Recruitment - EduqasAdvantage and disadvantages of recruitment methods

Businesses have many different roles and responsibilities. When recruiting to fill a vacancy, a business must decide whether to recruit internally or externally, and complete relevant documentation.

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The advantages and disadvantages of different methods of recruitment

Method	Advantages	Disadvantages
Internal recruitment	A quick process Applicants will already be known to the business Applicants may have previous experience in the role Cheaper to recruit and advertise roles internally	Usually a small pool of applicants Applicants may not be experienced in the role A lack of fresh ideas in the business
External recruitment	May bring new ideas into the business Fresh enthusiasm and skills Larger pool of potential applicants	Takes time to settle into the business Expensive to recruit New employees are not known to the business Takes more time than internal recruitment
Recruitment agencies	Find high quality applicants Often a quicker process Can get employees at short notice	Can be expensive to use May not find the best candidates
Media selection	Can be either cheap or expensive Can mean that a vast range of potential applicants see adverts Can be tailored to the business	Potential applicants may not engage with your chosen media source Smaller businesses are limited on their media selection
Application	Businesses gain valuable information about applicants through a letter of application CVs provide a lot of insight about skills, experience and qualifications Informal contact may save time for businesses and applicants	Application letters and CVs can take time to sift through for shortlisting Informal contact doesn’t always get the best employee, as a business may only speak to one person
Interview	A face to face interview allows better reading of body language and facial expressions A telephone interview is quick and convenient, possibly less pressure for an interviewee An online interview can be conducted from anywhere	Face to face interviews can take time to set up and conduct. They often require travelling In a telephone interview it can be difficult to tell if a response is genuine An online interview or telephone interview could be interrupted or stopped due to a technical issues
Alternatives to interview	Testing is a great way to understand what skills and attributes a person has Group testing allows a business to see how applicants work with other people Role-play is a great way to see how applicants perform in pressurised situations	Testing doesn’t show whether a personality will fit well with the business, or how hard working a person is Group tests and role-play can be difficult to organise and difficult to observe, particularly with large groups

Method	Internal recruitment
Advantages	A quick process Applicants will already be known to the business Applicants may have previous experience in the role Cheaper to recruit and advertise roles internally
Disadvantages	Usually a small pool of applicants Applicants may not be experienced in the role A lack of fresh ideas in the business

Method	External recruitment
Advantages	May bring new ideas into the business Fresh enthusiasm and skills Larger pool of potential applicants
Disadvantages	Takes time to settle into the business Expensive to recruit New employees are not known to the business Takes more time than internal recruitment

Method	Recruitment agencies
Advantages	Find high quality applicants Often a quicker process Can get employees at short notice
Disadvantages	Can be expensive to use May not find the best candidates

Method	Media selection
Advantages	Can be either cheap or expensive Can mean that a vast range of potential applicants see adverts Can be tailored to the business
Disadvantages	Potential applicants may not engage with your chosen media source Smaller businesses are limited on their media selection

Method	Application
Advantages	Businesses gain valuable information about applicants through a letter of application CVs provide a lot of insight about skills, experience and qualifications Informal contact may save time for businesses and applicants
Disadvantages	Application letters and CVs can take time to sift through for shortlisting Informal contact doesn’t always get the best employee, as a business may only speak to one person

Method	Interview
Advantages	A face to face interview allows better reading of body language and facial expressions A telephone interview is quick and convenient, possibly less pressure for an interviewee An online interview can be conducted from anywhere
Disadvantages	Face to face interviews can take time to set up and conduct. They often require travelling In a telephone interview it can be difficult to tell if a response is genuine An online interview or telephone interview could be interrupted or stopped due to a technical issues

Method	Alternatives to interview
Advantages	Testing is a great way to understand what skills and attributes a person has Group testing allows a business to see how applicants work with other people Role-play is a great way to see how applicants perform in pressurised situations
Disadvantages	Testing doesn’t show whether a personality will fit well with the business, or how hard working a person is Group tests and role-play can be difficult to organise and difficult to observe, particularly with large groups

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Different methods of recruitment

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