Comparative Analysis of Online Recruitment: USA versus …...Comparative Analysis of Online Recruitment: USA versus Romania . Scientific Coordinators: ... The main objective of the

BABEŞ-BOLYAI UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF ECONOMICS AND BUSINESS

ADMINISTRATION CLUJ NAPOCA

Comparative Analysis of Online Recruitment: USA versus Romania

Scientific Coordinators: Assist.prof.dr. Zaharie Monica Aniela

Student:

Gáspár Lilla

Gáspár Lilla

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 1

Chapter 1. – Presentation of the employment process .................................................................... 1

1.1. General definition and concepts ...........................................................................................1

1.2. Stages of the recruitment process ........................................................................................3

1.2.1. Defining requirements and recruitment objectives .......................................................3

1.2.2. Planning the recruitment process (recruitment policies) ..............................................6

1.2.3. Attracting candidates .....................................................................................................7

1.3. The selection process ......................................................................................................... 10

Chapter 2. - Online recruitment ........................................................................................................ 1

2.1. General presentation .............................................................................................................1

2.2. E‐recruitment channels .........................................................................................................4

2.2.1. Commercial job boards...................................................................................................4

2.2.2. Commercial websites .....................................................................................................5

2.3. Characteristics of online recruitment ....................................................................................6

2.3.1. Applicant pool coverage .................................................................................................6

2.3.2. Types of candidates attracted ........................................................................................7

2.3.3. Cost comparison .......................................................................................................... 10

2.3.4. Process time comparison ............................................................................................ 11

2.3.5. Attraction and brand development ............................................................................. 12

2.3.6. Online assessment ....................................................................................................... 13

2.3.7. Candidate management .............................................................................................. 14

2.4. Potentially Dysfunctional Consequences ........................................................................... 15

2.4.1. Quantity versus quality ................................................................................................ 16

2.4.2. Diversity ....................................................................................................................... 16

2.4.3. Privacy issues ............................................................................................................... 17

2.5. Chapter Conclusions ........................................................................................................... 19

Chapter 3. – Research Methodology and results ............................................................................. 1

3.1. Research framework..............................................................................................................1

3.1.1. General considerations ...................................................................................................1

3.1.2. Research instrument’s design ........................................................................................2

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3.1.3. Data collection process: .................................................................................................3

3.1.4. Data analysis process: ....................................................................................................4

3.2. Commercial job board comparison .......................................................................................5

3.2.1. Website characteristics and orientation subsystem criteria ..........................................5

3.2.2. Information provided subsystem criteria .......................................................................7

3.2.4. Commercial job board comparison’s results ..................................................................8

3.3. Online job advertisement comparison ............................................................................... 11

3.3.1. Criteria presentation ................................................................................................... 12

3.3.2. Online job advertisement comparison’s results .......................................................... 13

Chapter 4. Conclusions and recommendations ................................................................................ 1

4.1. Conclusions ............................................................................................................................1

4.1.1. Results and conclusions of the job board analysis .........................................................1

4.1.2. Results and conclusions of the job advertisement analysis ...........................................3

4.2. Future recommendations ......................................................................................................5

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List of Charts

Figure 1 - Landscape of e-recruitment (source: IES, 2003) ................................................ 2 Figure 2 - Breakdown of Online Candidates (source: Gulftalent.com, 2009) .................... 8 Figure 3- Cost Comparison of Recruitment Channels (source: Gulftalent.com, 2009) .... 10 Figure 4 - Performance Comparison of Recruitment Channels (source: Gulftalent.com, 2009) ................................................................................................................................. 11 Figure 5 - Types of Online Identity Theft (source: TechFreakz.com, 2011) .................... 18 Figure 6 - Criteria compliance ............................................................................................ 8 Figure 7 - Score comparison ............................................................................................. 10 Figure 8 - Emphasis on Core Skill Requirements ............................................................. 14 Figure 9 - Emphasis on Core Trait Requirements ............................................................ 15 Figure 10 - Emphasis on Core HR Job Tasks ................................................................... 16 Figure 11 - Average Experience Required ........................................................................ 17 Figure 12 - General Comparison ....................................................................................... 18

Gáspár Lilla Introduction

Introduction

“Online recruitment is a phenomenon that is not only changing the traditional approach to

Human Resource Management but is also having a significant impact on other business

strategies.” (Simeon, 2002)

With the full commercialization of the Internet in 1995, the incredible spectrum of newly-

found opportunities started to revolutionize almost every aspect of life. This development

process is still very much present - even after almost two decades. When it comes to

Human Resource Management the effect of the Internet is as implemental – if not, even

more significant – than in any other scientific field.

However, due to relatively young nature of the phenomenon of online recruitment, there

are few representative scientific data compared to the traditional recruitment methods.

Even today, a large proportion of employers tend to look over the benefits that e-

recruitment offers due to lack of research in this field.

When choosing the topic of the present study, several considerations were taken into

account in order to find an interesting, suitable and somehow challenging theme for my

thesis. As I was always drawn to Human Resource Management, it was only a matter of

preferences to grab the most suitable HR-related field and conduct a research related to it.

