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  • Difference between Career Planning and Succession Planning

    Planning is one of the most fundamental characteristics of human nature. It is the tool that gives us the sense that we have control over certain aspects of our lives. It is a big, uncertain world out there, where it seems that nothing is in our hands, as the factors continuously change and new circumstances evolve from time to time. No one likes to live in a world full of uncertainty and cluelessness. But, having a definite plan in our minds gives us a kind of security of having a clear-cut path ahead of ourselves. It helps us train ourselves and be prepared for whatever may come.

    Career planning is something that every individual does from their college-level or some maybe even from school level so that they have a well-thought-of road map to achieve their dreams and goals. On the other hand, succession planning is a decision that the organization as a whole take, by choosing a candidate from amongst the pool of qualified candidates, to be the successor to a particular higher-level post after the previous candidate retires. Succession planning directly or indirectly plays a key role in the fulfilment of an individual’s career plans.

    What is Career Planning?

    Career planning something that every individual does from a young age. It forms the first step in analyzing one’s personality to identify one’s interests, strengths, weaknesses and the type of career that they want to pursue. It is a process that the individual carries out at a personal level to gather more information regarding oneself so that further planning can be done.

    Career planning, which comes under career management, where the process of exploring, analyzing and evaluation, starts happening at a very young age. The entire process starts by finding out about your interests. After the first box in the check-list is ticked off, you can find out more about the stream of academics that will help you to convert your interests to a more career-focused path. After the goal is set, planning involves formulating various strategic measures that have to be implemented to achieve that goal.

    For example: Suppose an individual gets easily curious about anything (however small it may be) and tries to get to the bottom of it, may have a good career path in the field of journalism.

    Also Read: Best Career Options after Graduation in India

    So, after the decisions are taken, the next step is to convert all your plans to actions, so that the planning can finally see the light of the day. Thus, identifying the skills and interest at an early age can help you direct all your energies and focus on achieving the plan and may also give you a competitive advantage over your peers. 

    Career planning is an ongoing, continuous process. Even after, you are in a corporate environment, and the career planning changes according to your job profiles, your strengths and weaknesses in handling the job, your interest in the work. Your career goals can also help you bring improvements in your current work-space. As and when you continue to succeed in your career, your career plans and objectives keep on changing, thus making it an ongoing process.

    What is Succession Planning?

    Succession planning as the name suggests is the process of identifying, training and selecting appropriate successors for a critical post in an organization. Unlike career planning, succession planning affects the entire organization, and thus the entire organization takes part in finding the next in line for the job.

    Succession planning is done to fill up a critical post with newer, fresher talent because the old ones got retired, left the company due to some other reasons, or may have died. It is done to maintain the smooth functioning of the organization so that some key decisions do not take a hit just because a post is vacant.

    As is intuitive, succession planning is a necessary process, upon which the future of the entire company lies. One wrong decision and it could cost millions. So, it has to be well-strategized, well thought of and successfully executed.

    So, the first step involves identification of all the major job profiles in your organization and find out which profiles require a successor soon. This is followed by critically examining the employees’ performances and based on that, selecting a handful of potential candidates. These candidates are trained, and finally, based on some extensive training, the most eligible candidate is selected for the post.

    Succession planning has its perks, as it encourages healthy competition between the employees, which results in value addition to the company. It helps identify the star players in every domain, who are most valuable to the organization. It also helps in motivating the work-force, thereby playing a central force in guiding the employees’ career plan and goals. 

    Difference between Career Planning and Succession Planning

    Difference between Career Planning and Succession Planning

    As is quite clear from above, career planning and succession planning are widely different from one another. Succession planning though plays a huge part in driving the career plan of an individual, but in no way are they the same thing. Their major point of differences is provided below. Please have a look.

    • Career planning is an individual decision, while succession planning is an organization’s decision.
    • Career planning is the process where an individual identifies her/his skills, interests, strengths and weaknesses and decides on a career path, whereas in succession planning the organization searches for the best suitable candidate to fill in a vacant position. 
    • Career planning is an ongoing, continuous process which spans almost over the entire working life of an individual, while succession planning is a process, that is done to fill in the vacant position in an organization and keeps in mind the long-term goals of an organization.
    • Career planning is done from an employee’s point of view, while succession planning is done from the organization’s point of view.
    • Career planning comes under the umbrella of career management, while succession planning comes under succession management.
    • While in career planning, an individual fills up various positions in his/her lifetime, in succession planning, a position is filled by various individuals.
    • Career planning ensures success and advancement in one’s career. In contrast, succession planning provides the leadership skills required to attain the goals of an individual and ensures the smooth functioning of an organization.
    • While succession planning, tends to have a direct impact on an individual’s career planning, targets and goals, vice versa is not true.  

    The salient features of both career planning and succession planning are written in a concise form below: 

    Career Planning Succession Planning
    It is an individual decision. It is the entire organisation’s decision.
    A process where an individual explores and identifies her/his interests and thus carve a career out of it. A process where the organization searches and trains the suitable candidate for taking up the higher position.
    Done for an individual’s success in their career. Done for the smooth functioning of the organization.
    Done from an employee’s point of view. Done from an organization’s point of view.
    Comes under career management. Comes under succession management.
    An individual takes up various positions in his/her lifetime. The position is filled up by various individuals.
    Has no such impact on succession planning. Has an impact on career planning.

    Thus, both career planning and succession planning is extremely important, and it is generally advised that everyone must have a clear idea regarding their plans. Career planning will help to have a clear focus and thus will help in redirecting all your energies to attain that goal. Succession planning is a well-defined strategic procedure that is designed to help the company reach great heights. So, both of the planning, though not directly related, is extremely critical and should be looked into.

  • 10 Best CRM Software in India 2024

    Customer Relationship Management or CRM is a buzzword nowadays. This software is highly talked about software in the technical world. Dynamics of marketing and sales are continuously changing, bringing along a wide need for CRM software. There is a huge change in the past some years. The methods and tactics used for marketing and sales have changed too.

    The advanced and modern technologies like CRM, marketing automation, AI, and sales automation have transformed to get the leads, convert them, and nurture them into prospects. Looking at the growing needs, we have come up with the list of top 10 CRM software firms in India that are changing their way of marketing and selling. So, without wasting our time, let us start.

    Also Read: 10 Best HRMS Software in India 2020

    10 Best CRM Software in India

    Best CRM Software in India

    1. SalezShark

    SalezShark tops the list of the best CRM software companies in India; SalezShark is the fastest-growing company in the Customer Relationship Management world. This is one best option for small & medium enterprises. SalezShark software is designed exclusively for managing all types of business manual tasks, sales automation, activity updates, daily timesheet, marketing, invoicing, support system, marketing automation, task management, sales track and forecast, and more at one platform.

    SalezShark CRM offers limitless possibilities. They offer the ultimate toolset for building strong relationships, improve engagement, as well as drive your business growth. SalezShark provides the most unified marketing and sales platform made for helping you & your team to run and build your business. 

