Better results from online recruitment

Getting better results from online recruitment can be as easy as working to a single premise.

Online recruitment (also known as E-recruitment) is the use of online technology to source and hire candidates.

The Australian Government’s National Skills Commission (NSC) website notes advertising on online job boards or recruitment websites is the most common method of finding staff, with more than half of recruiting employers (56%) using this method in 2021.

While job ads in newspapers still exist (the NSC website notes use of newspapers for recruitment was used by only 4% of employers in 2021), there’s little argument that in Australia, online recruitment has been the go-to means of sourcing talent for at least the last twenty years. There’s plenty of sound reasons for the switch by employers:

• Simple and cost effective to post an ad
• Immediate posting of vacancy
• Audience reach
• Ads can be edited throughout the duration of the listing
• Opportunity to promote your brand

Downsides? Of course there’s some:

• High volume of unsuitable applications
• Lots of competition amongst employers
• Online platform may not be suitable for recruitment of every role type
• When done poorly, your business and brand appears unprofessional
• Doesn’t tap into passive candidate network

In our opinion, effective use of online recruitment platforms requires working to one simple premise: if you’re going to use it, learn how it works to set yourself apart. You’d be surprised the number of employers that simply plug the same job information into the same ad template time and time again and wonder why their results are don’t match their expectations.

Here’s what you might like to consider if you’re seeking better results from online recruitment:

• Make sure you know about the different ad templates (SEEK for example, has three) and which one works for the job you intend to post.
• Take the time to write a good ad: the return on investment is worth it. And when done well, you cut down on unsuitable applicant numbers.
• Recognise the short version of the ad (the summary jobseekers first see) is super important to driving viewers to your full version.
• Use the platform’s back end tools to measure your ad progress and edit if necessary.

Online recruitment can be a valuable resource when you’re looking for your next new hire. Smart employers however, recognise the online option is one tool in an effective recruitment strategy. Like some more info on other simple, cost-effective and practical tools that can really work for you…and attract the best applicants? Call Bare Bones Consulting and tick that one off your list.