With the phenomenon of the “Internet” having such a defining influence on our

generation’s life (hence the expression “the Internet Generation”), I found the aspect of

analyzing such a complex and sophisticated phenomenon very appealing. The perfect

combination of these two elements assimilated in the form of online recruitment.

The main objective of the present study is to capture, observe and compare current online

recruitment trends, by analyzing two completely different societies: Romania and the

United States of America. To obtain a representative result, two separate studies were

conducted: the first one compared the five biggest job boards from both countries, while

the second one analyzed online job advertisements (30-30 from each country) according

to pre-defined criteria systems.

Gáspár Lilla Introduction

The thesis is structured into four chapters, each of them dealing with a separate topic that

facilitates the understanding of the whole study. The first chapter focuses on general

theoretical aspects concerning the employment process, defining and delimiting concepts

that are implemental when dealing with online recruitment. The second chapter deals

specifically with online recruitment, and sets the necessary framework for the research

phase by presenting the whole phenomenon’s methods and characteristics.

The third chapter presents the methodology of the aforementioned studies, explains in

detail the methods used to conduct the comparison between the two countries and

systematically lists the obtained results.

Finally, the last chapter summarizes the findings of the comparison by drawing a series of

conclusions that aim to answer the main questions related to the topic of the present

study.

Gáspár Lilla Presentation of the employment process

CHAPTER 1. – PRESENTATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT

PROCESS

1.1. General definition and concepts

In order to properly present the subtleties of online recruitment, some general information

about the whole employment process is needed to clarify certain concepts.

If we dwell into the scientific literature covering the large spectrum of Human Resource

Management, we can quickly observe that the topic of recruitment and selection takes up

a very significant part of the aforementioned books. According to many representative

authors, the employment process represents the most elemental and indispensable part of

Human Resource Management.

But exactly what is covered by this complex concept? As stated by Barber, one of the

most prolific and significant authors in the field of HRM, “recruitment includes those

practices and activities carried on by the organization with the primary purpose of

identifying and attracting potential employees” (1998). A more detailed definition

provided by Tyson (2006) points out the major aims and attributes of this process:

“recruitment is the activity which produces candidates, which helps to establish the

employer brand, and through recruitment policies has a major impact on the

organizational culture; the object of recruitment is to find suitable candidates to meet

organizational needs, in as cost effective way as possible.” The scientific literature

unanimously states that the essential goal of the recruitment process is to be able to attract

and retain high quality people in order to gain competitive advantage (Barney, 1991;

Barney and Wright, 1998; Wright and McMahon, 1992).


When dealing with the process of employment form the HR point of view, a difference

has to be made between recruitment and selection due to the fact that these two concepts

represent two different parts of the same employment process: recruitment is concerned

with the process of finding and attracting potential candidates for the given job-openings,

while selection is concerned with deciding which applicants or candidates represent the

best choice for filling in that position.

According to Armstrong (2009) the employment process can be broken down into four

major phases:

• Defining requirements and recruitment objectives

• Planning the recruitment process

• Attracting candidates

• Selecting candidates


1.2. Stages of the recruitment process

1.2.1. Defining requirements and recruitment objectives

From the point view of the employer, every recruitment process begins with the

realization of a need for a new employee. This need can occur because of many different

reasons (e.g.: the creation of a new position within a company, the departure of a former

employee, expansion etc.) and in order to successfully fulfill it, the employment of a

fitting and competent person for the job is necessary. This requires defining precisely the

skills and competencies (technical and behavioral) needed to appropriately perform the

given job, by creating detailed job descriptions, role profiles and person specifications

(also known as job specification).

In the HR field, the term “competencies” is used to describe the attributes necessary for

effective performance. Tyson (2006) states that “many companies use competences as

touchstone for the whole human resource system so that requirement, appraisal and

training and development are all based on a common standard of effective performance”.

According to findings from Tyson and Doherty (1999) 95 percent of organizations used

competency systems for their managerial staff, around 80 percent for clerical staff and 75

percent for manual staff. In most cases, competencies represent a mix of personal and job

related attributes, in order to properly assess every aspect of the potential candidate.

Organizations nowadays build different role profiles for job openings to compare each

applicant’s competences with those required by the given position. More specifically,

Armstrong (2006) stated that role profiles define the overall purpose of the role, its

reporting relationships and the key result areas.

The competency system and the criteria for effective performance are established

according to a well-developed job analysis. According to Tyson (2006), a job analysis is

implemental due to the many other processes that it serves: “first, it can be used to

establish what is required for recruiting purposes; secondly, as part of a development

programme, to discover competences and attributes of high performance; and thirdly, as

part of job evaluation, to determine rewards”.


