2011

ROLE OF ERECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

Submitted To: Mr. Saghir Muhammad

Name Muhammad Umar Ansari Hasan Ahmed Fiaz Syed Noman Ameen Muzammil Shahabuddin

Submitted By: Student ID 2009-1-44-10325 2008-3-39-8526 2010-3-45-11122 2010-3-45-10969

Email umar_ansari@msn.com hasan_fayyaz82@yahoo.com noman.ameen@hotmail.com muz_15@hotmail.com

Course: Electronic Commerce Institute of Business Management

ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

2011

CONTENTS
Abstract ........................................................................................................................... 2 Keywords ........................................................................................................................ 2 1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 2 1.1 Purpose ................................................................................................................. 2 Industry Analysis ...................................................................................................... 2 Practical Analysis ..................................................................................................... 2 Environment analysis ............................................................................................... 2 1.2 Scope .................................................................................................................... 3 2. Literature Review ..................................................................................................... 3 2.1 Background ........................................................................................................... 3 2.2 Modes of Recruitment ............................................................................................ 4 2.3 The Role of Emerging Technologies in E-Recruitment .......................................... 4 2.4 E-Recruitment Methods and Techniques ............................................................... 6 3. PRIMARY RESEARCH ............................................................................................ 8 3.1 Hypothesis ............................................................................................................. 8 3.3 Sampling ................................................................................................................ 8 4. Findings ................................................................................................................... 8 4.1 Statistical Data ................................................................................................... 8 4.2 Benefits .............................................................................................................. 8 4.3 Challenges ......................................................................................................... 9 5. 6. 7. 8. Recommendations ................................................................................................... 9 Conclusion ............................................................................................................. 10 Future Outlook ....................................................................................................... 10 Bibliography ........................................................................................................... 11

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ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

2011

ABSTRACT
Recruitment is one of the most important phases for any organization and needs experts to do this job effectively. With the latest technology breakthroughs and everything being available online and internet becoming a major part of our lives, recruitment options are also present online. As compared to conventional recruitment methods, E-recruitment has many options. This study is based on primary research followed by secondary research carried out to investigate the role of e-recruitment in the telecom sector of Pakistan. The results of our findings show that although e-recruitment is being used in the telecommunication sector of Pakistan, its nature is still limited. We have also provided a list of recommendations based on our research and knowledge gained during the course E-Commerce, which may improve the erecruitment market within Pakistan.

KEYWORDS
E-recruitment, recruitment, e-recruitment market, e-recruitment in Pakistan, employment, recruitment in Pakistan, telecom e-recruitment, telecom e-recruitment in Pakistan, Job Boards, Pakistan e-recruitment, online recruitment.

1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Purpose
The purpose of this study is to carry out:

Industry Analysis
Assess the tendency of organizations in telecom industry towards e-recruiting, its strategies, processes and methods.

Practical Analysis
The study examines the efficiency of e-recruiting as compared to traditional methods of hiring and the feasibility and utility of available e-recruiting technologies.

Environment analysis
To identify job hiring trends in Pakistan and analyze organizations awareness towards erecruitment in the telecom sector. This study will also give an insight regarding motivation for the implementation of recruitment through internet in Pakistan.

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ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

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1.2 Scope
This research projects scope has been limited to the telecom sector of Pakistan since the diverse and large size of the corporate sector makes it difficult for practical work. Also, there has been a boom in the telecom industry of Pakistan in the last few years, resulting in mass recruitment of employees at all levels. Therefore, the research has been designed to answer the following questions: To what extent are Pakistani telecommunications organizations utilizing e-recruitment strategies? What technologies are being used? Are there any plans for incorporating emerging technologies to improve recruitment process in Pakistan?

