For the longest time, online recruitment has been the method of a big majority of recruiters out there. It has become a standard and vital part of the process because of how valuable it is. But much like anything of value, it also has its negative traits.

For recruiters, it is necessary to weigh in and understand factors that can affect the recruitment process, so here are the pros and cons of online recruiting:

Pros

  • Longevity – Different from traditional advertising wherein it will depend on the publication cycle or the duration of a billboard rental, a job post on a website will remain for as long as the powers that be allows it a.k.a the company that published said post and the host website. This is a nice little advantage for job seekers because most of these sites have the option to save the job post that they found if they do not have a stable internet connection, or do not have the means to go online as frequently as they want to.
  • Flexibility – Job posting websites provide the option to recruiters to control their job posts, the applications they receive, and even add stuff on them (i.e. short exam questionnaires). For job seekers, they are able to apply to multiple jobs.
  • Dynamic content – A good majority of job posting sites make room for applicants and the companies’ creativity. These sites will provide an avenue for both stockholders to effectively present and market themselves to one another as part of their aim to raise online job hiring.
  • Immediacy – We are living in a digital-first age. Everything online is adjacent to what happens in real-time. Applicants can receive a response from the recruiter the same day they applied for the job. It would only take a few minutes or hours at times, depending on how fast applications are processed.
  • Reaches more people – The people that will get to see a company and an applicants’ profile online is extensively larger. With the virtue of sharing that has grown very popular, a single profile or employee review can travel quite a distance.
  • It’s cheap – Who would turn down free stuff? It isn’t only free, but beneficial as well. Some sites offer plans for their premium services that give a jobseeker a little extra where they can learn more about the online job-hunting game.

Cons

  • Fraud-prone – This is a common problem on anything that involves social networking. Any job posting site is essentially an online networking platform in a sense. Recruiters are going to encounter fake applicants or people that pretend to be somebody else. Thus, making the screening part of the hiring process difficult.
  • System issues – Even the most advanced technological inventions experience issues. Something as simple as having poor internet connection can hinder your access to the sites. Even worse at times, the site would crash and you wouldn’t be able to do anything.
  • Overwhelming number of applications – The disadvantage of accessibility and the growing number of applicants every year. And even with the exact job descriptions, recruiters would still get a ton of resumes submitted to them. Hence, it is important as a recruiter to screen thoroughly.

In conclusion, online recruiting is still the most effective method of recruiting new employees and getting hired. One must just weigh their options well to maximize this method.

Author Bio:

Rosette Monell works as a human resource personnel in a firm in Asia. Aside from her job, she’s also a freelance writer who talks so passionately about public relations, different work ethics, and culture. On her free days, she likes to spend time alone with a good book about career building on one hand and a warm cup of tea on the other.