A job analysis can be conducted by the managers of the company, by the job holders

themselves, by the HR department or it can be outsourced to external consultants or

organizations. When deciding upon the entity that will carry out the task, a lot of different

resource- and effectiveness-related aspects have to be considered depending on the given

organization. For example, for a large organization it may be worthwhile to employ HR

staff or external consultants to carry out a comprehensive analysis – a more resource-

demanding approach (Tyson, 2006). In contrast, small companies would probably find

this method impractical because of time- and expense-related reasons. Furthermore, given

the fact that nowadays jobs are developing and changing at a heightened rate because of

economic, social and technological factors, job descriptions need constant revision.

Regarding the method of the job analysis, the following techniques are the most often

implemented:

• Direct observation – during the analysis the person responsible observes

directly the work-process

• Interviews – can be carried out with the job holders themselves, their

direct manager or even co-workers

• Diaries – with this method the job holders have to analyze their own work

over a period of time, by recording information regularly, in “diary” form

• Questionnaires – the job analyst compiles together a series of questions

designed to elicit the maximum possible useful information about the job

under analysis (Tyson, 2006)

After the job analysis process is finished and the data acquired processed, the

development of the job description and person specification can commence. These two

definitions are both necessary and complementary elements of the recruitment process,

and in most cases are merged together into one, extensive job description.


There are a lot of different opinions when contemplating upon the structure and content

of a proper job description, but in order to take advantage of the benefits that this form of

analysis offers, the following elements have to be treated in detail:

1. Job title and basic information (exact function and level of the job)

2. Overall purpose - a clear and concise description that distinguishes

the given job from other positions within the company, and

establishes the role and the contribution of the job holder

3. Main activities and tasks – the detailed description of every

primary, secondary and occasional task that the given job includes

4. Competences – the list of necessary requirements (level of

education, skills, previous experience, etc. ) that are needed to

effectively perform the aforementioned tasks

5. Responsibilities - the position of the job in the organization

structure, list of supervisors and subordinates and list of

responsibilities that the job holder is accountable for

It is essential that during this first phase - besides the detailed job description - the

recruitment objectives are also established, because without a clear vision of the final

outcome of the whole process, it is very difficult to develop a sound recruitment strategy

(Ryne & Barber, 1990). These core objectives are essential when addressing problems

that arise in the upcoming recruitment planning phase.


1.2.2. Planning the recruitment process (recruitment policies)

After the proper analysis of the job-opening is finalized, focus shifts to the questions that

arise during the recruitment process itself, such as:

1. Whether or not the organization wants to recruit internally or externally –

Although this paper mainly focuses on external recruiting, the possibility

of filling vacancies internally should always be considered, due to the

possible benefits that this source of recruitment inherently offers (e.g.: it

takes considerably less time and requires fewer resources than external

recruitment; current employees are already familiar with the

organization;)

2. Will they conduct the recruiting process themselves, or will they consider

outsourcing it to special agencies - The 2008 CIPD survey of recruitment,

retention and turnover found that 78 per cent used recruitment agencies,

75 percent used their own corporate website, 75 percent used local

newspaper advertisements and 62 per cent used specialist journals (CIPD,

2008a). The survey presents a clear inclination towards outsourcing

different parts of the employment process to external, third-party

companies and institutions, such as: private employment agencies

(recruitment consultants, head-hunters, etc.) and governmental agencies

and institutions (career services of academic institutions, employment

services of trade unions, resettlement services of the armed forces and job

centers and career advice provided by the State)

3. Where should the organization start recruiting (age, gender, aptitudes

consideration) – should the company for example consider hiring freshly

graduated college students.


4. How will the recruitment process be conducted – By creating a clear

framework for the whole employment process from the organization’s

point of view (defining each and every step), possible problems and

mistakes can be anticipated and dealt with in advance which can result in

significant costs and resource savings.

1.2.3. Attracting candidates

Job advertisement became the most common and effective method during the last decade

for organizations to carry out their search for suitable staff. This fact is emphasized by the

huge amounts of investments put into the advertisement process: according to the

Advertising Association advertising expenditure in the UK only surpassed 1.1 billion

pounds in 2004. Furthermore, Monster Worldwide calculated that the newspaper and

magazine job-advertisements represented approximately a 4 billion dollar investment

(yearly) for organizations in the USA.

According to Wanous (1992), in the past many organizations have had the simple

recruitment goal of attracting a large number of job applicants. But with the unavoidable

cultural and technological changes brought about by the last two decades, several

researchers questioned this statement. Rynes suggested that employers would be wise to

consider a wider range of possible recruitment objectives because of the many

opportunities that exist nowadays (e.g.: influencing post-hire outcomes such as

performance, satisfaction, retention rates).


If we look at the most popular advertising methods worldwide, the following sources

have to be mentioned:

• Press advertisements (national and local newspapers, special magazines,

professional and trade journals, etc.)

• Television advertisements

• Radio advertisements

• Online advertisements (which will be treated in detail in the following

chapter)

• Advertisement through third-party agencies and consultants (private

agencies and job centers, recruitment consultants, executive search

consultants or “head-hunters”)

The most obvious and common method to attract job-applicants is traditional advertising

(e.g.: press, television and radio, professional and trade journals, etc.), although an

increase towards outsourcing and online recruitment can be observed during these last

few years (revealed in the aforementioned CIPD -2008a- survey).