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
2.1 Background
With changing times emerging talent, it has become vital to hire the right people for the right job. In these situations, recruitment plays an essential part in making organizations competitive and market leaders. Recruitment is the process through which an organization first attracts people for a specific job, screens the most qualified applicants, forms a pool of those qualified candidates, and then finally selects the best candidate. This whole process is time consuming and at times not very effective. Internet has now become an important influence in every field. It has made it possible to complete more work in a shorter duration. Online recruitment or E-recruitment is one of the benefits of internet which has become much easier and efficient as it saves a lot of time and irrelevant paper work. Every organization should endeavour to reduce employee turnover and use more effective methods of staffing. With an increasingly computer literate population and internet access penetration being more than 50% in some urban areas, youth expect to use online recruitment options and feel that organizations that do not may not be worth working for. The advantages of online recruitment are so many that organizations using conventional methods of hiring should completely rethink their strategies. Till few years before, print media was the only option for companies to get new employees. Surveys and researches have revealed that job adds in print media are gradually being complemented and sometimes even replaced by online advertisements.

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ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

2011

2.2 Modes of Recruitment

When organizations need to hire people they either do it themselves or hire recruitment agencies to do this work for them. Then recruitment agencies need to advertise and short list candidates for available jobs. Short listed candidates are then interviewed. The purpose of these is to be able to analyze the skills of the applicants keeping the job requirements in view. A list of the tasks and competencies for a job position is effective when dealing with the identification of individual competencies. (Trichet, 2006) Recruitment departments and agencies have to remain updated with the requirements and expectations of both employers and job seekers. They may function in centralized or decentralized modes. This primarily depends on the organizational structural. In centralized organization, decision making depends on input from all departments. The advantage is that it enables control of administrative costs, standardizes processes, minimizes biased choices and allows input from the experts of the whole company. Decentralized recruitment, on the other hand, allows each department to select its own recruits. The companies which located in many regions or are very large find this method more suitable. Companies also use internal sources for any human resource requirement. Whenever a vacancy arises in an organization, the employees are notified through internal placement memos and are encouraged to apply if they are eligible. This saves time and effort as the organization knows the person, their work portfolio and skills. External sources are the prospective applicants in the job market. Several methods can be used to catch their attention. Advertisements are considered to be most effective and a common element of the recruitment process.

2.3 The Role of Emerging Technologies in E-Recruitment

E-recruitment is the outcome of the new and emerging Internet technologies. Most of the organizations are now using online recruitment techniques for easy and potential recruitment. (Musa, 2007) Some of the most common uses of emerging technologies for this purpose are: interviewing candidates, imitate work scenarios, provide glimpse of previous work, perform personality and intelligence tests and giving them real tasks.

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ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

2011

The research shows that the numbers of internet jobseekers have increased by 266.7% during 2001 and 2006 and the numbers are still growing. A survey conducted on the ERecruitment market concluded the following major trends: more advanced tools for candidate management, increase in number of social websites (Facebook, LinkedIn) users, both as employees and employers, more opportunities for professionals in the market (Islam, 2008) But market surveys have shown that the use of internet for recruitment purposes is still very low. The use of online questionnaires and tests is also negligible. A major factor is the lack of access, skills and awareness amongst the masses. It is imperative to launch initiatives that would promote the use of Internet in order to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the e-recruitment portals. Apart from this, a challenge for recruiters is to convince their organizations to spend funds on developing e-recruitment solutions. The basic requirement of an e-recruitment solution is to provide an effective and efficient applicant tracking and testing system. These systems mainly receive and reply to online applications and carry out online quizzes. Several ASP (Application Service Providers) have emerged and are developing solutions for companies at competitive prices. Online requirement comprises of comprehensive matching and searching tools, performance measurement, extensive market places, and simple registration processes. A modern e-recruitment system should provide: 1. Workforce planning, 2. Job posting, 3. Candidate selection, 4. Candidate attainment, 5. Applicant tracking, and 6. Reporting & analytics. (Doyle, 2007) Tracking potential clients through chat rooms, video conferencing and social networking could especially facilitate in executive recruitments where interaction and extensive discussions are very crucial. Companies should have the facility to spam for advertising. However, debate continues about how cost effective these initiatives are.

