Question

Identify and explain the external source of recruitment discussed in each of the following cases:
(ii)Vista Bank planned to expand its retail banking operations in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities. They needed to hire over 200 middle-level managers with experience in sales, customer service and operations. Vista Bank approached ‘Avon Consultants’, one of India’s leading management consultancy firms. ‘Avon Consultants’ advertised positions on job portals under their own name and also accessed its database of experienced professionals across India. After extensive screening, they shortlisted and forwarded qualified candidates to Vista Bank.

Hint:

Management consultants are experts at 'headhunting' professional talent.
They are particularly useful when a company needs to hire many managers across multiple locations.
They provide a high quality of screening which reduces the administrative burden on the hiring company.

Answer 1

Step 1: Identify the concept being tested.
The question again asks to identify and explain an external source of recruitment, this time for a different situation.
Step 2: Explain the concept.
One well known external source is hiring through management consultants or placement agencies, firms that specialise in sourcing suitable candidates, especially for middle and senior level roles, on behalf of the hiring company.
Step 3: Apply the concept to the facts of the case.
Vista Bank needed over two hundred middle level managers with experience in sales, customer service and operations, and rather than searching on its own, it approached Avon Consultants, a professional agency that advertised the roles under its own name, used its existing database of experienced professionals, screened candidates and forwarded suitable ones to the bank.
Step 4: State the final answer.
This is recruitment through Management Consultants or Placement Agencies. These agencies maintain a large pool of experienced, qualified candidates, handle advertising and initial screening on behalf of the client company, and save the hiring organisation considerable time and effort, which is exactly the role Avon Consultants played for Vista Bank.