Understandably, the defining aim of the advertisement phase is to generate applicants for

the organization. This can only be achieved by attracting the attention of potential job-

applicants by creating an understandable and credible recruitment communication

(Breaugh & Billings, 1988). In order to obtain the desired results, special attention and

effort is required form the advertising organization’s part. First of all, it is implemental to

clearly state the specific details of the given job opening in terms of competences, skills,

duties, opportunities, rewards, conditions and special circumstances. The message of the

advertisement has to be succinct, accurate and comprehensive in order to be understood

by every potentially suitable candidate. Furthermore, all the before mentioned elements

have to be presented in a manner that puts the given organization in a favorable image in

terms of efficiency and its attitudes towards people, while making sure that it does not

contravene employment laws concerning gender, race, age, religion, etc. (Tyson, 2006).


In many cases, the advertisement itself is not always enough to generate a large enough

applicant pool, because a lot depends on the external and internal reputation of the

employer too. Therefore, in most cases an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the

organization can bring significant benefits to the recruitment process, by pointing out

areas the employer company needs to improve on in order to be more attractive to

applicants.

In order to summarize the information provided in this sub-chapter, Armstrong (2009)

enumerated the major aims that have to be considered by every organization in order to

maximize the effectiveness of the advertisement phase:

• generating candidates – attract a sufficient number of candidates at minimum cost

• attracting attention – it must compete for the attention of potential candidates

against other employees

• creating and maintaining interest - it has to communicate in an attractive and

interesting way information about the job, the company and the terms and

conditions of employment.

• stimulating action – the message needs to be conveyed in a way that will prompt a

sufficient number of replies from candidates with the right qualification for the

job

As a final step of the advertisement stage, the measurement and evaluation of the

response gained can provide valuable information for present and future considerations

(e.g.: cost/reply ratio).


1.3. The selection process

With the conclusion of the advertisement phase and by obtaining (at least) the necessary

amount of replies received, the selection process can commence. According to Tyson

(2006) there are two basic questions that provide the foundation for an effective selection

system:

1. What are the criteria for effective performance against which selectors must judge

the suitability of candidates for appointment?

2. What methods are most likely to reveal the evidence they need to make judgments

and decisions about the suitability of candidates?

Basically, all previous steps were conducted in order to answer these questions and to

provide data and support for the selection process. This only emphasizes the importance

of finding the right candidate for the given job, as any mistake at this point can have

major consequences from the company’s point of view. As stated by Tyson (2004),

appropriate investment at this stage can and will be cost-effective if it avoids the possibly

enormous and incalculable costs that faulty employee selection may provide.

The scientific literature presents alternating opinions on the delimitation of the different

stages of the recruitment process (where exactly the recruitment stage of the employment

process ends, and where the selection begins), but every source states clearly that the

obtainment of applications has to be followed by some sort of processing stage. The focus

here is on reducing the number of potential applicants, in order to save processing and

analyzing time in the later stages. According to Tyson (2004), this task will be based on

the published requirements for the job and involves painstaking and scrupulous study of

the information provided by applicants, a comparison of this information with those job

requirements and, finally, a decision whether to accept or reject at this stage.


Because it is almost impossible to narrow down the number of candidates to the desired

and optimal amount (the so called short-list) by relying on documentary evidence only,

other means of decision-easing methods (e.g.: referrals, testimonials, information

checking, etc.) are used in order to come up with the best possible choices. Armstrong

stated that (2009) “the numbers on the short-list should ideally be between four and eight.

Fewer than four leaves relatively little choice (although such a limitation may be forced

on you if an insufficient number of good applications have been received). More than

eight will mean that too much time is spent on interviewing and there is a danger of

diminishing returns setting in.”

With the obtainment of the selection short-list, the most critical phase of the personnel

selection can begin. Over the years specialists developed many methods that can properly

assess an applicant’s capabilities to carry out a certain role successfully:

• Interviews – This is the most commonly used form of assessment, during which

the potential employee is evaluated for prospective employment by the employer

in a face-to-face discussion. It can take many forms according to the parties and

processes involved: individual interviews, interviewing panels, selection boards,

assessment centers, structured or unstructured interviews, etc. There are many

aspects of this method that can be discussed in length here, but from the point of

view of the topic of this paper it is enough to mention the main characteristics

associated with it. Because it is conducted between two or more persons, it

inherently holds a subjective aspect that is not always favorable for either party

involved. Furthermore, because it is not a lengthy process it lacks validity when it

comes to making predictions about many of the candidate’s attributes, like job-

performance, behavioral attributes, personality, etc. The only kind of validity that

the interview can confidently be said to have is to test whether people can cope

with the special and unusual conditions of the interview (Tyson, 2004). Despite of

the aforementioned disadvantages, every selection process invariably includes an

interview, and quite often is the only method used because quite simply, despite


extensive research, it is still the most comprehensive, complex and interactive

method of selection used nowadays.

