E-Recruitment definition

Using electronic resources, typically the internet but also HR software, to guide or assist the hiring process in order to reduce the administrative and financial burden of recruitment and gain access to a wider pool of talent.

Much of e-recruitment centres around major job sites which categorise open positions by location, industry and seniority. Businesses, or recruitment companies working on behalf of businesses, advertise open positions on these sites and provide instructions for applicants to follow. The initial sift of applications will either be performed by the recruitment firm or the business.

Social media is increasingly being used in e-recruitment as a way to quickly reach out to potential candidates. The targeted nature of social media makes it useful for headhunting.

Companies may build their e-recruitment platforms in-house, use e-recruitment HR software or employ recruitment agencies that utilise e-recruitment as part of their package. E-recruitment may not be as suitable for senior positions where the pool of prospective candidates is much lower.

Some of the disadvantages of e-recruitment include responses from a large number of unsuitable candidates which need to be sifted through and technology issues that come from standardising the application process (e.g. some peoples' computers may not be able to handle PDF formats). Making your job stand out in a sea of others can also be difficult and attract significant costs.