Extra scrutiny and rigour needed with online recruitment

The Internet has become the key employment search method for many Australians, and is changing the way we undertake the recruitment process.

Kelly Services Country Manager for Australia, James Bowmer, said the proliferation of online job-search tools means that employers must adopt better assessment techniques to select the best applicants.

The Internet has become a great recruitment tool for employers because it enables them to respond to labour needs at extremely short notice.

An online ad for a job can be posted to reach thousands of candidates around the world for a relatively small cost.

Because it reaches a bigger audience, online advertising can produce a powerful response from candidates. It will often generate a large volume of responses but not necessarily better-qualified candidates.

Employers need to consider carefully job descriptions and the specific requirements of the position so that they do not attract unsuitable candidates.

Other assessment and evaluation techniques are vitally important in the formal assessment stage. It is important that extremely thorough checks and evaluations are undertaken.

At Kelly, we have built our success on the rigour and discipline that lies behind the recruitment process. While the online approach opens up a wide array of applicants, it is backed up by a comprehensive validation and assessment technique.

Consultants are trained to develop job ads specifically for Internet that appeal to the target audience and produce best results.

For employees, online recruitment means that itís possible to evaluate job options, undertake background research and understand everything about the industry before making initial contact.

The Internet is a great way of sourcing candidates for a job, however it shouldnít be relied upon as the only means of screening candidates.

Kelly Services remained the leading online job recruitment firm throughout the first half of 2006, according online competitive intelligence service Hitwise.

The graph below shows that Kelly Services led seven of its nearest competitors in market share of Internet visits through most of the period up to June 2006.

Recent research by Kelly Services in the US found that 67% of those surveyed cited the Internet as one of the leading methods of finding a job, ranking it ahead of alternatives including employment agencies, direct approaches to employers, newspaper advertisements, industry contacts, and referrals.

These findings show the pervasive and growing power of the Internet as a job search tool for many employees and the vital need for successful and efficient online solutions.



Further information:
Bob Bowden
Ph: 02 92412811 or 0412 753 298
bbowden@bowmac.com.au