentation to proceed with the hiring of the selected professional.
It is important to mention that, during the external recruitment process, the vacancy manager is responsible for selecting the appropriate candidate and ensuring that the professional has the necessary documentation to start working in the organization.
Sources of external recruitment.
Several channels are offered for this service, including:
- Headhunting, which involves the search for highly specialized talent, usually for top-level roles.
- Social recruiting, which involves the recruitment of talent through the viral dissemination of job offers on social networks, especially on LinkedIn, the most prominent professional network.
- Job search platforms or job portals, which are specialized platforms that connect companies with candidates.
- Outsourcing or externalization, which involves entrusting the entire selection cycle, from recruitment to hiring, to a specialized company. This option can help alleviate the workload of Human Resources employees.
Advantages of external recruitment.
Some of the main advantages of this selection process model are:
- It offers a wide range of candidates to choose from, thanks to the abundance of professionals seeking new job perspectives in the market.
- Collection of information about professionals with the necessary skills to build a selection record. Even if a specific candidate is not a good fit for the current position, information about him or her can be saved for future selection processes, saving time in the next opportunity.
- Integration of new talent into the team of employees. New employees can bring new perspectives on the job market and suggest improvements that are not always perceived by those who are already familiar with the company’s operating model.
- Creation of a relationship with the job market, which facilitates the monitoring of new sector trends and understanding the type of professionals working in the area.
- Hiring new talent allows you to position yourself at the forefront of the competition, attracting the best professionals in the market.
- Creation of a diverse team, with professionals who have different profiles and who work together to achieve the organization’s objectives with synergy, empathy, productivity, and motivation.
In conclusion, external recruitment represents an excellent opportunity to improve the company’s personnel and ensure that vacancies are filled with a qualified professional who will provide countless benefits to the organization.