Almost nine in 10 public sector employers use online recruitment to find new staff compared with just over three in four manufacturing and production companies, according to new research.
The IRS survey of 208 UK employers found that online recruitment is less popular among small organisations (fewer than 250 people), where three in four use this method. This compares with 94% for the largest employers – those with 10,000 or more employees.
Other key findings:
- Many organisations have made a strategic decision to cut recruitment costs and get better value for money, and have turned to the Internet to achieve this. More than four in five of all recruiters in the survey have introduced or increased their use of the Internet for recruitment.
- In 2003 all the organisations surveyed had either increased (85%) or introduced (15%) online recruitment. In 2002, 53% had increased their usage and 40%) had introduced Internet use into their recruitment process.
- Less than half of the survey’s respondents use job boards to advertise vacancies.
- Four in five respondents use their own website to attract applicants and advertise vacancies. Public sector organisations are most likely to use their corporate website for this, with more than nine in 10 doing so.
- Almost nine in 10 recruiters are accepting email enquiries from potential candidates. Three in four of responding organisations accept CVs via email.
- 37% of organisations accept completed application forms online. With regard to sending out application forms, more than two in five have adopted this practice in 2003, compared with one in three in 2002.
- Over 5% of recruiters now use the Internet for computer-based testing.
- 5% organisations have designed a self-selection dimension to their online recruitment process.
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