Recruitment

Habari Mwanafunzi! Welcome to the World of Recruitment!

Ever scrolled through your phone and seen a "We're Hiring!" post from a company like Safaricom or Java House? Have you ever wondered how they find the perfect person for the job? It’s not magic, it’s a crucial business process called Recruitment. Think of a company as a great football team. To win, you need to find the best players. Recruitment is the art and science of scouting and attracting those star players to join your team!

In today's lesson, we will unpack this exciting field. We'll explore how organisations in Kenya and beyond build their winning teams. Get ready to become an expert talent magnet!

Image Suggestion: An energetic and diverse group of young Kenyan professionals standing in a modern office in Nairobi. One person is pointing to a digital screen that says "Join Our Team!". The mood is optimistic and collaborative. Style: Vibrant, realistic photography.

What Exactly is Recruitment?

In simple terms, Recruitment is the process of identifying, attracting, screening, and shortlisting qualified individuals for a job opening within an organisation. It's all about creating a pool of suitable candidates.

A common point of confusion is the difference between Recruitment and Selection. Let's clear that up with a simple analogy:

• Recruitment is like fishing: You cast a wide net (the job advert) into the sea (the job market) to attract as many fish (candidates) as possible.
• Selection is like choosing the fish: From the fish you've caught in your net, you carefully choose the best ones to take home (the interview and hiring process).

So, recruitment comes before selection. Your job as a recruiter is to make sure the net is full of high-quality fish!

The Recruitment Process: A Step-by-Step Journey

Finding the right person isn't a single event; it's a process. Let's walk through the typical steps an HR manager at a company like KCB Bank would follow.

[Step 1: Identify Vacancy]
       |
       v
[Step 2: Job Analysis]
 (Create Job Description & Specification)
       |
       v
[Step 3: Sourcing Strategy]
 (Internal? External? Online?)
       |
       v
[Step 4: Generate Applicant Pool]
 (Advertise the job on BrighterMonday, LinkedIn, etc.)
       |
       v
[Step 5: Screening & Shortlisting]
 (Review CVs and create a 'shortlist' of the best)
       |
       v
[Step 6: Handover to Selection Team]
 (The recruitment phase ends here)

Real-World Scenario: A Vacancy at "Kenya Foods Ltd."

The marketing manager at Kenya Foods Ltd. resigns. The Head of Department immediately informs HR. The HR team first pulls up the old Job Description to see if the role has changed. They update it to include new skills like "Digital Marketing" and "Social Media Management." This becomes the new blueprint. They then decide to advertise externally on Fuzu and internally on the company noticeboard. After two weeks, they have 200 applications! The HR officer screens them, shortlisting the 15 candidates who best match the job specification. This list of 15 is then passed on for interviews. The recruitment process is complete!

Sources of Recruitment: Looking Inside or Outside?

A big decision in recruitment is where to look for candidates. There are two main sources:

• Internal Sources: Finding candidates who already work for the organisation.
  • Pros: Faster, cheaper, boosts employee morale, the candidate's performance is already known.
  • Cons: Creates another vacancy to fill, can cause resentment among colleagues not chosen, limits new ideas from entering the company.
  • Example: Promoting a senior bank teller at Equity Bank to the position of Assistant Branch Manager.
• External Sources: Looking for candidates outside the organisation.
  • Pros: Brings in fresh perspectives and skills, larger pool of applicants, avoids internal politics.
  • Cons: More expensive (advertising costs), takes longer, the candidate is an unknown quantity and might not fit the company culture.
  • Example: Kenya Airways placing an advert on their website and LinkedIn for new cabin crew members.

The Numbers Game: Measuring Recruitment Success

How do you know if your recruitment efforts are effective and efficient? We use metrics! Let's look at two key calculations you'll use as an HR professional.

1. Cost Per Hire (CPH)

This tells you how much it costs, on average, to hire one new employee. It's crucial for budgeting.

Formula:

Cost Per Hire (CPH) = (Total Internal Costs + Total External Costs) / Total Number of Hires

Step-by-Step Example:

A tech company in Nairobi hires 5 software developers. Let's calculate the CPH.

• External Costs:
  • Advertising on MyJobMag: KES 15,000
  • Recruitment agency fee: KES 50,000
• Internal Costs:
  • HR Manager's time (salary portion for this task): KES 20,000
  • Interviewer's time (salary portion): KES 15,000

Calculation:

1. Total Costs = (KES 20,000 + KES 15,000) + (KES 15,000 + KES 50,000)
               = KES 100,000

2. Number of Hires = 5

3. CPH = KES 100,000 / 5
       = KES 20,000 per hire

Now the company knows it costs them KES 20,000 to bring one new developer on board. Sawa?

2. Yield Ratio

This measures the efficiency of a recruiting source. It tells you what percentage of candidates from a specific source make it to the next stage.

Formula:

Yield Ratio = (Number of qualified applicants from a source / Total number of applicants from that source) * 100

Step-by-Step Example:

You're hiring a Graphic Designer. You received 100 applications from BrighterMonday and 20 from LinkedIn.

• After screening, you find that 10 applicants from BrighterMonday were qualified.
• After screening, you find that 8 applicants from LinkedIn were qualified.

Calculation:

1. BrighterMonday Yield Ratio = (10 / 100) * 100 = 10%

2. LinkedIn Yield Ratio = (8 / 20) * 100 = 40%

Conclusion: Even though LinkedIn brought fewer applicants, it had a much higher quality (a 40% yield ratio). Next time, you might decide to focus more of your budget on LinkedIn for this type of role!

Image Suggestion: A split-screen image. On the left, a person is looking at a physical notice board with a single job advert. On the right, a person is swiping through multiple job postings on a sleek smartphone app. The right side is brighter and more dynamic. Style: Modern, graphic illustration.

Modern Recruitment Trends in Kenya

The world of recruitment is changing fast, thanks to technology. Here's what's trending now:

• Digital-First Approach: Gone are the days of only using newspapers. Companies now rely heavily on online job boards (BrighterMonday, Fuzu), professional networks like LinkedIn, and their own career websites.
• Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS): Large companies use software to scan CVs for keywords (like "CPA-K," "Project Management," "Java"). Pro Tip: Always tailor your CV with keywords from the job description to pass the ATS scan!
• Social Media Screening: Yes, recruiters do look at your social media! They want to see if your public profile aligns with the company's values. Keep it professional!
• The Gig Economy: More companies are hiring freelancers and consultants for short-term projects. This requires a different, faster style of recruitment.

Key Takeaways

Congratulations! You've just taken a deep dive into the dynamic world of recruitment. Let's recap the most important points:

• Recruitment is the process of attracting a pool of qualified candidates.
• The process is a multi-step journey from identifying a need to shortlisting candidates.
• Organisations can recruit from internal or external sources, each with its own pros and cons.
• Success in recruitment can be measured with metrics like Cost Per Hire and Yield Ratios.
• Technology has transformed recruitment, making it faster, more data-driven, and more digital.

As a future HR leader in Kenya, mastering the art of recruitment will be one of your greatest assets. You will be the gatekeeper of your organisation's most valuable resource: its people. Keep learning, stay curious, and you will be well on your way to building incredible teams!