Often criticised for their scattergun approach to finding job applicants, online jobs boards are finally beginning to provide a better service for customers, according to research by Personnel Today’s sister publication Employment Review.
The survey of 143 employers – 75.5% of which are currently using such services – found that 93% agreed that jobs boards were the cheapest recruitment method. Most respondents (85%) said their best jobs board offered better value for money than print advertising in terms of finding candidates, while 76% believed they offered better value for money than recruitment agencies.
The findings showed that 72% use niche jobs boards, ie local or industry-specific jobs sites to fill their vacancies. Three-quarters (74%) said their top-performing jobs board generated more applicants than print advertising. And 63% said they led to more applicants than cheaper alternatives such as word of mouth and talent banks.
However, fewer than half believed that jobs boards provide better customer service than other recruitment methods. And the same proportion believed that jobs boards improved equal opportunities or diversity.
In terms of attracting the best quality candidates, 59% of employers believed that jobs boards performed better than other recruitment methods. But only 35% believed that jobs boards produce better applicants than recruitment agencies.
The findings also showed that HR has an important role to play in managing online recruitment. The cost of using a jobs board is taken from a budget controlled by the HR department in 62% of the organisations polled. And in 26%, the costs are covered using line managers’ budgets.
Respondents’ top tips on getting the most out of jobs boards included:
not using them in isolation
ensuring enough time is set aside to give proper consideration to all the applications n taking care to choose the most appropriate jobs board for the vacancy
negotiating on the price.
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