What is recruitment?
Recruitment (or talent acquisition) is the process of an organisation actively seeking out, finding and hiring candidates for that organisation. The recruitment definition includes the entire process, including identifying, attracting, screening, interviewing, choosing, hiring and then onboarding the right employees.
Things to know
- Recruitment takes time and planning, but it’s an important part of building a strong team
- Hiring and recruitment aren’t the same. Hiring is often about filling a vacancy quickly, while recruitment is usually a broader process to find the right person for the role
- Some organisations recruit in-house through HR, while others use external support such as recruitment consultants or executive search specialists.
- Employers must recruit fairly and follow relevant legal requirements, including right to work checks and data protection rules
- The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) set the professional standards for HR, recruitment and people development specialists in the UK
FAQs
What activities are included in the recruitment process?
The recruitment process ranges from identifying, attracting, screening and interviewing, to choosing, hiring and then onboarding the right people.
There are seven stages of the recruitment process, including:
1. Identify needs
2. Create job description
3. Talent search
4. Screen and shortlist
5. Interview
6. Offer
7. Onboarding
What are considered the 3Cs of recruitment?
The 3Cs of recruitment are thought to be Character (a candidate’s dependability), Chemistry (how the candidate would fit into the organisation, and Competence (their ability to undertake the role they’re applying for).
What are the common pitfalls of recruitment?
These include not defining the role clearly and preparing a detailed job description, rushing the process and hiring in haste to fill a position quickly and ignoring cultural fit by placing skills over how a candidate meshes with the team.