    2. Zoho CRM 

    Zoho CRM software is another top rating CRM tool in India, mainly for small businesses to track the leads, optimize the sales activities, and close your deals much faster. The tool comes included with some rich features like sales performance, multi channel communication, productivity, automation, extensive customization, and enterprise readiness. Zoho helps you to sell faster, smarter, and better.

    3. Hubspot

    Hubspot is a prominent CRM software firm in India. Their software can easily be used by the small and medium businesses to push their business transactions just by increasing their total number of sales possible when curbing down on the excessive workload. It is used by everybody, installed on handheld devices too so that users will have access to CRM anytime and anywhere. The feature of sales automation is one amazing benefit of the CRM as users will focus on various other features of driving the business as well as staying in touch with their partners when any sales take place.

    4. Agile CRM 

    Agile combines marketing and sales features to offer smarter selling as well as complete customer involvement. Agile CRM software provides some exciting features like project management, lead scoring, telephony, marketing automation, appointment scheduling, email tracking, mobile marketing, and many more, etc. to their customers.

    5. Bitrix24

    Bitrix24’s CRM software offers the best portal where the businesses may streamline and track down the interactions with the potential leads and current partners and customers. This is one of the best CRM software that allows the users to manage and log client interactions, store and capture the lead data, produce sales reports, and perform the segregation of the target audience.

    This has got some amazing features to feed the leads from the user’s site straight in the CRM software. The users then will create the email templates, send the group or individual emails to the sales qualified leads, to capture notes on the client interactions, fix down meetings, as well as assign some of the activities.

    6. SplendidCRM

    SplendidCRM is top CRM software in India developed mainly for system integrators & administrators. Some of the features allow the administrators to add user-customizable functions like .NET 2.0’s Themes, AJAX, and Web Parts. Analysts have awarded SplendidCRM as the top rivals for the Zoho CRM as they both have the same features and expertise spans throughout their same fields.

    This software is made in C# for the ASP.NET framework. At present, this product is accessible in 2 editions- Open-source & professional edition. The only difference for professional edition from open source is an inclusion of the stored procedures & source code for the MS Outlook 2003 and 2007 plug-in.

    7. Nextsky Sales CRM Software

    This CRM is for the high-speed sales teams of the small business and helps you to track the user behavior, optimize the sales operations, and score leads. NextSky CRM Software provides some amazing features like contact management, alerts and lead tracking, deal management, invoice generation, and sales management.

    8. Freshsales CRM System

    Freshsales CRM tool offers you the option of customizing the presence and reflect your business policy. Users will be able to switch between the multiple currencies & language when dealing with foreign clients. The Freshsales CRM software enables simple import of data, tools, and live chat to get real-time insights. Freshsales is CRM software made in India and helps to manage the leads to tracking the phone & email coordination with the customers, managing their workflows as well as generating the reports.  

    9. SAP CRM

    SAP CRM software is the popular Customer Relation platforms, which supports improved working abilities and offers you good customer interaction for the better growth of the business. SAP CRM software allows using the application in a cloud and on-premise that depends on customer requirements. This plays an important role in boosting customer engagement, marketing, and sales. This integrates and automates all customer-facing activities.

    10. Sage CRM

    Sage Group is the biggest business software vendor across the world. This company boasts over 6.1 million customers & 25 years of working experience with small & medium-sized firms. Sage CRM Software in India is the subsidiary of the Sage Group & has more than 1000 customers across India for CRM, ERP, and Payroll products. This company provides expertise across various platforms like Trading & Distribution, Services, Manufacturing, IT or ITES, Media, Financial Services, Travel, and Hospitality or Professional Services.

    Wrap Up

    These are some of the top CRM Software’s used aggressively among the companies to maintain the organization workflows and a strong and healthy relationship with their customers.

  • Why MBA – Top 5 Reasons to Pursue MBA

    Students after graduation generally face a dilemma of which path to take. A course of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) is, however, a very popular choice. But it does require a lot of investment both in terms of efforts and money. Good and well-accredited business schools all across India and the world cost lakhs of money for a 1-2 year course. But a large number of graduates pursue this course. So the question is, is it worth it? Or is it just the common flow everyone is following?

    Not just graduates, many professionals give up their jobs temporarily to pursue MBA for either career advancement in the current profession or starting their ventures. It is rather a common scene these days where people take up employment after their graduation, prepare for the MBA entrances, give up their jobs, and join the course.

    Even if the B schools are not the most top tier- they have relatively higher fees than other Post-graduate degrees. But it does not affect their popularity or their student intake. It is one of the courses with one of the highest numbers of aspirants all over the world.

    Also Read: Best Career Options after Graduation in India

    So why should a person opt for MBA? What are the actual benefits? Is it worth it?

    These are the few common questions that people generally have. Below described are several reasons why a person should study MBA. Read on!

    Why MBA – Top 5 Reasons to Pursue MBA

    Why MBA - Top 5 Reasons to Pursue MBA

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    1. Better Management Skills

    Like already said earlier, people who opt for an MBA are not just graduates but also professionals who have an average of two years of experience. Even Professionals who are at the senior level sometimes opt for the course to upscale themselves. A degree in MBA generally equips a person with better management skills. These skills help a person to manage and run a company better. These make them a great catch for companies who are looking to recruit managers.

    Also, the degree in MBA is not just theoretical. The students learn about recent business trends, make practical applications of their knowledge, interact with companies, get global exposure, etc. Hence, it helps people run up the professional ladder to post its completion and enable people to start and grow their ventures effectively. Even though there can be different specialisations that MBA comes with, but the general management knowledge and skills that it provides remain constant.

    2. Specialisations

    MBA degrees are not a general course. It provides several speciations to the students opting for it. These range from Human Resource, Marketing, Finance, IT, International Business, Operations, Consulting, so on and so forth. MBA is a great option for people with specific goals and aspirations. They can choose the specialisation that they want to learn and advance their career in that field.

    For example, for people who want to work abroad or with global companies and handle international operations, they can choose International Business as their specialisation. Consulting allows people to provide outside opinions to companies and resolve their issues and is one of the highest-paid careers after an MBA.

    3. High Salaries

    Even though studying MBA costs relatively higher than other post-graduate courses, the salaries of MBA graduates are one of the highest in the job market. Irrespective of the fact that a person is a graduate from a premier or a middle-tier B-school, the salary that a person is most likely to get after an MBA degree is comparatively higher than others. That’s one of the biggest reasons why a lot of people opt for an MBA is to increase their earning potential.

    A person with an MBA degree can expect to earn twice as much as another person with a general Master’s degree under normal circumstances. Consulting and Finance are consistently listed as the highest paying MBA domains. The investment made to study an MBA is high, but with the high salaries it offers, the cost incurred will be covered within a maximum average of 2-3 years.

