Companies must harness online power when recruiting

10/04/2008

The internet is now the primary resource for job hunting, new research has revealed.

Jobseekers searching and applying for employment via the internet now make up 43% of all job hunters, according to a survey by HR firm Taleo.

A further 38% of respondents said their main resources for finding employment were recruitment agencies and personal contacts. Only 19% said they preferred to apply for jobs through the post.

Neil Hudspith, senior vice president for Taleo, said businesses must take heed and respond to this growing trend to find jobs online.

"Online search and application techniques are now the most prevalent methods with both active and passive candidates, which suggests that candidates are proactively taking charge of their search for employment," he said.

ClickAJob chief executive Yngve Traberg said that job-seekers and employers could both use the internet for its huge instant choice.

He added: "It's about matching people with jobs and getting it right. The wider both employers and job-seekers can choose, the better their chances of finding exactly the right match."

"To do that through traditional means such as newspaper is not only time- consuming, it very often only considers a fraction of all the options.

"It's not unlike the options you need to look at buying clothes - colour, style, fit, etc. And as any employer or job-seeker will tell you, one size never fits all.”