Recruitment

Habari Mwanafunzi! Welcome to the World of Recruitment!

Ever walked past a building and seen a sign saying "MSAIDIZI WA KAZI ANAHITAJIKA"? Or maybe you've scrolled through your phone and seen a job alert from BrighterMonday for a position at Safaricom? That, my friend, is the magic of recruitment in action! It's the exciting first step companies take to find talented people like you. Today, we're going to dive deep and understand how organisations find the very best team members to help them succeed. Let's get started!

What Exactly is Recruitment?

Think of it like this: a farmer wants to have the best harvest. What do they do? They don't just throw any seeds onto their shamba. They search for the strongest, healthiest, and most suitable seeds.

In the world of Human Resources, Recruitment is the process of actively searching for, identifying, and attracting qualified candidates for a job vacancy within an organisation. It's not just about filling a space; it's about finding the right person for the right job. The goal is to create a large pool of talented applicants so that the company has a great selection to choose from. It’s the "sourcing" part of building a great team.

Real-World Scenario: Maria's Cafe, a popular coffee shop in Nairobi CBD, is getting very busy. Maria realises she needs a new barista to help manage the morning rush. The entire process she will use to advertise the job, get people to apply, and create a list of potential hires is recruitment.

The Recruitment Process: A Step-by-Step Journey

Recruitment isn't a random event; it's a planned process. Imagine it as a road map that guides a company from having a vacant position to having a list of great people ready for interviews.

    +---------------------------+
    | 1. Job Vacancy Identified |  --> (e.g., An accountant resigns)
    +---------------------------+
                 |
                 v
    +---------------------------+
    | 2. Job Analysis & Desc.   |  --> (What will the new person do?)
    +---------------------------+
                 |
                 v
    +---------------------------+
    | 3. Sourcing Candidates    |  --> (Where will we find people?)
    +---------------------------+
                 |
                 v
    +---------------------------+
    | 4. Screening & Shortlisting| --> (Reviewing CVs, creating a list)
    +---------------------------+
                 |
                 v
    +---------------------------+
    |   (Next Stage: Selection) |
    +---------------------------+

Our focus today is on step 3: Sourcing. Where do companies look for these amazing candidates? This leads us to the two main sources of recruitment.

Image Suggestion: [An energetic, modern illustration of a recruitment funnel. At the wide top of the funnel, various diverse Kenyan candidates (some in suits, some in casual tech wear) are dropping in their CVs. At the narrow bottom of the funnel, a few standout CVs are being picked by an HR manager. The background has subtle hints of the Nairobi skyline.]

Sources of Recruitment: Looking Inside and Out

Companies can look for new employees in two main places: inside their own walls (Internal) or out in the wider world (External).

1. Internal Sources of Recruitment

This is when a company decides to fill a vacancy with one of its existing employees. It's like promoting the class prefect to head boy or girl!

• Promotions: Moving an employee to a higher-level position. For example, a junior loan officer at Equity Bank gets promoted to Senior Loan Officer. This is great for motivation!
• Transfers: Moving an employee to a different job at the same level, perhaps in a different department or branch. For instance, a Naivas supermarket cashier in Nakuru is transferred to a new branch opening in Eldoret.
• Employee Referrals: This is the classic "I know a guy!" or "Niko na mtu wako." Existing employees recommend their friends, family, or former colleagues. Companies love this because good employees often know other good people.

2. External Sources of Recruitment

This involves looking for candidates outside the organisation. This brings in fresh ideas, new skills, and different perspectives.

• Advertisements: The most common method! You see these in:
  • Newspapers like the Daily Nation ("My Network" section) and The Standard.
  • Online Job Boards: Websites like BrighterMonday, Fuzu, and even LinkedIn are very popular in Kenya.
  • Radio and TV announcements, especially for jobs targeting a wide audience.
• Campus Recruitment: Big companies like KCB, PwC, and KenGen visit universities (University of Nairobi, JKUAT, Strathmore) to hire bright, young graduates directly.
• Recruitment Agencies: Professional firms (like Corporate Staffing Services in Kenya) that are paid by companies to find skilled candidates for them.
• Unsolicited Applications (Walk-ins): When job seekers drop off their CVs at a company's reception, hoping a vacancy might open up. It shows initiative!

Let's Talk Money: Calculating the Cost Per Hire (CPH)

Recruitment isn't free! Companies spend money on advertising, staff time, and agency fees. A key metric HR professionals use is the Cost Per Hire (CPH). It tells them how much it costs, on average, to hire one new employee. This helps in budgeting for future recruitment drives.

The formula is quite straightforward:

    Cost Per Hire (CPH) = (Total Recruitment Costs) / (Total Number of Hires)

    Where:
    Total Recruitment Costs = (Internal Costs + External Costs)

Step-by-Step Calculation Example:

Let's say a tech company in Westlands, Nairobi, needs to hire 2 new Software Developers.

1. Identify External Costs:
   • Job advert on BrighterMonday: KES 15,000
   • Sponsored post on LinkedIn: KES 10,000
   Total External Costs = 15,000 + 10,000 = KES 25,000
2. Identify Internal Costs:
   • HR Manager's time (screening CVs, calls): KES 20,000
   • Hiring Manager's time (technical review): KES 15,000
   Total Internal Costs = 20,000 + 15,000 = KES 35,000
3. Calculate Total Recruitment Costs:

   Total Costs = Total External Costs + Total Internal Costs

   Total Costs = 25,000 + 35,000 = KES 60,000

4. Calculate the Cost Per Hire (CPH):

   Number of Hires = 2

   CPH = Total Costs / Number of Hires
   CPH = 60,000 / 2
   CPH = KES 30,000

   Conclusion: It cost the company KES 30,000 to hire each new software developer.

Image Suggestion: [A clean, simple infographic showing the Cost Per Hire calculation. Use Kenyan Shilling currency symbols (KES). On one side, have icons representing costs (e.g., a newspaper icon for ads, a person icon for staff time). On the other side, show two new employees shaking hands, with an arrow pointing to the final calculation: "CPH = KES 30,000". The style should be corporate but friendly.]

Summary: You are the Future!

Fantastic work today! We've learned that recruitment is a vital, strategic process of attracting the best talent. We explored the journey from identifying a vacancy to shortlisting candidates, discovered the difference between internal and external sources, and even did some math like a true HR professional!

Remember, every great company in Kenya, from the largest corporation to the smallest duka, is built by its people. As a future HR expert, you will be the architect of these amazing teams. Keep that passion and curiosity alive!