Recruitment Methods in Nigeria

Recruitment Methods in Nigeria

It is pertinent to note that companies’ recruitment methods are crafted to enable the companies to select innovative and creative people that have the potential and passion they need to boost the company forward.

Most of the selections, if not all, are based on a combination of:

• Competencies
• Experience
• Skills, and;
• Motivation

If there is one thing you should know, recruitment techniques are continually evolving, and the Internet has massively transformed the landscape over time. As it stands, there are companies making use of the new media to attract their candidates.

Nevertheless, the traditional methods are still being used. More so, a mixture of the two is possible. We will be outlining some of the recruitment methods used in the Nigerian job sector.

Methods Of Recruitment In Nigeria

Some of the well-known methods of recruitment carried out in Nigeria are:

• Internal recruitment

There are lots of incredible reasons why companies recruit internally. First and foremost, it most times works out cheaper than making use of agencies and advertising externally.

These companies can easily run a free ad on the company’s message board or intranet. On a second note, when they have a policy of recruiting internally, it tends to create a robust progression path for the employees.

This is usually great for staff retention, morale, and motivation. When these companies finally hire externally, they promise to provide amazing progression opportunities. Finally, internal recruitment is ideal for succession planning.

The company’s present leaders will not be available forever, which makes it a good idea to develop the current staff as the successors.

• External Advertising

This is the most popular form as there are many options available with new methods coming up often. Sometimes, companies need to advertise externally, especially those companies that are still coming up.

• The Print Advertising

If you thought this was dead, then you are wrong. The print job ad is among the most traditional of all recruitment methods in Nigeria. The fact that sector-specific magazines and journals are still available, print adverts will always be an amazing way to reach out to those seeking jobs.

• Web advertising

It is often stated that the power of Internet advertising is proven through its growth. According to the PWC, web advertising has been predicted to overtake television as the largest ad medium.

When companies advertise on recruitment websites, it promises a prospectively vast reach at a very low cost. This is because job seekers can use Google to uncover specific job types on popular recruitment websites.

Interestingly, it takes just a few minutes for companies to set up their ads. Companies in Nigeria also advertise vacancies on their corporate website. However, these ads may likely be less visible than those posted on the major job sites.

• Social media advertising

If you never knew,  being active on social media services such as Twitter enables companies to meet prospective candidates in so many ways. It could be via shared connections or even shared discussions on a topic

Sometimes, it is easier for job seekers to contact recruiters through social media. Some companies tend to recruit through some of these professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn.

Note that a company’s social media activities can expand their employer brand and show candidates what the company’s organizational culture looks like. This is amazing for attracting the top talent, especially if the company’s culture is incredible.

Another way that social media works is that it can be used to screen candidates and assess their suitability based on what they post online. Companies that are enormous in using social media yet as part of their recruiting efforts should get started immediately.

Note that the younger generation of job seekers make use of social channels when they are seeking jobs. Social media has endless possibilities and has gone beyond Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter. 

Some companies think outside the social box and big four and seek new talents in places like Snapchat. However, the major key to recruiting via social media is to know your exact target candidates and where you can find them.

• Talent search

Due to online recruitment prominence, talent search has turned into a feasible option for job advertising. Many popular recruitment websites hold databases of hundreds, if not thousands, of CV.

Companies easily do their search by making use of specific keywords to find prospective candidates. However, there are pitfalls to this as it is time-consuming, and some of these stored CVs may not be up to date.

Some of these recruitment agencies also provide specialized talent search services by using their database of job seekers.

• Recruitment agencies

Companies in Nigeria mostly make use of recruitment agencies. The number of companies that use them is growing as most companies use a combination of internal recruitment and outsourcing to recruitment agencies.

Since the recruiter will be on a commission, they are motivated to carry out this work diligently. They have the recruitment experience and skills that the HR in the company may not have, and they can easily access a huge network of prospective candidates.

While making use of a recruiter costs lots of money, however, it helps to save time. For best results, most companies in Nigeria turn to recruiters, especially those that understand the kind of candidate they need and have many contacts in the sector.

Things To Expect From The Recruitment Methods

When companies use any of the recruitment methods outlined above, there are things the job seekers should expect. These things are:

• Your career opportunity and application

As a job seeker, you are to identify which of the roles advertised best fits your qualifications and career aspirations, then submit your cover letter and CV online.

• Telephone interview

When your profile matches what they need, a member of their recruitment team will get in contact with you for some companies. Sometimes, they will arrange a telephone interview to help them know more about you.

• First-round interview

When the company thinks of you as a prospective candidate for the advertised position, they will invite you to attend the face-to-face interview. This interview will be conducted by a panel that consists of the hiring manager.

This interview aims to help them understand your career interests, skills, experience, competencies, and educational background. They will also want to know what inspires you to succeed while at work.

 

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• The assessment

Some companies will invite their prospective candidates to participate in some psychometric assessments. This will enable them to get to understand how you behave at work.

• Second round interview

Not all companies organize a second-round interview. However, if the company you applied to is doing this, then it is best to note that the reason for this interview is to assess the prospects of future collaboration.

It is also for you to have an extra insight into what working for such a company will be like.

• Reference check

Some of these Nigerian companies will ask your referees to answer some questions about your previous work performance, behavior at work, and even your skills.

• Selection decisions and offer

In most companies, it is up to the selection panel to identify the best-qualified candidate for the post. When you are selected for the advertised role, the HR representative will send an employment offer to you and answer any questions that you may have.

More so, if you are not selected, you are not to be discouraged as your qualifications will surely match other job openings shortly.

Conclusion

We have successfully identified some of the recruitment methods used by companies in Nigeria. As a job seeker, you should always be on alert searching for job vacancies both on social media, newspapers, and on television, as well as other means.

When you apply for a job, we have outlined what you expect from the company you applied to. While some of these companies may not have a telephone interview or a second interview, others will.