Planning for Effective Recruitment

Office recruiters, Tate, have taken the hard work out of business planning for their clients by creating a guide to some of the key external influences businesses may want to consider to ensure their 2010 recruitment plan is effective as possible.

Whether youíre running a business, a team or a project, thorough planning is essential to ensure success. Recruitment is no different – from identifying the taskís skill requirements to assessing the individualís personality fit – it requires understanding and awareness of your organisation, your objectives and the world outside your business.

Recruitment falls into two categories – impulse and planned. Impulse recruiting is reactive in nature. Posting on a job board, for example, generates a large number of candidates in a short time and is often a quick fix solution when you realise that a job needs to be filled instantly. While this can work, it is certainly not the most effective or efficient way of hiring. Time and resource are required to sift through the applicants and the chances of missing the ëgolden nuggetsí are high.

Planned recruitment is therefore essential to avoid these potential pitfalls. Tate's Managing Director, Jo Edward says, ìPlanned recruiting is proactive and is about implementing strategies that evolve and improve in effectiveness over time. When tasked with implementing planned successions or managing your pipeline of candidates, you combine your expertise and knowledge with that of your chosen recruitment channel. This ensures that the right people are available in the right place, at the right time for your businessî.

Itís always worth looking outside your business to consider how external factors may influence your planning. One simple, yet effective tool to use when planning for recruitment that deals with outside influences is the PESTEL (Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental and Legal) analysis format.

In an uncertain economy, this takes on an even bigger role. Knowing you have a plan in place is crucial and it means youíre better placed to face the challenges ahead.