Talent Acquisition

A strategic approach to attracting, hiring, and retaining skilled employees for long-term
business needs. It includes employer branding, workforce planning, and relationship-
building.

📌 Example: Google organizes coding competitions (e.g., Code Jam) and university
collaborations to attract top tech talent.

Recruitment & Selection

Recruitment

The process of creating a pool of qualified candidates for job vacancies.

🔹 Types of Recruitment:

1. Internal Recruitment – Hiring from within (promotions, transfers).

📌 Example: TCS promotes existing software engineers to managerial roles.
2. External Recruitment – Hiring from outside the organization.
📌 Example: Infosys hires fresh graduates through campus placements.

🔹 Methods of Recruitment:

 Job Portals (Naukri, LinkedIn, Indeed) – Posting vacancies online.

 Employee Referrals – Employees refer candidates (e.g., Accenture’s referral
program).
 Campus Recruitment – Hiring freshers from colleges (e.g., Wipro recruits from
IITs).
 Social Media Hiring – Using LinkedIn, Twitter, etc., for outreach.

📌 Example: Amazon uses LinkedIn job ads and virtual career fairs to attract candidates.

Selection

Choosing the best candidate from the applicant pool using various assessments and
interviews.

🔹 Selection Process:

1. Resume Screening – Shortlisting based on qualifications.

2. Written Tests – Assessing aptitude, technical skills, or domain knowledge.
3. Interviews – HR & technical rounds to evaluate suitability.
4. Background Check – Verifying experience, education, and references.
5. Final Offer & Onboarding – Extending an offer and integrating the candidate into
the company.

📌 Example: Deloitte conducts case study interviews to assess problem-solving skills before
hiring consultants.

Factors Governing Recruitment Recruitment is influenced by internal (within the

organization) and external (market conditions) factors.

1. Internal Factors (Within the Organization)

🔹 Company’s Hiring Policy – Rules on hiring methods (e.g., internal promotions vs.
external hiring).
📌 Example: Infosys prioritizes internal promotions before external hiring.

🔹 Budget for Recruitment – Determines the use of job portals, agencies, or referrals.
📌 Example: Startups rely on social media hiring due to budget constraints.

🔹 Growth & Expansion Plans – More hiring when expanding business operations.
📌 Example: Tesla hired aggressively when launching a new gigafactory.

🔹 Company’s Size – Larger companies have structured recruitment processes, while smaller
firms rely on direct hiring.
📌 Example: Reliance hires thousands yearly, while a startup may hire only a few.

2. External Factors (Outside the Organization)

🔹 Labor Market Conditions – Availability of skilled workers affects recruitment speed.

📌 Example: IT firms struggle to find AI experts due to high demand.

🔹 Economic Conditions – Growth leads to more hiring, while recessions slow it down.
📌 Example: Many companies froze hiring during COVID-19.

🔹 Government Policies & Labor Laws – Compliance with wage laws, quotas, and labor
rights.
📌 Example: Indian companies follow reservation policies in public sector hiring.

🔹 Competitors – Rival companies hiring aggressively can reduce the available talent pool.
📌 Example: Flipkart and Amazon compete for delivery staff during festive seasons. 🔹
Company’s Image – A strong brand attracts more candidates, while a poor reputation makes
hiring difficult.
📌 Example: Google’s positive work culture attracts top talent, whereas companies with
frequent layoffs struggle to hire.
Internal Recruiting

🔹 Job Posting – Open positions are advertised within the company for existing employees to
apply.
📌 Example: TCS posts job openings on its internal portal, allowing employees to apply for
promotions or transfers.

🔹 Supervisory Recommendations – Managers recommend high-performing employees for

promotions or new roles.
📌 Example: A senior manager at Infosys nominates a skilled developer for a team lead
position.

External Recruiting Methods

🔹 Word-of-Mouth Recruiting – Employees or industry contacts inform potential candidates

about job openings.
📌 Example: A software engineer refers a friend for a job at Infosys.

🔹 Advertisements – Job postings in newspapers, magazines, or online platforms.

📌 Example: Tata Steel advertises vacancies in The Times of India and LinkedIn.

🔹 Employment Agencies – Third-party firms help companies find suitable candidates.

📌 Example: Wipro hires executives through recruitment agencies like ABC Consultants.

🔹 Colleges (Campus Recruitment) – Companies hire fresh graduates directly from

universities.
📌 Example: Deloitte recruits MBA students through campus placement drives.

🔹 Electronic Recruiting – Using online job portals and company websites.

📌 Example: HDFC Bank posts vacancies on Naukri and Indeed.

🔹 Recruitment Using Social Media – Finding candidates through platforms like LinkedIn
and Twitter.
📌 Example: Amazon hires tech talent by reaching out via LinkedIn.

🔹 Internships: A Mixed Model – Interns are evaluated and often offered full-time roles.
📌 Example: Google converts high-performing interns into permanent employees.

🔹 Realistic Job Previews (RJP) – Providing a clear picture of job expectations before hiring.
📌 Example: BPOs allow candidates to shadow employees before final selection.

Selection Process (Step-by-Step)

2️⃣Receiving Applications – Candidates submit resumes and application forms.
📌 Example: Tata Steel collects applications via its career portal and job fairs.

3️⃣Screening of Applications – Filtering candidates based on eligibility criteria.

