Glossary

The Difference Between Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment is a process that involves searching for potential candidates and encouraging them to apply for the vacant position in your company. Selection refers to the process of choosing the best candidate from the shortlisted ones to fill up the vacant position. Both recruitment and selection help the organization choose the right candidates for the right positions.

The success of your organization depends on your employees. Therefore, it’s important that you have a clear understanding of the difference between recruitment and selection. Stick around with us as we strategically differentiate between the two critical processes – recruitment and selection – in an employee hiring process.

What is Recruitment?

Recruitment is an elaborate process involving a series of activities that are aimed at attracting, interviewing, selecting, and hiring employees. Recruitment, on the whole, involves identifying a hiring need to filling it, and everything in between.

There are two types of hiring: internal or external. Internal hiring involves filling the open position with an existing employee from within the organization. And external recruitment involves bringing in new employees to fill the open positions.

Every company usually has its own hiring process. While larger companies may have a dedicated recruitment team, smaller companies may have just one recruiter handling the entire recruitment process. Some companies prefer outsourcing their recruitment process to recruitment firms.

Read this simple and in-depth guide on the process of hiring  to know more about recruitment.

Generally, the hiring process follows a particular sequence that includes the following steps:

  1. Identify and analyze hiring needs/job requirements
  2. Advertise the job position
  3. Attract candidates to apply
  4. Manage job applications
  5. Assess and scrutinize the job applications
  6. Shortlist candidates

What is Selection?

Selection is the process that involves placing the right person in the right job. Once the job applications for the advertised position start pouring in, the recruiter has to review them to shortlist the candidates.

The process of selection involves picking up a certain number of applicants from hundreds of them. Like recruitment, the selection also follows a particular sequence that involves a number of steps:

  1. Screen applicants
  2. Weed out unqualified/unsuitable job applicants
  3. Test the skills of shortlisted candidates through intelligence test, aptitude test, personality test, performance test, etc.)
  4. Conduct interviews
  5. Verify references
  6. Confirm medical fitness for the job

Recruitment Vs Selection: Know the Difference

Features

Recruitment

Selection

Definition

Related Post
Process of searching candidates for the open role Process of choosing the best candidate for the open role

Factor

Advertise the vacant position Fill the vacant position

Objective

Invite more candidates to apply Reject unsuitable candidates to choose the best one

Approach

Positive approach where candidates are encouraged to apply Negative approach where unsuitable candidates are weeded out

Order

Performed before selection Performed after recruitment

Relationship

No contractual relation exists Contractual relation exists

Duration/Time

Short process (less time-consuming) Elaborate process (more time-consuming)

Cost-Effectiveness

Economical Expensive

Mass

Involves a large number of talent pools or candidates Involves only a few selected candidates

Difficulty Level

Simple and easy Complex and complicated

Scope

Involves everything from identifying a hiring need to filling the vacant position Involves choosing the best candidates from the applications received


Hurdles

Not many hurdles for candidates Many hurdles for candidates

Process

Vacancies are notified through various sources, allowing candidates to apply through a form Candidates need to pass through various levels (written tests, interviews,etc.) to get selected
Kelly Barcelos

Kelly Barcelos is a progressive digital marketing manager specializing in HR and is responsible for leading Jobsoid’s content and social media team. When Kelly is not building campaigns, she is busy creating content and preparing PR topics. She started with Jobsoid as a social media strategist and eventually took over the entire digital marketing team with her innovative approach and technical expertise.

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