There are various channels available for recruiting staff to all levels of an organization

Finding the right staff by PETER GIRLING

P ersormel r~c~i~ent can easily be overlooked as part of the marketing function. Marketing

is not just a variety of tech- niques designed to publicise a com- pany but an all-embracing philosophy with the task of fueling customers requirements profitably. Naturally, a company will want to use the best promotional tools to publicise its pro- duct or services. Similarly, the best selection methods must be used when recruiting the personnel who are fundamentally responsible for the operation and, ultimately, the reputa- tion of a company.

In the highly competitive markets that exist across all industries, it is becoming increasingly difficult to generalize about commercial require- ments, especially with regard to staff recruitment. The fast moving ‘new technology’ markets, in particular, are founded on the expertise of indivi- duals who are highly qualified and, in the case of senior staff, possess a quality for which there is no substi- tute, i.e. experierzce.

The software industry, for example, is by de~ition an industry of individual expertise. In recruiting personnel in such an area, there are two essential demands on whoever controls the recruitment process: knowledge and judgement. Know- ledge is necessary to understand a requirement and to identify the exper-

Abstract: The article discusses the basic methods of recruitment suitable for DP p87W?l?ld. Keyworak data processing, rebind, recmitment agencies.

Peter Girling is a technical journalist.

tise which is instantly available. Judgement is necessary to interpret the immediate demands of a job and translate those demands into a candi- date profile rather than a job function. Finally, judgement is also needed to convert perceived behaviour and qualities into the genuine aptitude for a particular role.

It is these demands which have made specialization essential in the recruitment business. The data pro- cessing environment typifies a market in which specific expertise in produc- tion, sales, promotion and recruit- ment is vital if a competitive edge is to be maintained.

What, then, are the alternatives facing the computer company, or alternatively, the DP department within some branch of industry? There are three basic methods avail- able: staff bureaux, direct advertising or executive search/head hunt~g.

Staff bureaux

The bureau option relies wholly on an outside agency or broker who main- tains a job register in much the same way that a secretarial agency operates. The advantage is that the specialist bureau provides a constant pool of staff qualified for a particular industry. The bureau will base its reputation on instant availability and the provision of choice. The larger the pool then the more likely it is that one’s requirements can instantly be satisfied.

The disadvantage of the bureau approach is that its existence is based on high numbers and high turnover. Under these circumstances it is impossible for the broker, who is

14 001~~84~83/~1#2$03.~ @ 1983 Butterworth & Co (~blishers) Ltd. data processing

simply matching person and job, to make higher level judgements of candidates.

The bureau type agency is therefore restricted by the nature of the job function required. As a general rule it is an ~appropriate route for executive and more senior staff.

Direct advertising

The second option available to the company recruiting DP staff is to use some form of advertising. They are welcome to advertise the job them- selves but, as with the first option, there is then a considerable onus on the employer to preselect, interview and ultimately select. Again, if the job is easily definable and selection, even from a very high response, is a straightforward matter then this is a reasonable option. If not, then the client must turn to the next level of staff agency, the specialist executive

agency, who will provide a more specific service than the bureau alone and will have not only DP industry experience but the expertise to advertise effectively and preselect candidates. This expertise includes knowledge of the different media available, their readership/audience and their potential to attract the right candidate. Also necessary is know- ledge of the most appropriate visual representation to attract both the active employment seeker and the passive observer.

This type of agency normally operates at a variety of levels to suit the client. ~though its turnover of candidates is probably smaller than the bureau, it is possible that it can recruit on a bureau type method by

supplying candidates who may have been unsuitable for some other appointment.

Alternatively, the agency will advertise directly. The type of advertising naturally depends upon the nature of the appointment. It is the responsibility of the agency to look at t!he assignment and make a judgement of the vacancy or vacancies, assessing the importance of the appointment and making recom- mendations to the client accordingly. The client may have a fixed recruit- ment budget, in which case the

agency should recommend the optimum appropriation of that budget. If not, the reputable agency should regard it as their responsibility to recommend an appropriate overall budget because, depending on the nature of the appointment, it may be necessary to set up a specific advertising campaign, chargeable in addition tgo the agency’s commission of typically IS - 20% of the first year’s salary.

Agency advertising is carried out, broadly, in one of two ways. Either the agency advertises a range of appointments giving brief details of each or they design a dedicated advertisement for a specific client giving mu.ch fuller details of what is required. It is this latter type of advertising which is normally charged in addition to the agency’s com- mission.

It should be stressed that the advertising solution to recruitment is broader based than the bureau register approach because it attracts both active and passive respondents. Inevitably, however, the agency will accumulate candidates and be in a position to offer a bureau type service. Is the system not subject to some abuse by bureau operations which

pose as prestigious recruitment agencies?

Don Knaggs of MKA Search International was asked how a client can differentiate between agencies and just what to look for. Says Don

Knaggs: ‘As in all marketing services the client should expect to get just what he pays for. If he is recruiting for an important senior post his recruitment budget should reflect this. He does not, however, want to pay a ‘Rolls Royce’ price and receive a second rate service. Above all the client should not simply trust to luck on the reputation of an agency. The reputable agency will be undertaking an assignment. Accordingly, object- ives should be set, a brief should be taken and ~~?~re~~ and a strategy for execution of the assignment should then be set. All of these requirements should be set down in writing so that the client knows exactly what he can expect for a given budget. No advertising or PR company would launch a campaign without objectives and strategy and the same should be true of recruitment agencies’.

‘The advertising-based recruitment agency must not only have industry expertise in, say, the DP market but also be able to provide expert, cost effective advertising. As long as an advertisement does not mislead there is plenty of scope for attractive and innovative ways of conveying a message’, says Knaggs.

Companies seeking higher level services should, therefore, look for specific written proposals and professional advertising which includes design, cop~rit~g and media selection.

But what of the most senior appointments commanding very high salaries and often having implications for an entire industry, not just the company concerned?

In the case of most senior appoint- ments the client finds that they need to move from advertised recruitment to the third main division of recruit- ment services: executive search or head hunting.

Executive search Head hunting has become a very emotive phrase in recent years. Not only is it subject to misuse by recruit-

ment advertising agencies who wish to style themselves head hunters but it appears to convey predatory instincts on the part of the recruiting company while implying a considerable lack of care for the potential candidate. Executive search is perhaps the pre- ferred term and accurately describes the process of i.dentifying and approaching individuals, who may not necessarily be looking for a change.

With all recruitment alternatives, it is possible for employers to carry out their own search. They are, however, very unlikely to have the market knowledge and contacts necessary to identify candidates, since such know- ledge falls outside their mainstream commercial activity. They will cer- tainly not possess the diplomatic benefit of neutrality and confiden- tiality which the impartial third party can offer.

Executive search most often falls within the realm of specialist search consultancies. Under this scheme, the necessity to specialize in specific markets is even more marked. The qualities of knowledge and judgement are again a prerequisite of consultants but this time tlhe judgement is being made at a much more senior level and the reputation ‘of the client as well as the consultancy itself can rest upon the matter in which a single nego- tiation is carried out,

In conclusion, therefore, the com- pany wishing to recruit DP staff should recognize, first, that through- out the world, demand for staff far exceeds supply. If .a consultancy is used it must be remembered that there are different levels of service available within a single org~~ation. If one is to have faith. in a consultancy then proper marketing procedures of presentation such as evaluation and execution must be followed. The ulti- mate proof comes in the form of a long term relationship with a consult- ant in which the client wiIl be able to rely on the judgement and confidence of the consultant. cl

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