Internet Gains Prominence As Job Source
While recently flipping through the various human resources publications that cross my desk every month, I have noted two significant trends in the human resources area. First, the tight labor market crunch show no signs of letting up as firms in all sectors continue to scramble to find qualified workers to meet staffing needs. Secondly, this job crunch appears to be contributing to the Internet gaining prominence as a recruiting resource for employers and a source of job information for candidates.
According to one published source, 70 percent of human resources managers report using the Internet as part of recruiting efforts, up from 21 percent in a similar survey conducted two years earlier. Further, a recent recruitment survey reported that over 90 percent of college and professional graduates accessed information on - line as part of their job search.
One Internet recruitment expert asserts that there are over 30,000 web sites on the internet dealing with job search and recruiting issues. This may seem overwhelming to the business owner or manager who is already short handed due to one or more job vacancies and just no time to surf the web looking for workers.
So how does this work? Many employers fear that a help wanted listing on the Internet will produce a flood of responses from around the country or even the world.
Such a fear is not without merit. In fact, some organizations identify this concern as an important benefit for using their Internet recruiting services. One organization, for example suggests, the benefit of Internet is that anyone can use it...and the bad news about the Internet is that anyone can apply. One web based job source boasts that it offers a source of local talent. The Kane County Chronicle posts its entire newspaper on the web including the classifieds, providing web exposure with a local focus for help wanted ads placed in the Chronicle. See companion article in box.
My own quick search with just one Internet search engine revealed over 254 Internet sites identified as most popular sites for job searches. One site reported that it has over 444,000 job listings on its site. This site also boasted that it provided a career advice section and a salary report section.
Typically, the job search sites have one section for employers to list job openings and another section for job candidates to register, survey job listings, and to post resumes. Generally, the job search sites group or categorize jobs into career or occupational fields and permit a search by occupation and geographic area. Likewise, Registered employers may place job listings and search employee resume files seeking specific skills. Some of the career sites on the web are focused towards a particular industry or job group. Generally, the job sites charge the employer to place a job ad. Pricing varies with the number and frequency of employer placed job ads.
So where is an employer to begin? Human resources experts remind employers that the Internet is not a cure-all for solving all your staffing problems. With all this hype, remember that not all families have a computer at home.
To promote a maximum response, recruiting efforts must be diversified. Local newspaper ads are still the primary job source for many job candidates. Also, promotion from within, employee referrals, help wanted signs, and contacts at local colleges or trade schools should all be part of your recruitment process.
When first trying an Internet job site, one expert suggests that the employer access the site as an applicant looking for a job similar to the job you have open. You'll see how jobs are grouped into categories, job titles used, content of job listings and number of similar jobs. Then you'll have a better sense of the on-line job marketplace in order to write and place your own ad.
Remember: use traditional as well as Internet sources and be creative so that your message will stand out from the competition.
Recent Survey Highlights Internet Job Search Results
With all the recent hype about Internet job searches, more job seekers use the help wanted classified ads to find a job than other methods. These findings appeared in a recent issue of Industry Standard, a publication devoted to the Internet economy. According to reported data, 79% of job seekers checked the help wanted classifieds, exceeding the 75% who searched the Internet for jobs. Of the "Internet surfers" conducting on line job searches, only four percent found jobs on-line.
When net surfers were asked how they found their jobs, 40% said that job contacts came from referrals and 23% found their jobs through the newspaper, while only the four percent noted above actually found jobs on the Internet. Human resources recruiters report that the easiest jobs to fill on-line are technical and computer related jobs. Other leading positions filled on line include sales and marketing and middle management.
William S. Hubbartt is president of Hubbartt & Associates, a St. Charles, IL consulting firm specializing in employee compensation, employee handbooks, personnel policies and supervisory training. (www.Hubbartt.com) Mr. Hubbartt is author of The New Battle Over Workplace Privacy, published by AMACOM Books.