• Ability tests – These tests are designed to assess the technical skills and

knowledge of the candidate, such as achievement tests (to test already acquired

skills: foreign languages, computer skills, etc.) or aptitude test (designed to

predict latent potential to meet job requirements with the help of different kinds of

intelligence tests).

• Tests of personality – These tests were developed in an attempt to determine

personality characteristics in order to predict future behavior at work.

• Group situational tests – These test attempt to assess candidates by creating a

framework in which they have to solve different problems over a given period of

time, under the supervision of the selectors.

As there are almost always more candidates than job openings, companies have to put

great emphasis on the selection phase. It is implemental for selectors to assess the

applicants according to the criteria defined in previous stages, and be as objective and

unbiased as possible. With the proper application and right mixture of the many selection

methods listed above, the ideal candidate should come to surface.

After identifying the most suitable applicant, as a final stage of the selection process, the

confirmation of the offer of employment has to be finalized and the contract of

employment can be prepared.

Many authors emphasized the significance of the “follow-up” activity ensuing the

employment of the selected candidate by monitoring the progress of the newly hired

employee, because identifying problems at an early stage of employment is essential in

order to ensure development and competitiveness. Furthermore, information obtained by

the follow-up activity combined with the employment process evaluation data can help in


future by pointing out areas in need improvement, and if by chance mistakes were made,

they can be more easily identified and analyzed. After defining key concepts and

obtaining some vital information related to the employment process, we can now focus

on the main topic of the paper: online recruitment.

Gáspár Lilla Online recruitment

CHAPTER 2. - ONLINE RECRUITMENT

2.1. General presentation

If we take a close look at the newly emerged successful companies existing in our

economy, we can easily distinguish one aspect that is common in almost every situation:

contrary to past strategies and trends, nowadays, almost every CEO emphasizes the

significance of the role of the people behind an organization’s success. According to

Gueutal & Stone (2005) corporations have begun to embrace a “human capital approach”,

one that considers the money spent on fostering innovation in the workforce as an

investment. In order get to this change in owners and top manager’s mentality, it is

obvious that Human Resource Management had to go over major developments over the

last decades.

With the emergence of computer and internet technology, HR processes and procedures

have been expanded and optimized in order to cope with the increased subservience on

this area of management. The “Internet revolution” brought about the transformation of

the internal structures, processes and capabilities of almost every firm in the world (Bell

& Sutton 1998, Freeman 1999), in order to gain competitive advantage.

As in many other fields, the emergence of the Internet in the mid-1990s became the

driver behind a “recruitment revolution” (Boydell, 2002), due to the many benefits it

offered for organizations and job-seekers also. The constant connection that this new

technology enabled between the two sides created a sophisticated, yet incredibly effective

framework for its users.


Figure 1 ‐ Landscape of e‐recruitment (source: IES, 2003)

Within years online recruitment (or e-recruitment) became the most popular and cost-

effective method of recruitment used worldwide. For example, 96% of U.S. companies

had online presence by 2001 already (Arthur, 2001), and by 2005 50% of new hires in the

U.S. were from online sources (Cober and Brown, 2006). Although it is difficult to

properly estimate the current usage of e-recruiting systems, specialists say that close to 90

percent of large firms use online recruitment and this number will only increase in the

near future.


The emergence of the electronic resumes and applications literally redefined the concept

of an applicant. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), together with

the Department of Labor’s Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (DOL

OFCCP), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the Office of Personnel Management

(OPM) proposed guidelines to define a person who applies for a job over the internet.

They stipulate that “the core of being an applicant is asking to be hired to do a particular

job for a specific employer”.

Furthermore, they enumerate three conditions that have to be fulfilled in order to consider

a person “an electronic applicant”:

1. An employer must take steps to fill a given job opening.

2. An individual must follow the employer’s standard application

procedure.

3. The individual must express interest in the opening. (In other words,

casual browsers are not considered applicants.)

Due to the fact that the Internet is still in its infancy and expands and develops at an

unprecedented pace, new and innovative ways to use the web-space for recruitment

appear almost every day. The most common methods used in e-recruitment according to

Galanaki (2002) are: adding recruitment pages to existing organizational websites, using

specialized websites (job portals, online job boards, etc.), developing interactive tools for

processing applications (online applications, email auto responding, etc.) and using online

screening techniques (keyword systems, online interviews and personality assessments,

etc.) A recent trend that emerged with the growing popularity of social media networking,

pushed large companies and organizations towards implementing the usage of sites such

as Facebook, Twitter or Google+ to identify potential applicants, check background data

and advertise job openings.


Regardless of the aforementioned methods and new tendencies, the two dominant ways to

get in touch with applicants and advertise job openings remain the commercial job boards

and corporate websites.

2.2. E-recruitment channels

2.2.1. Commercial job boards

These websites are operated by specialized firms and function mainly as databanks

containing job vacancies. Companies use this method of advertising mainly to reach out

to a larger potential candidate pool; although in some cases - with proper usage-

commercial job boards can be used to get in touch with a more specialized and niche

labor market (e.g.: some jobs that require advanced IT skills are advertised exclusively

online in order to sift through applicants more effectively by using an IT-dependent

channel of communication).

