The
use of the internet as a recruitment tool has virtually doubled in the past
three years.
Research
among the UK’s HR professionals shows the majority now see the web as a major
part of their recruitment strategy, with 65 per cent using a corporate site and
54 per cent posting details on external sites.
Back
in 2000, only 68 per cent had used the internet to attract candidates. But the
latest poll found that just 2 per cent of firms now ignored online recruitment.
HR
professionals are also finding the internet much more effective than three
years ago while perceptions about the best jobs suited to web recruitment are
also changing.
In
2000, one in five HR staff said the web was ineffective but now 72 per cent
believe it works, with more than a third citing it as the best recruitment
tool.
According
to the research, by recruitment firm Reed, the web was the most effective way
to find professional, secretarial, middle management, graduates and IT staff.
The percentage of organisations’ recruitment budget now spent on the web has
doubled in the past three years, to a total of 11 per cent.
The
low cost of the internet came out as the most popular benefit (40 per cent)
followed by speed of response (27 per cent) and time saving (12 per cent).
The
National Online Recruitment Audience Survey (Noras) found that jobseekers also
prefer to use the internet to find work, with just under half (45 per cent)
claiming it’s the best way to fit job applications into their fast-paced
lifestyles.
The
study of 17,000 online jobseekers also found the average candidate profile was rising with 60 per
cent of respondents educated to degree level.
However,
many key disadvantages, while reduced, were still of concern. These include
irrelevant applicants (41 per cent), low-quality candidates (12 per cent) and
time wasters (6 per cent).
Rebecca
Clake, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development’s adviser on
resourcing, warned employers that the web was not a recruitment panacea.
"There
have been big improvements in the way online recruitment operates," she
said, "but there’s a danger companies are losing the personal touch.
"[The
internet] needs to be part of a comprehensive resourcing strategy. Although it
works very well with certain populations, you must think about the target
audience and ensure you’re not missing out on the best people," she
explained.
