Online recruitment is the process of matching people to appropriate jobs, using the Internet. The most common form of online recruitment is the advertisement of job openings on job sites and corporate sites. Online Recruitment may generate a lot of responses, but simply attracting large numbers of potential candidates is only part of the online recruitment process.
Reach
- Posting job vacancies on the Internet reaches a wider audience than posting advertising vacancies in print media. When a message is delivered to a larger number of people, there is a higher likelihood that some of the respondents will be ideal for a particular job. But it also means that an effective sorting tool must be in place to determine which candidates are ideal, because manually sorting through the hundreds of applications will be time-consuming and expensive.
Speed
- It is theoretically possible to interview prospects within a day of advertising the job online. This speed is a boon for companies that experience seasonal bursts of activity, needing to recruit staff for the extra workload, and to cover for sickness and staff shortages, in as little as 48 hours.
Cost
- Online recruitment may be very cost-effective if the process is planned. Job suppliers can save on time, design and print charges by selecting specific platforms (websites) for the vacancy advertisements. With proper research and planning, companies may learn which websites are likely to attract audience groups that the company is looking to hire from. Along with the initial advertising process, companies can also cut costs by automating pre-selection processes that would otherwise have to be carried out by HR personnel.
Media Buying
- Media buying entails getting someone to place the job vacancy advertisements on desired websites, and to negotiate the media rates. Online media buying may be a tricky affair if the advertiser does not understand the market for the message being delivered; for example, a vacancy advertisement for a hairstylist is not likely to attract suitable candidates if it is posted in a site mainly known for hardware specialists. The main objective of efficient media buying is to ensure that the ad yields an adequate number of suitable candidates, rather than a large number of unsuitable candidates.
Interaction
Online recruitment allows for appropriate interaction with candidates. Since the process is personal and direct, questions are addressed quickly, and there is unimpeded flow of information from both sides. Online recruitment brings employers close to potential employees, and when an application is not suitable for the position applied for, companies can retain the resume in their database for future openings that may be right for the applicant.
