Internal & External Recruitment

Advertising Vacancies

Internal recruitment is the appointment of a suitable candidate who already works for the business
External recruitment is where a new employee is appointed from outside the business
Businesses often use a combination of internal and external recruitment methods, depending on the nature of the job and the availability of suitable candidates

- The method chosen will also depend on the organisation's goals, the level of the position being filled and the industry in which it operates

Advertising the Vacancy

After producing the job description and person specification when a vacancy arises, the business can advertise the role internally, externally, or a combination of both
- In order to advertise the vacancy, the business must produce a job advertisement that includes
  - Brief details of the job and characteristics of desired applicants
  - How to apply for the job

Diagram: Examples of Job Advertisements

2--examples-of-job-advertisements

Job advertisements are designed to attract interest and encourage candidates to apply for roles

Advertising Vacancies Internally and Externally

Advertising Internally

Advertising Externally

If the business is seeking an internal candidate business newsletters, staff noticeboards or internal email can be used to display job advertisements
Line managers may be asked to recommend suitable candidates following appraisals
- E.g. A new project management role within the organisation may be advertised in the weekly staff newsletter
Recruiting internally may mean workers do not need induction training and are highly productive relatively quickly
A further vacancy is created when a worker moves into their new role

External candidates can be targeted with advertisements in newspapers, industry magazines, specialist recruitment websites, agencies and government-run agencies
Existing employees may be asked to nominate people they know for roles - sometimes they receive a reward of their nominee is successfully recruited
Businesses with a strong social media presence can use these platforms to advertise cost-effectively e.g. TikTok
New skills, experiences and ideas are introduced to the business
Some methods such as advertising in the mass media are expensive and it can be difficult to target the desired audience

If a business needs to recruit quickly or if it is struggling to find the right employee it may use a recruitment agency to carry out the advertising and recruitment process on their behalf
- New employees may be found quickly through a recruitment agency which has potential candidates already enrolled
- It can be expensive as businesses have to pay a fee for these services

Shortlisting & Interviewing Candidates

When recruiting for the role, the business will select candidates whose qualifications, skills, personal qualities and experience best match the job description and person specification
The process of selecting prospective candidates for interview is called shortlisting, which is then followed by a job interview

Explanation of Shortlisting and Interviews

Shortlisting

Interviews

A shortlist is a collection or list of the most well suited candidates for the role
- A careful comparison with the job description and person specification is made
It is a list of the candidates whose applications meet the role criteria and for whom the business would like to find out some more information about them at interview
Shortlists are essential for sorting through large volumes of applications
Candidates on the shortlist are asked to interview or to complete assessment activities

Interviews usually include a face to face, telephone or online discussion between a manager and the candidate about their suitability for the role
A set of relevant questions is used for all candidates to ensure that the interview is conducted in a fair and consistent manner
Interview questions may focus on
- Skills and experiences relevant to the job
- Successes and failures - and how these were overcome
- Personal interests and experiences
The interview process should lead to a suitable candidate being appointed

Exam Tip

Shortlists and interviews are not alternatives - a business shortlists before it goes to the effort of interviewing candidates. Without a shortlist there would, in some cases, be too many candidates to meet in person. This would be costly and time-consuming.

Internal & External Recruitment (Edexcel IGCSE Business)

Revision Note

Advertising Vacancies