Over the last few years, leading commercial job boards have developed from simple job

advertisement websites to huge and complex databanks containing information from all

around the world. A recent development induced by these websites is the creation of a

two-way communication between organizations and applicants. Job seekers today have

the possibility to actively advertise themselves by creating profiles and submitting CVs

online, thus creating a complex yet effective connection between job seekers and

employers.

Job boards provide a large and steady stream of information for both sides at a low cost

compared to other methods. According to a research done by CareerXroads.com in 2008,

employers rated job boards as the second most effective source for hiring new staff

behind referrals.


In spite of the many benefits that this method offers for job seekers and employers alike -

as with any other recruitment sources - there are some limitations that have to be

considered. First of all, due to its online presence, its beneficiaries are limited to active

internet users, thus constraining the demographics they cover (although the number of

internet users is rising dramatically with each passing day) and their influence does not

extend to passive job seekers. Secondly, due to the incredible amount of information they

contain, it becomes increasingly difficult to extract the desired result from them.

Employers and job seekers are often inundated with advertisements and applications that

otherwise would not even be considered at this stage.

2.2.2. Commercial websites

Due to the fact that more than 95% of companies have online presence (mainly in the

form of a personalized websites), recruitment advertising on an organization’s own

website has become increasingly popular. A more advanced and effective application of

this method is the creation of a separate website area that contains detailed job

descriptions, person specifications, payment and benefits information, and with the help

of online applications forms and tests can actively screen and analyze candidates. This

method is particularly effective in the case of well-known and already established

companies, because primary contact stems from the applicant’s side.

From job seekers’ point of view, the greatest advantage of this method is the ability to

target specific job openings by submitting their applications directly to the desired

company and save precious time by not having to physically be present at each and every

test or screening process.

According to the Recruitment Confidence Index (RCI) developed by Cranfield University

and The Daily Telegraph, around 65% of companies reported that using their own

website proved successful in the recruitment process.


2.3. Characteristics of online recruitment

Due to the fact that online recruitment is a fairly new phenomenon, scientific analysis

related to this matter is scarce and only in a few cases representative. There is still a

significant amount of uncertainty that surrounds the whole process, but a series of

characteristics and effects have been identified and documented by specialists.

2.3.1. Applicant pool coverage

One of the most obvious advantages of online recruitment is its ability to access more

potential applicants. When compared to traditional recruitment methods, e-recruitment

has the widest coverage of this kind due to the fact that it is a global phenomenon. More

than 70% of the combined population of Europe and North America are active internet

users (close to a billion persons) according to internetworldstats.com (2011), and if we

narrow down the number of internet users to the number of online job applicants, in

America only, more than 52 million persons used the web space in order to look for job

openings (according to Pew Internet Project). The Chartered Institute of Personnel

Development (CIPD, 2006-2007) affirmed that more than 60% of companies used e-

recruiting methods specifically to gain access to a larger selection pool.

Furthermore, an otherwise related but opposite attribute of online recruitment is the

ability to target specific labor markets (according to specializations, race, age, area of

expertise, etc.) with the help of specialized websites that target distinctive characteristics

of applicants.


2.3.2. Types of candidates attracted

As stated at the beginning of this paper, the essential role of the recruitment process is to

be able to attract and retain high quality employees in order to gain competitive

advantage. With the emergence of e-recruitment formed a common belief amongst

organizations that online recruitment has the potential to attract more talented and

uniquely-skilled applicants than other, more traditional methods. This idea is based on the

simple fact that submitting an online application already requires a specific and

moderately elaborate set of skills and knowledge. Although this argument sounds

plausible in theory, research shows that companies do not attract higher quality

candidates because of the fact presented above, but mainly due to the significantly

increased number of attracted candidates and larger selection pool compared to traditional

recruiting methods (Chapman & Webster, 2003; Galanaki, 2002). This characteristic was

further emphasized by Jattuso and Sinar (2003), with a complementary statistic that states

that e-recruitment does not always produces higher-quality candidates, but it does yield

candidates with higher levels of education than general job boards.

Besides the characteristics presented above, it is obvious that some applicants are more

receptive towards online recruitment than others. The following data is based on

extensive research conducted mainly by two specialists – McManus and Ferguson – in

2003:

• online systems attract candidates with higher achievement, drive, and persistence

levels than traditional recruitment sources

• candidates recruited through online systems have a less favorable background

than those recruited by personal sources and may be more likely to be job hoppers

than those recruited from other sources

• 35 percent of those recruited through the Internet had three or more jobs in a five-

year period

• online recruiting is less likely to attract members of diverse groups than

impersonal recruitment sources (such as newspaper ads), suggesting that e-

recruiting may not help firms increase the diversity of their workforces


Gulftalent.com posted a series of statistics concerning the demographics of online

candidates in Asia. Although it is not in the demographic focused on by this paper, the

results can be considered representative enough (with only slight alterations) to present

the general, worldvide characteristics of online recruitment (over 1 million candidates

were involved in the research).

