Recruitment
Introduction and meaning
The success or failure of any organization depends on the calibre of its most important asset;
that is, its workforce. An organization cannot progress and prosper without the positive and
productive contributions from its people. Therefore, organizations need to recruit people with
the necessary skills, qualities, and expertise to perform their operations and accomplish their
goals. In simple words, recruitment refers to searching and inviting applications from eligible
job seekers. Recruitment is the first step in filling a vacancy within an organization.
Recruitment is the generating of applicants for specific positions to be filled up in the
organization. In other words, it is a process of searching for and obtaining applicants for jobs
so that the right people in right number can be selected. The challenge however, is not just
hiring the right people, but also hiring them before the competitor does. An ideal recruitment
plan is the one that attracts a relatively large number of qualified and competent applicants.
Attracting individuals on a
timely basis
Recruitment
Attracting individuals with
appropriate qualification
Results
in
To have the right kind of
people in right number at
the right place
Encouraging individuals to
apply for jobs with an
organization
Definitions
According to Bergmann and Taylor, “Recruitment is the process of locating, identifying, and
attracting capable applicants”.
According to Dale Yoder, “Recruitment is a process to discover the sources of manpower to
meet the requirements of the staffing schedule and to employ effective measures for
attracting that manpower in adequate numbers to facilitate effective selection of an efficient
working-force”.
Flippo has defined recruitment as “a process of searching for prospective employees and
stimulating and encouraging them to apply for jobs in an organization”.
Thus, recruitment can be easily defined as the process of searching for and securing
applicants for the various job positions which arise from time to time in the organization.
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Factors affecting recruitment
All organizations, whether large or small, do engage in recruiting activity, though not to the
same extent. . The recruitment function of the organisations is affected and governed by a
mix of various internal and external forces. There are a number of factors that affect
recruitment. These can be broadly classified into two categories: Internal factors and External
factors. The internal forces or factors are the factors that can be controlled by the
organisation. And the external factors are those factors which cannot be controlled by the
organisation.
Internal factors
1. Size of the organization: The size of an organization affects the recruitment process.
Experience suggests that larger organizations find recruitment less problematic than
organizations which are smaller in size.
2. Recruiting policy: The recruiting policy of an organization, i.e., recruiting from
internal sources (from own employees) and from external sources (from outside the
organization) also affects the recruitment process. Generally, recruiting through
internal sourcing is preferred, because own employees know the organization and they
can well fit into the organization’s culture.
3. Image of the organization: Image of organization is another internal factor having its
influence on the recruitment process of the organization. Good image of the
organization earned by a number of overt and covert actions by the management helps
attract potential and competent candidates. Managerial actions like good public
relations, rendering public services like building roads, public hospitals, parks,
schools, help earn goodwill for the organization.
4. Image of the job: Just as image of organization affects recruitment, so does the image
of a job also. Better remuneration and working conditions are considered the
characteristics of good image of a job. Besides, promotion and career development
policies of organization also attract potential candidates.
5. Cost: Recruitment incur cost to the employer, therefore, organizations try to employ
that source of recruitment which will bear a lower cost of recruitment to the
organization for each candidate.
6. Growth and expansion: Organization will employ or think of employing more
personnel if it is expanding its operations.
External Factors
1. Demographic factors: As demographic factors are intimately related to human
beings, i.e., employees, and these have profound influence on the recruitment process.
Demographic factors include age, literacy, gender, economic status, etc.
2. Labour market: Labour market condition is of particular importance in affecting
recruitment process. For example, if the demand for a specific skill is high relative to
its supply, recruiting employees will involve more efforts. On the contrary, if supply
is more than demand for a particular skill, recruitment will be relatively easier.
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3.
4.
5.
6.
In this context, the observation made by IIPM (Indian Institute of Personnel
Management) in regard to labour market is worth citing: “The most striking feature in
the Indian labour market is the apparent abundance of labour – yet the right type of
labour is not too easy to find”.
