A The survey, of 265 senior HR professionals and more than 1, 000 employees, also found that employers were taking a more strategic approach. Rather than relying on one online method of attracting and finding staff, companies are using a number of techniques—87 percent of those using corporate websites also use job boards, while 56 percent of respondents reported using more than three online options at the same time. Research conducted last year by Brooklands, a provider of integrated HR solutions, reveals that companies with fast recruitment processes have a definite advantage in the online war for talent. B Nearly three-quarters of recruiters also reported wasting time interviewing unsuitable candidates, although this is something that can be addressed by the use of online tests, which sift out unsuitable candidates before face-to-face interviews take place. ’’The aim is not so much to filter people out,’’ says Trevor Bond, Siemens’’ UK project management champion, ’’but to get as much information as possible on the individuals before they get to interview stage.’’ C JD Wetherspoon’’s online recruitment process for shift and kitchen managers, designed in conjunction with Changeworknow, combines relationships. ’’The online application form looks formal,’’ admits senior recruitment and training manager Paula Goodwin. ’’But the system is quite informal, on the whole. It’’s chatty and upbeat, and candidates get a few quirky comments from the system as they go along. That makes the experience fun.’’ D Job boards do not create more candidates; they simply provide another channel through which they can be contacted. To survive, therefore, they have to deliver value above other channels. Another area where job boards are their mark is in the provision of candidate pools. Website visitors will not always be-searching for work, but they may still register their CVs on the off chance that their dream job will come along. ’’We have got a database of 1.3 million passive jobseekers,’’ says Keith Potts, managing director of Jobsite.co.uk. ’’It’’s become a shop window for employees—a place where anyone can get headhunted.’’ E Richard Alberge, chief executive of PSL, believes there is an evolution taking place in online recruitment. ’’It’’s not only about job boards and testing. It’’s about how technology can make a difference, ’’ he says. He recognized there is still potential for growth among job boards. But he is also aware that some areas of Internet activity, including social networking sites such as Friends Reunited, Yahoo groups and even eBay communities, have yet to make their mark on the recruitment arena. These online communities could prove a better resource for candidates than any number of CV databases. 0. It is believed that online recruitment is developing. (E)