Recruitment advertising is the means of spreading the news of a new recruitment process through different media, varying from newspaper ads to the more mainstream means of Internet (through job boards, web recruiters, e-mail lists, company website etc.) or external agencies.

Purpose

The goal of the company is to attract the most suitable candidate to fill the position inside its organization, but the extent to which the latter might extend its job advertisements may depend on other factors such as costs of relocation, recruitment budget etc.

Channels of recruitment advertising

  • Internal applications: an important part of the spectrum are internal applicants who are generally prioritized when there is a vacancy inside the organization. Even when external candidates are admitted, it is believed the internal applicants are still at an advantage since they are familiar with the culture of the organization.
  • Personal referrals: depending on the organization and industry, some businesses prefer to hire through personal referrals, also known as “word of mouth”, which presents the advantages of not going through a long and tedious recruitment process, but also the existence of a personal guarantee.
  • Company websites: in the Internet age, most companies have websites which are an interface with potential candidates. Depending on the size of the business and their strategy, they might opt for a “year-round” application process or advertise positions on a need basis which presents the advantage of receiving tailored applications.
  • Newspapers: an old-fashioned means of advertising, they might still be a powerful tool in for regional jobs or in highly specialized magazines or premium newspapers.
  • Internet job boards: becoming more and more used, the advantage of this tool is that it allows a direct communication between the organization and the prospective candidate, who can easily be informed and access the job advertisement. On the other hand, given the growing number of job boards and its inclusive nature, businesses can be overwhelmed with applications, finding it harder to select the suitable person for the job.
  • Social networks: although not a strong tool regarding job advertising, it has an important secondary function in verifying the profile and background of potential employees and check their consistency in relation to their CVs and cover letters.
  • Web Recruiters: taking the place of traditional agencies/headhunters, web recruiters are mandated by the recruiting organization to find a suitable “type” of candidate. They usually use job boards and social platforms to narrow down the right candidate and provide the business only the relevant profiles to be considered for the job.
  • Networking: as with personal referrals, there are jobs that are not even publicly advertised, but people attending private events are given the possibility to attend the interview or even be considered for the job.