Figure 2 ‐ Breakdown of Online Candidates (source: Gulftalent.com, 2009)


We can easily observe that there are a number of segmentation trends concerning online

recruitment. Due to the fact that the internet phenomenon is relatively young compared to

other communications and media channels, it is fairly obvious that its main users are the

younger and middle-aged masses. More than 64% of the candidates that engaged in some

sort of e-recruitment process are under 35, and a mere 6% of users were over 50.

Emphasizing Jattuso and Sinar’s (2003) statement concerning the level of education of

online candidates, the results presented by gulftalent.com show a dominant trend

concerning this aspect, with a whopping 88% of candidates having some sort of higher

education degree in 2009.

Finally, when looking at race segmentation, McManus and Ferguson (2003) observed that

white candidates are more likely to use online recruitment than minority candidates.

According to usage rate statistics only 7% of Hispanics and 9% of African Americans use

online recruitment (Kuhn and Skuterud, 2000). Interestingly though, recent studies show

that minorities may be more likely to use e-recruiting compared to other traditional

recruitment sources (McManus and Ferguson, 2003), react quite favorably to online

recruitment and use it to self-select themselves out of the applicant pool (Sinar and

Reynolds, 2001).


2.3.3. Cost comparison

When compared to other recruiting methods concerning prices and costs involved, e-

recruitment places itself in a very elite position. Significant differences appear not only

advertisement-wise, but also when it comes to the HR department’s administrative

expenditures. IES found that 47% of survey responders used e-recruitment for

streamlining recruitment and administration, and 55% expected to reduce their use of

other recruitment methods in the near future (IES report 402). According to

GulfTalent.com online recruitment is by far the most cost effective method, with total

cost per hire as much as 90% lower than other channels:

Figure 3‐ Cost Comparison of Recruitment Channels (source: Gulftalent.com, 2009)


2.3.4. Process time comparison

The use of IT technology enables users to work more effectively and to be more

productive. With the help of electronic resumes, immediate job postings and the ease of

filling out online application forms, e-recruitment speeds up the front end of the

recruitment process significantly. Applications can be processed within minutes, rather

than hours and days, saving organizations and applicants’ valuable time.

By combining its fast processing time with the expanded applicant pool that e-

recruitment has access to, it suddenly becomes clearer and clearer why the majority of job

seekers and organizations find online recruitment so appealing.

Figure 4 ‐ Performance Comparison of Recruitment Channels (source: Gulftalent.com, 2009)


2.3.5. Attraction and brand development

Applicant attraction nowadays is considered a critical element of the recruitment process

and it is closely connected to employer branding and reputation. Research suggests that

online recruitment methods are viewed as one of the most effective attraction methods

along with newspaper advertising (Barber, 2006).

Compared to other methods, online advertising has a number of advantages that serve as

incentives for organizations. First of all, when posting online advertisements,

organizations are not constrained by space requirements and can develop comprehensive

adverts with detailed job descriptions and person specifications. According to Lievens

and Harris (2003) online recruitment “can pass far more information in a much more

dynamic and consistent fashion to candidates than was the case in the past”.

According to surveys, job vacancy postings are usual practice at medium and large firms.

The IES 2005 audit shows that almost all of the organizations from the Times Top 100

graduate employers had recruitment websites. A global survey (taleo.com, 2004)

analyzed by sector organizations that implemented corporate websites for recruitment.

Interestingly, results covered a large scale, from a100 percent adoption rate in the

healthcare sector, 98 percent in the manufacturing sector, 87 percent in the financial

sector and 84 percent of companies in the utilities sector.

Evidence suggests that applicant perceptions of the timeliness of firm responses to

recruitment inquiries, company reimbursement policies, and realistic recruitment

messages influence their attraction to organizations (Rynes, 1991). With the help of

corporate websites, organizations have the possibility to develop their image and brand

constantly and more freely than in the past. It is considered a powerful tool for promoting

and reinforcing the corporate image and reputation (Barber, 2006).


According to Zusman and Landis (2002) organizations believe that the attractiveness,

quality and ease of use of their own website will influence applicants’ attraction to the

organization. However, scientific research suggests that while some attributes of the

website may affect applicants’ perceptions and attitude, the degree of influence is not so

significant when compared to other elements of the recruitment process. For example,

individuals prefer high-quality websites and appealing website designs, but research

indicated that the attractiveness of the web space has little or no influence on applicant

attraction (Cober, Brown, Levy and Keeping, 2003). On the other hand, the orientation of

the website (whether it is recruitment oriented or screening oriented) and its’ ease of use

are more likely to influence applicants.

When compared to other recruitment-influencing elements, scientists argued that job

characteristics such as pay, benefits, advancement opportunities, etc. have a much greater

significance for job seekers than website characteristics.

