Selecting
New Hires in a Difficult Economy: An Overview of Recruitment and Selection
Practices in Venezuela
By
Egberto Fernandez, Venezuela Career Advisor
Venezuela's high levels of unemployment requires companies to be very
aggressive in their recruitment and selection processes to assure the best
possible talent. The large urban centers and industry areas commonly
generate an oversupply of workers. There is intensive competition among
job candidates, produced by the extreme difficulty of finding a job, and a
tendency to accept any job in order to do
whatever it takes to survive. (In other regions of Venezuela, there are
other employment limitations, particularly with qualified personnel.)
When
looking for someone to fill a job in the main urban centers (more than one
million inhabitants), recruiters find themselves awash with an excess of
candidates, many overqualified, forcing careful analysis to make the best
choice. In other areas of the country, a search for candidates with
special expertise can take months.
In
light of this reality, Venezuelan recruiters are adopting a new
recruitment paradigm: "Find
the best wherever they are."
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Client needs are emphasized for a very clear definition of the required skill sets.
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Multiple recruitment sources are utilized : networks of personal contacts, national and international internet data bases, and company data bases.
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Selection processes are carefully designed to respond to the requirements of each position. Different tools are utilized: personality tests, models to assess competency levels, interview guidelines, medical exams, reference checks, etc.
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Records of selection processes are kept to monitor candidate performance down the road, noting strong points, and improvement opportunities, as well as the selection criteria utilized.
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Detailed reports are prepared for each pre-selected candidate which summarize the rationale for the selection recommendation.
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Before a hiring offer is made, these reports are discussed with employers who are very careful before committing themselves to a final decision.
Recruitment
and selection within this environment can be very sensitive. The following
actions are recommended to assure ethical recruitment practices:
Protect
the company image: Notify all non-selected candidates about the
results of the process. Today's applicant may well be tomorrow's
candidate or a source for future recruitment.
Guarantee
quality and trust: Provide a three'month follow'up period with the
selected candidate to provide feedback and recommend remedial actions when
necessary. Keep in contact with the candidate through his/her initial
hiring period to assure the success of the selection.
The recruiter should commit to replacing the candidate if they are
unable to perform at expected levels.
Organizations
with established recruitment and selection procedures may find it
difficult to follow these recommendations. The growing trend is to use
external consultants for strategic hiring. Most
external consultants operate with flexible processes and are better able
to target specific company needs, maintaining higher levels of
confidentiality than when the process is handled internally.
Note:
this article was written with the cooperation of Hildemaro Infante.
Human Resources Management Consultant. Email:
hildemaroinfante@cantv.net
About Author
Egberto Fernandez is a human development specialist who has more than 20
years of experience with organizations and individuals. He combines his
private career'coaching practice with other areas of human development,
including facilitating group workshops in management, leadership, team
building, and change management. For more information, e'mail Egberto.
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