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ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

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2.4 E-Recruitment Methods and Techniques

The following are two major methods of e-recruitment: Job posting on corporate homepages: In this type of job posting addition information is disclosed to the applicants. Online career networks: Jobs are posted on a public forum or website for online recruitment. Electronic recruitment and hiring are predicted to grow in coming years. Many of the organizations have adopted the online recruitment. Although some experts argue that online recruiting will not replace traditional practices completely but a well-implemented erecruitment strategy can help the recruitment process become more successful. (Musa, 2007) Pros of E-recruitment E-recruitment facilitates organisations to reach and attract qualified candidates. Moreover, it can reach people at worldwide level. E-recruitment is cost-effective. E-recruitment saves a lot of recruiting process time. Cons of e-recruitment Organisations find difficult to recruit at executive level through online methods. For executive level personal contact is still preferred. There is also the risk of overload of resumes and also unqualified candidates apply for the posts. (Musa, 2007) There are a number of options available for online recruitment campaigns. Each has different technical specifications, and will require different resources. When people speak about a job board they are generally referring to a website that specialises in advertising available positions. This is a user-friendly interface that allows potential candidates to browse vacant positions according to selected criteria, such as location or pay scale. A job board could be the starting point for building an effective online HR strategy. If an online application facility is provided, it should be ensured that personal information is kept secure, and the e-recruitment solution does not compromise the organisations IT system security.

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ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

2011

Some methods of e-recruitment are as follows: 1. Job Boards / Portals: These are the places where employers post jobs and search for candidates. Candidates make their accounts on such websites and are informed of vacancies through emails. However, searches can be organized and sorted through specialized solutions. Many telecommunication companies in Pakistan are using such third party managed portals like www.ROZEE.pk and www.mustaqbil.com. Different applicants have made their profiles and uploaded their resumes on such websites and as soon as a job is posted by any employer, the applicants whose resumes match and fulfill the requirements of the job, are notified via email, whether they wish to apply or not. 2. Employer Websites: These websites are owned by companies themselves through which applicants can apply online, usually in the career section. For an example, Mobilink has jobs1.mobilinkgsm.com and Telenor Pakistan has careers.telecom.com.pk 3. Professional websites: These websites provide recruitment facilities to organizations. They are managed by professionals who are skilled in recruiting and selecting the right candidate for a specific job. For an example, for HR one can visit www.hrconnexions.co.uk. Another factor for organizations while adopting e-recruitment is that the employer seeks to endorse its image as progressive and equal opportunity organization. Through e-recruitment employer emphasize on its brand and corporate profile. Adopting e-recruitment practices can increase the HR operation capabilities to an extent. The most commonly reported benefits of adopting e-recruitment technologies are: Cost and resource saving Reducing hiring time Efficient recruitment process A wide candidate pool Improve brand and corporate profile. In addition, some organizations also feel that online recruitment has: Increased their ability to track applications and make the process more transparent. Increased the ease with which they could report on a range of recruitment metrics. Helped increase internal mobility through the greater visibility of internal vacancies (e-Recruitment: Practices and trends in Ireland)

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ROLE OF E-RECRUITMENT IN THE TELECOM SECTOR OF PAKISTAN

2011

3. PRIMARY RESEARCH
3.1 Hypothesis
H0: 60% of organizations in telecom industry of Pakistan use E-Recruitment as a main source of recruitment H1:60% of organizations in telecom industry of Pakistan do not use E-Recruitment as a main source of recruitment

3.2 Procedure
Our primary research is designed keeping in mind the awareness and willingness to participate in a study of this nature. The method employed was to conduct interviews based on a questionnaire designed for the survey.

3.3 Sampling
Our study focuses on the recruitment practices of five major cellular telecommunications companies operating in Pakistan. These telecommunication companies are chosen because each represents a different structure, as explained below: Telenor: European company Mobilink: Owned by an Egyptian company named Orascom Ufone: A local company whose shares are owned by PTCL and Etisalat Warid: Owned by middle-east owner, Etisalat Zong: Owned by China Mobile We also included telecom vendors and service providers in our sample.

4. FINDINGS
4.1 Statistical Data
According to our survey, all the sample organizations are not completely using erecruitment methods, but are inclined towards using it, as those organizations which do not use e-recruitment, plan to use it in the near future. So, there is a future of e-recruitment in Pakistan in the telecom industry. 33% of the organizations use E-Recruitment as a main source of recruitment and another 22% use E-Recruitment option sometimes.