Unemployment situation: The rate of unemployment is yet another external factor
having its influence on the recruitment process. When unemployment rate in a given
area is high, the recruitment tends to be simpler. The number of applicants is
expectedly high which makes it easier to attract the best qualified applicants.
However, with a low rate of unemployment, recruiting process tends to become
difficult.
Labour Laws: There are several labour laws and regulations passed by the Central
and State Governments that govern different types of employment. These cover
working conditions, compensation, retirement benefits, and safety and health of
employees in industrial undertakings. Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act,
1986, for example, prohibits employment of children in certain employments.
Similarly, several other acts such as Employment Exchange (Compulsory Notification
of Vacancies) Act, 1959, the Factories Act, 1948 deal with rules and regulations
regarding recruitment.
Social and legal considerations: Another external factor is legal consideration with
regard to employment. Reservation of jobs for the scheduled castes, scheduled tribes,
and other backward classes is the popular example of such a legal consideration. The
culture and societal norms also exert a considerable influence on recruitment. For
example, women may not be recruited for certain jobs in an industry.
Economic environment: The economic environment of a region also has an impact
on the recruitment practices of the organizations. In times of economic growth, the
organizations generally hire employees. However, during the recession period
organizations usually lay off their employees, so that the can down their costs.
Small business has played a very crucial role in transforming the Indian economy
from a backward agrarian economy to its present stature. The Small Scale Industrial
sector (SSI sector) in India is the second largest manpower employer in the country
next only to the agriculture sector. India is characterized by abundant labour supply
and is plagued by unemployment and underemployment. Under these circumstances
the development of small-scale and medium-scale sector is a boon.
Recruitment Policy
A recruitment policy asserts the objectives of the recruitment and provides a frame work of
implementation of the recruitment programme in the form of procedures.
As Yoder and others observe, “Such a policy may involve commitment to broad principles
such as filling vacancies with the best qualified individuals. It may embrace several issues
such as extent of promotion from within, attitudes of enterprises in recruiting its old
employees, minority groups, women employees, part-time employees. It may also involve the
organization system to be developed for implementing recruitment programme and
procedures to be employed.”
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Therefore, a well-considered and pre-planned recruitment policy, based on corporate goals,
study of environment and the corporate needs, may avoid hasty or ill-considered decisions
and may go a long way to man the organization with the right type of personnel.
A good recruitment policy must contain these elements:
(a) Organization’s objective – both in the short-term and long-term – must be taken into
consideration as a basic parameter for recruitment decisions and needs of the
personnel.
(b) Identification of the recruitment needs to take decisions regarding the balance of the
qualitative dimensions of the would-be recruits, i.e., the recruiters should prepare
profiles for each category of workers and accordingly work out the main
specifications, the particular responsibilities which may be immediately assigned to
them.
(c) Preferred sources of recruitment, which would be tapped by the organization, e.g., for
skilled or semi-skilled manual workers, internal sources and employment exchanges
may be preferred; for highly specialized categories and managerial personnel, other
sources besides the former, may be utilized.
(d) Criteria of selection and preferences: these should be based on conscious thought and
serious deliberations.
(e) The cost of recruitment and financial implications of the same.
A recruitment policy, in its broadest sense, “involves a commitment by the employer to such
general principles as:
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To find and employ the best qualified person for each job
To retain the best and most promising of those hired
To offer promising opportunities for life-time working careers
To provide programmes and facilities for personal growth on the job
Prerequisites of a good recruitment policy
The recruitment policy of an organization must satisfy the following conditions:
(i) It should be in conformity with its general personnel policies;
(ii) It should be flexible enough to meet the changing needs of an organization;
(iii)It should be so designed as to ensure employment opportunities for its employees on a
long-term basis so that the goals of the organization should be achievable; and it
should develop the potentialities of the employees;
(iv) It should match the qualities of employees with the requirements of the work for
which they are employed; and
(v) It should highlight the necessity of establishing job analysis
Sources of recruitment
Candidates must be attracted to the job before they are actually recruited. This necessitates
knowledge of the sources of supply. The sources of supply do not remain constant but vary
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from time to time. This implies that manpower managers must pay attention to local, statewide and national factors responsible for the variability of sources. Frequently, sources of
supply of manpower or human resource are divided into two groups – internal and external.
