Online recruitment of new staff

Recruiting staff using online processes differs from traditional face-to-face recruitment mainly in the methods and technologies used, reach, efficiency, and candidate experience.

Traditional recruitment

Traditional recruitment typically involves meeting candidates physically – at job fairs, workplaces, or scheduled face-to-face interviews. It relies on in-person communication and local candidate pools. This approach offers a personal touch and helps assess interpersonal skills and cultural fit directly. However, it is often time-consuming, geographically limited, and susceptible to delays and biases in manual handling and physical meetings.

Online recruitment

Virtual recruitment or online recruitment uses various digital technologies to conduct the entire hiring process remotely. Employers can:

• post job adverts online
• attract talent globally
• screen candidates via automated tools
• conduct virtual interviews
• introduce candidates to managers and colleagues
• provide virtual workplace tours

Employers can progress through these recruitment stages all without meeting a candidate in person.

Streamlining the recruitment process

During the coronavirus pandemic, virtual recruitment became especially important when social distancing restricted face-to-face contact. It enabled the recruitment process to take place from start to finish exclusively online. However, virtual recruitment is not just a temporary solution. Employers have become more comfortable using various technologies for virtual interaction.

Many employers found virtual recruitment not only necessary but also more efficient in saving time and reaching a diverse, global talent pool. Hybrid recruitment, combining online and traditional elements, is increasingly seen as the best approach for many businesses.

Find out about the other business benefits of online recruitment.

Online recruitment can also work harmoniously with employees working from home, removing geographical barriers for employers and enabling businesses to recruit the best talent from across the world.

Recruiting new employees using an online recruitment process can bring many advantages to employers and their businesses. Many employers were forced to use virtual recruitment to take on new staff due to public health restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic. These employers experienced in practice some of the advantages that virtual recruitment can bring for businesses.

Advantages of online recruitment

Breaks geographical barriers

Virtual recruitment enables employers to extend their reach for talent wider than traditional methods would. In practice, employers can now attract international talent, but you must ensure your workers are eligible to work in the UK.

Saves time

Online recruitment enables employers to screen more candidates in a shorter space of time. You can build automation into some of the recruitment stages, for example, online competency tests can automatically rank candidates based on their performance. Online video interviews can be scheduled more flexibly than traditional face-to-face interviews so that they fit around your schedule and not the other way round.

Saves money

Virtual recruitment can bring a number of financial savings for employers. Recruitment events held online are much less expensive than hosting or attending physical job fairs. Online recruitment also requires no travel or accommodation costs. If you are hiring new staff on a regular basis, these cost savings will add up. The technology required to deliver virtual recruitment is often inexpensive and offers a good return on investment.

Reduces the time to hire

When recruiting staff, your main aim is to get the best possible candidate started in their new role as soon as possible. Online recruitment can help this by speeding up the recruitment process as a whole. It enables employers to vet and shortlist a larger volume of candidates in a shorter space of time. There is also no need to set aside a significant amount of time to facilitate candidates and an interview panel to fulfil face-to-face interviews.

Gain competitive advantage in the jobs market

Virtual recruitment shows potential candidates that your organisation is progressive and innovative, potentially making you a more attractive employment option over competitors. The majority of job seekers today are comfortable with interacting online and are likely to expect that at least some of your recruitment process would be online too.

Hire the right candidate

By saving you time and money, online recruitment also enables employers to focus on recruiting the best possible person to employ. You can streamline your recruitment process to help you connect more easily with candidates to identify their strengths, skills and suitability to a job role.

Better experience for candidates

Online recruitment makes it much easier for communication between the employer and potential candidates. Virtual job fairs, for example, enable employers to connect directly with a larger talent pool. A common complaint from candidates using traditional recruitment is that their queries go unanswered. Tools like virtual chat assistants answer any questions or queries that candidates may have about a job role in real time.

Reduces paperwork

Through virtual recruitment all candidate records, such as application forms or competency tests, are hosted in a digital format so this reduces the paperwork burden that traditional recruitment usually has. Employers can easily access information about a candidate in real time when presents. Employers, if given consent by the candidate, can also record interviews. This makes it easier for employers to go back and review what a candidate said, so there is less reliance capturing a full record through written notes during the interview.

A fairer recruitment process

Online recruitment can also support diversity and inclusion when you are hiring new staff. You can use artificial intelligence hiring tools to ignore demographic information such as race, gender and age. Such technology, also available for CV screening, may reduce the risk of conscious and unconscious biases that can infringe traditional recruitment practices.

