KEEP WEB HIRING IN PERSPECTIVE
It is estimated that two to three million resumes are posted online today! It may sound like a lot, however, it is still a small fraction of the 140 million people in the American labor force. From your Company’s viewpoint you may be seeing just a small fraction of qualified candidates in your search. The other side of the search is not encouraging either. Market research from Odyssey, in San Francisco, estimates that only 12% million households in the U.S. include anyone who has conducted their job search online.
Nevertheless, many of the “right” people are searching for their next career move online.
Every survey conducted has proven that the numbers are going up. Our technology is growing so rapidly that job seekers will eventually need to utilize the computer for opportunities.
In terms of quality of recruits, keep in mind that online recruiting is a very broadly cast net. These postings are available to anyone. Thus, a posting on one of the mega job sites might end up being a very large pile of resumes on your desk. This pile will require hours and hours of work for you! One way to prevent this from happening, is by trying to post your openings in a specific trade publication.
The best way to attract top talent is to have a strong referral program for your current employees!
A 4 Step Approach to online recruiting:
Step 1. Attract candidates – One great way to attract qualified candidates is to link your recruiting efforts to other marketing campaigns within your Company. Candidates buy on a Company’s image. Try to design your Web page to attract potential top caliber individuals. Try to highlight information about your Company’s values and perks.
Step 2. Sort candidates – The challenge is to sort through the resumes quickly without missing the most qualified. You can electronically screen resumes based on certain key words. You can also utilize online tests and games in order to elicit information about them.
Step 3. Make contact – Online recruiting is very fast! Recruiters are used to dealing with people and that process doesn’t move as quickly as online. You should try to connect “live” with any desired candidate.
Step 4. Close the deal – Once you have made contact, the Internet connection should become second to your telephone. It is very important that you begin to build a relationship with prospective employees. You can email any basics, but you should call them as often as possible. You need to start determining whether or not this person may be a possible fit for your opportunity.
Overall, it is almost impossible to conduct a job search without utilizing technology. As a Hiring Authority, you are most likely already using numerous techniques to surface qualified candidates. Keep web hiring in perspective and don’t forget the importance of utilizing the “Human Factor!”
Nancy J. Phillips, CPC
