The Recruitment Process

Recruitment is when a company, employment agency or Government agency is actively looking to employ people. Sometimes this is due to the opening of a new business or because people have left or been promoted and there is a vacancy to be filled. Employment agencies usually recruit for other people but sometimes they recruit for themselves so that they have a bank of agency staff that is willing to undertake a series of temporary vacancies.

The recruitment process is what a potential employee has to undergo if they want to get a particular job. The recruitment process can vary considerably from business to business. Some companies will advertise vacancies with employment agencies or through newspapers and advertisements in shops – other companies have a process of online recruitment. Occasionally vacancies are advertised internally as companies hope that particular employees will apply for the job.

The advertisement or online application is usually only the first step in the recruitment process once a potential employee has gone through the first stage they may have to fill in an application form. Most companies and government departments will go through the application forms and decide which, if any of the applicants, will be invited for an interview. Many firms and departments don’t stop at one interview but will invite the most promising applicants for a second interview. After the interview process is finished some companies and most government agencies and departments have other processes that an employee has to go through before they are finally offered a job.

An increasing number of companies now regard a medical as part of their recruitment process if a potential employee fails to pass that medical for one reason or another then they may not get the job. If you want a job that involves working with children, for example teaching, or nursing then you would also have to undergo a check with the criminal records bureau before you would be offered a position. Part of the police force recruitment process involves psychological testing to see whether you are fit to deal with the public in sometimes hostile situations. The military often uses a similar set of tests to ascertain what would be the best position for an aspiring soldier. The professions and an increasing number of commercial organizations will also have a probationary period where a potential employee has to undergo specific training before they are given a permanent position. The final stage of the recruitment process in any job, is a mutual agreement on what is known as an employment package – this usually includes salary, company pension and holiday allowance.