Chapter 6
Recruiting: Attracting
Applicants
Falkenberg, Stone, and Meltz
Human Resource Management
in Canada
Fourth Edition
Copyright © 1999 Harcourt Brace &
Company Canada, Ltd.
Chapter Overview
The role of recruiting
 Recruiting activities
 Factors affecting the applicantattraction process
 Recruiting methods and sources
 Evaluating the recruiting effort

6.1
The Content of
Recruiting Messages
Recruiting message should contain:
1. Concise descriptions of the work, job, or
position title
2. A clear statement of KSAOs required
3. A description of relevant working
conditions
4. A statement of when, where, and how to
apply
5. An outline of the information needed on
6.2
application or résumé
Factors Affecting the ApplicantAttraction Process
Organizational characteristics
 Characteristics of the type of
worker to be recruited
 Labour market constraints
 Legal requirements
 Cost and time constraints

6.3
Long-Term Labour Planning
Long-term planning requires a fairly accurate
forecast of:
1. What different sets of KSAOs will be
needed to achieve strategic goals
2. When different types of employees will be
needed
3. How many vacancies may develop in a
given time period
4. Where the vacancies are most likely to
6.4
develop in a firm
Recruiting Methods and Sources
Internal Methods
Posting and bidding
Skill inventories
External Methods
Employee referral
Walk-ins and unsolicited résumés
Union hiring halls
Recruitment advertising
Special recruiting events
University and college recruiting
Recruiting at professional meetings
Human resource centres
Private employment agencies
Executive-search firms
Temporary employment agencies
Internet
6.5
Guidelines for Posting
and Bidding



All permanent job openings and transfers
are posted up for one week prior to external
recruiting
Both job descriptions and specifications
should be clearly defined
All applicants should receive feedback on
the status of their applications and any
actions that result
6.6
Elements of Good Recruitment
Advertisements
Good recruitment ads should provide information
to the following types of reader:
1. Potentially qualified applicants seeking
employment.
2. Individuals who are already employed, of
which a small percentage may be persuaded
to seek other employment
3. Employees of the organization
4. Customers, potential customers, investors,
investment analysts, government officials,
6.7
and others
Important Features of a Job
for College Graduates
A 1996 survey of college graduates found
that this group believed that important
features of a job were:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Enjoyment of what they do
Opportunity to use skills/abilities
Opportunity for personal development
A sense that what they do matters
6.8
Indices for Evaluating
Recruiting Efforts
Number of applicants attracted per
method
 Number of applicants attracted by length
of time
 Costs per applicant attracted
 Ratio of qualified to unqualified
applicants attracted
 Time from start to hiring of applicant

6.9
Indices for Evaluating Recruiting
Efforts (cont’d.)
Total recruiting cost per employee hired
 Yield ratio of applicants to interviews
 Yield ratio of those interviewed who
receive invitations to visit
 Yield ratio of those invited who accept
offers to visit

6.10