Although sliced bread comes first, it can be argued that the internet is one of the most important inventions of the modern age. The internet has drastically changed how we do things, from how we socialise and make friends to how we earn and spend money. You can probably list the few sectors that have not been affected by the internet in one way or another – and the list would be short.
Going by the degree to which internet usage has proliferated into our daily lives, it was only a matter of time before this phenomenon of interlinked computers changed how we searched and applied for jobs. Gone are the days when you had to look in your local dailies and noticeboards for job openings and physically mail your CV to potential employers and hope it gets delivered. Now there are a variety of ways job vacancies can be advertised. Now you can search for jobs online, apply, and even be interviewed straight from the comfort of your home. And you can thank online job boards for that!
Online job boards: what are they?
An online job board (also referred to as a job website or employment website) is a website that catalogues job ads from numerous employers and displays them in an organised manner to potential applicants.
From these websites, job seekers can search for the kind of job they want and narrow down their results on the basis of location, estimated salary, the type of job, among other parameters to find the exact kind of job that suits their preferences and needs. Job seekers can also upload their CVs and make them accessible to employers who want to search for candidates themselves rather than wait for candidates to find them.
Employers, on the other hand, can also search through job websites to find the type of candidates they would like and invite them to apply for jobs in addition to posting their job ads. Job sites also enable them to narrow down their search results by using filters such as location, qualifications and work experience among others.
Job boards also allow interested applicants to respond to job ads straight from the site and submit their CVs and cover letters. This makes the application process a lot easier for both employers and applicants.
Why are job boards becoming so popular?
Online job boards are increasingly becoming popular with both job seekers and employers as more people continue to find out about them and the benefits they offer. There are several reasons for the growing popularity of these platforms, they include:
Ease of use
Job websites are very easy to use for both the job hunter and the recruiter. Basically, if you have interacted with any other website before, then you can use a job board – it’s that straight forward. Job boards also offer users advanced search functionalities to help them find exactly what they are looking for; whether it’s a certain type of job, or a worker with a specific type of skill set. This helps improve the user experience by helping job seekers and employers find each other easily. Additionally, Job boards also allow job seekers to upload their CVs and other documents and send them to as many recruiters as they want making job hunting a lot easier.
Cutting out the middle man
Using a job board to post vacancies is a far cheaper option than sourcing for candidates through a recruitment agency. The commission fees for a recruitment agency can quickly build up if you are recruiting for positions with high salaries or if your business has a high employee turnover necessitating you to recruit more often. Eliminating the middle man also allows you to expedite the recruitment process, and if you have good judgement, it can also be more effective to sort through all the applications by yourself. Recruitment agencies could sometimes present you with candidates that do not match your needs or candidates whose CVs have been tailored to suit the specific role they are applying for. Joab boards, on the other hand, give you the opportunity to see exactly what the candidate presents so that you can make a decision based on true and accurate information.
There is something for everyone
There’re numerous kinds of job websites from generalist job boards (those advertising mixed job opportunities from all industries) to niche job boards catering to specific industries. This ensures that your chances of finding a job opportunity that matches what you are looking for or a candidate with a particular set of skills (in the case of recruiters) are quite high.
Recruitment automation
Traditional recruitment generally requires a lot of manual input. From creating and disseminating job ads to manually reviewing applications, the entire process can be long and tiresome. Job boards provide recruiters with tools that help them simplify the process for faster and more effortless recruitment. From the job website, you can manage your job postings, review candidate applications and even schedule interviews making your job so much easier. Automation of the application process also means that you can schedule the job website to take down your job ad after a certain amount of time to limit the number of candidates who apply for the job.
Wider reach
If your company is not particularly popular on social media or doesn’t get a great deal of traffic on its website, using a job board can provide you with the perfect springboard to bring visibility to your vacancy. Job boards also give you access to a large and diverse candidate pool that you would have otherwise had a difficult time reaching. Also, if you’re looking for international candidates as well, job boards provide you with the perfect platform to find them as the internet transcends the limitations of geographical boundaries. Job seekers from far-flung countries can apply for positions just as easily as someone living within your city limits – maybe even better if they have a more superior internet connection.
Job boards have risen in popularity because they offer a convenient way for recruiters and job seekers to find each other. And as internet usage continues to grow, you can be sure that more individuals and businesses will embrace this new way of recruitment – meaning that you only need to worry about the transition to the new job.