Recruiting Staff Externally

To recruit to an organisation from external applicants offers many benefits, but also introduces some disadvantages and limitations.

Benefits of recruiting externally can include:
• Having a large pool of people from which to recruit.
• Increasing opportunity for improving diversity within the organisation.
• Greater likelihood of recruiting the best person for the job.
• Increases the chance of fresh ideas being brought into the organisation.
• Reduces the potential for friction between internal candidates.
• Provides an opportunity to more fully review recruitment practices in line with regulations and good practice.
• A more open and transparent process is delivered.

A number of disadvantages and limitations can also arise from external recruitment, including:
• A costlier recruitment process than for internal recruitment.
• Induction and acclimatisation for the new employee, which takes time and resources.
• Time is needed to fully understand the internal policies and procedures.
• There is an element of uncertainty for how well the new employee will fit in and gel with existing employees.
• Internal candidates may feel overlooked and undervalued.
• Producing a lot of applications to review and process; many of which might be unsuitable and time-wasting ones.