4.2 Benefits
The benefits of e-recruitment strategies highlighted by the interviewed personnel are as follows: E-recruitment allows employers to filter the non-computer users from those who do use them

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It allows the maintenance, editing and viewing of an unlimited number of records It gives greater opportunity to employees and employers to get to know each other and test each others merits and demerits without extensive expenditure E-recruitment can integrate a large number of companies under one banner, allowing people to submit applications without spending too much

4.3 Challenges
However, the challenges still faced by the local market are as follows: Some companies prefer face-to-face contact because they feel that it allows greater interaction between both parties If new technologies are incorporated frequently, the applicants may not be computer savvy enough to use those applications Computing is still an emerging technology and therefore companies may have to employ traditional methods in some countries if their portals are not supported by the existing infrastructures in these countries

5. RECOMMENDATIONS
Based on our knowledge of concepts studied as part of the e-Commerce course, the following are our recommendations for the companies that are planning to implement erecruitment: Recruitment sites should be easy to find on the Internet. This means that the chosen web links should be easy to search and remember. Websites should provide options for sharing and inviting more people to the portal. Options to let the candidates sign up anonymously for email alerts for suitable vacancies or to sign up for newsletters should be available. Candidates should be able to apply for jobs online. An applicant tracking system to capture, filter and respond to all enquiries of the recruiting department should be efficiently embedded in the websites. Distinguishing tags/ color scheme strategies should be used to separate current vacancies from those that are not open. Online and traditional recruitment systems should be fully integrated to avoid discrepancies in the processing of candidates. Websites should be updated regularly. Smart search engines and FAQs should be provided to facilitate the users while they use the e-recruitment websites. Use of specialized jobs can be promoted to make the hiring process more user-friendly.

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Internet job advertisements should provide detailed job description. Websites should also be advertised on the print medium (such as the newspapers) to invite the non-users to use the Internet. Companies can also use online interview techniques to reduce the travel expenses and also will be able to give a chance to those candidate who live in far flung areas.

6. CONCLUSION
The organizations of the twenty-first century are keen to devise strategies that would promise employee attraction and retention over longer periods of time. The main objective is to create a large pool of potential candidates by advertising and encouraging the prospective employees to apply for available jobs. Followed by this is the screening process which ensures that the best candidates are hired. Online recruitment has become a significant part in the recruitment process in the corporate sector. Consequently, it has become a popular option amongst job-seekers and has proven to be cost and time effective. Presently, however, the technology savvy sector dominantly comprises of the educated youth. The technologies in major use are ASP and database systems. The applications allow candidates to post online resumes and on the basis of these the short listed candidates are called-in for further screening. As for the advanced technologies, such as video conferencing and online testing; the future is not very promising for Pakistan. However, they have the potential to reduce time and distance constraints and make hiring most efficient. Therefore, efforts need to be made to increase awareness and skills amongst the masses for the use of Internet technologies.

7. FUTURE OUTLOOK
We have analyzed the available literature on e-recruitment. Some authors emphasized the importance of the entire e-recruitment process. In our opinion, there are major gaps in research in job analysis, workforce planning, recruitment, screening, and hiring, since these have become increasingly relevant. Also, future research can also benefit in online job posting, job search and applying for the jobs. E-recruitment field can further be developed by extending the previous researches and addressing these identified gaps.

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8. BIBLIOGRAPHY
Doyle, M. (2007). DHS Enterprise e-Recruitment System. Glover, P. J. (2007). Effective Recruitment Strategies and Practices . Islam, G. D. (2008). Efficient Talent Acquisition through E-Recruitment. NRG ENGINEERING PTE LTD. Leblebici, J. P. (n.d.). Executive Recruitment and the Development of Interim Organizations. Musa, R. b. (2007). E-Recruitment Practise Pros Vs Cons. Panel, P. A.-R. (n.d.). e-Recruitment: Practices and trends in Ireland. Ridder, G. (n.d.). An Event History Approach to the Evaluation of Training, Recruitment and Employment Programmes. Trichet, V. R. (2006). Ontology-Based Systems Dedicated to Human Resources Management: An Application in e-Recruitment. USA Government Guide-E-recruitment projects in the public sector. (n.d.). Wolfswinkel, J. (n.d.). Reflecting on e-Recruiting Research: a Systematic Literature Review. Zakrison, B. (2009). Privacy Impact Assessment Update for e-Recruitment. MANAGING-EFFECTING THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS - Margaret A. Richardson

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