    Some of the countries with the most affordable and low-cost MBA degrees include Germany, Austria, France, Finland, and Sweden.

    Also Read: 10 Best HR MBA Colleges in India 2020

    4. Entrepreneurship

    A lot of people with a vision of setting up their own business join an MBA. Since an MBA teaches the whys and running a business, it gives a path to bussing entrepreneurs. It teaches them how to start a business, how to grow it, and how to stabilise it over-time, even in the face of various economic and competitive uncertainties. 

    An MBA equips a person with a wide business network whose benefits they can leverage on. The professors in B-schools generally have a great deal of experience themselves. The classmates may share a similar idea and have sources. A student in an MBA institute also gets to build a network with the alumni, and all of these factors help a person grow a business. A good business network is what almost everyone wants to build.

    Also, setting up a business alone is not a cake-walk. Hence, a person in a B-school might find someone who shares the same vision as him/her. This will enable them to exchange their knowledge mutually and, in some cases, get on board, become business partners, and set up a business together. This can be a great opportunity for budding entrepreneurs.

    5. Change In Careers

    Many people opt for an MBA because they want to change their careers and explore newer avenues of work. This is mostly applicable for people who already have professional knowledge and pursue an MBA degree henceforth. It is great for a person who does not feel one with his/her current profession. A specialised degree in MBA will equip this person with specific skills and hence pave the path for making a career in that field and exploit the thriving opportunities that it comes with.

    These being the most significant ones, there are varied reasons why people opt for an MBA and why it is worth it. MBAs accept a lot of older students, and hence its scope is not limited. It allows the opportunity to study worldwide, and that’s a prospect people do not want to miss out on. It helps people build a network, and no matter how challenging it is, it is not difficult to graduate. Hence these are the reasons why people pursue an MBA, and honestly, given the outcomes, it is a pretty great choice to make. 

  • Difference between IT and CS

    Two of the most common words used by the majority of the younger generation nowadays is IT and CS. For all who are confused by the acronym, IT stands for Information Technology while CS stands for Computer Science. For many people, these two are words with almost the same meaning. Though these words may be similar, let us assure you, they have a spectrum of differences when looked closely upon. They sure do have some overlaps, as both of them are related to technology and computers, but both these paths require to have skillset and knowledge unique to each of the career paths.

    This is a very common question that most of the students interested in having a career in the field of technology and computer have. But don’t you worry! We have got you covered. We will provide you with clear knowledge regarding both the fields, how to get into those fields, the kind of skills required to excel in that career, and majorly the differences between both IT and CS. So, let’s get started!

    Also Read: What to do After B.Tech in CSE?

    What is IT?

    Information technology, in the simplest words, means an application of technology, which is usually created on a huge scale to provide a solution to some organizational problem. It is related to solving problems of technology. A career in IT mostly revolves around the installation, testing, running, maintenance, and running of computer systems and massive databases. In simple terms, it is the practical application of technology learning.

    How to Get a Career In IT?

    Like most careers, a career as an IT professional also demands a bachelor’s degree of 3-4 years in IT or a related subject. Apart from formal education, a good aptitude in Linux and SQL, project management, customer service skills are also recommended as it aids in an IT career. Being up-to-date with the current trends in technology, programs, and operating servers is a must if you want to be a successful IT professional.

    Apart from formal education, attaining various industrial certifications like ITIL, Network+, Security+ can help when searching for a job in the IT sector. A bachelor’s degree is a great start, but don’t just limit yourselves to that one degree. Complete your master’s in IT or a related subject to make your resume more appealing. Also, gaining work experience in any field is the best way to gain hands-on knowledge of the actual workings of the IT sector.

    Key Skills Required

    A successful IT professional must have many skills, but the following key skills are mandatory to make a successful career in IT. These are:

    • A vast software knowledge
    • Critical analytical thinking
    • Problem-solving skills
    • Technical skills
    • Project management skills
    • Strong communication skills
    • Database management
    • Operating System knowledge

    Careers in Information Technology

    One of the fastest-growing career options, a career as an IT professional, does provide some options depending upon the kind of role you want to perform. Some of these are:

    • IT Consultant: A professional that generally works for a consulting company whose aim is to provide technical advice to its clients to make the most cost-effective use of technology and improve the work environment.
    • Network engineer: The person who is responsible for overseeing the company’s network infrastructure and also build communication networks like LANs and WANs.
    • Computer support specialists: Individuals whose work is to advise people and help them solve their queries regarding their software.
    • Information security analysts: Individuals responsible for the security of the organisation’s entire network and prevent it from cyberattacks and devising an emergency route in case of a breach.

    There are many other career options available as an IT professional. The most common ones are listed here.

    Difference between IT and CS

    What is CS?

    In simple terms, computer science is the computer and the associated software and software systems. It provides the foundation for pursuing a career in coding and programming. It is related to the “how” behind any computer application. A computer science degree will provide much in-depth knowledge regarding the designing of computers and other devices. In a fun way, computer science people are the ones who can chit-chat with your computer and can understand the problems (if any) with your system within seconds. 

    How to Get a Career in CS?

    To have a career in CS, strong mathematical skills are a must, which is followed by the same old procedure of getting a bachelor’s degree of 3-4 years in computer science, which will make you good to go start pursuing a career in CS. Along with the knowledge of the working of computers, a pretty decent knowledge of different coding languages like Java, C, C++ is a must to excel in a CS career. Along with the bachelor’s degree, certifications, and a master’s degree in computer science will help catapult your career forward.

    Key Skills Required

    To have a fruitful career in computer science, having some of these skills might help. These are:

    • A strong, advanced mathematical background
    • Love for coding in different languages like Java, C++, and many more
    • Software engineering 
    • Problem-solving skills
    • Great analytical skills
    • Resilience and patience

    Careers in Computer Science

    Having a degree in computer science opens up a plethora of career options. It provides a vast number of opportunities as they have a solid background in coding, which is a much-demanded skill nowadays. Some of the career options are listed below:

    • Software Engineer: The job includes developing new software as per requirements and keeping the last ones updated.
    • Programmer: One of the most popular jobs after completing a CS degree, which entails creating codes for various software programs in the language as demanded by the client.
    • Computer hardware engineer: Just as a software engineer is responsible for keeping the internal software running, a hardware engineer’s job is to design, repair, and update the physical hardware parts of the computer.
    • Database Administrator: The job role includes building, maintaining, and continuously updating the database created for the client.

    Difference between IT and CS

    Apart from their definitions, the kind of job that both degrees invite, the skills required, there are some more differences between IT and CS, which are stated below:

    Information Technology Computer Science
    It is a process of solving technological problems by the application of networks. It is the process of developing a new program by coding.
    The study of computing techniques that needs to be applied for industrial problems. Study of the computer and the principals of computing.
    A bachelor’s degree in IT or other related areas is required. A bachelor’s in computers is needed.
    The curriculum entails the study of software. The curriculum includes the study of both hardware and software.
    An IT professional usually work in teams and needs to interact with the team frequently. It is an individual job, where the code is written, developed and tested.
    Skills required are customer relationships, project management, the current trend in technologies. Skills required are software engineering, different languages.
    Job includes application of the tools. Job includes designing of the tools.
    A team worker, who likes assisting others, can choose IT. Those who love working independently can go for this career.

