analysis
Human Resource Management Journal, Volume 18, Issue 3, Pages 257-274
AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE AND SUCCESS OF ONLINE RECRUITMENT
METHODS IN THE UK
Dr Emma Parry and Professor Shaun Tyson
Cranfield School of Management
Dr Emma Parry
Cranfield School of Management
Cranfield
Bedfordshire MK43 0AL
Tel: 01234 754808
Fax: 01234 751806
Email: emma.parry@cranfield.ac.uk
1
AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE AND SUCCESS OF ONLINE RECRUITMENT
METHODS IN THE UK
Abstract
The use of online recruitment methods is now widespread among UK organisations, but has not dominated the recruitment market in the way that was predicted by the popular media. This may be because organisations experience mixed success in using online methods of recruitment. This paper reports on the use of a large scale, longitudinal survey of recruitment activity to investigate the usage and perceived success of both corporate and commercial websites by employers. In addition, twenty interviews with users and providers of online recruitment were conducted, in order to provide a deeper exploration of the factors that may affect the success of these methods. The results provide valuable insights into the use and success of online recruitment in the UK and have strong implications for practitioners.
2
AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE AND SUCCESS OF ONLINE RECRUITMENT
METHODS IN THE UK
Introduction
The Internet first emerged as a recruiting tool in the mid-1990s and was hailed in the popular management press as the driver behind a ‘recruiting revolution’ due to the benefits it could bring to recruiters (Boydell, 2002). Indeed some authors suggested that the Internet had ‘revolutionised the way that people look for work’ (Birchfield, 2002) and brought ‘radical change to corporate recruiting’ (Cappelli, 2001). There has been little empirical research to investigate whether these predictions have been realised, despite extensive use of the methods. We will examine the use of online
AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE AND SUCCESS OF ONLINE RECRUITMENT
METHODS IN THE UK
Dr Emma Parry and Professor Shaun Tyson
Cranfield School of Management
Dr Emma Parry
Cranfield School of Management
Cranfield
Bedfordshire MK43 0AL
Tel: 01234 754808
Fax: 01234 751806
Email: emma.parry@cranfield.ac.uk
1
AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE AND SUCCESS OF ONLINE RECRUITMENT
METHODS IN THE UK
Abstract
The use of online recruitment methods is now widespread among UK organisations, but has not dominated the recruitment market in the way that was predicted by the popular media. This may be because organisations experience mixed success in using online methods of recruitment. This paper reports on the use of a large scale, longitudinal survey of recruitment activity to investigate the usage and perceived success of both corporate and commercial websites by employers. In addition, twenty interviews with users and providers of online recruitment were conducted, in order to provide a deeper exploration of the factors that may affect the success of these methods. The results provide valuable insights into the use and success of online recruitment in the UK and have strong implications for practitioners.
2
AN ANALYSIS OF THE USE AND SUCCESS OF ONLINE RECRUITMENT
METHODS IN THE UK
Introduction
The Internet first emerged as a recruiting tool in the mid-1990s and was hailed in the popular management press as the driver behind a ‘recruiting revolution’ due to the benefits it could bring to recruiters (Boydell, 2002). Indeed some authors suggested that the Internet had ‘revolutionised the way that people look for work’ (Birchfield, 2002) and brought ‘radical change to corporate recruiting’ (Cappelli, 2001). There has been little empirical research to investigate whether these predictions have been realised, despite extensive use of the methods. We will examine the use of online