Case Study Improving Recruitment Process Part 1
Case Study: Improving Recruitment Processes – Part 1 of 2
Rising attrition is a common problem across industries. Tight monthly, quarterly and annual objectives leave little room for error when it comes to having the required manpower being available consistently. Unwanted attrition results in two significant challenges for human resources (HR) teams. They must work to continuously:
1. Decrease cycle time to fill a job opening.
2. Decrease the effort required for a successful recruitment.
The case described here uses total quality management (TQM) to address these problems in a large, fast-moving consumer goods company in India. (Note: The details of the process have been condensed and modified for the sake of confidentiality and easy of storytelling.)
A two-day quality awareness program introduced the cross-functional project team members to TQM (including just-in-time [JIT], total quality control [TQC] and total employee involvement [TEI]). Fortnightly meetings then started to address the problem at hand through the seven steps of problem solving:
1. Define the problem
2. Research the causes
3. Generate countermeasure ideas
4. Test and modify the ideas
5. Implement ideas
6. Standardize procedures
7. Compile quality improvement story
The case study is described in two parts: 1) decreasing cycle time and 2) decreasing effort.
Step 1: Define the Problem
Following the recommend practice of TQM, the project team began by defining the beginning and end of the process – in this case, the start and finish of the recruitment process. The possible starting and end points are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Possible Beginning and End Points in Recruitment Process
Start
End
Employee resigns or there is otherwise an available position (1)
Make employment offer to successful candidate (3)
HR receives email for initiating recruitment (2)
Employee starts work (4)
After discussion the group agreed to take up the process between HR’s receiving an email to initiate recruitment
Rising attrition is a common problem across industries. Tight monthly, quarterly and annual objectives leave little room for error when it comes to having the required manpower being available consistently. Unwanted attrition results in two significant challenges for human resources (HR) teams. They must work to continuously:
1. Decrease cycle time to fill a job opening.
2. Decrease the effort required for a successful recruitment.
The case described here uses total quality management (TQM) to address these problems in a large, fast-moving consumer goods company in India. (Note: The details of the process have been condensed and modified for the sake of confidentiality and easy of storytelling.)
A two-day quality awareness program introduced the cross-functional project team members to TQM (including just-in-time [JIT], total quality control [TQC] and total employee involvement [TEI]). Fortnightly meetings then started to address the problem at hand through the seven steps of problem solving:
1. Define the problem
2. Research the causes
3. Generate countermeasure ideas
4. Test and modify the ideas
5. Implement ideas
6. Standardize procedures
7. Compile quality improvement story
The case study is described in two parts: 1) decreasing cycle time and 2) decreasing effort.
Step 1: Define the Problem
Following the recommend practice of TQM, the project team began by defining the beginning and end of the process – in this case, the start and finish of the recruitment process. The possible starting and end points are shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Possible Beginning and End Points in Recruitment Process
Start
End
Employee resigns or there is otherwise an available position (1)
Make employment offer to successful candidate (3)
HR receives email for initiating recruitment (2)
Employee starts work (4)
After discussion the group agreed to take up the process between HR’s receiving an email to initiate recruitment