    Conclusion

    Though there are specific differences between IT and CS, of these discipline offers excellent career options with great career graphs. The difference between them is important to understand as it will help you decide what kind of skills you possess and which career will be more suitable for you. Just figure out the skills, and then you are destined to make great things happen!

  • What is Job Simplification – Techniques, Advantages and Disadvantages

    Job simplification is a widely used process in many organizations. In simple terms, job simplification means simplifying a complex job into several simpler parts. It is intended to improve the productivity of the individual by lessening the work-pressure on him. The work-pressure includes strenuous physical activity, mental pressure, and psychological stress caused due to complex jobs.

    A complex job is considered, and then it is broken down into smaller and simpler parts. These simpler parts are reach assigned to employees, and they are employed to work on that part of the job only. The employees’ work is repetitive, and that increases the expertise of the employee on that particular job. Therefore it leads to individual skill formation of the employee as well as increases the productivity of the company. It is a component of job design where job rotation and job enlargement is also a part.

    Also Read: What is Job Enlargement? – Definition, Advantages and Disadvantages

    Under the job simplification procedure, the organization spares its preparation cost, as a low degree of aptitude is required to play out the improved employments. Additionally, the activity speed increments, as the individual is required to play out a little segment of the beforehand bigger and complex activity.

    Because of expansion in mechanization and expanded familiarity with working conditions for representatives, work simplification tumbled from popularity. Rather than a building approach, a persuasive methodology was supported. This methodology concentrated on making employments inspiring to chip away at – particularly for information laborers. 

    Notwithstanding the lessening in prevalence, job simplification stays one of the four key approaches to job design. Moreover, a contention could be made to reintroduce job simplification as a strategy to improve jobs during a time where extreme work-pressure can prompt pressure and medical issues.

    Techniques of Job Simplification

    What is Job Simplification - Techniques, Advantages and Disadvantages

    1. Identification of the Job

    The first step towards simplifying a job is identifying or selecting which job is to be simplified. The best way to identify such a job is to check which one is most strenuous or produce the most unproductive results. If the knowledge about the said job is inadequate, then interviews must be conducted with people who have the experience to get a better insight.

    2. Collecting Relevant Data

    The second step is collecting all relevant information about the job that is being simplified. This involves gathering information about the total time taken, the steps involved in the job, how they are performed, etc.

    3. Analysis of Collected Data

    After the collection of data about the job is done, it needs to be analyzed. This is the step for analysis. This is where all the questions are asked, and analysis is made for alternatives are investigated.

    4. Finding Alternate Solutions

    This is the step for the development of different possibilities and alternatives for the simplification of the job. This is the core step where job simplification is done. Four criteria are employed for the jobs that are to be simplified. These criteria are elimination, combination, re-arranging, and simplification. The main objective of this step is that the current job has to be made safer, easier, and the effectiveness of the job has to be improved.

    While simplification of the job at this stage, different tools can be used. These can be newer technology, digitalization, automation even physical instruments. Once the simplification of the job is finally done, the result should be duly noted, and the new method should be proposed.

    5. Evaluation of Such Solutions

    The last and the final step is the implementation and optimization of the ultimate simplified job. At this step, the new result is taken into account to test the new prototype. Henceforth, it is optimized and adjusted. This step mainly includes managing stakeholders and convincing superiors to facilitate the final implementation of job simplification.

    Job Simplification Advantages

    • Since the job is broken down and simplified, it makes the job a lot easier than complex jobs.
    • Since an employee is continuously associated with a narrow line of job, it increases the skill and productivity of the employee.
    • More straightforward jobs reduce various kinds of physical and mental stress that the employees otherwise go through due to complex jobs.
    • The training process of staff becomes simpler as the jobs are simplified.
    • It is easier to replace unproductive employees with newer ones as the training attached is not very complicated.
    • It is a cost-effective method as the cost incurred to the organization after job simplification is practically negligible.
    • It achieves specialization.
    • Employees under job simplification are prone to get higher rewards.

    Job Simplification Disadvantages

    Job simplification has several significant drawbacks, and they are why better alternatives to job simplification are chosen in recent times. Maybe it poses many benefits to the organization, but on more in-depth analysis, it has underlying limitations. Even to the employees, it causes several issues that have to be considered. The limitations of job simplification are listed as follows:

    • It affects the quality of work of the employee in the long-run due to the constant repetition of the job.
    • Presence of monotony in the employees due to the same narrow nature of the job.
    • Increased tardiness among the employees.
    • Even though the productivity increases initially, in the long run, the productivity of work due to repetition goes on decreasing.
    • Increasing absenteeism among the employees.
    • The companies are most likely have to increase the wages to retain the employees in the job.
    • The process decreases the pressure and complexity of the job upon the employees but increases the frustration.

    In totality, job simplification can be used as a short-term approach to achieve short-term goals. However, in the long run, it does more harm than good. The productivity and cost-effectiveness that it achieves in the short-term get overshadowed by the decreasing productivity and employee tardiness in the long-run.

    This is why several alternatives are preferred in place of job simplification. Even though it is part and parcel of job design, the other components like job rotation and job design have better benefits and lesser drawbacks in terms of both the employee and the organization. 

  • Groupism in Office – Causes, Effects & Remedies

    We, humans, tend to settle with the same frequency people, and when these similar set of interest drives these people, it gives birth to a concept called group or a Community( in social scenarios). Yes being in groups and supporting each other, taking care, understanding, tuning well with each other is a good thing, but if done in access then leads to destruction. One should not sell their grandmother for petty things. It means one should not convert that friendliness to bad habits of staying in the same belief, being inflexible, or having false feelings for others. This kind of groupism is seen in almost every sector of society.

    Groupism in Office

    It is about favouring the closed ones, buttering the powerful, or fulfilling one’s mean for influencing people. This is often used as a strategy to discriminate against people for their own personal, professional, or social welfare. In the long run, this practice undervalues real talent, being pessimistic, and demotivates hardworking fellas.

    Moreover, this adds depression, mental stress, doomed feeling, and a lack of charm in a person. It is often seen that at workplaces, these kinds of practices are prevalent either to flatter higher position holders or to satisfy personal needs or motives. That is why it should be regulated by the HRs of the firm, to manage these malpractices, to save the reputation and fuel growth of the company. 

    For example, nepotism in Bollywood, a community in social gatherings, corporate groupism, ethnicity belief, etc. Today we will be discussing Groupism from a certain depth. 

