Internal and External Recruitment Methods and Workforce Diversity

To operate effectively, and thus remain in business, an organization must have in place an able, motivated, and competent staff. It has been stated in some quarters that human resources are the most valuable organizational assets. To ensure that they have the right staff to advance their agenda and achieve their objectives, organizations routinely seek to bring on board the most capable employees. This they do by engaging in an often complex and lengthy recruitment process. Essentially, recruitment can be categorized into two types: internal recruitment and external recruitment. Both approaches have their own unique advantages and disadvantages. In brief, external recruitment, according to Schermerhorn (2010, p. 293), "seeks job applicants from outside the organization," while internal recruitment, as the author further points out, "seeks job applicants from inside the organization."

It is important to note that today, the relevance of taking diversity into consideration in recruitment and selection efforts cannot be overstated. This is particularly the case given that as the world becomes increasingly borderless, companies are finding a diverse workforce more effective. Business entities are also seeking to ensure that the interests of their clientele — regardless of their background, religion, or race — are catered for in the best possible manner. In that regard, "diversity" could be regarded as one of the concepts that has a significant effect on staffing and organizational effectiveness.

It is important to note, from the outset, that diversity does not have a single assigned definition. What this means, in basic terms, is that in the realm of human resource management, diversity has been defined in various ways. Diversity is best explained by invoking its various dimensions. Within the last two or so decades, as Griffin and Moorhead (2009) point out, gender and race have been regarded as the key components of diversity. It is, however, important to note that other dimensions of diversity exist beyond those two. The primary dimensions of diversity, in the words of Griffin and Moorhead (2009, p. 35), "include age, race and ethnicity, gender, physical and mental abilities, and sexual orientation."

There are also other dimensions of diversity referred to as the secondary dimensions. These, as Griffin and Moorhead (2009, p. 36) further point out, include "educational background, geographical location, income, marital status, military experience, parental status, religious beliefs, and work experience." In contrast to the primary dimensions, secondary dimensions of diversity are less permanent and can, in most cases, be more easily altered or changed.