Methods of Job Recruitment: 6 Ways Employers Find You

There are several ways employers can find you. Here are just a few of them:

Internal Recruitment
This is also known as in-house recruiting, wherein an employer looks at the available manpower already working in the company to see who has the best qualifications for an available job. Armed with the specifications for a particular job position, the management, with the help of Human Resources, looks for employees who already have the training, background and experience to handle the new assignment.

Why employers prefer this:
Simple – it's easier for them to hire someone they already know and whose job performance they already have confidence in. It's also advantageous, in that the candidate is already familiar with the company, its mission and vision, its workers and of course, its culture.

This is why many companies make it a policy to consider internal hires first before placing an ad each time a job vacancy comes along.

Why you'll like this:
If you’re already working and your company begins to look for a job candidate, you can apply for a position that you may already be prepared to handle. If this happens in your company, it's probably a good sign that employees are given a chance to progress in their work and that it's possible to move up in your environment.

Want Ads
If the desired candidate cannot be found within the company, the management will opt to place an ad. This will usually appear on local and nationally-circulated newspapers, trade magazines and/or online job boards.

Why employers prefer this:
Publicly available want ads allow a company to find a good number of candidates for a particular position. That way, they can choose from as many applicants as possible. This is also a good method of job recruitment for multiple job vacancies.

Why you'll like this:
Want ads are the most useful method of recruitment for jobhunters, particularly if you've never worked before or are looking for a change of environment. On the downside, it's a free-for-all and for jobs that are highly sought after, very competitive.

Government and NGOs
There are numerous government programs that train people to make them employable. Many of these agencies are in close contact with companies, providing a means with which highly skilled labor can find jobs they are qualified for. This is also another method of recruitment that allows companies to find employees with specialized training.

Why employers prefer this:
The labor pool found here is trained to perform specific skills, something that not many in the jobhunting market may be capable of doing.

Why you'll like this:
If you have specialized skills, you could go straight from being a short-term trainee (6 months to 2 years) to becoming a fully employed worker. This is also perfect if you're relatively inexperienced in the job market and are exploring your job opportunities for the first time.

Recommendations
Yep, this method of recruitment is alive and well. A company will often depend on recommendations from people in the same industry and job level. For example, one HR manager could ask another HR manager to recommend someone for a job opening in a certain department. Sometimes, the source could also be a professional contact, confidant or even a friend.

Why employers prefer this:
One advantage of using recommendations as a method of job recruitment is that a hiring company can gain access to an employable individual who is recommended by a person they trust. There's a high likelihood that the candidate is already familiar with the company, its culture and what the job entails.

Why you'll like this:
Getting recommended makes it easy for you to find another job – you don't even have to go looking for one. If you do get recommended for a job, be thankful. It means that your hard work is paying off.

Getting Pirated
If another company likes the way you do your job, they may be tempted to lure you into their side of the fence. This is called 'pirating'. People who get pirated are usually those who exhibit stellar performance. The crossovers generally occur within two companies in the same industry.

Why employers prefer this:
They know exactly what they want and once they find it in an individual, they go for it. In the end, they get the talent they want for a purpose they have already designed.

Why you'll like this:
If your work is exemplary, you might be piracy-material. If you do get offers to swim to the other shore, it's probably a good indication that your skills are in high demand.

Job Placement Agencies
Another popular method of job recruitment is using job placement firms, also known as job consultants or headhunters.

Why employers prefer this:
All the administrative tasks associated with hiring will be taken on by the job placement firm. These include: placing ads, sorting resumes and CVs, scheduling candidates for interviews, conducting interviews and tests (if required) and to some extent, negotiating salary and compensation terms.

Why you'll like this:
Most of the jobs that go through job placement agencies are the 'meaty' jobs. Because it can cost them extra, companies who hire these firms are serious about their search. That means, you shouldn’t have any problems about the stability of the job. If you're nervous about negotiating directly with the hiring company, you can discuss all your concerns with the headhunter.