Decenzo and Robbins describe recruitment as the “the process of discovering potential candidates for actual or anticipated organizational vacancies”. 

According to Edwin Flippo, recruitment “is the process of searching for prospective employees and stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organization”.

A number of factors such as the size of the organization, the employment conditions in the community, reputation of the organization, working conditions and salary and benefits offered by the organization affect the recruitment process.

This process involves various steps and methods, which include establishing job requirements, job posting, screening candidates, selecting and hiring the best candidate based on set criteria.

              A recruitment process is an organization-specific model of candidate sourcing for the purpose of finding and hiring new employees. Typically, the ownership of the recruitment process resides within the Human Resources function, although companies also use third-party recruiting firms. Ownership can vary depending upon the specific organizational structure of the company carrying out the process.

             Recruitment is the process of locating, identifying, and attracting capable applications for jobs available in an organization. Accordingly, the recruitment process comprises the following five steps:

1. Internal sources

2. External sources

1. Promotion:vacancies in the organisation may be filled by promoting qualified and experienced employees. Promotion refers to shifting an employee to a higher position carrying higher status, responsibilities and pay. Promotions may be based on performance or seniority depending upon the organisation’s promotional policies.

2. Transfer: anther common way of filling up vacancies is through internal transfers. An existing employee who is experienced and capable is transferred from onr department in the organisation to another. In transfer, the shifting of the employee occurs without any major change in his status and responsibilities.

         Job postings carry information about the nature of the position and qualifications needed, and any employee who is interested in the job may apply for the same. Job announcements ensure that employees are aware of opportunities to move up in the organisation.

4. Recall of retired and ex-employees: when an organisation is not able to find a suitable candidate for a vacancy, former employees of the organisation who have retired or had quit the organisation may be recalled.

5. Employee referrals: Another way to find applicants within the organisation is through employee referrals. Informal communication among managers may lead to the discovery of a good candidate for the job. Employee referrals may be for candidates within the organisation s well as outside the organisation. Some organisation even offer rewards to employees whose referrals get selected in the organisation.

6. Skills inventories: Many firms have developed computerized skills inventories of their employees. Information on every employee’s skills, educational background, work history, and other important factors is stored in the organisation’s database. The skills inventory is used to identify employees with the attributes needed for the particular job.

The external sources of recruitment are as follows:

2. Advertisement: Advertisement in journals, newspapers and magazine with wide circulation is a very popular source of recruitment. However care should be taken in preparing the advertisement so that only qualified applicant respond.

         The advantage of this method is that a single advertisement can reach millions of potential recruits. The cost per person is very low.

        As more and more people surf the internet as a medium of advertising is becoming increasingly popular.

    In the universities, applications are invited for filling the post of professors. Applications received in response to invitation, i.e. advertisement are screened and shortlisted on the basis of eligibility and suitability. Then, only the screened applicants are invited for seminar presentation or interview.

1. Salary of recruiters.

2. Cost of time spent for preparing job analysis, advertisement, etc.

3. Administrative expenses 

4. Cost of outsourcing or overtime while vacancies remain unfilled.

5. Cost incurred in unsuitable candidates.

· It is an initial phase of the employment process.

·  Recruitment inspires the potential candidates to fill the application form for employment. 

· It is the process of bringing together those who are offering jobs and those who are seeking jobs. 

· After estimating the need and requirement of human resource in an organization, the HR manager proceeds with the identification of sources of HR, which is termed as recruitment.

·  A recruitment strategy starts with clearly understanding your company’s values in order to best define and understand the employee behaviours you want to attract.

· https://www.slideshare.net

· https://www.linkedin.com

· https://www.blizfluent.com

· https://thebalancecareers.com

· https://topechelon.com

· Human Resource Development (2009). David Mankind. New York

· Human resource management. (2011). C.B. Gupta. Noida

· Human resource management. (2007). Chitra Naik. Chennai

· Personnel and human resource management (2012).p. Rao

4. Employee recommendations: A very good external sources of recruitment is a recommendation from a current employee. An employee will rarely recommend someone unless he is certain that the individual will perform adequately. This is because recommendations reflect on the recommender his reputation is at stake.

5. Professional bodies: Professional bodies like the institute of chartered accountants, institute of company secretary maintain a record of qualified persons in their specialization fields. Organisations can approach such bodies to meet their specific needs.

6. Deputation: In deputation the services of an experienced employee of another organisation are borrowed for a fixed period of time. This source of recruitment is usually for senior position in the organisation.  The person on deputation serves the borrower organisation for a period of time and then returns to the lender organisation.

7. Poaching:  Poaching involves attracting talented and competent persons from rival organisation by offering better terms and conditions of employment with regard to salary, designations, working conditions, additional perks and benefits. Poaching is considered to be unethical as employees often carry with them sensitive information that could hurt the interests of their former organisation.

8. Unsolicited or casual applications: Often organisations receive unsolicited applications for jobs in the form of telephone calls, letters, e-mails or walk-in. Organisations do to not throw such application but maintain a record of these applications as they serve as a prospective source of manpower.