Mandell, J. Hire power. Software Magazine, 18(7), May 1998, 16.
In an era of increased competition, cost-cutting and the need for talented human resources to retain competitive advantage, more and more organizations are utilizing electronic technologies and the World Wide Web and Internet as a means of recruiting. One such organization is Amdahl Corporation, a firm with more than 10,000 employees worldwide (16). The company has anywhere from 100 to 300 jobs open at any given time across the U.S. and currently hires approximately 3% of its employees through electronic means (16). However, the company expects this percentage to rise as people become more familiar with and comfortable using the Internet.
Formerly many companies were restricted from using electronic technologies for recruiting purposes because they were cost prohibitive, especially for smaller firms. Nevertheless, new technologies that used to start at $70,000 annually are now selling in the $10,000 price range, making them more affordable to businesses of all sizes (16). The use of electronic technologies saves recruiters from wading through mountains of paperwork, while saving the firm money in comparison to print advertising costs. Such methods enable a company to reach passive candidates as well as ones actively seeking employment. Such methods of recruiting save money through increased productivity of recruiters and lower costs than hiring outside recruiting agencies. Amdahl have saved “30% in hiring costs by moving the operation in-house”, and by utilizing such software from Restrac as WebHire (16).
This article brings up a number of important questions. Recruiting through such means may require staff development to train recruiters to take advantage of electronic technologies and software to find new candidates. Further, those firms that do not currently rely on such electronic means of recruiting may need to rethink their strategy in light ...