Online Recruitment - The Facts

For one reason or another the availability of statistics regarding online recruitment have been in relatively short supply over the last 12 - 18 months. However one piece of information which seems to slipped under our radar ( only for a few weeks) is the Winter 2010 Quarterly Review conducted by Jobsite and published last month.

The opening statement as you would expect from a leading job board is that Online Job boards continue to be the most popular resource for jobseekers. However on looking at the statistics in more detail whilst this is true, if we consider the figures across all platforms in reation to the same time 12 months ago ( Nov 2010 compared to Nov 2009) we can see that each resource including Online Job Boards has actually seen a slight decline - that is all but one - Social Media! Admittedly these declines are limited to just a few percent but as more and more businesses look to harness the potential of Social Media as part of their recruitment strategy I wonder whether this trend will be highlighted further in the next report!

As ever this review by Jobsite provides us with a great insight into the behaviour of job seekers and the online recrutiment industry as a whole. Below are just a few statistics we have used internally to ensure our clients recruitment strategies are reflective of todays job seeker!

1. The number of job seekers that use 5 or more job boards is at its highest level, but the majority 39% still only search 1 jobboard so ensuring that your vacancy is advertised on the right platform is critical!

2. When looking for a new job:

• 79% of jobseekers will look to jobboards
• 72% will go directly to a companys website ( Have you got a careers section in order to capitalise on this?)
• 59% look in trade publications
• 59% go to recruitment agencies
• 37% use social networking sites

3. The main reason why jobseekers search for jobs online is that it is:

• Convenient
• Quicker
• Provides access to a wider range of jobs
• Increases chances
• Allows you to target more specific jobs
• Jobseekers feel in control.

Interestingly 46% of those surveyed regarding the use of online job searches actually stated that they 'couldn't imagine life without it'!

If the quality of applications your receive via online sourcing methods is an area of concern then this next statistic will definitely be of interest.

4. 57% of those who applied for a position online obtained an interview the last time they applied.
Of that figure 66% actually obtained a job the last time they applied online.

Take a look at the full review as it certainly is an interesting read and make sure you check the use of social media in particular. If our internal information is anything to go by, this is definitely an area of serious consideration for any recruiter.