Disadvantages of virtual recruitment

Technology issues

Virtual recruitment relies heavily on technology, so you are dependent on systems working smoothly for you. Extensive system testing and having a back-up plan can help you counteract this.

A high volume of applications

As online recruitment removes geographical barriers, you might attract a large volume of job applications. However, clearly describing job specifications and distinctly outlining required experience and qualifications will help to ensure you only invite responses from suitable candidates.

Too impersonal

Candidates may find the recruitment process is too detached as there is no face-to-face physical interaction with virtual recruitment. By ensuring there are options for communication throughout the recruitment process, employers may find that they have the opportunity to interact more effectively with candidates in a virtual environment than they may have when recruiting traditionally.

Hidden costs and skills barriers

Some candidates may lack digital literacy or internet access, potentially excluding qualified individuals. There may be additional costs for online recruitment platforms, and extended online job adverts may add unexpected costs.

Hybrid approach to recruitment

Although there are many advantages to virtual recruitment, it does not mean you should completely discount physical recruitment practices. There are still benefits for businesses using traditional processes for some of their recruitment stages.

A hybrid approach combining online and traditional recruitment methods can often balance these pros and cons effectively, leveraging efficiency and reach while maintaining personal engagement where needed.

To get the most from online recruitment, start by reviewing your current hiring process. Map out each recruitment stage, such as writing the job description, setting the salary range, advertising the role, collecting applications, shortlisting candidates, arranging interviews, contacting applicants, and sending job offers.

Next, decide what you want to achieve. Do you want to attract more candidates? Speed up the hiring process? Or reduce recruitment costs?

Choose the right online recruitment tools

Once your goals are clear, select the tools to support your virtual recruitment process. Common online recruitment tools include:

Virtual recruitment fairs

Host online events to showcase your company, attracting a wider pool of candidates.

Social media

Share engaging content to build your employer brand. You can also encourage employees to share their experiences of working for your company and promote current vacancies with their online connections.

Video interview tools

Conduct online interviews conveniently for both interviewers and candidates.

Collaboration tools

This can help speed up the process for the recruitment panel, enabling them to work together in real-time and remain in sync when reviewing and shortlisting candidates.

Applicant tracking systems

Use fair and consistent scoring methods to evaluate candidates efficiently.

Recruiting chatbots

Automate responses to candidate questions, collect information, ask screening questions, rank candidates, and schedule interviews.

Candidate satisfaction surveys

You can survey candidates who have gone through your recruitment process, receive feedback, and find ways to improve or streamline the process.

Skills testing tools

These tools allow you to assess the hard skills of candidates before interviews by setting technical skill tests to ensure you hire candidates with the required skills.

Psychometric tools

Identify key personality traits in candidates that are essential for high-performance roles and can help predict success in the role.

Background check tools

Pre-employment background screening can check a candidate’s experience and qualifications without taking up valuable HR time.

Build your online recruitment team

Select and train staff to use these digital recruitment tools effectively. You may also involve other teams or departments, for example, senior managers can record videos for virtual job fairs to help promote your company. 

Promote your organisation as a great employer

Use online platforms creatively to highlight what makes your workplace special. Create short videos showing daily work, team activities, and employee testimonials to give candidates a realistic view of your company culture. This approach helps you stand out and attract top talent.

Define candidate requirements clearly

Online recruitment opens access to a larger talent pool. To manage this effectively, clearly define the qualifications, skills, traits, and experience you expect in candidates. Your job description should clearly outline essential and desirable criteria to discourage unqualified applications and make candidate evaluation easier.

Maintain strong communication with candidates

Good communication is vital and easier online. Use automated messaging, emails, or chatbots to keep candidates informed and answer common questions promptly. This improves the candidate experience without adding extra work for your recruiters.

Automate of recruitment stages wisely

Automation can make recruitment faster, less costly, and more efficient. For example, online tests can rank candidates based on skill, reducing bias by ignoring personal details like name or age. However, always ensure the candidate experience remains positive and avoid changes that might frustrate applicants.

Continuously improve your online recruitment process

Understand the strengths and weaknesses of your current recruitment process. Invite feedback from candidates, both successful and unsuccessful, and use it to make ongoing improvements. It is normal to refine your online recruitment strategy over time to get the best results.