    Office Politics

    It is as simple as messing around, gossiping, or spreading rumours. According to an Accountemps survey – it says, 46% of employees voted that office politics behaviour is seen most often in their companies. The reason behind these practices is found to be gaining favour by flattering the boss, snatching others’ credit, wrecking co-workers’ projects, or demotivating a person. When this drama takes root in any organization, eventually a decline in firms’ productivity is seen, less engagement of workers, halfhearted participation, and uneasy feeling to share ideas. This creates a lot of problems for the company CEOs, business owners, or the management department. So it is a heartfelt request to the employees for not creating this, and if felt at any corner of the company, then they should stay away from it and if needed or desired should be reported to an appropriate authority.

    Causes of Groupism

    To detect the origin of any cause is very important, to treat it effectively and quickly. Some of the causes are-

    • Showing superiority– Many a time, out of habit or to get a feeling of very acknowledged and reputed person, a person ends up bragging about his/ her qualities or deeds and tends to create a particular group. And not to forget, that person feels very safe and comfortable in that group.
    • Intending on someone to quit their job– This kind of groupism is practised out of ill feelings and disrespect for someone. Here a certain set of people/a person is intentionally hurt out of no unforeseen reasons. 
    • Buttering of a senior– To be ‘an eye candy’ of a boss’/senior someone overdoes, shows up frequently, or brags about his/her work to be in good books of a senior, to quickly gain a promotion, good appraisal or some other incentives. 
    • Lack of mutual communication– This is a hidden devil, which needs proper care, and the only remedy for it seen so far is – Employee Engagement. To avoid misconceptions, misunderstandings, and false feelings in the team, a good channel of communication should be built.
    • Inflexible to modify a good build notion– There are always a few people present everywhere who belongs to the category of – “What I have said is correct !”, “No! Sorry I do not want to listen to you and understand your point.” or “I’ll strongly stick to my point, no matter whatsoever happens.” Beware of these people as there is no found solution to these kinds of mentalities yet. 

    Effects of Groupism

    Groupism adversely affects organisations in various ways like

    • A loss of talent
    • A gradual increase in Lawsuit risk
    • A demotivated and negative environment
    • A big unhealthy challenge for the newbies
    • A downfall in the firm’s productivity
    • Degraded Employee morale
    • Unwanted and unknown conflicts 

    Remedies to Groupism

    As this activity can not be seen clearly but can be predicted only through actions and the company’s result. So this must be dealt with mutual coordination of a company and employee both.

    • For an Employee– To be an asset to a society or a firm, follow certain rules in life-
      • Behave with strict Professionalism. Please!
      • Avoid your emotions to control you at the workplace.
      • Distance yourself from unhealthy discussions, gossips, or a rumour spreading channel.
      • Avoid misconceptions, but being in regular touch with a trusted senior.
      • Your end goal should be quality performance and productive team spirit. 
    • For Company Heads– Wanting better results from the workforce they may practice-
      • Make Strict laws, rules, and regulations
      • Strict professional environment
      • Offering equal and appropriate opportunities to each individual
      • Trying to keep as many things as possible in the documented format.
      • Organizing certain informal meetups or parties

    Conclusion

    See there is a very clear understanding of it because one might lie to an individual, but not to thyself. One would have a clear understanding and feeling that they are on the wrong path or doing wrong. So kindly undo all the previous tasks done and do not repeat them in the future. It will be good for an individual and a company or a society as a whole. Before groupism takes up its strong roots alike caste and creed or gender inequality as in India, it is high time for us to understand its drawbacks and uproot it immediately from our surrounding environment.

     

  • How to Write Congratulation Mail to Selected Candidates with Samples

    Getting a job is probably one of the happiest moments of someone’s life. Being employed, the ability to fulfil the responsibility on one’s shoulder, the sense of accomplishment is something unparalleled for. In a country like India, the competition is extremely high. Here we have so many candidates competing against one another for the same job and with almost the same set of qualifications that it makes the selection process quite a challenging task for the recruiters. Everyone puts in their best to convert the opportunity, and when that mail finally arrives, stating SELECTED or HIRED, that moment is nothing but pure bliss.

    Most of the companies follow a standard format for the congratulations mail when delivering the great news that lightens up the life of the candidate. The hired candidate is called and is given the news of his selection first through call or in person. It is not considered a good industry norm to inform the selected candidate only through the email.

    Most of the candidates are looking at various job alternatives, so informing them beforehand through call is considered a better option. Then, the terms of employment, which include the salary, the duration of employment (if applicable), location, and others, are negotiated in person. Then the final congratulation mail is sent to the candidate. The email serves as the verbal agreement for all the negotiations held earlier.

    Why Send a Congratulation Mail to Selected Candidates?

    Congratulations! You are hired! Email is sent by the HR of the company to the selected candidate after the candidate is successful in securing the job. The reasons for sending the email are:

    • It is the most commonly practiced industry standard.
    • The candidate may forget the terms of employment if they are just discussed verbally, so to state the terms of employment clearly, the congratulations email is sent.
    • To make a formal documented proof of the negotiated and then agreed-upon terms of employment so that no discrepancy arises in the future, and there is no case of cheating.
    • To extend a formal welcome invitation to the candidate in the organization.
    • To get the candidate excited for the new stint at a new company and also covey the information required by the candidate for the first day at the company.

    So, sending out a congratulations email does serve various purposes.

    What to Include in Congratulations Email?

    There is no perfect way to write a congratulations email. Still, some details have to be included in every Congratulations email that the organisation sends to the candidate. So, the most important aspects that have to be included in every congratulations email are as follows:

    • A catchy subject line that conveys the good news to the selected candidate. Examples of a catchy subject line are:
      • Job offer from [company name]
      • Your job offer from [company name]
      • Your offer from [company name]
      • Hired at [company name]
    • A vivid description of all the duties that the selected candidate is expected to perform.
    • The date from which the job commences, i.e., the starting date. This also included the job location where the candidate is supposed to be working.
    • Details of the immediate supervisor, the person to whom the selected person will be reporting to directly.
    • First-day reporting details.
    • Details of the salary, i.e., how much to be paid and when to be paid.
    • Detailed information regarding leaves, vacations, and personal leaves, how many are allowed, how many are paid leaves, and when they can be taken.
    • The benefits, pension scheme provided by the organization. 
    • Working hours that the candidate is required to put in. 
    • A deadline for the candidate to revert in case of any queries or when they accept the job offer.
    • Name and the contact information of the recruiter in charge.
    • The organisation’s stamp.

    These are the mandatory details that need to be included in the congratulations email. Now, let us look at some sample congratulation emails so that the format becomes even more clear.

    Congratulation Mail to Selected Candidates Samples

    How to Write Congratulation Mail to Selected Candidates with Samples

    SAMPLE 1:

    Subject Line: Job offer from [company name]

    Email:

    Dear [candidate name],

    Congratulations! This email is to formally offer you the job of [job title] for [company name]. We strongly believe that your skills and expertise will help our company to reach great heights.

