The document provides an assessment of e-recruitment practices on the websites of Ford and Google. It finds that both companies portray positive images that emphasize their culture and values. Ford's site is more professional while Google's is informal and highlights its uniqueness. Both effectively communicate benefits and allow profile views. Good practices include profiles, FAQs, and questionnaires for feedback. While separate country sites have higher costs, maintaining candidate accounts is better than just email. Overall, the document evaluates e-recruitment strategies and how companies can effectively attract candidates online.

1. E - Recruitment

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E-recruitment is one of the fastest growing areas in the recruitment and selection and many
orgs use the web to attract as wide and deep a pool of potential candidates as they possibly
can. On the downside, many employees are inundated with speculative CVs and have to sift
through them and determine whether any of them meet their requirements.
Ur task is to carry out an assessment of this approach to on-line recruitement as used by diff
companies. Provide a report that covers the following:
 An overall impression of the website/s and the ease of navigation for applicants.
 The image portrayed and the values presented
 Key info
 How the website/s attempt to set expectations related to the work.
 Example of what u consider good practice and contrast with sites u conside to be weak.
The following sites can be visited and used as the starting point for ur investigation but u r
free to select any co u wish.
www.royalbankscot.co.uk/group info/working/graduate/index.html
www.kpmgcareers.co.uk
www.sainsbury.co.uk/fresherthinking/html 1/home.html
www.microsoft.com/uk/graduates
www.rollysroyce.com/careers/default.htm
www.lexususa.com
The report should also include figures and statistics and plotting the development and growth
of this form of recruitment and consider the extent to which it will be affected by the current
global economic recession.

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Contents
Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................4
Advantages of E-Recruitment:......................................................................................................................6
Disadvantages of E-Recruitment...................................................................................................................7
FORD .............................................................................................................................................................8
Display.......................................................................................................................................................8
Key information and values presented.....................................................................................................8
Registration...............................................................................................................................................9
GOOGLE.......................................................................................................................................................10
Display.....................................................................................................................................................10
Key information and values presented...................................................................................................11
Registration.............................................................................................................................................11
Comparison of the sites ..............................................................................................................................12
Common features .......................................................................................................................................12
Good and Bad Practices..............................................................................................................................13
Conclusion...................................................................................................................................................14
References ..................................................................................................................................................15

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Introduction
E-recruitment is the process of personnel recruitment using electronic resources, in particular
the internet. E-recruitment uses information technology (IT) to speed up or enhance parts of
the recruitment process. Companies and recruitment agents have moved much of their
recruitment process online so as to improve the speed by which job candidates can be matched
with live vacancies. Using database technologies, and online job advertising boards and search
engines, employers can now fill posts in a fraction of the time previously possible. It ranges
from the applicant interface for advertising vacancies and making job applications, to the back
office processes, which allow a liaison between human resources (HR) and line managers to set
up a talent pool or database of potential recruits.
There are two basic forms of e-recruitment:
 A Company's own corporate website
 Third party sites e.g. www.monster.com, www.bayt.com
The last few years has seen a massive explosion in the use of the Internet as a recruiting tool
or 'e-recruitment'.
 Nearly all of the Global 500 companies now use some form of online.
 Findings in a recent survey conducted by Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development show that e-recruitment sections on employers' own websites is now
the fourth most popular recruitment method.
 More than seven in ten employers advertise vacancies on their corporate websites,
while jobs boards are used by four in ten with 73% reporting reduced costs through
using e-recruitment.
 It is predicted that 96% of all companies will use the Internet for their recruitment
needs.
Using average figures for the public sector, the recruitment firm, jobs go public have estimated
that a unitary authority with 14,000 employees could save over £1million by moving 20 per
cent of its recruitment from press to online. The same authority could save a further £140,000
in costs of printing and administering application packs. Reducing press advertising by 80 per

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cent could save an average £3.8 million, with £600,000 saved on printing and administration
costs.
The internet is popular among job-seekers – figures from the British Market Research Bureau
show that it is the favoured job-hunting method for one in four UK adults, with the most likely
job hunter to be 25-34 years old according to the National Online Recruitment Audience Survey
(NORAS). Many candidates use online sites to register for job alerts by email and to register
their CV.
A number of companies have started to make use of recruitment ’blogs’ (or online diaries) from
employees as part of the information they offer to potential candidates about working for the
organisation (for example based on the experiences of graduates on a development scheme).
This is a potential way to build relationships with would-be candidates - and to feature different
areas of your company and vacancies.
Social networking sites are also being used to target different talent audiences. For example,
social networking site, Facebook has 150 million global users and in the UK more than 14m
users with 50% of users returning daily. According to Chartered Institute of Personnel
and Development’s recruitment survey , the most popular social networking sites used by
employers to attract and recruit employees are: Linked-In (62%) and Facebook (58%).
New recruits can also benefit from social networking through learning about the organisation
and its culture, and connecting with others sharing similar experiences to help speed up their
induction into the organisation. For more information see our factsheet on induction.
E-recruitment has been considerably affected by the current global economic recession.
Companies are now moving from other modes of recruitment to using their corporate websites
to recruit candidates in order to cut costs. The use of third party sites have also reduced.

