Using the Internet as a Recruiting Tool: Benefits for All
This paper examines the rise of Internet recruiting as a transformative tool in human resource management. It traces the history of traditional recruiting methods and the limitations they imposed on employers, then documents the rapid growth of online job posting and application from the late 1990s through the mid-2000s. The paper outlines five key advantages of Internet recruiting for employers — including cost reduction, wider candidate pools, and streamlined application processes — while also acknowledging potential drawbacks such as fraudulent résumés. From the applicant's perspective, the paper highlights benefits including speed, geographic flexibility, and the ability to research employers before applying. Statistical evidence from multiple sources supports the argument that Internet recruiting benefits all parties involved.
- Introduction: Internet's broad impact on employment searching
- The Recruiter's Perspective: Shift from local to online employer recruiting methods
- Advantages and Disadvantages for Employers: Five employer benefits and key recruiting drawbacks
- The Applicant's Perspective: Speed, geography, and research benefits for job seekers
- Conclusion: Internet recruiting as viable future HR tool
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What makes this paper effective
- Uses concrete statistics and dated evidence (e.g., Cisco's 500,000 site hits, the jump from $600 million to $7 billion in recruiting industry revenue) to ground claims in measurable reality.
- Balances two distinct perspectives — the employer and the job applicant — giving the argument symmetry and broadening its relevance.
- Acknowledges a counterargument (fraudulent résumés) before dismissing it, demonstrating basic critical thinking and strengthening the overall position.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates the use of integrated quotation and paraphrase. Rather than simply listing claims, the writer alternates between direct quoted evidence from sources and interpretive paraphrase, then follows each with a brief explanation of what the evidence means for the argument. This pattern — evidence, then analysis — is a foundational academic writing technique that keeps the argument moving while maintaining source credibility.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a broad contextual introduction establishing the Internet's societal impact before narrowing to employment. Two body sections address the recruiter's experience and the applicant's experience in parallel, each organized around advantages supported by statistics. A short conclusion synthesizes both perspectives and reaffirms the thesis. The structure is straightforward and appropriate for an undergraduate survey paper on a practical HR topic.
Introduction
The technological explosion of the past three decades has taken society to heights never before thought possible. Today, with the click of a mouse one can plan and purchase vacations, manage a personal stock portfolio, chat with friends around the world, and shop without leaving the comfort of home. The Internet has provided a life that is a significantly improved version of what was available in the past, and it has touched almost all aspects of daily living, including the area of employment. Whether one is looking for a new position or looking to find a new employee, the Internet has made the search far more precise and far-reaching than ever before. The ability to post jobs online and to search for employment throughout the world without ever leaving home has made the Internet one of the most popular recruiting tools in modern history.
The Recruiter's Perspective
For many years, recruiters and employers were at the mercy of the local public. If a company had an opening, it would usually advertise in the local newspapers, possibly put a sign in the window, and occasionally contact local recruiting agencies for assistance (Levy, 2000). Then the waiting game would begin. Applicants who were interested in the position would either stop in or fax a résumé to the company in the hope of obtaining an interview.
As Levy (2000) observed, the strain of a tight labor market increased the importance of organizational recruitment activity. The deep pool of applicant talent that once existed had become shallow, as potential employees found ample opportunities available to them. As a result of this shortage of workers, human resource departments faced enormous pressure to attract qualified applicants. Without an adequate number of applicants, selection procedures cannot yield quality employees.
In short, employers were historically at the mercy of those who lived nearby when they needed to fill positions. If no uniquely qualified candidate existed in the local area, locating prospects elsewhere was difficult. Companies were usually forced to choose from what was locally available, even when none of the candidates were a perfect fit (Levy, 2000). In many cases, the company received no résumés at all if the position required especially specialized skills (Piturro, 2003).
This placed the company at the mercy of recruiting agencies, which could charge significantly high fees to locate several qualified candidates. Because agencies were primarily interested in earning their finder's commission, they would ensure that someone on their roster "fit" the company's needs well enough to send candidates. This often resulted in substandard candidates being submitted, or no candidates being sent at all — wasting the time of both the company's human resource department and the recruiting firm.
