Hiring Online the Internet Way

Successful Recruitment Practices for your Online Organization
The myth continues to be propagated that Internet businesses are mostly start-ups, are small and are not intense on the human resource front. Nothing can be farther from the truth. Most Internet businesses like yours probably started small like Google and Apple which began as home brew garage style operations. As you grow, your need for qualified manpower or “person power” to play it safe, will also increase gradually. Here are two potent avenues you should consider to help you succeed in your recruitment efforts for your company with the help of the Internet.

The Internet Job Boards
Internet job boards are perhaps the first and the most logical place to start. Websites such as www.monster.com and www.dice.com are excellent places to hunt for quality talent. If they ask you to pay a fee for access, pay it because free is not always high quality. Ensure that you pay for the least expensive package that serves you and that you do not become a target of enthusiastic upselling. Identify your keywords in advance when screening resumes. Narrow your search criteria if you end up with too many hits. Try to locate qualified professionals in your local community because most professionals usually prefer not to relocate. Moreover, you will not have to pay them to show up for an interview. Once you short-list your candidates, call them up first before sending them an e-mail expressing interest. Are they available? How long is their notice period if they are employed elsewhere? How much are they currently earning? Do they possess sufficient domain knowledge in areas that matter to you as an employer? If you are recruiting chat operators, do they know anything about live chat? Have they used live chat before?  Do they know touch typing or are they typists of the hunt and peck variety? Remember that each time a candidate walks through that door to be interviewed, you have devoted at least one hour of your time all inclusive to the process. Telephone screening can correct this situation to some extent.

Job boards also provide you with the paid option of advertising your openings on their websites. This too is also an excellent way to fill positions in your company. Your online advertisements should be terse and journalistic Hemingway style and should include at least two or three keywords that describe the position, your domain and the skills you require the candidate to possess.

Recruiting through Social Media Networks
Three years ago, only the head hunters used to surf Linked In, Facebook, MySpace and ZoomInfo looking for qualified candidates. Today, every employer and human resource professional who knows something about the Internet leverages the social media networks to spot qualified talent. You too can do the same. In fact, many seasoned professionals who are net savvy, set up a special recruitment profile on the social networking sites for this purpose complete with their CV, testimonials from colleagues, experience round-ups and even samples of their work in the form of a portfolio. Many professionally managed companies have even sprung up that provide this service for a fee. The fact that access is free for both employers and job seekers tends to generate additional recruitment-related traffic on social media networks, especially websites such as www.ryze.com, www.tribe.net, www.jigsaw.com and www.spoke.com which are dedicated exclusively to business networking as opposed to social networking.

Conclusion
An online entrepreneur such as yourself is sure to locate qualified and suitable talent for your company through job boards and social networking sites because both typically attract mostly qualified professionals who understand the value and contribution of the Internet in more ways than one. The global reach of the Internet can help you to locate even hard to find human resources which traditional advertising media may not be able to reach.