Every enterprise has to use external sources for recruitment to higher positions when existing employees are not suitable. Mare persons are needed when expansions are undertaken. External method are discussed as follows:
1. Advertisement. Advertisement is the best method of recruiting persons far higher and experienced jabs. The advertisements are given in local or national, press, trade or professional journals. The requirements of jobs are given in the advertisements. The prospective candidates evaluate themselves against their requirements of jobs before sending their applications. Management gets a wider range of candidates for selection. The flood of applications may create difficulties in the process.
2. Employment – Exchanges. Employment exchanges run by the government are also a good source of recruitment. Unemployed persons get themselves registered with these exchanges. The vacancies may be notified with the exchanges, whenever there is a need. The exchange supplies a list of candidates fulfilling required qualifications.
Exchanges are a suitable source of recruitment far filling unskilled, semi-skilled, skilled and operative posts. The jobseekers and job-givers are brought into contact by the employment exchanges.
3. Unsolicited Applicants. Persons in search of employment may contact employers through telephone, by post or in person. Generally, employers with good reputation get unsolicited applications. If an opening is there or is likely to be there then these persons are considered for such jobs.Personnel department may maintain a record of unsolicited applications. When jobs suitable for these persons are available these are considered for employment..11
4. Processional Organisations. Professional organisations maintain complete bio-data of their members and supply it to companies on demand. These organisations also act as exchange between the members and recruiting firms. Firms can seek clarifications and clear doubts about persons they want to recruit. This source of recruitment is found reliable for recruiting persons at middle and upper levels of management.
5. Data Banks. The recruiting firms can prepare a
data bank about various persons in different fields. They can collect information from educational institutions, employment exchanges, professional organisations etc. It will become another source and the firm can get the particulars as and when it needs to recruit.
6. Similar Organisations. The organisations pro-
ducing similar products or having the same line of business act as an important source of recruitment. The persons having same experiences as required by the recruiting firms will be available in similar organisations. This would be the most effective source for executive positions and newly established or diversified and expanded organisations.
7. Casual Callers. Management may appoint per-
sons who casually call on them for meeting short-term demands. This will avoid following a regular procedure of selection. These persons are appointed for short periods only.They need not be paid retrenchment or layoff allowance. This method of recruitment is economical because management does not incur a liability in pensions, insurance and fringe benefits.
8. Labour Contractors. It is quite common to engage contractors for the supply of labour. When workers are required for short periods and are hired without going through the full procedure of selection etc. Contractors or jobbers are the best source of getting them. The contractors maintain regular contracts with workers at their places and also bring them to the cities at their own expense. The persons hired under this system are generally unskilled workers.
9. Trade Unions. Generally, unemployment and underemployed persons make a request to trade union leaders for finding suitable jobs for them. Union leaders are aware of various vacancies in firms and also know the management.
These leaders can help in the recruitment of suitable persons. In some organisations trade unions are consulted before starting a recruitment process for certain categories of employees. In such situations trade union leaders can give the names of persons available for recruitment.
10. Gate Recruitment. Unskilled workers may be recruited at the factory gate. In some industries like jute a large number of workers work as badli or substitute workers.
These may be employed whenever a permanent employee is absent. More efficient among these badli workers may be recruited to fill permanent vacancies. A notice on the notice board of the company specifying the details of the Job Vacancies can be put. Such recruitment is called direct recruitment. It is a very economical method, and used mainly for unskilled and casual job vacancies.
11. Campus Recruitment. Colleges, universities, research laboratories are fertile grounds for recruiters. The Indian Institutes of Management (IIMS) and the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITS) are on the top list of avenues for the recruiters. In fact, in some companies recruiters are bound to recruit a large number of candidates from these institutes every year. Campus recruitment is so much sought after by the recruiters that each college, universit lepartment or institute will have to have a placement officer to handle recruitment functions. Campus recruitment is often an expensive process. Majority of those recruited leave the organisations after sometime in search of greener pastures outside. Problems notwithstanding, campus placement is the major source of recruitment for prestigious companies such as Hindustan Lever Limited, Tata, Larsen and Toubro etc.
12. Recruiting Agencies. Several private consultancy firms e.g. A.F. Ferguson Associates, Price Water house, ABC consultants etc. perform recruiting function Oh behalf of client companies by charging fees. These agencies are particularly suitable for recruitment of executives and specialists. They perform all the functions of recruitment and selection so that the client is relieved of this burden. But the cost of recruitment through these agencies is very high.
