If you're looking for a job in the current economic climate, it makes sense to spread your net as widely as possible. Advertisements in newspapers and magazines - most of which also have websites - are still key for many jobhunters, and the use of specialist recruitment sites has been growing.
Web 2.0 is now beginning to play a part in recruitment. For those not familiar with the jargon, Web 2.0 refers to new developments in technology and website design which, rather than just presenting information, allow internet users to contribute and interact - for example, social networking sites and online journals, or blogs.
This technology can enable employers to communicate their brand and potential recruits to get a feel for what it would be like to work for them. However, the CIPD's annual survey report 2008, Recruitment, Retention and Turnover, found that, as yet, only a minority of organisations were using Web 2.0 technology for recruitment. More than eight out of ten respondents said they did not use it at the moment, and 71 per cent did not plan to start using it in the next year. Just over half (51 per cent) of those that did intend to start using Web 2.0 planned to target graduates. This ties in with the mounting evidence that Generation Y individuals (roughly speaking, those born between 1980 and 2000) have different aspirations and skills from Baby Boomers (born between 1940 and 1960) and representatives of Generation X (born between 1960 and 1980), and need to be approached in a different way.
The CIPD report warns of the pitfalls of using social networking sites to vet job applicants, including the potential to fall foul of the Data Protection Act.
The way forward?
If you're seeking a job in a particular field, or needing an employee with specialist skills, a niche online recruitment site may be a good bet. No longer do such portals merely present a series of job advertisements. Candidates can register to receive email updates alerting them to jobs that meet their criteria and apply direct to advertisers via an emailable form. The jobs database can be searched by keyword, position, category, salary and/or location, making the search process quick and easy. An online management system allows advertisers to add, edit and archive vacancies, and manage and track applications.
