Essay from the year 2004 in the subject Leadership and Human Resources - Miscellaneous, grade: 1,7, University of Ulster, course: Introduction to Human Resource Management, language: English, abstract: We are living in the 21stcentury and organizations are more and more dependent on the external and internal environment to be profitable. System gives the organization security, plans protect for accidents and a firm is in the long term only successful when management and workers are willing to bring their optimal accomplishment. A company is a team and an image ascertains all people in it: good workers promote the image and disinterested and disaffected workers reduce prestige. Organizations rely on human beings. Therefore is it very important to have a well-functioning human resource department in every organization, which also has an impact on the organizational performance. There are many factors involved in the recruitment process. Recruitment is primarily concerned with “the process of generating a pool of capable people to apply for employment to an organization” (Bratton and Gold, 2003: p. 221). It is closely connected with the selection process which “is the process by which managers and others use specific instruments to choose from a pool of applicants a person or persons most likely to succeed in the job (s), given management goals and legal requirements” (Bratton and Gold, 2003: p. 221). According to Food and Hook every recruitment action should be designed to meet the strategic objectives. (Foot and Hook, 2002: p.58) The Human resource management department is responsible for choosing the right person with the right skills and ability at the right time and for the right place and who is physically and emotionally able to carry out his/her responsibilities. The process of recruitment is necessary to ensure that recruitment practices are systematic, consistent and responsive to internal needs (Cole, 2002: p.173). Clear procedures are also cost effective. There are external and internal influences on organizations. For example legislation is an external factor which has a big impact. Every process should be fair, systematic, transparent and flexible, and should not contravene legislation, for example the Sex Discrimination Act (1975), Race Relations (1976), the Equal Pay Act (1970) or the Human Rights Act (1998). Another external factor is the diversity of the employment market. In times of changing demographic structures and many different cultural and religious backgrounds it is important to know how to manage diversity (Cornelius, 2001: p.29). Internal influences on the Recruitment process include the key persons.