    As discussed with you previously, you must start on [start date], and the salary stands at [salary figure] per annum. We have the policy to disburse the salary by every 10th of every month, and it will be credited directly to your bank account. You are supposed to report to [reporting manager] on [day] at sharp [time].

    The pension scheme offered by the organization covers your entire family, and it will begin one month from your first working day. You may sign up for additional benefits that the company provides [can include other benefits as negotiated with the candidate].

    A copy of the offer letter is enclosed as an attachment. You are required to sign the document by [deadline] and return it to the below-mentioned communication address in case you accept the offer. After receiving the signed copy, I can further communicate the details of the benefits and the leaves that you are entitled for. 

    We are looking forward to working with you.

    Please contact me in case of any queries.

    Yours’ sincerely,

    [Signature of the employer]

    [Position of the employer]

    [Company name]

    Sample 2:

    Subject line: Offer from [company name]

    Email:

    Dear [Candidate name],

    Congratulations. We are so happy to inform you that [name of the company] you like to extend the offer to you for the position of [job position]. After interviewing all the candidates, we found you the most suitable person for the job. You will be working directly under [supervisor name], and we believe that your addition to the team will add great value to the company.

    According to the laws, we would require to check your employment eligibility. I have enclosed a form, which you need to fill in and report to the office on [start date] at [time]. You can report directly to [reporting officer], who will guide you through the training procedure.

    On your first day, the HR team will brief you about the benefits and the insurance claims you can choose from. They will also explain the leave policy, profit-sharing plans, and the norms followed in the office.

    Your salary will be [salary figure] per annum, which will be paid monthly and credited to your account by the 7th of every month. I have enclosed the offer letter and the document stating the terms and the conditions. If you accept the offer, you are required to send back the signed copy of the offer letter by [deadline]. The other steps in the hiring procedure will be communicated by me after receiving the signed acceptance letter.

    Please feel free to reach out to me in case you have any other doubts. We look forward to you joining us and making us bigger and better than ever.

    Yours’ sincerely,

    [HR’s signature]

    [HR’s name]

    [HR’s contact details]

    Sample 3:

    Subject line: Job offer from the [company name]

    Email:

    Dear [name of the candidate],

    We are excited to inform you that you have been hired as the [position name] for [company name]. You will work closely with [person’s name], and we believe that your combined excellence will help bring great laurels to the company.

    Based on our conversation, your annual starting salary is [salary figure] payable monthly via direct deposit. You are required to report on [date] at [time]. Your job duties and responsibilities are explained in the document attached below. Please go through it and familiarize yourself with it. 

    The rules and regulations of the company, terms and conditions of your employment, and the details of the benefits and insurances offered by the company are enclosed below. Please have a look. 

    In case you accept the offer, kindly send the signed offer letter to [company’s address]. We are looking forward to having a great fruitful future with you.

    Regards,

    [Name]

    [Signature]

    [Contact details]

    These were some of the sample congratulations emails. Every email contains the same basic information. The congratulations email serves as a ray of hope and happiness to the selected one. Everyone loves receiving good news, and a good email with a positive tone can do wonders. So, it is a great way to welcome the new addition to your work family and make them feel that they belong there.

  • EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION – Meaning, factors and surveys

    Employee satisfaction is a term that is used to measure the happiness of an employee in an organisation. It shows how content the employee is with the job. The level of happiness or satisfaction depends upon the type of working condition prevailing in the organisation, the reward system, working hours, the nature of the job, and the working experience in the organisation. Employee satisfaction is very important because it helps in measuring the overall health of an organisation. The higher the level of employee satisfaction higher is the rate of employee retention, which is very necessary for the efficient working of an organisation. A higher Employer Satisfaction might lead to Employer Engagement that boosts employee morale and increase productivity

    Employee satisfaction is from the viewpoint of the employer or the organisation, whereas job satisfaction is from the viewpoint of the individual employee. Both the terms employee satisfaction and job satisfaction are interrelated, and it can be said that job satisfaction is complementary to employee satisfaction.

    To have a healthy employee retention rate, it is very important that the employees are satisfied with their job. A person who is satisfied with his job holds a positive feeling about the work while the person with low satisfaction for the job holds a negative feeling. Along with this, job involvement also plays a very important role where people identify psychologically with their jobs and consider their perceived performance level important to their self-worth. Employees with a high level of job involvement strongly establish a connection and are concerned about the kind of work they are doing. Another important factor is the organisational commitment. An employee with strong organisational commitment identifies with the organisation and its goals and wishes to remain a member of the organisation. Employees who are loyal to their organisation, are less likely to leave, even if they are dissatisfied because they feel that they should work harder out of a sense of commitment or attachment to the organisation.

    Since employee satisfaction is from the viewpoint of the employer perceived organisational support plays a very important role because employees perceive the organisation as supportive when rewards are deemed fair, employees have a voice in the decision-making process, and they see their supervisor as a supportive figure rather than an authoritative one. Employees are more likely to work as an exchange than as a moral obligation, so employees look for reasons to feel supported by the employer, which in turn makes the employee satisfied.

    VARIABLES FOR EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

    • ORGANISATIONAL VARIABLES: This variable plays a very important role in employee satisfaction because an employee spends most of his time in the organisation and there are certain factors present in the organisation which has an impact on the employee’s satisfaction.
      • ORGANISATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: It is an ongoing structured process to bring about changes in the organisation. It is done keeping in mind the changes happening in the outside world so that the organisation is efficient enough to cope up with the future challenges and potential requirements of the organisation.
      • COMPENSATION AND BENEFIT POLICY: This variable plays a very important role in employee satisfaction. It includes rewards and incentives given to the employees based on their performance. Employees have a sense of satisfaction when they are rewarded for their job well done.
      • PROMOTION AND CAREER DEVELOPMENT: Promotion may be reciprocated as a big accomplishment within the life of an employee. It guarantees and delivers extra pay, responsibility, authority, independence, and status. So, the chance for promotion determines the degree of satisfaction to the worker.
      • JOB SATISFACTION: It is a feeling reflected from the perception that one’s job fulfils or allows for the fulfilment of their job values. Jobs that are wealthy in positive activity elements like autonomy, task identity, task significance, and feedback contribute to employee satisfaction.
      • JOB SECURITY: It is a term associated with employee’s assurance or confidence that they’re going to keep their current job. Staff with a high level of job security have an occasional likelihood of losing their job in the future. Some professions or employment opportunities inherently have higher job security than others; a worker’s performance additionally strikes job security, the success of the business, and also the current economic setting.
      • WORKING ENVIRONMENT: Employees’ motivation depends on smart operating conditions as they sense a feeling of safety, comfort, and motivation. On the contrary, poor operating conditions bring out concern about the danger and bad health of workers. The more well-off the operating surroundings are, the more productive the workers are going to be.
    • PERSONAL VARIABLE: The personal determinants conjointly facilitate in maintaining the motivation and personal factors of the staff to figure out how to work effectively and efficiently. Employee satisfaction is often associated with psychological factors, so a large number of personal variables play an important role in the satisfaction level of the employee.
      • PERSONALITY: The character of an individual may be determined by carefully understanding his psychological condition. The factors that confirm the satisfaction of an individual and his psychological conditions are perception, point of view, and learning.
      • EXPECTATION: The expectation level of workers affects their satisfaction level. If one receives different outcomes than expected, then the individual is extremely happy and vice-versa.
      • AGE: Age can often be delineated as important determinants of worker satisfaction. It is as a result of younger age workers possessing higher energy levels are capable of having a lot of worker satisfaction than older age workers.
      • EDUCATION: Education is a major determinant of employee satisfaction because it provides a chance for developing one’s temperament. Education develops and improvises individual knowledge and analysis methods. The extremely educated workers will perceive the situation and assess it as they possess persistence, rationality, and thinking power.

