Compare and contrast the advantages of internal and external sources of recruitment

Internal and external recruitment are two ways to recruit employees in an organization. Internal recruitment is the process of hiring people from within the organization. The management is already aware of their skills, and they have been working with them.

Table of Contents

  • Internal vs External Recruitment
  • Comparison Table
  • What is Internal Recruitment?
  • What is External Recruitment?
  • Main Differences Between Internal and External Recruitment
  • References

External recruitment is the method of recruiting employees from external sources. This can be done through advertisements, agencies, etc.

External recruitment is a more costly process. It is also time-consuming process than internal recruitment. Both of these types of recruitment have their own merits and demerits.

The difference between internal recruitment and external recruitment is that internal recruitment uses present employees. In contrast, external recruitment creates a pool of candidates from external sources. These employees do not have relationships with the organization.

Compare and contrast the advantages of internal and external sources of recruitment

Comparison Table

Parameter of ComparisonInternal recruitmentExternal recruitment
Meaning This type of recruitment is focused on employing people who are already in the organization. This type of recruitment is focused on employing people who are outside the organization.
Time It is not as time-consuming as external recruitment. It is a time-consuming process.
Cost It is an economical process. It is more costly than internal recruitment.
Number of candidates This type of recruitment provides a limited choice between candidates. This type of recruitment provides an unlimited choice between the candidates.
Basis It is based on merit or seniority. It is based on merit or qualification.
Sources Promotion, transfers, references, etc. are sources of internal recruitment. Employment agencies, casual callers, advertisements, etc. are the sources of external recruitment.

What is Internal Recruitment?

Internal recruitment is a type of recruitment where the employees are recruited from within the organization. This is an economical method of recruitment and can also be done quickly.

There are various ways to recruit employees internally. For example, transfers, promotions, former employee re-employment, internal advertisements, etc.

A transfer is a horizontal method of internal recruitment, whereas promotion is a vertical method of internal recruitment. A transfer is shifting an employee from a department to another where there might be a requirement.

There are many advantages of internal recruitment. It fosters trust, loyalty, and helps the organization to maintain secrecy. There are negligible costs incurred on training and orientation in this type of recruitment, and the employees are also reliable. 

The drawbacks of this are that it only provides a limited pool of candidates. It can cause the employees to be lethargic and also decreases innovation in the organization.

Compare and contrast the advantages of internal and external sources of recruitment

What is External Recruitment?

The external method of recruitment is one where the pool of candidates is created from outside the organization. These candidates do not have any relations with the organization presently.

It is a costly method as there are advertisement costs and the new employees need training and orientation. This type of recruitment is also time-consuming as the recruiter has to go through the profiles of all the candidates and then create a pool of the potential ones.

This is followed by a long process of training and orientation.

There are various sources of external recruitment. For example, advertisements, campus recruitments, waiting lists, employment exchanges, job portals, recommendations and references, job fairs and seminars, job consultancies and agencies, etc.

The external method of recruitment brings in fresh talent in the organization and, thus, bring along innovation and opportunity to improve. It also gives the management a large pool of candidates to narrow their potential candidates. In simple words, it provides management with a lot of choices.

Compare and contrast the advantages of internal and external sources of recruitment

Main Differences Between Internal and External Recruitment

  1. Internal recruitment can be based on seniority, whereas external recruitment gives qualification a priority.
  2. Sources of internal recruitment are transfers, promotions, internal advertisements, etc. Sources of external recruitment are job portals, campus placements, employment exchanges, etc.


References

  1. https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/37882826.pdf
  2. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/667814

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Compare and contrast the advantages of internal and external sources of recruitment

What is the difference between Internal and external recruitment?

Internal recruitment is when the business looks to fill the vacancy from within its existing workforce. External recruitment is when the business looks to fill the vacancy from any suitable applicant outside the business.

What are the advantages of Internal source recruitment?

Internal candidates are easier and quicker to find because they're already in your office space or organization. The time to contact and assess them for the position is faster because you can easily reach out to them, get manager feedback, and check their employee performance.

What is the advantage of external sources of recruitment?

When you look outside your own company, you can explore a much larger pool of candidates for your position. This can increase your chances of finding a qualified, successful applicant. Having more potential hires can allow you to be more selective and find candidates with the right education and experience for the job.

What are the similarities and differences between Internal and external selection?

Internal recruitment is a process in which employers look to fill the position from within its company. External recruitment is when employers look to fill the vacancy from any suitable applicant outside the company. You've got an open position and need to staff up. Now, you have two options for recruiting.