Recruiting

Recruiting is the process of identifying, attracting, screening, and selecting qualified candidates for employment within an organization. It focuses on building a pipeline of potential hires and can involve both external candidates and internal mobility. Distinctions are often made between recruiting, staffing, and hiring; recruiting is the ongoing practice of finding prospective personnel, while hiring refers to the final decision and onboarding of a candidate.

Recruiting can be internal, promoting or transferring existing employees, or external, drawing on job advertisements, recruitment agencies, and online channels. Workforce planning aligns hiring with business needs and budgets. Employer branding communicates values and culture to attract candidates. The candidate experience, including timely communication and transparency, influences acceptances and reputation.

Typical stages include workforce planning, sourcing, screening, interviewing, assessment, job offer, negotiation, and onboarding. Tools include job boards, social networks, employee referrals, applicant tracking systems, and recruitment agencies. Selection decisions weigh qualifications, experience, cultural fit, and potential for development.

Key metrics track efficiency and quality, such as time-to-fill, cost-per-hire, candidate quality, and offer-acceptance rate. Compliance with equal employment opportunity, anti-discrimination laws, and data privacy is essential. Trends in recruiting include employer branding, recruitment marketing, AI-assisted screening, video interviews, and focused diversity and inclusion initiatives. Challenges include skills gaps, talent competition, and candidate ghosting.