Recruitment: an overview

Recruitment is the process of having the right person, in the right place, at the right time. It is crucial to organisational performance. Recruitment is a critical activity, not just for the HR team but also for line managers who are increasingly involved in the selection process. All those involved in recruitment activities should be equipped with the appropriate knowledge and skills.

Our annual Resourcing and talent planning survey provides data on and analysis of recruitment trends and employers’ practices, and our quarterly Labour market outlook monitors economic and labour market indicators and the recruitment outlook.

The importance of diversity should be taken into account at each stage of the recruitment process. Processes and systems should be regularly reviewed to ensure hidden bias is removed and to ensure talent is not being blocked from entering the organisation. Everyone taking part in activities such as shortlisting and interviewing should be aware of relevant legislation and the importance of avoiding discrimination. CIPD supports the Recruitment protocol launched by the Employers’ Forum on Disability. See our factsheet on diversity for more information on this issue. 

The recruitment process involves working through a series of stages:

• defining the role
• attracting applications
• managing the application and selection process
• making the appointment.

The following paragraphs give an overview of each of these steps.

Login or register for a free account to continue reading this factsheet and to learn about:

• What is recruitment?
• Defining the role
• Attracting applications
• Managing the application and selection process
• Making the appointment
• CIPD viewpoint
• Useful contacts
• References 
• Further reading