Internal sources relate to the existing workforce of an enterprise, while the external ones
relate to employment exchanges, colleges, institutes, universities, etc.
Internal sources
Internal sources include personnel already on the pay-roll of an organization, i.e., its present
working force. This source also includes personnel who were once on the pay-roll of the
company but who plan to return or whom the company would like to re-hire, such as those on
leave of absence, those who quit voluntarily, or those on production lay-offs. It is desirable to
utilize the internal sources of an enterprise before hiring candidates from outside.
a) Present employees: Promotions and transfers from among the present employees can
be a good source of recruitment. Promotion implies upgrading of an employee to a
higher position carrying higher status, pay, and responsibilities. Promotion from
among the employees is advantageous because the employees promoted are well
acquainted with the organizational culture, they get motivated and it saves the cost of
recruiting for the company. Transfer refers to shifting of an employee from one job to
another without any change in the position, pay, status and responsibilities. The need
for transfer is felt to provide employees a broader and varied base which is considered
necessary for promotions.
b) Former employees: Former employees’ is another source of applicants for vacancies
to be filled up in the organization. Retired or retrenched employees may be interested
to come back to the company to work on a part-time basis. Similarly, some former
employees who left the organization for any reason may again be interested to come
back to work. This source has the advantage of hiring people whose performance is
already known to the organization.
c) Previous applicants: This is considered as internal source in the sense that
applications from the potential candidates are already lying with the organization.
Sometimes, the organizations may contact the previous applicants through mail to fill
up the vacancies particularly for unskilled or semi-skilled jobs.
Advantages of internal source:
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It improves the morale of employees, for they are assured of the fact that they would
be preferred over outsiders when vacancies occur.
The employer is in a better position to evaluate those presently employed than outside
candidates. This is because the company maintains a record of the progress,
experience, and service of its employees.
It promotes loyalty among the employees, for it gives them a sense of job security and
opportunities for advancement.
As the persons in the employment of the company are fully aware of, and well
acquainted with, its policies and know its operating procedures, they require little
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training, and the chances are that they would stay longer in the employment of the
organization than a new outsider would.
They are tried people, and therefore can be relied upon.
It is less costly than going outside to recruit.
Disadvantages of internal source:
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It often leads to inbreeding, and discourages new blood from entering into an
organization.
There are possibilities that internal sources may dry up, and it may be difficult to find
the requisite personnel from within an organization.
In this system, the internal candidates are protected from competition by not giving
opportunity to otherwise competent candidates from outside the organization. This in
turn, develops a tendency among the employees to take promotion without showing
extra performance.
With the feeling that internal candidates will surely get promoted, their skill in the
long run may become stagnant or obsolete. In such a case productivity and efficiency
of the organization in turn, decreases.
Conflicts and controversies surface among the internal candidates, whether or not they
deserve promotion.
This source is used by many organizations; but a surprisingly large number ignore this
source, especially for middle management jobs. It is not only reasonable but wise to use this
source, if the vacancies to be filled are within the capacity of the present employees; if
adequate employee records have been maintained, and if opportunities are provided in
advance for them to prepare themselves for promotion from “blue-collar” to “white-collar”
jobs.
External sources
External sources of recruitment lie outside the organization. Despite attempts to review
present employees and their suggestions, it is not possible to fill all vacancies through
internal sources. Therefore, manpower managers must be familiar with external sources as
well. These sources include employment agencies, educational and technical institutes, casual
labour, etc.
a) Employment exchanges: The National Commission on Labour (1969) observed in its
report that in the pre-independence era, the main source of labour was rural areas
surrounding the industries. Immediately after independence, National Employment
Service was established to bring employers and job-seekers together. In response to it,
the Compulsory Notification of Vacancies Act (1959) was instituted which became
operative in 1960. It is obligatory for all industrial establishments having 25 workers
or more to notify the nearest employment exchange of vacancies. The main function
of these employment exchanges and their branches are registration of job seekers and
their placement in the notified vacancies. It is obligatory for the employer to inform
the outcome of selection within 15 days to the employment exchange.
