The process of employment is a rather long process that will require several steps and phases to be completed. Recruitment and selection are the two crucial aspects of employment that need to be carried out by hiring managers. However, while these two terms might seem to be synonymous, the truth is that they are entirely different concepts that should be properly identified and understood by both job seekers and employers.
What is Recruitment?
Recruitment is a process that starts with sourcing the potential applicants. The recruiter, human resources department or hiring manager may use college recruitment programs, job boards, networking, social media and job fairs to ignite interest in the available positions in the company. Skill testing, prescreening interviews, reference and background checks are all part of the process of recruitment.
What is Selection?
Selection is where the pool of candidates is narrowed down to one applicant. The process of selection may encompass personality assessments, a series of interviews, as well as criminal background checks. Salary negotiations, job duties and benefits are the last stages of the selection process.
Key Differences between Recruitment and Selection
- The process of recruitment is positive as it encourages more applicants, while selection is negative, involving the rejection of unsuitable candidates.
- Recruitment refers to the process of looking for candidates suitable for employment and encouraging them to apply for the position in an organization; selection is composed of a series of steps where the candidates are screened in order to choose the most appropriate candidates for the vacant posts.
- The focus of recruitment is to tap into the sources of human resources; selection focuses on choosing the most suitable applicants through different tests and interviews.
- A contract of recruitment is not established during recruitment; selection can result to a service contract between the chosen applicant and the employer.