Behind the scenes of recruitment jobs boards

Given the rise of the internet as it has been, and also the huge differential in the cost of internet versus paper advertising, it still amazes me how much recruitment companies spend on paper advertising.

Popular perception is that although the internet will always outstrip paper for applications per pound spent by some margin, if you want good profile in your industry then paper advertising 'is' a necessary addition to your strategy. But, does anyone out there not use the internet for a job search now?

The availability of internet advertising at a fraction of the prices of previous paper options is changing the dynamics with different recruitment sectors. In years gone by, an individual wanting to set up his own agency would have to start with substantial funds in order to compete with larger companies for with enough paper adverts to compete with larger organisations. Success really was driven by the size of your advertising budget handing the advantage to large established recruitment companies before delivering a sausage to their clients.

In the pharmaceutical sector, years ago a weekly advert in the telegraph of £1000 was required to get noticed. Now, a 'one man band' can set up and gain a package on a jobs board for as little as £100 per month, arguably with better results. The net result now, is that success is more driven by who is good at recruitment, rather than who has the biggest budget which is good news for anyone paying for recruitment services in the UK.

So what of the choices of jobs boards available. Broadly speaking, there are two sorts of boards available. First, the large 'generalist' board which seeks to specialise for sectors within one overall brand. Secondly, niche specific jobs boards which are solely dedicated to one specific sector. One can construct arguments in favour of each. The large generalist boards claim to have enormous databases established across many sectors. However, with this can come a large and non-specific response. Smaller niche boards may have smaller databases of candidates but are likely to be more targeted to your sector. From a technical stand point, some would also argue that a niche specific board has a greater potential to dominate search engine listings in the longer term.

Choosing where to advertise can be a bit of a minefield. Don't let people blind you with figures. Site traffic can be completely meaningless, it's possible to increase site traffic in ways which would be useless for improving your recruitment results. When speaking to jobs boards, seek examples of what returns companies have achieved from what spend on the site and this will give you more meaningful information from which to make your choice.

Ultimately, the proof of the pudding is in the eating! Fortunately, internet advertising is relatively cheap and so it may not cost you a vast amount to experiment with different sites.

Good luck