The use of the Internet for recruitment has continued to increase and many companies now provide the ability to apply for jobs on their corporate websites. Like many other online activities, there are advantages and disadvantages to recruiting online. On balance however, the numerous advantages of online recruitment significantly outweigh the disadvantages.
The Advantages of Online Recruitment
Wider reach
Employers now look at online recruitment as an integral part of any recruitment strategy, as it enables them to find a much larger number and geographic reach of job seekers and find highly qualified candidates for the positions they are looking to fill.
Lower cost
Posting a job online works out much cheaper in comparison with traditional recruitment methods, such as advertising in local newspapers. Also, online job sites tend to offer discounted advertising packages to increase the visibility of any job postings online, which gives increased value to the employer.
The online recruitment process can also help employers to avoid using intermediaries, such as recruitment agents, and therefore avoid the associated costs. This approach also enables the employer to directly contact potential candidates.
Time savings
The amount of time that needs to be spent finding and hiring a good candidate is also greatly reduced through the increased automation within the process. Automated filters can be applied to screen applicants to ensure that only candidates who match specific criteria can apply for the job. This can save a huge amount of time by reducing the volume of applications to a select few very quickly.
The Disadvantages of Online Recruitment
Volume of candidates
It is very possible that an employer may receive a huge volume of applications if the screening process is not used effectively, or the criteria are set too loosely. Many people will include details in their profiles where they have only had a small amount of experience, but if these details pass the criteria set, then an application could still be submitted.
False information
This is a danger in any recruitment process, but could be considered to be more so when recruiting online. What candidates have said about themselves online in their profiles or resumes may not necessarily match the skills that they actually possess. The skills that they may claim to have cannot be verified until the employer actually meets the candidate, which means that time may be wasted meeting candidates that are not suitable for the job.
