HR professions embrace e-recruitment but traditional recruitment methods remain essential

46% of HR professionals currently recruit at least 10% of their organisation’s workforce via the internet, according to research released today from Softworld HR & Payroll. Does this herald the beginning of the end for recruitment intermediaries such as consultancies and advertisements? Apparently not - only 24% of respondents envisaged e-recruitment ever entirely replacing all traditional methods of recruiting staff.

The survey, conducted last month on past visitors to the Softworld HR & Payroll events, looked at a number of the issues that are important to HR today including absenteeism, work life balance and the mobile workforce. The Bi-annual event, Europe’s leading software event for the HR and payroll community, will use the findings to develop an up to date picture of HR practitioners’ issues and concerns. In particular, looking at how these issues relate to or could be addressed through technology and its implementation. This information will then be used as a basis for the education programme that runs alongside the event.

Other research results included:

75% of respondents claimed that staff absenteeism costs their organisations up to 1 million annually, while 12% claimed the cost was up to 50 million each year.

53% of respondents felt that their organisations actively promoted a work life balance philosophy, while 72% believed they experienced a good work life balance in their own role.

46% of respondents believed that wireless technology and the freedom to work remotely would increase the pressure on staff to work longer hours.

There is little doubt that technology and the internet is having a huge impact on HR strategy and tactics. comments Liz Wood, Portfolio Director for the Softworld HR & Payroll event. What this research highlights however is that technology does not, and should not, sit in a vacuum. HR professionals need to understand how they can incorporate new technologies to help them achieve their objectives. E-recruitment is a great example. Practitioners see e-recruitment as an additional, rather than an alterative, tool. They want to know how best to use the methods together. This autumn’s Softworld educational programme will give visitors to the event help and advice on how to effectively integrate these new technologies and techniques.

The next Softworld HR & Payroll event takes place from 20 - 21 October 2004 at the NEC, Birmingham. The event features an exhibition of around 40 leading solutions suppliers, as well as an educational programme comprising vendor seminar, breakfast briefing and masterclass sessions. The event is co-located with Softworld Accounting & Finance, Softworld Business Integration Expo and Business Performance & Project Management Forum (BPPM Forum). Visitor badges will allow a free cross-over between all four events.