When the Internet emerged as a viable recruiting source, it opened new possibilities for companies around the world (Birchard, 2002). Whether a company was looking for a cashier or a government agency needed to build a database of future applicants, the Internet provided the means to broadcast openings widely. As Levy (2000) noted, the North American population was becoming increasingly technologically sophisticated, and technology-oriented companies were quick to adopt online strategies to gain a competitive advantage in attracting applicants. Cisco Systems, for example, received up to 500,000 hits on its job site in a single month and hired as many as 1,200 people over a three-month period (Levy, 2000).
Initially, many employers only considered Internet recruiting for technology-related openings in the computer or Internet industry. However, as technology improved and search engines became more abundant and accessible, companies began to recognize the wide reach the Internet offered for contacting people worldwide. It was not long before employers discovered that any available job could be advertised online and would draw a wide, diverse range of qualified applicants.
By 2002, over 45% of American households had Internet access, and the web had become the most popular medium for searching out items of interest, including employment opportunities (Levy, 2000). According to one survey, 38% of American organizations' websites contained information directly related to employment opportunities as early as 1999 (Levy, 2000). More recent data concluded that as many as 81% of American organizations had used the Internet actively and regularly to recruit new employees. The Internet spawned a booming recruiting industry that generated $600 million in revenues in 1999 and grew to $7 billion in revenue by 2005 (Levy, 2000).
Advantages and Disadvantages for Employers
There are five key advantages to using the Internet as a recruiting tool. First, it is a low-cost alternative compared to traditional methods such as newspaper advertisements and recruiting agencies. Second, online postings typically provide all relevant information about the position, which reduces the number of inquiries and résumés from applicants who are clearly over- or under-qualified.
Third, the design of a company's recruiting page serves as a first impression, allowing the organization to put its best foot forward and attract the most qualified candidates. Fourth, a corporate website offers the opportunity to highlight specific areas of interest — such as culture, benefits, or growth opportunities — that may appeal to the right candidates. Fifth, organizations can enable interested applicants to file their applications online, saving time and money while achieving a wider geographic reach in the search for talent.
The cost savings are substantial. The average recruiting cost for U.S. companies has been reported at between $8,000 and $10,000 per applicant, depending on the type of position being filled. By contrast, the cost of attracting applicants through online recruitment has been reported to be as low as $900 per applicant (Levy, 2000).
There are drawbacks to Internet recruiting as well. A candidate can misrepresent his or her qualifications by submitting a falsified résumé online — however, this problem is not unique to online recruiting; it can occur through any method. It remains the employer's responsibility to verify references and contact previous employers before extending an offer, regardless of how impressive a résumé appears or how well a candidate interviews. Given the ability to save money, save time, and locate the best-qualified applicants, it is no surprise that the Internet has become one of the most widely used recruiting tools across the country.
Conclusion
The Internet has produced an explosion in both job seeking and applicant recruiting. With the click of a mouse, a job seeker can navigate company websites, learn an organization's history and strengths before applying, and search worldwide to find a position that matches his or her skills. For employers, the Internet removes the limitations of local recruiting, streamlines the application process, and reduces time spent on unqualified candidates.
The Internet as a recruiting tool has become a viable and professional option with considerable promise for future expansion within human resource departments across all industries. It is accessible, it can be used privately from one's own desktop, and it enables employers and the employees who are the best fit to locate each other quickly and efficiently.
References
Birchard, B. (2002). Hire great people fast. Fast Company, 3, 132–141.
Johnson, C., & Neath, I. (2004). The World Wide Web: Exploring a new advertising environment. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 2, 195–212.
Levy, P. (2000). The quest for the qualified job surfer: It's time the public sector catches the wave. Public Personnel Management.
Martin, J. (2002). Changing jobs? Try the net. Fortune, 137, 205–208.
Piturro, M. (2003). The power of e-cruiting. Management Review, 89, 33–37.
Takes, ____. (2000). Recruitment through the Internet takes off. M2 Presswire.
Tejada, C. (2000, August 29). Work week. The Wall Street Journal Interactive Edition.
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