As strange as it may sound, recruitment is both traditional and modern. There are very few industries wherein traditional methods are still thriving as they do in recruitment. Believe it or not, many companies still back the effectiveness of tried-and-tested traditional recruitment methods over online recruitment strategies.
Why Traditional Recruitment Methods Are Still Alive
The familiarity and simplicity of these traditional recruitment methods make them the favorite of many companies and human resource departments. Traditional methods include paper-based job posting, newspaper ads, referrals, word-of-mouth, internal hiring, job boards, recruitment agencies, and job fairs. Most of these methods include a face-to-face meeting with the candidate. This is why hiring managers still prefer traditional recruitment methods. They can gauge candidates better when they can interview them personally.
Aside from that, employment agencies can help companies evaluate and screen better candidates. They have a broad network of potential employees, especially those who were recently in the unemployment office. Recruitment agencies also work with colleges to help place prospective candidates.
Why Online Recruitment Has Taken Over the Recruitment Process
But since the pandemic put to halt many face-to-face meetings and interactions, companies must be extra resourceful on how they find top candidates. Thankfully, they can turn to the internet to find qualified candidates for the job vacancies. All they have to do is open a job posting on an online recruitment platform or website and wait for the applications to come in.
The influx of job applications can be overwhelming. Hiring managers can use online recruitment management software to manage the applications a company receives every day. The software can even pre-evaluate and filter applications to create a shortlist of candidates qualified for the job. This makes the job of the hiring manager easier. Hiring managers only need to set an interview with the candidates shortlisted.
And there is no need to tell you that online recruitment is far easier and has a wider reach. There’s no need to pay a newspaper for ad space. Plenty of online job boards are free. You can also post job vacancies on social media and online forums. And because the internet has 4.57 billion active users, you can reach as many people as you need. If you’re open to hiring offshore workers, you can even tap the talents and skills of people from the other side of the world.
Which One Works Best for a Business?
The answer to this question depends on what kind of business you run. If you are a local business that focuses on your local community, it’s still a good thing to post job vacancies on the community center’s bulletin board. If you’re a tech startup, you need to use online methods to show your tech-savviness.
You also have to identify your office culture. Who are the people who work for you? Is your hiring manager comfortable with dealing with online job applications? Are there people in your office better qualified for the job vacancy? You might think the online recruitment methods work better for your company but if there’s someone internally who is a better fit for the position, why would you not want to hire that person?
How about your resources? Can you afford to run an ad in the newspaper? Newspaper ads are expensive, and that’s the reason why many companies turned to online recruitment platforms. It is cheaper and has a better reach. If you are on the fence about using an online recruitment platform, just look at the budget you have for recruitment. If you can’t afford a newspaper ad and the community center bulletin board has too short a reach for you, then signing up for a recruitment platform is your best bet.
Can You Use Both?
There is no rule that says you cannot use both traditional and online methods in recruiting employees. If you feel like you can reach better candidates by either means, then feel free to ask for referrals from your employees and create a job post on online recruitment platforms. You can have the best of both worlds. You can reach people from outside the country through the online platform. At the same time, you will open opportunities for people who might already be indirectly connected to your company through your employees.
When choosing either one of each or both, evaluate the strengths and needs of your company. The best choice still depends on what kind of organization you lead. That’s why it is critical for every businessman to define the core values of the business. Once you have a full understanding of what your company needs, you can choose a better solution for your recruitment process.