📌 Example: Amazon shortlists resumes based on experience, education, and skills.

Preliminary Interview – Initial screening to check basic qualifications and interest.

📌 Example: An HR recruiter at Infosys conducts a quick phone interview to verify a
candidate's experience.

4️⃣Employment Test – Assessing technical, cognitive, or psychometric abilities.

📌 Example: TCS conducts an aptitude test for software developer roles.

5️⃣Interview – Face-to-face or virtual interaction to evaluate the candidate.

📌 Example: Google conducts multiple rounds, including technical and HR interviews.

6️⃣Reference Checking – Verifying background, experience, and past performance.

📌 Example: Deloitte calls previous employers to confirm a candidate’s work history.

7️⃣Medical Examination – Ensuring the candidate is fit for the job.

📌 Example: Airline companies like Indigo conduct medical tests for pilots.

8️⃣Final Selection – The best candidate is chosen and offered the job.
📌 Example: Infosys extends an offer letter after all evaluations are completed.

Selection Techniques

1️⃣Applications & Background Checks – Reviewing resumes and verifying past experience,
education, and criminal records.
📌 Example: Deloitte checks candidates’ work history and references before hiring.

2️⃣Employment Tests – Assessing skills, knowledge, and suitability for the job.
📌 Example: TCS conducts coding tests for software engineers.

3️⃣Cognitive Ability Tests – Evaluating reasoning, problem-solving, and aptitude.

📌 Example: Infosys uses logical reasoning and quantitative aptitude tests for hiring freshers.

4️⃣Psychomotor Ability Tests – Measuring hand-eye coordination and physical skills.

📌 Example: Pilots at IndiGo undergo psychomotor tests to assess reflexes and coordination.

5️⃣Personality Tests – Assessing behavioral traits and work style.

📌 Example: Sales roles at HDFC Bank require an extroverted and persuasive personality.

6️⃣Self-Report Inventory – Candidates answer standardized personality questionnaires.

📌 Example: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is used to assess leadership traits at IBM.

7️⃣Projective Techniques – Using abstract stimuli to analyze subconscious thoughts and

personality.
📌 Example: The Rorschach Inkblot Test helps evaluate a candidate’s emotional stability.
8️⃣Integrity Tests – Checking honesty, ethics, and moral character.
📌 Example: Police departments use integrity tests to assess trustworthiness.

9️⃣Work Simulations – Candidates perform job-related tasks to evaluate practical skills.

📌 Example: Call centers conduct mock customer interactions to test problem-solving abilities.

Types of Interviews

1️⃣Personal Interviews – One-on-one interaction to assess skills, experience, and personality.

📌 Example: An HR manager at Infosys conducts an in-depth discussion with a candidate for a
project manager role.

2️⃣Structured Employment Interviews – Predefined set of questions asked to all candidates

for consistency and fairness.
📌 Example: Wipro uses the same set of behavioral and technical questions for all software
developer applicants.

3️⃣Semi-structured Employment Interviews – A mix of predefined questions and open-

ended discussions for flexibility.
📌 Example: At Deloitte, interviewers follow a question framework but also explore a
candidate’s unique experiences.

4️⃣Unstructured Employment Interviews – No fixed questions; interview flows based on

conversation.
📌 Example: A startup founder casually chats with a potential hire to understand their
personality and motivation.

5️⃣Situational Interviews – Candidates are given hypothetical job-related scenarios to test

decision-making.
📌 Example: A candidate for a customer service role at Amazon is asked how they would
handle an angry customer.

Selection Errors

Mistakes made during hiring that lead to poor recruitment decisions.

🔹 Types of Selection Errors:

1️⃣False Positive – Hiring an unsuitable candidate.
📌 Example: A salesperson is hired but fails to meet sales targets.
2️⃣False Negative – Rejecting a qualified candidate.
📌 Example: A skilled software developer is overlooked due to a single poor interview.

Using Recruitment Software & AI

1. Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS)

Online systems that help recruiters attract, gather, screen, compile, and manage
applications.

📌 Example: Infosys uses an ATS to filter and rank thousands of job applications.

🔹 Key Features:
✔ Requisitions Management – Tracks open job positions.
✔ Applicant Data Collection – Scans and stores resumes.
✔ Reporting & Analytics – Generates reports (e.g., cost per hire, source of hire).

2. Application Service Providers (ASP)

Cloud-based platforms that offer end-to-end recruitment solutions.

📌 Example: ZingHR automates hiring by managing job postings, interview scheduling, and
applicant tracking.

🔹 Key Features:
✔ Job Posting Automation – Posts ads on 40+ job boards (e.g., Indeed, ZipRecruiter).
✔ Interview Scheduling & Video Interviews – Conducts virtual interviews within the
system.
✔ Applicant Tracking & Reporting – Keeps records in tabular format and generates hiring
reports

3. Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Recruitment

AI-powered systems automate resume screening and enhance hiring efficiency.

📌 Example: Tesla’s AI recruitment tool scans for keywords like “autonomous driving” or
“self-driving technology” to shortlist candidates for AI engineering roles.

🔹 Key Benefits of AI in Hiring:

✔ 75%-90% Faster Screening – Reduces time spent on initial shortlisting.
✔ 25%-100% More Effective – Better at distinguishing between good and bad candidates.
✔ Eliminates Bias – AI evaluates resumes based on skills, not human perceptions.