Monster's new index fills a gap that has existed in tracking online help-wanted ads, said Monster.com founder Jeff Taylor. The online index "really becomes more relevant as we begin to move into recovery" of the economy, he said (Medill 2004)." The article goes on to contend that the other internet-recruiting firms such as carreerbuilder.com and chicagojobs.com have also experienced spikes in the amount of traffic on their sites. In fact career builder had revenue of $56 million for the first quarter of 2004. Compare this to $33 billion made during the same quarter of the previous year. The article asserts that this rate will probably continue to increase as the economy recovers. The authors also explain that print advertisement has not disappeared completely but it is now being used in combination with internet recruitment. In addition, the article argues that for many jobs for entry level positions and trades print advertising is still used.

Is internet staffing and recruiting Good or Bad

The Good

The experiences that companies have with internet staffing or internet recruiting can be very different. As we mentioned previously in this discussion an elaborate internet recruiting campaign can be costly. For large corporations/organizations this cost is not taxing and does not add much to the overall recruiting expense. Internet recruitment also eliminates a great deal of paper work because applications and resumes are submitted electronically and can be deleted at the click of a button.

In addition, several positive factors emerge from internet recruitment. The first of which is the ability to reach a broad pool of talent. Allowing people to view job descriptions and apply for a position online will attract people that have many of the computer skills that companies desire (Agency Awards for Excellence 2001). In addition, the use of the internet in organizational recruitment and staffing allows the company to quickly fill positions, which allows the company to maintain continuity in productivity.

Firms that specialize in internet recruitment such as MONSTER also have a positive impact on the job market as a whole. This positive impact is seen in the people that are employed by MONSTER and the people that find employment through the website (Backhaus, 2004). Additionally, free internet recruiting firms provide a valuable service for smaller organizations that can't afford the expenses associated with developing their own website.

A final positive feature of internet recruiting is shifting the focus of employment to meet the needs of a new tech savvy generation. New graduates have never lived in a world without computers and because of this they have developed a better acumen for computers than prior generations (Gainey et al., 2003) Therefore companies that hope to recruit a tech savvy generation must use new and innovative ways to recruit these workers. Internet recruitment allows these workers to evaluate their opportunities and choose positions based on their skills.

The Bad

Although this discussion has focused on many of the positive aspects of internet recruitment, there are also some negative aspects to internet recruitment. One very serious issue is security. Much of the information contained on an application is extremely sensitive. For this reason, most sites have secure servers and do not require applicants to enter social security numbers. However, the recent epidemic of hackers infiltrating servers that are supposed to secure have many companies on edge. If a company does implement an internet recruitment strategy they must ensure that the information that applicants provide on applications.

Another problem has to do with the technology itself. Organizations that utilize an internet recruitment tactic must ensure that the site works correctly. Problems with servers or forms can result in the loss of many applications and resumes. This is...

Such anonymity allows people to falsify information and apply for jobs for which they are not qualified. In some cases, people have been hired and the company has later found that the employee did not have the experience they claimed to have or the proper education. This situation can be extremely costly because many companies offer signing bonuses and pay for moving expenses. In addition, the company will have to recruit a new employee to fill the position.
Conclusion

The purpose of this discussion was to investigate internet staffing and recruiting and discuss the impact of these hiring practices. The discussion also focused on the whether internet recruitment is good or bad for businesses. The investigation found that internet staffing and recruiting have become the norm for large organizations. The research suggests that for large corporations the cost associated with internet staffing and recruiting is minuscule. The research also contends that companies prefer internet staffing and recruitment because there are fast response times and the potential to reach a broad spectrum of applicants. In addition, the investigation indicates that internet staffing and recruitment has grown exponentially in the past five years.

Although internet staffing and recruitment is positive, for most businesses there are some problems associated with the tactic. The investigation found that these problems include breaches in security, technical problems, and falsified information. However, overall it seems that the impact of internet staffing and recruiting is mostly positive. Internet recruiting and staffing is good for business because it is relatively inexpensive, allows companies to reach a broad range of applicants and there is a fast response time. The convenience of internet staffing and recruitment allows businesses to fill positions quickly. It also allows applicants to review different positions in a fast and efficient manner.