Drawbacks of Online Recruiting

Recruiting online can be a good way to quickly sort through many candidates. But what are the pitfalls?

From my perspective, the greatest drawbacks of online recruiting services hide in the often-significant fees required to join and participate in them. It's crucial that you read the fine print and understand how fees are applied. Before you commit, spend time with the sales representative to make sure the cost and value are in line with your company's recruiting goals. For example online recruiting may not be cost effective if you have multiple positions to fill.

Here's another potential pitfall to watch out for: many online resources are candidate specific, meaning that they attract specialized candidates. Some attract candidates in business areas like sales, marketing, content and product marketing. Others attract more technical candidates. This is not necessarily a drawback unless you are searching for an accountant and you're dealing with a site that specializes in marketing professionals. Research the site thoroughly prior to investing.

Most online recruiting services have a try-before-you-buy option, but it's not always offered up front. Tell them you won't make a commitment unless you can test their services first.