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b)
c)
d)
e)
Employment exchanges are particularly useful in recruiting blue-collar, white-collar,
and technical workers. It is most preferred for clerical personnel, i.e., white-collar
jobs.
Employment agencies or consultants: In addition to the government agencies, there
are a number of private employment agencies who register candidates for
employment and furnish a list of suitable candidates from their data bank as and when
sought by the prospective employers. Generally, these agencies select personnel for
supervisory and higher levels. The main function of these agencies is to invite
applications and short list the candidates for an organization. However, the final
selection of the candidates is done by the representatives of the organization.
The employer organizations derive several advantages by the use of this method. It
proves to be cheaper and the time saved in this method for recruitment can be better
utilized elsewhere by the organization. Moreover, the identity of the organization is
unknown to the job seekers, and it thus, avoids attempts to influence the selection of a
particular candidates. A major limitation of this method is that there is a risk of losing
out on certain applicants whom the representatives of the organization would have
liked to meet and select.
Professional Associations: These represent several occupational groups, such as
engineers, doctors, and accountants. Indian Medical Association (IMA), Indian
Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAI), Bar Council of India (BCI) and All India
Management Association (AIMA) are some of the professional associations that are
actively working in India. These associations provide placement services and access
during regional and national conventions to their members. They also publish and
even sponsor regular newsletters, journals, or magazines for their members. These
publications also advertise job vacancies and are particularly useful in attracting
highly educated, experienced and skilled candidates.
Campus recruitment: Campus recruitments function as the main source of
recruitment for entry-level positions. Big organizations or reputed industrial houses
contact institutions, such as colleges, universities, and technical and management
institutes, for a list of prospective candidates. Educational institutions give the
information to the organizations about the detailed profile of students, their functional
specialization, and the courses offered on campus. In return, the organizations provide
information to the candidates relating to their vision, mission, products, work culture,
nature of the job, and career growth opportunities.
The method of campus recruitment offers certain advantages to the employer
organizations. First, most of the candidates are available at one place. Second, the
interviews are arranged at short notice. Third, the teaching faculty is also met which
serves as a source of reference for the candidate. Campus recruitment is a major
source of recruitment for many prestigious organizations such as HCL, HP, TCS,
Infosys, Citibank, Reliance, etc.
Raiding or poaching: Raiding or poaching is another method of recruitment whereby
the rival firms offering better terms and conditions, try to attract qualified employees
to join them. This is a common feature in organizations. For example, several
executives of HMT left to join Titan Watch Company, and there was an exodus of
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pilots from Indian Airlines to join the private players in the industry. This method is
however seen as an unethical practice and not often openly talked about.
Advantages of external source of recruitment:
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Being a more open process, it is likely to attract large number of applicants. This in
turn widens the options for selection.
With large pool of applicants, it becomes possible for the organization to have
talented candidates from outside. Thus, it introduces new blood in the organization.
In the long run this source proves economical because potential employees do not
need extra training for their jobs.
Disadvantages of external source of recruitment:
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This source of recruitment is both time consuming and costly. There is no guarantee
that organization will get good and suitable candidates.
As candidates come from outside the organization, they are not familiar with the
tasks, job nature and internal scenario of the organization.
Existing employees are not sure to get promotion. This discourages them to work
hard. This in turn, leads to a decrease in the productivity of the organization.
Which particular souce to be tapped will depend on the policy of a firm, the position of
labour supply, Government regulations and agreements with labour organizations. However,
the personnel manager must be in close touch with these different sources and use them
according to his needs. The best management policy regarding recruitment is to look first
within the organization. If that source fails, external recruitment must be tackled.
According to Flippo, the present tendency among most business firms is to “home grow”
their executive leaders. Similarly, Koontz and O’Donnel rightly observe that the policy
should be to “raise” talent rather than “raid” for it.