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Advantages of E-Recruitment:
It makes the recruitment process faster, more accountable and standardised.
Candidates can apply directly to the organisation rather than applying to employment
agencies. It also removes the dependence of organisations on recruitment agencies.
Builds a Talent Pool of candidates and facilitates just-in-time hiring. When an
organisation needs a candidate it can access the database of job portals, screen resumes
and send a mass mail. It can also shortlist people based on skills, location, salary and
availability and move on to the interview stage.
Online recruitment helps the organisations to weed out the unqualified candidates in an
automated way.
Organisations have cut costs by almost 80 percent over traditional recruitment modes
by moving over to the online recruitment process.
Recruitment websites also provide valuable data and information regarding the
compensation offered by the competitors etc. which helps the HR managers to take
various HR decisions like promotions, salary trends in industry etc.
Applicants receive a much higher quality of service, ranging from prompt and timely
communications through to the ability to select their own interview time through an
online interview zone all of which enhances the employer's brand, making it easier in
the long term to attract staff.

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Disadvantages of E-Recruitment
The internet is not the first choice for all job seekers.
Through the e-recruitment process, employers are inundated with millions of resumes;
screening and checking the authenticity of resumes is very time consuming.
Through the e-recruitment process, employers are inundated with millions of resumes;
screening and checking the authenticity of resumes is very time consuming.
Organisations cannot be dependant solely and totally on the online recruitment
methods.
Some organisations still prefer a face-to-face interaction rather than sending e-mails.
In the traditional methods of recruitment, consultants did the authenticity check initially
and saved time and effort.
Sometimes applicants who post their resumes online are not active job seekers. In such
a scenario, companies fail to keep a track of them and their contact details.
There is always a risk of viruses when using online recruitment.

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The Companies which I have chosen for my assessment are Ford and Google.
FORD
On exploring the site applicants can come to know about the working environment of the
company, about career programs and open positions, and what it is like to work at Ford.
Display
The site has a very attractive graphical user interface. It is very user –friendly.
Key information and values presented
 Ford proudly states that it is an equal opportunity employer committed to a culturally
diverse workforce. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion, age,
gender, sexual orientation, national origin, handicap, or veteran status.
 Ford displays the benefits it offers to their employees.
 Ford believes that the best way to learn about working at the company is to let the
employees tell you. There is a list of employees whose profile you can read and find out
how they feel about the company.
 Ford is a global company with opportunities worldwide. It has a website for almost
every country. Applicants can also contact the company on a list email addresses posted
on the site.
 Ford speaks of its company’s progress and work ethic. It stresses on the qualities which
they look for in their candidates.
 Ford displays the opportunities they offer to their employees and the benefits which
they can prevail when working with ford. Ford asserts that working with the company
brings the best out of an employee. The extensive training which is given at Ford helps
one develop his/her expertise and acquire new skills. It also provides broad and valuable
work experience.
 Ford says that it welcomes and values the ideas and contributions of all employees.

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 Ford also shows what it emphasizes on and what kind of culture they want to prevail in
the company.
 On visiting the site for a couple of times, Ford will ask to you to answer a brief
questionnaire related to the website. The questionnaire will ask you about your
experience, your purpose of visit and also to rate the site between 1 to 10.
Registration
The steps to be followed for applying a position are given. The registration process at Ford is
very simple.
 The first step is choosing a job from the job bank.
 After that the candidates have to take a 15 minute questionnaire. The questionnaire is
about personal details like name, address, background, experience, career interests etc.
The questionnaire helps to match the skills of the candidates with the company’s
openings. Once the questionnaire is complete, one can add his/her resume. An account
of the candidate is created on the site.
 Candidates can log in to their account later and can search on the website’s job bank at
any time to register for new positions. The information remains active in the company’s
records for a year.
 The company uses emails to communicate with candidates throughout the hiring
process.
 If the management finds one’s background meeting with the job’s needs, they will
inform the candidate by e-mail.
 If a position is no longer posted on the site, it means that it is no longer open. The
company does not provide updates or notifications if one is not considered for a job.
 Applicants can also check for updates and notifications in their account on the website.

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GOOGLE
On exploring the site and reading the content one feels that the site gives a perfect picture of
the company.
Display
 Google’s site has a very ordinary graphical user interface but it is very user- friendly.
Although there are just some hyperlinks on the page, they are very specific and save
time.
 The display of content and information is very well. There are a lot of pictures and
videos on the site which give a very clear understanding of the life at Google and its
employees.
 Google’s website is a perfect reflection of the company. Google is a very unique
company and its culture is unlike any in corporate America. At Google employees are
not known as employees, they are known as Googlers.
 Google clearly states that it is not a conventional company and it doesn’t intend to
become one. In spite of the company’s growth, the company retains a small-company
feel.
 Google displays the environment and the culture at Google. It proudly speaks of its
friendly environment. It is a fun and inspiring workspace which includes on-site doctor
and dentist; massage and yoga; professional development opportunities; shoreline
running trails; and plenty of snacks.
 At Google work is carried out in small teams to promote spontaneity, creativity and
speed.

