Different Types of Recruitment: Methods, Examples

Recruitment is a fundamental process in human resource management that ensures the right people join the right roles at the right time. In today’s competitive talent landscape, organizations must explore various types of recruitment to attract, engage, and retain top talent effectively.

From promoting employees internally to sourcing candidates from external talent pools, the recruitment process involves a variety of approaches tailored to different hiring needs. Understanding the recruitment types in HRM enables companies to select the most appropriate methods for each position and optimize their workforce planning strategy.

This blog explores the various types of recruitment methods, their advantages and disadvantages, and how HR leaders can design a recruitment plan aligned with organizational goals.

What Are the Types of Recruitment in HRM?

In human resource management, recruitment refers to the process of attracting qualified candidates for job openings and encouraging them to apply. This can be achieved through multiple methods depending on the size of the company, the urgency of the role, the type of position, and budget constraints.

Broadly, recruitment and its types can be divided into two main categories:

1. Internal Recruitment
2. External Recruitment

Each of these categories includes multiple strategies, tools, and sources. A combination of both internal and external recruitment is often used by modern HR teams to build a flexible and diverse talent pool.

Let us explore these in detail.

Internal Recruitment and External Recruitment

Internal Recruitment

Internal recruitment is the process of selecting candidates for open positions from within the organization. This method promotes employee growth, improves retention, and reduces hiring costs.

Here are the main internal types of recruitment methods:

1. Promotions

A promotion is the process of moving an existing employee up the corporate ladder. It rewards performance, boosts morale, and sends a positive message across the workforce about internal career growth.

2. Transfers

A transfer occurs when an employee with the same level of responsibility moves from one department, location, or job to another. This is useful for balancing workloads, employee development, or addressing performance mismatches.

3. Employee Referrals

It is encouraged for current staff members to recommend qualified applicants from their network. It is a cost-effective and trustworthy method, especially in close-knit or specialized industries.

4. Internal Job Postings

Jobs are advertised internally through the company intranet or internal communication platforms. Interested employees can apply or nominate themselves, encouraging internal mobility.

External Recruitment

Finding applicants from outside the company is known as external recruitment. This is particularly helpful when fresh perspectives, new skills, or large-scale hiring is needed.

The following are the typical forms of external hiring in HRM:

1. Job Portals and Online Platforms

Companies post job advertisements on career sites like Naukri, LinkedIn, or Indeed. These platforms help reach a wide audience and allow advanced filtering options for targeted hiring.

2. Campus Recruitment

Organizations partner with colleges, universities, and training institutes to recruit fresh graduates. Campus drives are effective for entry-level positions and long-term talent building.

3. Employment Agencies and Consultancies

Recruitment agencies provide pre-screened candidates, especially for senior-level or niche roles. While they charge a fee, they save time and effort in shortlisting.

4. Social Media Recruitment

Many companies now use platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to engage with potential candidates. Social recruitment is ideal for employer branding and passive talent outreach.

5. Job Fairs and Walk-ins

Job fairs are good for hiring in bulk and draw a lot of job seekers. Walk-in interviews are often conducted for roles that require immediate joining.

6. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)

Some companies outsource their entire recruitment process to third-party service providers. RPO ensures scalability and expert handling of large-scale or complex recruitment needs.

Comparison Between Internal and External Recruitment

Feature	Internal Recruitment	External Recruitment
Source of Candidates	Within the organisation	Outside the organisation
Hiring Time	Shorter	Longer
Cost	Lower	Higher
Cultural Fit	High	Needs Assessment
Innovation and Diversity	Limited	High
Risk Level	Low	Medium to High
Skill Freshness	May be outdated	New and updated

Organizations often combine both methods depending on the role and organizational goals. For instance, a managerial promotion may be handled internally,, while hiring for a new digital marketing head might involve external talent scouting.

Examples of Recruitment Types in Action

Let’s look at how companies implement different types of recruitment:

• A tech startup promotes its senior developer to a team lead role. It is an internal promotion.
• A retail chain hires sales associates through walk-in drives across malls. It is a walk-in interview.
• An MNC partners with IITs and IIMs for graduate hiring. It is campus hiring.
• A healthcare firm posts job ads on LinkedIn and filters profiles through ATS. It is an online job portal recruitment.
• A software company hires remote freelancers via Upwork for a 6-month project. It is freelance hiring.

These real-life examples illustrate the flexibility and variety available in recruitment strategies today.

How to Choose the Right Type of Recruitment?

Your recruitment strategy’s efficacy is contingent upon several factors:

1. Nature of the Role

Senior roles often require external hiring due to the need for specialized experience, while internal hiring suits mid-level positions or those requiring strong cultural alignment.

2. Urgency of Hiring

If time is a constraint, internal transfers or referrals are quicker. For long-term talent building, campus drives and job portals can be used.

3. Cost Considerations

Internal recruitment and employee referrals are budget-friendly. External recruitment agencies and RPOs may involve higher costs.

4. Company Size and Resources

Startups may prefer job boards and referrals, while larger enterprises use integrated HRMS tools for end-to-end recruitment management.

5. Skill Requirements

New or emerging roles may require tapping into external sources to access the latest skills and industry experience.

By assessing these parameters, HR leaders can create a recruitment mix that aligns with their business strategy and workforce needs.

Conclusion

Understanding the types of recruitment available is key to building a resilient and dynamic hiring process. While internal recruitment strengthens loyalty and continuity, external recruitment brings innovation and fresh perspectives.

A balanced approach, powered by technology, ensures that you not only fill positions quickly but also make quality hires who contribute to long-term organizational success.

From job posts to onboarding, your recruiting team can handle internal and external recruitment with ease thanks to Qandle’s cutting-edge recruitment software and HRMS platform. Looking to streamline your recruitment process? Book a free demo today and see how Qandle can support your end-to-end hiring needs.