| The twenty-first century has ushered in many | | | | Specialty jobs and high-end jobs are very difficult |
| alternative ways in which to do business. | | | | to categorize in the general worksite. Many jobs |
| Specifically, Human Resource Management has | | | | can be categorized under many titles and still not |
| been challenged to keep up with today's fast tools | | | | provide enough efficient information to match the |
| of technology. We will explore the pros and cons | | | | right candidate to the job. |
| of utilizing the internet for recruitment of | | | | Many sights now offer keywords, but even with |
| personnel for staffing purposes. | | | | this development the keywords are limited. An |
| The twenty-first century has ushered in many | | | | example of this would be an employer is looking |
| alternative ways in which to do business. | | | | for an export specialist that is very detailed in |
| Specifically, Human Resource Management has | | | | international documentation, dealing with customs |
| been challenged to keep up with today's fast tools | | | | and very familiar with rules and regulations in |
| of technology. We will explore the pros and cons | | | | other countries. Most job sites would categorize |
| of utilizing the internet for recruitment of | | | | this under transportation and warehouse, even |
| personnel for staffing purposes. The areas we will | | | | though it really doesn't involve these types of |
| consider are cost, time, interviewing techniques | | | | jobs. However keywords for this type of job |
| and skills in an effort to justify the use for on-line | | | | may be "export" or "customs", however most |
| recruitment services. | | | | jobseekers looking for this type of job may not |
| In a recent survey it was reported that 32% of | | | | think of using these terms. Therefore, the job is |
| 203 respondents were using the internet as a | | | | only submitted to the people that think of these |
| primary recruitment source; this is up from 20% | | | | keywords and those who are in general labor |
| in 1996. Computer related positions were the | | | | class under transportation and warehouse. This |
| most commonly filled through the Internet | | | | causes a problem for the employers to try to |
| postings (accounting for 59% of the workers | | | | find a perfect match, |
| hired) followed by technical (39%), engineering | | | | Another disadvantage of online recruitment is the |
| (29%), consulting (21%), sales (15%), | | | | relationship between the application/interviewer |
| management (14%), marketing (14%), accounting | | | | and first impressions. A resume is the first |
| (10%), as well as various other job classification. | | | | impression and will help determine whether or not |
| This alone shows success with electronic recruiting | | | | you have the required skills. For example, you |
| for many employers. | | | | have two candidates for the export job, one has |
| The obvious reason for using on-line recruitment | | | | a bachelor's degree in business with one year of |
| would be instantaneous access to a wide pool of | | | | experience and where as the other candidate |
| applicants. This lessens the time it takes to get | | | | may have five years of experience in the field. |
| the message to a targeted area. Additionally, it | | | | Most employers would want the education and |
| takes little time to set up an account and get the | | | | the experience so in this case based on the |
| process going. Payment can be made easily over | | | | resume they might choose the person with the |
| the internet, which also eliminates time and | | | | bachelor's degree. In this case, the person with |
| money. | | | | five years of experience was one of the top |
| The cost ratio for internet advertising rather than | | | | persons in the field and may never be given the |
| the traditional means such as newspaper, etc. | | | | opportunity to share his knowledge base |
| may also be greater. One must consider the | | | | experience with the employer. If both candidates |
| amount of time an applicant can stay on the | | | | were at an interview and could explain their |
| system and/or the employer may advertisement | | | | experience and the knowledge they have of the |
| in comparison to a $50 to $100 ad which will be | | | | job, perhaps the final decision would be different. |
| advertised perhaps only two or three days. There | | | | A candidate may be exactly the right match for |
| is competition between the on-line recruiters so a | | | | the company, but the applicant may live out of |
| cost savings is possible with due diligence. | | | | state and the other applicants may be located in |
| Electronic links allow the recruitment process to | | | | the immediate area. It might be in the best |
| be better managed since applicants can view | | | | interest of the company to offer the job to local |
| opportunities, look at job descriptions and related | | | | applicant instead of accruing the long distance |
| details, and the potential to submit letters and | | | | phone calls, arranging a long distance interview and |
| resumes online. (SHRM) This gives the employers | | | | or paying for relocation expenses. |
| an added targeted area with a wider variety of | | | | Personality of a person is not determined online or |
| links. | | | | by a resume, which causes a problem. The |
| There is obviously a greater need for urban | | | | best-qualified person on paper may not have the |
| employers rather than rural employers. There | | | | attitude needed for the job environment. Some |
| may be more competition among companies and | | | | places are now including a personality test with |
| thus making on-line recruitment more attractive. | | | | the online application, to get a feel for the |
| Rural areas are typically slower in catching on to | | | | person's personality type. This still does not |
| technological changes unless they are part of a | | | | replace the person actually sitting in front the |
| large corporation. | | | | interviewer and discussing what is important to |
| State and federal statutes require that an | | | | them and their true attitude, but it is a positive |
| employer not only recruit from a diverse audience | | | | step. Although there are many disadvantages, |
| but also design employment announcements that | | | | there are many advantages and it is up to the |
| will encourage a diverse group of applicants. | | | | employer to weigh the balance between the two. |
| (McGraw Hill) On-line recruitment meets this | | | | After reviewing the pros and cons for on-line |
| challenge. | | | | recruitment, a decision must ultimately be made |
| There are some disadvantages associated with | | | | whether a company should utilize the on-line |
| this new technology of online recruitment. Some | | | | capabilities. It is the decision of this group that our |
| disadvantages are the need for HR staff to have | | | | company should continue to recruit via the |
| additional training to utilize new tools and be | | | | employment service, which is necessary since we |
| prepared to communicate electronically, online | | | | do government contract and is a requirement for |
| recruitment may be expensive depending on | | | | Affirmative Action. That being the case, the |
| which source it utilized, or the company may incur | | | | employment service also has on-line capabilities. |
| costs if it is not well equipped with the market. | | | | Additionally, we would like to take advantage of |
| Other concerns may be high-end work categories | | | | local on-line recruitment to attract applicants from |
| are hard to pinpoint on general selections for | | | | the immediate area. Our company will be selective |
| most work sites and, one of the most difficult | | | | in the agencies we utilize and upon references |
| disadvantages to overcome is the manager's | | | | from other companies' experiences; we will utilize |
| decision to hire based on a resume instead of | | | | a good pool of recruitment sources. |
| face-to-face interviews. | | | | As technology is changing faster than we can |
| The online recruitment has been growing in the | | | | adjust to it, the next generations must be open |
| past few years because of its easy to use- easy | | | | to "change". On-line recruitment is a big change |
| to access- and immediate response. However, in | | | | from our past HR practices but the advantages |
| determining the "right" candidate, the employers | | | | far outweigh the disadvantages. Advertising for |
| must hire staff to utilize key words in order to | | | | job openings as well as receiving on-line |
| recruit the right candidate and have the ability to | | | | applications through the company web site may |
| read and correctly interpret the online applications. | | | | seem overwhelming in the initial stages of |
| This means more cost to the company in training | | | | implementation but with experience our skills will |
| HR and providing the tools necessary to complete | | | | rise to meet the need of processing them |
| the tasks. | | | | efficiently. |