Methods or techniques of recruitment
Recruitment methods refer to the means by which an organization reaches to the potential job
seekers. In other words, these are ways of establishing contacts with the potential candidates.
It is important to mention that the recruitment methods are different from the sources of
recruitment. The major line of distinction between the two is that while the former is the
means of establishing links with the candidate, the latter is location where the prospective
employees are available. Dunn and Stephens summarise the possible recruiting methods into
three categories: direct, indirect and third party.
Direct Methods
These include sending travelling recruiters to educational and professional institutions,
employees’ contacts with public, manned exhibits. One of the widely used direct methods is
that of sending of recruiters to colleges and technical schools. Most college recruiting is done
in co-operation with the placement office of a college. The placement office usually provides
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help in attracting students, arranging interviews, furnishing space, and providing student
resumes. For managerial, professional and sales personnel, campus recruiting is an extensive
operation. Persons reading for MBA or other technical diplomas are picked up in this manner.
The DCM, TATAs and other enlightened firms maintain continuing contacts with
institutions’ placement officials with a view to recruiting staff regularly for different
responsible positions.
Sometimes, firms directly solicit information from the concerned professors about students
with an outstanding record.
Other direct methods include sending recruiters to conventions and seminars, setting up
exhibits at fairs, and using mobile offices to go to the desired centres.
Indirect Methods
Indirect method involves mostly advertising in newspaper, on the radio, in trade and
professional journals, technical magazines and brochures.
Advertising in newspapers and/or trade journals and magazines is the most frequently used
method, when qualified or experienced personnel are not available from other sources. Senior
posts are largely filled by such methods when they cannot be filled by promotion from
within.
Advertising is useful for recruiting blue-collar and hourly workers, as well as scientific,
professional and technical employees. Local newspapers can be a good source of blue-collar
workers, clerical employees, and lower-level administrative employees. The main point is
that the higher the position is in the organization, or the more specialized the skills sought,
the more widely dispersed advertisement is likely to be. The search for top executive might
include advertisements in a national periodical; while the advertisement of blue collar job is
usually confined to the daily or regional newspapers and trade journals.
In order to be successful, an advertisement should be carefully written. If it is not properly
written, it may not draw the right type of applicants or it may attract too many applicants who
are not qualified for the job. It should be so framed as to attract attention – for example, by
the use of different sizes and types of print. The first line should limit the audience somewhat
and the next few lines should further screen out the readers who do not possess the necessary
qualifications. It should provide specific information on job requirements and opportunities
for advancement, the benefits to be enjoyed by working in the company; and it should
emphasize facts related to the dignity of the job and to its professional aspects.
According to Advertisement Tactics and Strategy in Personnel Recruitment, three points need
to be borne in mind before an advertisement is inserted. First, to visualize the type of
applicant one is trying to recruit. Second, to write out a list of the advantages a company
offers; in other words, why the reader should work for the company. Third, decide where to
run the advertisement, not only in which area but in which newspaper having a local, state, or
nation-wide circulation.
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Many organizations often place what is referred to as blind advertisement, one in which there
is no identification of the organization. Respondents are asked to reply to a ‘Post Office Box
Number’ or to a consulting firm that is acting as an intermediary between the applicant and
the organization. The large organizations with regional or national reputation do not usually
use blind advertisements.
Other methods include advertising in publications, such as trade and professional journals,
and radio or television announcements, as is done by many Indian manufacturers.
Third Party Methods
These include the use of commercial or private employment agencies, state agencies, and
professional associations, recruiting firms or management consulting firms, employee
referrals, labour contractors, etc.
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Private employment agencies are widely used. They charge a small fee from an
applicant. They specialize in specific occupations: general office help, salesman,
technical workers, accountants, computer staff, engineers, and executives. These
private agencies are brokers who bring employers and employees together. The
specialization of these agencies enhances their capacity to interpret the needs of their
clients, to seek out particular types of persons and to develop proficiency in
recognizing the talent of specialized personnel.
State or public employment agencies also known as Employment or Labour
Exchanges are the main agencies of public employment. They provide a clearing
house for jobs and job information. Employers inform them of their personnel
requirements, while job-seekers get information for them about the types of jobs that
are referred to by employers.
