Think global, recruit global

Nov 20 2001 by Brian Amble Print This Article

The geographical landscape of recruitment has changed. International companies who no longer see fixed or national boundaries as barriers want to reflect this within their recruitment process. In the global market, human capital is the new currency and today’s motto is, “think global, recruit global”. The Internet, which brings candidates and employers together in a directly connected market place, is the key trigger for the growing trend of recruitment internationally.

Imagine: you are a candidate, looking to pursue your career on an international stage. If you were pre-Internet revolution, it would have been very difficult to access information about the international players. Moreover, think of the hassle, time and money entailed in applying for jobs abroad if you have to send everything by post. The situation for today’s Internet-savvy generation is altogether different.

According to the latest research published by Jupiter MMXI between April and June this year, over 33 million Britons used the Internet. In fact, worldwide, the Internet’s reach to jobseekers is now far greater than the combined circulation of newspapers and trade publications.

Companies are quick to exploit this fact. In the UK alone, 45% of companies advertised jobs online in 2000, compared to 32% in 1999 and less than 20% in 1998. This figure is rapidly rising. In addition, most companies have the additional functionality, which allows individuals to apply online. Extremely convenient if you are a candidate! Instead of having to write, print and post a CV and covering letter, applications can be emailed at a click of a button.

That’s the problem. The central facet of Internet recruitment is how candidate-friendly the process is. Fantastic for generating response, the Internet alone provides no mechanism for dealing with it. Candidates find the process so easy and cost-effective there is nothing to stop them applying for anything and everything, irrespective of qualifications, background, experience and work visa status. At a touch of a mouse, HR can be deluged under a mound of inappropriate CVs. Multiply this on an international scale and you can only pity HR individuals struggling to cope.

So what is the answer? IT, the creator of the problem has, in its inimitable way, solved it. The solution lies in web-enabled, candidate sifting technology that can identify and sort meaningful information quickly and accurately, and then store it in a way that makes it instantly accessible. This is particularly useful for both corporate end-users and recruitment agencies. Significant from an international perspective, this process can also be multilingual. It can save time and money and, most importantly, remove human error. A HR professional tired by the repetitive task of scanning CV after CV may miss the golden candidate.

A new system, JobQ, developed by Axiom, offers one of the most advanced “Applicant to Job Matching” software, delivering comprehensive online executive screening and assessment applications. The JobQ process sifts, screens and assesses candidates automatically, according to the company’s own selection criteria. This not only speeds up the process, but also makes it as objective and fair as possible since an automated system is consistent and measurable, removing human error and human prejudice.

E-hr software, such as JobQ, provide ability testing, enabling employers to find candidates with the skills and motivation to provide the right culture fit. This is vital in terms of ensuring both effectiveness of employees and also staff retention (avoiding costly re-advertising and screening candidates).

It is estimated that the cost of recruiting a graduate is in the order of £10,000 and a further £70,000 is spent on them before they begin to contribute to a company’s bottom line. When it is so costly in terms of money (not to mention time) you cannot afford to ignore the edge that candidate testing gives you.

Web-enabled applicant to job matching shortens the decision-making process for candidates. The Internet is an instantaneous medium and, as Axiom commissioned research launched this month states, almost one in three (58%) of graduates who apply online to a company expect a response within two weeks and a third (36%) of them within one week.

However, most companies are failing to do this. This is a dangerous pitfall since a delay in informing suitable candidates can result in them being lost to the competition, which can lead to lost opportunity costs and efficiency gaps. Moreover, speed of response is vital when it comes to promoting a corporation’s leading-edge image and generating candidate goodwill. The Internet generation expects employers to be aware of and observe World Wide Web etiquette: one of the principle tenets of which is speed of communication.

Internet-based recruitment is becoming a central strategy for many organisations, especially international recruiters, and is now considered a necessity by any company attempting to position itself as an innovative, employer of choice. Candidate matching, like that offered by JobQ, is at the vanguard of this Internet revolution.

The geographical landscape of recruitment has changed and so, potentially, will HR as we know it. With computers doing what they do best - managing and organizing vast amounts of information - HR personnel can concentrate on human strengths. Freed from routine tasks, the HR department will be able to devote more time to adding value to the business through activities like increased productivity, employee training, development and commitment.

This article was first published in Recruitment International