Recruiting at Kia

As economic conditions became more demanding for some employers, other firms continued to recruit people for jobs. One firm, Kia Motors America, added a large number of jobs at one of its newer facilities. As a subsidiary of a South Korean corporation, Kia Motors America added tons of equipment at its West Point, Georgia, plant, so that ultimately about 300,000 vehicles would be produced annually.

As the firm sought recruits to fill its Georgia plant workforce, more than 40,000 individuals applied for the jobs, the bulk of which were production and maintenance positions. However, the need for people in a variety of other occupations, including air-conditioning service people, cafeteria workers, and medical staff, added to the depth and scope of Kia’s recruiting. A limited time frame for applications was set by Kia as part of its recruitment planning.

In the recruiting process, a variety of regional and area sources were contacted as part of the Kia broad publicity and inclusive efforts in the area. Randy Jackson, HR Director, spent a month visiting colleges and churches, appearing on radio and television shows, and using other means to market Kia’s recruiting and employment efforts. All of these activities were done to inform applicants about the numerous jobs at Kia and the month-long time frame for application.

To make its recruiting system effective in screening the large number of applicants, Kia established an online-only application process on a special website. As part of its recruiting efforts, Kia and a Georgia Department of Labor agency worked together. One of the agency activities was to make computers available at a local technical college, libraries, and other locations for those persons without home-based Internet. Having the online system allowed Kia’s HR staff to move quickly to identify those applicants who matched available jobs. The use of this system by HR recruiters and managers doing the hiring made the

selection process more efficient.

To aid in the selection of employees, recruiting software was used to sort applicants into electronic “buckets,” divided by work experiences and education. Then an eight-step process was established to let applicants obtain a realistic job preview of working at Kia. These recruiting actions resulted in the hiring of more than 500 new employees within six months. During the rest of the year, an additional 1,200 workers were hired, primarily for the second shift, and more were hired later.

Although smaller employers might not use such an extensive recruiting process, the Kia process illustrates the kinds of recruiting planning, activities, Internet linkages, and other means that can be used by both large and small employers doing recruiting. The long-term success of Kia’s efforts to staff its Georgia operation demonstrates ways in which HR can use both time- and cost-effective recruiting to hire qualified individuals.

1. How does employing a large number of new workers requires strategic recruiting planning and operational efforts, and discuss what aspects migh be different in smaller firms?