Recruitment is the process of finding, screening, and selecting qualified candidates for a job at a company or organization. Recruitment begins the moment a job becomes available and ends when an offer of employment is accepted by a job seeker. In between, the recruitment team (or person) may perform any or all of the following tasks: creating a job description, advertising the job, sourcing, screening, interviewing, performing background checks (including references, credit checks, and degree verification), making a job offer, negotiating (terms of employment, relocation, salary), and orienting candidates to the workplace (“onboarding”).

How does recruitment work?

As you can no doubt tell, the process of recruitment involves a lot of legwork for recruiters. Probably the toughest task for any recruiter is finding qualified candidates, which is very time-consuming. Some of the tools recruiters use to find candidates include:

• Sourcing. Instead of passively waiting for job-seekers to come to them via job posts, recruiters actively search for candidates who fit the bill for the job they need to fill. Recruiters “source” by gathering specific information such as a candidate’s name and contact information. Sometimes, they also glean information about the candidate’s skills and experience in a particular field. Recruiters find this kind of information from online searches (e.g., job portals, forums, alumni or other group listings, blogs, and networking websites), by calling a company directly to find out information about its employees, or by asking for employee referrals. Unfortunately, this research is often done one candidate at a time, resulting in a time-intensive and manual process.
• On-campus recruiting is also important in today’s recruiting environment. Many companies host a variety of events on campuses across the country, such as corporate presentations, workshops, and interview sessions. Some firms arrange company site visits for a select group of invitees, while other companies set up mentor programs or networking events. Global Focus “U” and your school's career services office is a great way to stay on top of these events and receive notice of on-campus activities.
• Job postings. Employers advertise (or “post”) jobs in print and online—using trade journals, web sites, and online job boards to post their vacant positions. Job search websites have job search functions, and also allow users to post a resume to attract potential employers. Some online job boards specialize in a particular industry, location, or other criteria. Many firms also post jobs on their own company websites. The main limitation of job postings is that there may be hundreds or even thousands of candidates apply for a position. This means a lot of competition for the candidate. For the recruiter, it means a lot of time spent sorting and sifting through piles of unqualified applicants to identify the truly qualified ones.