Recruitment and selection is one of the key processes of any business. It is the means by which the business sources and acquires its most precious asset. Often the process is undertaken with a minimum amount of preparation and planning. This may be because most managers believe they can pick good people and have a gut feel for who will do a good job for them. But seat-ofthe-pants recruitment is fraught with dangers, not least because of anti-discrimination legislation and the high costs of making bad choices. Instead, time taken initially to plan and prepare, pays dividends in the end.