Colleges and Professional Institutions offer opportunities for recruiting their students.
They operate placement services which, helps in establishing the link between the
candidate and the organization. The prospective employers can review credentials and
interview candidates for management trainees or probationers.
Sometimes, the organizations provide Work Study Programme to the students or
summer jobs for undertaking a project in the establishment so as to get them
interested in the organization in question, and after completion of this, they may be
absorbed by the companies concerned.
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Professional organizations or recruiting firms or executive recruiters maintain
complete information records about employed executives. These firms are looked
upon as ‘head hunters’, ‘raiders’ and ‘poachers’ by organizations which lose
personnel through their efforts. These consulting firms recommend persons of high
calibre for managerial, marketing, and engineers’ posts.
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Employee referrals are also a good method which the organizations can use to
connect to the prospective employees. Friends and relatives of present employees are
also a good source from which the employees may be drawn. When the labour market
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is very tight, large employers frequently offer their employees bonuses or prizes for
any referrals that are hired and stay with the company for a specific length of time.
Some companies maintain a register of former employees whose record was good to
contact them when there are new job openings for which they are qualified.
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Casual Labour or applicant at the gate: most industrial units rely to some extent on
the casual labour which presents itself daily at the factory gate or employment office.
However, this source is uncertain, and the candidates cover a wide range of abilities.
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Unconsolidated applications are another way of reaching out to the candidates. For
positions in which large number of candidates are not available from other sources,
the companies may gain in keeping files of applications received from candidates who
make direct enquires about possible vacancies on their own, or they may send
unconsolidated applications. The information may be indexed and filed for future use
when there are openings in these jobs. If necessary, the candidates may be requested
to keep the organization posted with any change in their qualifications, experience or
achievements made.
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Computer data banks: When a company desires a particular type of employee, job
specifications and requirements are fed into a computer, where they are matched
against the resume data stored therein. The output is a set of resumes for individuals
who meet the requirements. This method is very useful for identifying candidates for
hard-to-fill positions which call for an unusual combination of skills.
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Applicant Tracking System (ATS) also called a Candidate Management System is a
software application designed to help an enterprise recruit employees more
efficiently. An ATS can be used to post job openings on a corporate Web site or job
board, screen resumes, and generate interview requests to potential candidates by email. Other features may include individual applicant tracking, requisition tracking,
automated resume ranking, customized input forms, pre-screening questions and
response tracking, and multilingual capabilities. It is estimated that roughly 50% of all
mid-sized companies and almost all large corporations use some type of applicant
tracking system.
Recruitment Process
Recruitment is the process of locating, identifying, and attracting capable applications for
jobs available in an organization. Accordingly, the recruitment process comprises of the
following five steps:
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
(iv)
Recruitment planning
Strategy development
Searching
Screening
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(v)
Evaluation and control
Recruitment planning
The first step involved in the recruitment process is planning. Here, planning involves to draft
a comprehensive job specification for the vacant position, outlining its major and minor
responsibilities; the skills, experience, and qualifications needed; grade and level of pay;
starting date; whether temporary or permanent; and mention of special conditions, if any,
attached to the job to be filled.
Strategy development
Once it is known how many with what qualifications of candidates are required, the next step
involved in this regard is to devise a suitable strategy for recruiting the candidates in the
organization. The strategic considerations to be considered may include issues like whether to
prepare the required candidates themselves or hire it from outside, what type of recruitment
method to be used, what geographical area to be considered for searching the candidates,
which source of recruitment to be practiced, and what sequence of activities to be followed in
recruiting candidates in the organization.
Searching
This step involves attracting job seekers to the organization. There are broadly two sources
used to attract candidates. These are: internal sources and external sources.
Screening
According to some, screening is the starting point of selection. However, this has been
considered as a part of recruitment because selection process starts only after the applications
have been screened and shortlisted. Job specification is invaluable in screening. Applications
are screened against the qualification, knowledge, skills, abilities, interest and experience
mentioned in the job specification. Those who do not qualify are straightaway eliminated
from the selection process. the techniques used for screening candidates vary depending on
the source of supply and method used for recruiting.
