The evolution of online recruitment can be mapped from 1994, when Monster.com first emerged as an online tool for organisations to connect with potential candidates. Nowadays there are numerous online job boards and holistic e-recruitment portals on many company websites. E-recruitment is now all about attracting the right applicant for the role, and is as much a challenge for the employer as it is for the applicant searching for a vacancy.
E-recruitment technology
One of the main influences on e-recruitment is the advancement in technology. With more and more individuals accessing the internet from their phones and tablets, recruitment is no longer a task that needs to be completed at a desk in front of a PC, or waiting by the phone. Social media allows businesses to reach audiences quickly, effectively and cheaply.
Potential applicants have access to a plethora of resources to aid their job search. Social media, job boards and individual company sites with e-recruitment portals are all readily available anytime, anywhere.
Information at your fingertips
The wealth of information available to an applicant allows them to research businesses. Whether this be in preparation for an interview or to establish if a vacancy is one which they would like to apply for.
As well as researching the company, the applicant is now empowered with the ability to refine their searches for a vacancy quickly and easily. This enables an applicant to pick and choose businesses to contact regarding a vacancy. Before the internet how would an applicant research a company, and how long would that take?
Application process
The length of time an application process takes has also reduced significantly. No longer are job adverts only published in weekly papers. No longer do CV’s have to be printed and posted and no longer are updates regarding the application process sent through the post. Application status updates can be viewed immediately by logging into job board sites or specific company recruitment portals, CV’s can be emailed and the applicant can be contacted at any time on their mobile phones or via email.
The ability to save your online profile on various sites reduces the time required to apply for vacancies. Updating your profile or CV is a 5 minute job. Equally, for employers the administration involved has become more streamlined and automated. With modern e-recruitment system, notifications and tasks, based on an applicant’s status within the recruitment process can be easily added to automate administrative actions such updating an applicant or booking an interview.
In today’s economic climate, recruitment sites are busier than ever. More job searches are being performed and more applicants are applying for positions. Due to the increase in demand you might think that this empowers the employer, however, it is now more important than ever for businesses to get their branding and marketing strategies optimised to attract top level talent whilst maintaining an attractive brand image.
