---
title: "Recruitment, selection and outsourcing"
subject: "Organization and Management"
chapter: 7
key: "semester_7/organization_and_management:recruitment-outsourcing"
source: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/organization_and_management/recruitment-outsourcing
site: BCT Engineering
---

# Recruitment, selection and outsourcing

Organization and Management · Chapter 7: Personal Management

- Asked in: 2069 Chaitra, 6+2 marks
- Video: [Recruitment and Staffing 101](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2kHgpx9CnI) — Business Explainer 101
- Answer checked by Claude Opus 5.5 (high effort) on 2026-10-14
- Page: https://www.bctengineer.com/q/semester_7/organization_and_management/recruitment-outsourcing
- Whole chapter: https://www.bctengineer.com/md/semester_7/organization_and_management/chapter-7

## Question

Explain the process of recruitment and selection of manpower in an organization. What do you mean by outsourcing in this context?

## Short answer

Recruitment identifies vacancies, sources candidates, and advertises; selection screens, tests, interviews, checks references, and appoints. Outsourcing uses external agencies for hiring or contract manpower, saving time and cost but risking loss of control and lower commitment.

## Answer

#### Process of recruitment and selection
**Recruitment**
1. **Identify vacancy** through manpower planning and job analysis (job description and specification).
2. **Decide sources:** internal (promotion, transfer) or external (advertisement in newspapers and online portals, campus, agencies, referrals). Government posts go through the Public Service Commission.
3. **Advertise and receive applications.**

**Selection**
4. **Screening** of applications.
5. **Written/aptitude/skill tests.**
6. **Interview** (preliminary and final).
7. **Reference and background check.**
8. **Medical examination.**
9. **Final decision, offer and appointment letter.**
10. **Placement, induction and probation** (as per Labour Act, 2074 the probation period is up to six months).

```text
Need -> Recruit -> Screen -> Test -> Interview
     -> Checks -> Offer -> Placement
```

#### Outsourcing in this context
Outsourcing means contracting an outside agency to perform some activities or supply manpower, instead of doing them within the organization. In recruitment, a company may outsource the whole or part of the hiring (advertising, screening, testing) to manpower or HR agencies, or hire staff through a contractor for services like security, cleaning, catering, IT support and call centres.

**Advantages:** saves time and cost, access to expertise, focus on core business, flexibility. **Disadvantages:** loss of control, confidentiality risk, lower employee commitment, and legal issues; the Labour Act, 2074 restricts contract labour for permanent-nature work.

## Check yourself

The answer's key points as multiple-choice questions, with the correct option and why.

1. Which is an internal source of recruitment?
   A. Newspaper advertisement
   B. Promotion or transfer
   C. Campus recruitment
   D. Manpower agency
   Answer: B. Internal sources are promotion and transfer within the organization. (Key point: Sources of recruitment)

2. After the written/aptitude tests, which selection step comes next in the process?
   A. Medical examination
   B. Offer letter
   C. Interview
   D. Application screening
   Answer: C. The order is screening, tests, interview, reference check, medical, offer, then placement. (Key point: Order of steps)

3. What is outsourcing?
   A. Hiring only from within
   B. Contracting an outside agency to do activities or supply manpower
   C. Firing surplus staff
   D. Training abroad
   Answer: B. Outsourcing hands activities or manpower supply to an outside agency instead of doing them in-house. (Key point: Outsourcing)

## Related in Organization and Management

- [Recruitment and selection of manpower](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Forganization_and_management%3Arecruitment-selection) — Organization and Management, chapter 7
- [Personnel policy; referral recruitment](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Forganization_and_management%3Apersonnel-policy-referral) — Organization and Management, chapter 7
- [Personnel policy and manpower planning](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Forganization_and_management%3Apersonnel-policy-manpower-planning) — Organization and Management, chapter 7
- [Recruitment vs hiring; need of incentives](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_7%2Forganization_and_management%3Arecruitment-vs-hiring) — Organization and Management, chapter 7

## Related in other subjects

- [Process vs thread; context switching](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Foperating_system%3Athread-context-switching) — Operating System, chapter 2
- [Case study: new system vs existing (cost, manpower)](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_5%2Finstrumentation_ii%3Acs-cost-manpower-automation) — Instrumentation II, chapter 10, asked 4×
- [Context switching in RTOS](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Fembedded_system%3Acontext-switching) — Embedded System, chapter 6, asked 3×
- [Context switching, 5-state model, MLFQ](https://www.bctengineer.com/question.md?key=semester_6%2Foperating_system%3Acontext-switch-5state-mlfq) — Operating System, chapter 2