    MEASURING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION

    Businesses that would like to enhance satisfaction need to establish metrics to grasp where they presently stand. There would be an expansive range of approaches that may be applied to assess satisfaction; however, analysis usually shows that surveys are extremely effective. With a survey, you’ll get a glimpse of how the workers feel regarding your company. Giving out surveys consistently over time will allow you to watch the performance, whereas testing the effectiveness of the latest management methods.

    USING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEYS

    Before giving out surveys, you need to recognise what areas you would like to evaluate. In general, you need to concentrate on factors that you believe you will be able to manage. Some topics that can be included in an employee satisfaction survey are:

    • management expectations
    • coworker relations
    • perceptions of authorisation
    • communication quality
    • level of stress

    CREATING AN EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION SURVEY

    Once you have organised a list of things, you must compose a survey that’s acceptable for your organisation. It would be best if you took some time for creating a survey since you may need to use an equivalent survey over several years to profile your performance. You’ll be able to print out copies of your survey; however, digital channels are typically the best in today’s world. There is an expansive range of cheap tools that you can use to email surveys to any or all of your workers simultaneously.

    IMPROVING EMPLOYEE SATISFACTION OVERTIME

    The enhancements that you implement can be monitored over-time to make sure that they had been effective. Additionally, you need to sporadically review the satisfaction of your personnel to get new pain points that turn up. In several cases, you will need to schedule a quarterly or annual meeting along with your workers to debate problems associated with job satisfaction.

    Most significantly, workers need to realise that satisfaction could be the responsibility of all the members of your company. Once workers feel empowered to boost their satisfaction and therefore the satisfaction of other people in your company, They’ll naturally feel a lot more motivated and happier regarding their jobs.

  • Difference between Skill and Competency

    In the Human Resource perspective, skills and competencies are often used interchangeably. They are often considered similar to the other and put into a similar context. However, skills and competencies have a few differences that are, if not significant, noticeable. It can be said that skills are a subset of competencies. Competency, as the literal meaning of the term, considers all the abilities, skills, and personality traits of a person. Competencies are behavioural, whereas skills only test the raw abilities of a person. 

    Let us find out some of the key differences between Skills and Competencies under different heads.

    Meaning

    There have been different attempts to define what skills are and various definitions have emerged to point out the meaning of skills distinctively. It is defined as the capability or aptitude that is obtained or created through preparing or experience. It is the capacity, originating from one’s information, practice, inclination, and so forth., to accomplish something great. A capacity and limit obtained through conscious, precise, and supported exertion to easily and adaptively complete complex exercises or employment capacities, including thoughts (psychological abilities), things (specialized aptitudes), as well as individuals (relational aptitudes) can be successfully described as a skill set. 

    Skill is the educated ability to do pre-decided outcomes and an educated capacity to achieve the result one needs, with the most extreme conviction and effectiveness. It is the capability or adroitness that is procured or created through preparing or experience. So, a Skill is something Learned to be able to carry out one or more job functions.

    Different sources and different definitions also attempt to pin-point ta exact definition of competencies to set it notably apart from skills. It is defined as a group of related capacities, duties, information, and abilities that empower an individual (or an association) to act adequately in an occupation or circumstance. Competencies mean abilities or knowledge that lead to overall execution. 

    Quantifiable aptitudes, skills, and character qualities that distinguish effective workers against characterized jobs inside an association. A competency is something other than just information and skills. It includes the capacity to fulfill complex needs by drawing on and assembling psychosocial assets (counting abilities and perspectives) in a specific setting. It is a quantifiable example of information, aptitudes, capacities, practices, and different attributes that an individual needs to perform work jobs or word related capacities effectively. Competencies determine the “how” (rather than the what) of performing work errands or what the individual needs to carry out the responsibility effectively. 

    Competencies employ skills, but it is not just limited to skills. It also uses knowledge and action. They incorporate capacities and practices only as information that is principal to the utilization of a potential skill-set.

    Approach

    Skills have a universal approach, per se. It means that a specific individual with a particular skill is universally the same. The skills remain constant irrespective of place, situation, or type of employment. For example, if a person has a technical skill of Digital Marketing, his skill can and will be listed everywhere the same provided he/she has the proper certification.

    However, competencies are contextual. This means that just because a person has a particular skill does not mean that he/she is competent in the same. Competencies include skill, knowledge as well as the ability. Hence a person with skill has to analytically and logically apply it in a correct situation, then only will he/she prove to be competent. Taking the above example, a skilled employee in Digital Marketing must know and have the ability to apply that knowledge in his term of requirement; otherwise, he/she would not be considered as competent.

    Position

    Skills are generally transferable across various job roles in an organization. This means that an employee with a specific skill can be moved across different jobs that demand that specific skill-set that the person possesses. Hence, it is more dynamic. Skills are not aspirational. These are need-based and absolute.

    Competencies, on the other hand, are extremely aspirational and job-specific. When moved across various jobs, a person’s skill set will remain the same. However, his/her competencies will vary to a great extent. A person with skill will be put in a position of work. When the person employs that skill into execution to perform the job efficiently, his/her competency will be proved. 

    Relationship

    It can be so regarded that skills and competencies have a cause and effect relationship. Skills are what is the initial requirement for a person to perform a particular job. Without the required skills, a person is not eligible to be employed in a job that demands it.

    However, competencies are how the job is performed. With the effective implementation of skills, knowledge, and ability, when the job is completed, and the result is obtained, which determines the competency.

    Concept

    Skills are a narrower concept comprising technical or non-technical knowledge that is required for a job.

    Competency is much broader that is more result-oriented by employing skills, knowledge, and abilities.

    Example

    Digital marketing, coding, language proficiency, software proficiency, computer programming are some of the things that can be defined as skills.

    Whereas professionalism, time-management, analytical abilities, excellent communication are some of the competencies, to name a few. 

    Difference between Skill and Competency

    Bases Skills

     

    		 Competencies

     
    Meaning Learned abilities required for a job. Skills, employed with knowledge and ability leading to the success or failure of a job.