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Key information and values presented
 Google is a global company with a multicultural workforce. It emphasizes on diversity.
Google states that its globally diverse workforce is behind the success of the company.
 Google proudly displays what it does for its employees, the community and
underrepresented students. At Google the benefits are not only for their employees but
also extend to their families. Google takes extraordinarily good care of its employees as
the company believes that the employees are its most valuable assets.
 Google states that it puts users first when it comes to online services, Google puts
employees first when it comes to daily life in its offices.
 Google says that its management listens to the idea of every Googler on the theory that
any Googler can come up with the next breakthrough.
 Google states that it is an equal opportunity employer and it does not discriminate on
any basis.
 Google displays a list of reasons as to why candidates should work for Google.
 Google presents that the employees at Google not only have great jobs, but also great
lives.
 Google makes it clear that it does not accept agency resumes and warns candidates not
to send their resumes to agencies.
Registration
Applying for a job at Google is very easy.
There are 2 ways of doing it:
1. Candidates can choose a job in a particular field. The locations (countries and cities)
where the position is available will be shown. Then the candidate can select the place
where he/she would like to work.
2. Candidates can choose the place (countries and cities) where they would like to work.
The jobs available in that place will be shown. Then the candidate can select the job
he/she would like to do.

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Once the job and the location are chosen, one is suppose to fill in the details and post the
resume. The company will send the candidate a confirmation e-mail within 24 hours.
Comparison of the sites
Both Ford and Google are global companies and both try to portray the image of their company
through their websites. Both use their corporate websites to attract candidates.
On exploring the corporate websites of both the companies and reading the content on them,
we have made the following observations :
 Ford is more professional whereas Google is flamboyant and informal.
 Ford stresses on its values and speaks about the company’s progress and work ethic.
Google on the other hand flaunts about its uniqueness and what it does for its
employees.
 Ford’s graphical user interface is more attractive but Google’s graphical user interface is
more user-friendly. Although there are just some hyperlinks on the page, they are very
specific and save time.
 Ford has a separate website for every country it operates in, whereas Google has one
global website.
Common features
There are a lot of common features on both the companies’ sites
 Both the companies state that they are equal opportunity employers and it do not
discriminate on any basis.
 On both the sites you can read the profile of the employees who are already working in
the company and find out how they feel about the company.
 On both the sites you can find the benefits the company offers to their employees.
 On both the sites you can find a list of frequently asked questions.
 Both the companies use emails to communicate with candidates.

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Good and Bad Practices
 Having a separate website for every country the company operates in is good to some
extent as each site caters to the culture and people of that country but the overall costs
for maintaining all the sites is more.
 Having an account of the candidate on the website is a better way of keeping a record of
the candidate than just having the candidates e-mail. Candidates can check for updates
and notifications in their account on the website itself. Also candidates wouldn’t have to
go through the registration process again if they apply in future. Ford uses this
technique.
 Google uses a lot of images and videos on their site. Images and videos give a clearer
picture of the company.
 Letting the applicants read the profile of the employees who are already working in the
company is a very good technique.
 Having a list of frequently asked questions on the site is very useful.
 Displaying the benefits the company offers to their employees on the site is a very good
way of attracting candidates.
 Ford asks the applicants who visit the site to answer a questionnaire which is related to
the site. Asking the applicants to answer a questionnaire related to the website and
what they feel about the website is a very good practice. The company can come to
know how applicants find their corporate website and make improvements if necessary.
 Google makes it clear that it does not accept agency resumes and warns candidates not
to send their resumes to agencies. A company should display on its corporate website if
it does not accept agency resumes.

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Conclusion
The purpose of e-recruitment is to fill a vacant position with the best fit candidate, cost-
effectively and on time. Using e-recruitment involves expertise in both the technology and the
recruitment cycle, so it is important to have the resources and expertise to achieve this.
Ensuring that the technology is used effectively and is fully integrated into the recruitment
strategy is also key. The method chosen should be appropriate to the vacancy to be filled. As
technological change moves so quickly, organisations need to keep abreast of new
developments and opportunities for e-recruitment as they emerge.

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References
http://www.idea.gov.uk/idk/core/page.do?pageId=4103934
http://recruitment.naukrihub.com/advantage-and-disadvantage-of-e-recruitment.html
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20050418/technologylife01.shtml
http://www.netsite.co.uk/NetsiteCMS/pageid/42/
http://www.oneclickhr.com/hrguide/article.asp?article=74&section=14
http://www.cipd.co.uk/subjects/recruitmen/onlnrcruit/onlrec.html
www.wikipedia.org