E-RECRUITMENT, THE RIGHT WAY
THERE WAS a time when job hunters pored over situations vacant columns in newspapers. Those were the days when getting a job was more than just an uphill battle, it was something of a miracle. Times sure have changed. Technology has truly revolutionised the way businesses work. Not only do job hunters have a wider range of options before them, the way they go about searching for that ideal job is markedly different from their predecessors. The Internet has created a massive platform on which companies across the world can advertise vacant posts. Prospective candidates can now sift through thousands of job offers and pick at their leisure.
Online recruitment provides a fast, flexible and cost effective solution for companies that are in dire need of fresh blood. According to one survey, Internet postings result in nearly ten times as many hires as newspaper advertisements. Apart from global accessibility and the longer exposure it offers when compared to newspapers, Internet advertisements pack more information and save recruiters the hassle of physically sorting a morass of applications to find suitable candidates. It also offers the advantage of a shorter recruitment cycle and lower costs per hire.
Companies generally put up job vacant advertisements on jobsites or the company website. While posting jobs on company websites works for larger, well known organisations, smaller companies may find it difficult to attract the right sort of candidates, unless they advertise on job-sites. There are thousands of web-based job sites available, but if you are a finicky employer who won't settle for anything but the best, how do you choose the right one?
Here are some tips:
Most companies blindly go for the largest, most popular website they can find. But the mere size of a website does not guarantee effective online recruitment. You will probably have to wade through an avalanche of resumes, many of which do not meet your requirements. While size and popularity are of considerable importance, it would be wiser to advertise in sites that match your requirements in terms of location, target group, geography and demographics. If for example you are looking to recruit candidates for postings within India, it would be more practical to use popular Indian jobsites such as Naukri.com, TimesJobs.com, JobsAhead.com, Careerindia.com etc. Sites with a more global reach include, Monster.com, Hotjobs.com, yahoo!jobs.com etc.,
Find out details about exposure time and services they offer. Almost 90 per cent of all recruitment websites post job openings online for 30 days, while over half post them for at least 60 days. Many recruitment websites include links to an employer's website as a part of their service, enabling applicants to find out more about the organisation. Most websites also have the option of uploading resumes in formats specified by the employer to facilitate easier sorting/ storing.
If advertising in a large jobsite does not work for you, try websites run by professional associations that are frequented by your target audience. This way, you can zero in on the group you're trying to reach. There are numerous societies, associations, guilds, and Internet groups that address the professional and educational needs of niche groups. Many of these organisations offer job postings as a service to their members. For instance, if you are looking for a practicing chartered accountant, it makes sense to advertise in the website run by the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
If you would like to have an employment/recruitment section in your website, but would rather do without the hassle of maintaining them, you could pay outsourcing agencies to create and maintain turnkey job sites that fit into new or existing websites.
E-recruitment is no passing fad, but it is no panacea either. It has a number of disadvantages. In spite of its wider accessibility and speedy delivery, applications that match your requirements are often hard to find. Since applying online is so easy, there is a glut of unsuitable candidates who apply for every post. As one recruiter puts it, `recruiting online offers cost and time-savings but requires more screening'. In spite of these drawbacks, the advantages of speed, flexibility and a user-friendly character have made e-recruitment a practical and popular hiring option.
BINDU SRIDHAR
faqs@cnkonline.com
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