     
    Approach Universal Contextual
    Relationship Cause Effect
    Concept Narrower concept Broader concept
    Example Digital marketing, python, wielding, programming. Analytical approach, professionalism, time-management.

     

     

    Skills and competencies might not be interchangeable but not inseparable. However, skills can exist without competencies. But, competencies cannot exist without skills. Competency is a superset of which skill is a component. That is why it is essential to acquire skills. It is also important to know how to apply them. Employers are not looking for just skilled employees; they are looking for competent ones.

  • Difference between Recruitment and Selection

    “Recruitment” and “Selection”. These two words sound almost the same right? The words that have been used interchangeably for god knows how long, looks like synonyms at first glance, but they bear a slight difference from one other. Though the differences are quite subtle, it will be really helpful to understand the differences, especially for the budding managers. As we know that employees are the building block of any organization. It is the employees’ contribution that plays a huge role in making or breaking the organization. So, careful recruitment and selection procedure must be carried out to reduce the amount of loss caused to the organization.

    The entire recruitment and the selection procedure comes under the job scope of the Human Resource department. The HR team is the one responsible for bringing in the fresh selects, training them and making them comfortable with the culture of the organization. Every company needs to expand its workforce, maybe to cater to growth or because of a vacancy in a job position. So, the way to extend the workforce is nothing but “hiring”. Hiring is the gateway for bringing in the best talents from among the lot so that they can add value to the company in the best possible way and recruitment and selection forms a part of the hiring process. 

    What is Recruitment?

    As Edwin B. Flippo said, Recruitment is the process of searching for the potential candidates for employment and stimulating them to apply for job vacancies in the organisation.

    It is defined as the act of searching for potential candidates for the company. The procedure involves looking out for potential candidates, searching about their educational backgrounds and finally motivating them to apply for the job profiles for which the company is hiring. A huge process spanning out for weeks, recruitment is a process which is the summation of many different activities. It involves searching and finally hiring the most eligible candidates for the job by scrutiny and examination. 

    For the hiring process, recruitment is the first step. As, the market place is extremely competitive, so every company must keep itself updating with more effective human resources (manpower) that can be of a great addition to the company. So, recruitment is not just a necessity but also is of strategic importance to the company. Recruitment serves as the link between the people for jobs and the companies that require them. So, following the correct recruitment process yields in fruitful results.

    Why Recruitment?

    The recruitment process is carried out to increase the workforce of an organisation. Broadly, recruitment can be carried out for 3 reasons. They are:

    • PLANNED: This kind of recruitment activities are already planned and happens because of known changes in the organisation like the retirement of a certain percentage of the workforce.
    • ANTICIPATED: This type of recruitment occurs when there has been some indication to the HR about the movement of the employees, by analysing the recent trend that has been going on in the organisation. 
    • UNEXPECTED: This recruitment process cannot be planned as it happens without any prior notice. This includes reasons like sudden resignations, deaths and accidents.

    How to Do Recruitment?

    As said above, recruitment is the culmination of various activities. The activities are listed below:

    • Assess the needs of the organisation and analyse the kind of resource requirement of the company.
    • Advertising the vacancy in the organisation through various means like print media, social media, to make the job seekers aware of the recent opening.
    • Generate interest in the minds of the candidates and encourage them to fill the application form.
    • Manage the responses from a massive pile of interested candidates.
    • Careful analysis and scrutiny of all the applications.
    • Shortlisting of the candidates for the following process, that is most suitable for the job profile offered.

    Types of Recruitments

    Though all the steps are followed in any recruitment process, 2 types of recruitments can take place.

    • Internal recruitment: This process does not involve any fresh hiring, it implies the transfer of the employees within the organisation to new positions. Examples include:
      • Promotions
      • Transfers
      • Contact or references
      • Ex-employees
    • External recruitment: This process involves fresh hiring of new talent from outside resources. Examples are:
      • Advertisement
      • Poaching
      • Campus recruitments
      • Recruitment agencies

    What is Selection?

    As Stone defines, Selection is the process of differentiating between applicants to identify (and hire) those with a greater likelihood of success in a job. 

    Choosing the most suitable candidate from the pool of candidates provided by the recruitment process is called as the process of selection. It is generally an elimination process where the unsuitable candidates are removed, and the most worthy candidates are hired by the organisation. It is the job of HR to differentiate between the qualified and the unqualified applicants. The goal is to find the perfect candidate for the job, just like the correct piece fits the jigsaw puzzle.

    How to Carry Out the Selection Procedure?

    There is a certain overlap between the recruitment and the selection process. Just like the recruitment procedure, there are many steps involved in the selection process too. They are: 

    • Screening process: This involves reviewing the candidate’s applications to eliminate unsuitable applications.
    • Elimination of some candidates: After the screening process is over, the unsuitable candidates are removed from the process of further hiring steps.
    • Conducting selection tasks: There have to be specific criteria based on which the most eligible candidate is selected. So, this can include an aptitude test, performance test, behaviour test, psychological test and many more.
    • Interview: One of the most important steps in choosing the candidate. Here, the candidate can be tested on multiple fronts by asking behavioural questions, situation-based questions and can gauge the candidate’s thought process.
    • Checking references: This is generally done to cross-check the information as furnished by the candidate. Usually, a company asks for a minimum of two references, from where the candidate’s authenticity can be verified.
    • Medical check-ups: The candidate must be strong, fit and of sound mind, to be considered eligible for the job. So, this is a mandatory step that must be completed before selecting a candidate for the job.

    These are the steps that are involved in a selection procedure. As can be seen, a selection process is a long and time-consuming process. It is carried out after the recruitment process is done. The selection process brings the entire hiring process to its completion. 

    Difference between Recruitment and Selection

    So, the key differences between recruitment and selection can be summarised precisely as follows:

    CHARACTERISTIC RECRUITMENT SELECTION
    Meaning Searching and encouraging potential candidates to fill in the application. Selecting the best fit for the job.
    Objective To have a large pool of applicants. To eliminate and select the perfect candidate.
    Nature It is a positive process as it encourages maximum participation. It is a negative process as it involves the rejection of the majority of candidates.
    Process It is a fairly simple process. It is a complex one.
    Sequence It comes before the selection process. It follows the recruitment process.
    Function Its main aim is to provide the candidates for the selection process. It results in making an offer to the most suitable candidate by providing the appointment letter.
    Process It involves the advertising of vacancies through various methods. It involves the evaluation of the candidates on various parameters.
    Method It is an economical method. It is a fairly expensive method.
    Time required It is a quicker method. It requires much more time.

    Thus, recruitment and selection though seeming quite similar, have a large number of differences between them. A clear understanding of both the processes is a must, as it will ensure that the organisation has a strong and effective workforce. It will help in proper scouting, shortlisting and selection of the perfect candidate for the job. Great hiring, followed by proper training can do wonders for the organisation.