The role of Online vs Offline recruitment

There has been a sea of change in the world of recruitment.  It is now awash with social media tools and algorithms targeting both passive and active candidates.  Mobile devices are pushing out job adverts to people, night and day.  The power and reach of online tools such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, and even Snapchat are all being tested in the recruitment space.  Recently, Google threw its hat in the ring, creating waves by launching its own independent search engine for job listings.

It is true that online recruitment can be cost effective and can have a wider reach.  It is also a great way of engaging with a target market in a way that speaks to them.

Online tools certainly do come into their own during the ‘due diligence’ phase of the job search.  This is how job seekers today are researching the market, gathering intelligence on employers and gaining insights into their values and reputation.  Equally, this is the place where employers can undertake initial screening of candidates and explore their suitability for a role.  Employers and candidates therefore need to think very carefully about what their online profile says about them.

A major disadvantage is that there is a lot of ‘noise’ online.  With so much content and competition, a company’s role can easily become lost or attract the wrong type of candidates.  Social media may also be too informal for the calibre of role being advertised.

So, despite the importance and growing popularity of online recruitment and job search tools, industry experts agree that there continues to be a critical role for ‘offline’ recruitment. This is particularly prevalent in our current marketplace where accounting and finance skills are in high demand. There has really never been a time when relationship-based recruiting has been more business critical to the recruitment market.

Here at Fletcher George we value how important it is to develop long term relationships with not just clients but also our extensive candidate base which is driven through referrals, local recommendations, repeat business and membership of professional networks.  These are still as relevant as ever and perhaps more so in this candidate driven market.

Lisa Wintrip

Director, Fletcher George Financial Recruitment

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Fletcher George is an independent finance and accountancy recruiter working, primarily with finance and accounting professionals in South West London and Surrey including the Hampshire and Sussex borders.  We recruit for both Public Practice and also for commercial businesses in the local area.

For more information, please contact Lisa on: 01372 364 160 or by email: lisa@fletchergeorge.co.uk