Evaluation and control
Given the considerable cost involved in the recruitment process, its evaluation and control is,
therefore, imperative. The costs generally incurred in a recruitment process include: (i) Salary
of recruiters, (ii) Cost of time spent for preparing job analysis, advertisement, etc., (iii)
Administrative expenses, (iv) Cost of outsourcing or overtime while vacancies remain
unfilled, and (v) the Cost incurred in recruiting the unsuitable candidates.
In view of the above, it is necessary for an employer to try to answer certain questions like:
whether the recruitment methods are appropriate and valid and whether the recruitment
process followed in the organization is effective at all or not.
Recruitment practices in India
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The different sources of recruitment in India have been classified as: (i) within the
organization; (ii) badly or temporary workers; (iii) employment agencies; (iv) casual callers;
(v) applicants introduced by friends and relatives in the organization; (vi) advertisements; and
(vii) labour contractors.
According to a survey of public and private sector employers, the following methods were
used to recruit employees:
(a) In the public sector (steel units), the major sources of recruitment in order of
preference are: (i) casual callers or employment seekers; (ii) newspaper
advertisements; (iii) scheduled tribes and scheduled castes; (iv) employment
exchanges; (v) other public undertakings; (vi) internal advertisement; (vii) displaced
persons; (viii) relatives and friends; (ix) employee recommendations; and (x)
institutions.
In the public sector (heavy engineering), the sources for non-supervisory staff are: (i)
employment exchanges; (ii) external advertisement; (iii) internal advertisement; (iv)
central training institute.
(b) In the private sector, the survey disclosed that the procedures, though formulated,
were not institutionalized in character. In some organizations, preference was given to
sons and relatives of employees and to local people. In order of preference, the major
sources are: (i) advertisements; (ii) employment exchanges; (iii) relatives and friends;
(iv) casual callers; and (v) employee recommendations.
The problem of the “Sons of the Soil”
In recent years, a controversy has arisen about claims of ‘sons of the soil’ for preference in
recruitment. As per this claim, the vacancies of an organization must be first offered to
suitable hands hailing from the immediate vicinity of the organizations.
In this connection the National Commission on Labour has observed: “The solution has to be
sought in terms of the primacy of common citizenship, geographical mobility, and economic
feasibility of locating industrial units, on the one hand, and local aspiration on the other.”
It has suggested that:
(a) Young persons from families whose lands are acquired for industrial use should be
provided training opportunities for employment in jobs which are likely to be created
in new units set up on these lands;
(b) To remove unjustified apprehensions among local candidates, the following steps
should be taken to supervise the implementation of the directives of the Government
of India on recruitment for public sector projects;
(i)
While recruiting unskilled employees, first preference should be given to
persons displaced from the areas required for the projects. The next to be
preferred should be those who have been living in the same vicinity.
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(ii)
The selection of persons to posts in lower scales should not be left entirely to
the head of the unit. It should be made through a recruitment committee, with
a nominee of the government of the state in which the unit is located.
(iii)
In the case of middle level technicians whose recruitment has to be on an allIndia basis, a member of the State Public Service Commission should be
associated in making selections in addition to the State Government official on
the Board of Directors.
(iv)
Apart from the report sent to the concerned Ministry at the Centre, the
undertaking should send a statement to the State Government at regular
intervals, preferably every quarter, about the latest employment and
recruitment position.
Although the Commission has suggested these steps for employment in the public sector, it is
of the opinion that they should apply equally to recruitment in the private sector, though the
mechanism to regulate this recruitment would necessarily differ from that in the public sector.
References:
1. Personnel Management (Text and Cases) by C.B. Mamoria & S.V. Gankar
(Page No. 185- 197)
2. Human Resource Management (Text and Cases) by S.S. Khanka
(Page No. 53-64)
3. Human Resource Management by Prof. P.K. Gupta
(Page No. 92, 98-102)
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