ëHead in Sand Attitudeí to Online Recruitment is Big Risk for UK Companies

Fresh from Onrecís first Online Recruitment Global Summit, held in Chicago last month, organizer David Hurst has warned UK companies of the dangers of ignoring developments in recruiting online.

ëIn Chicago we heard top speakers from Microsoft, McDonalds and CareerBuilder.com etc. who inspired their international audience to embrace the latest in online recruitment to attract the best staff cheaply and efficiently.í He said. ëThe majority of US delegates and others who embrace this medium will definitely have a competitive advantage over those who stick to same old expensive and slow recruiting methods. This ëhead in the sandí attitude has been evidenced in the UK by results of the recent survey by the Cranfield School of Management which shows that the proportion of organisations using commercial job sites for recruitment is not increasing, remaining stable at around 25%. Furthermore the number of companies using their own corporate website for recruitment also remains static at 32%.í In contrast a report released at the Onrec Summit by Classified intelligence highlighted that in the US generalist sites are widely used, are an effective method of finding candidates, and that there has been an increase in the use by recruiters of niche sites to find candidates. Growth in both theses areas has not surprisingly detracted from newspaper advertising which continues to decline as it is no longer the only place to advertise vacancies.í

Hurst concludes ëMany UK organisations in the public and private sectors are not taking advantage of the cost cutting and efficiency savings that attracting staff via the Internet can deliver. It is a proven model. Online recruitment should be a key area of organization and we in the UK should take our lead from the USA where the sector is 2 or 3 years ahead in terms of market penetration. Those who are staying at the forefront will survive and thrive much better than those that bury their heads in the sand.î