2.3.6. Online assessment

The development of IT technology and e-recruitment affected the whole recruitment

process, inducing the appearance of several online assessment techniques that emphasize

and further develop the advantages of online recruitment (particularly to take advantage

of the larger applicant pool and time-related benefits).

Nowadays, firms use specialized software to scan applicant resumes for key words in

order to sift out unqualified candidates. This method offers almost immediate feedback

for users and deals effectively with the increased number of potential candidates.

Not surprisingly, specialists argue that besides its many benefits, this technique has some

disadvantages and some potentially dysfunctional consequences when not implemented

properly. Stone, Stone-Romero and Lukaszewski (2003) contend that online assessment

techniques are far more objective and, therefore, less biased by non-job-related factors


(race, gender and age) than other methods. Furthermore, with the help of the key word

system, distinguishing the qualified candidates is much more effective and precise.

Given the fact that these processes are computer based and the human component in the

assessment process is only “supervisory”, researchers have expressed concern that online

assessment systems have the potential to result in a number of misclassification errors. If

not implemented correctly, organizations may eliminate qualified candidates in favor of

those who are not qualified. Mohamed, Orife and Wibowo (2002) maintain that the

criteria used in key words systems may not always be based on job analyses, and

therefore, may not be job related. Furthermore, they contend that an applicant’s resume

writing skills or choice of words may bias the screening process so that applicants who

use words listed in the job posting often have a better chance of getting the job than those

who do not.

Besides resume assessment, many other IT-related methods help organizations to

improve the selection process. For example, online aptitude tests, personality inventories

or simulations to assess candidates’ critical thinking and decision making skills (Capelli,

2001) offer plenty of time and effort saving opportunities when compared to traditional

methods. According to surveys, 12% of organizations use e-recruiting systems to test or

assess applicant’s knowledge, skills and abilities because these systems allow a large

number of applicants to be screened quickly and efficiently (Recruitsoft/iLogos, cited in

Cappelli, 2001).

2.3.7. Candidate management

The current generation of job seekers is becoming more and more computer literate and

with the surging expansion of the internet phenomenon, job seekers can have more

complex interactions with employers, and employers are empowered to communicate

more effectively with candidates (Elkington, 2005).


Organizations are becoming more and more aware that candidates’ experiences during

the recruitment process have real implications for both sides. For example, a swiftly

rejected application may create the impression that it has not been given the proper

consideration before being rejected, resulting in a negative experience for the candidate

that may damage the employer brand. Because of this aspect, many consider that

“candidate management” should have a high priority in the recruitment process.

As stated by Barber (2006), “many organizations have begun to view candidates as

customers and try to deliver a positive experience of their organization through the

recruitment process”. Online recruitment offers the possibility for employers to improve

early communication through candidate management, before the application and selection

stage, and to get constant feedback from applicants in order to develop and improve the

whole recruitment process.

2.4. Potentially Dysfunctional Consequences

Computer-based techniques always have a tendency to result in costly mistakes when not

implemented correctly. This characteristic is even more present in e-recruitment due to

the fact that hiring an employee is a long term investment, and the influences of mistakes

made during the process can have devastating effect on the whole organization. Gueutal

described this effect as “potentially dysfunctional consequences” of online recruitment,

and considered that these systems have the potential to produce some unintended effects,

that affect both applicants and recruiters. Although online recruitment offers significant

advantages over other methods, these effects have to be carefully assessed and controlled

in order to avoid costly mistakes.


2.4.1. Quantity versus quality

Because of the fact that e-recruitment offers an incredibly large candidate pool, it is

logical that according to scientific research (IRS employment review, 2005), a large

number of employers experienced problems due to the increased number of applications.

Nearly one-third of the interviewed parties reported difficulties when dealing with online

recruitment, out of these, 74 percent cited that it generates a large number of unsuitable

candidates; 35 percent mentioned a difficulty reconciling online and offline processes and

32 percent cited technical, IT-related problems.

More applications result in more time needed to process them, and even though online

and computer-based assessments have the potential to deal with the large number of

electronic resumes, it still negates some, or in some cases, a larger part of the expected,

time-related benefits. Furthermore, an increased applicant pool results in a proportionally

larger number of unsuitable candidates for any given organization, increasing the risks

and the probability that an unsuitable applicant will fill in the job vacancy. Filtering out

unsuitable CVs is a resource intensive process, so in order to take advantage of the

benefits offered by e-recruitment, it is essential that organizations find a way to target a

convenient number of applicants.

2.4.2. Diversity

Successful organizations nowadays have to focus and invest considerable amounts of

resources to make sure that they do not discriminate against minority groups in order to

maintain their public image and reputation. Despite the fact that online recruitment offers

the most diverse talent pool available today for employers, it still faces some barriers

when it comes to user-related questions. Given the simple fact that the submission of an

electronic resume requires a specific and fairly complex set of skills combined with the

need to have access to the necessary technology, it is already obvious that a significant

number of job seekers are already excluded from the potential applicant pool.


According to Gueutal (2005) these systems may have an adverse impact on several ethnic

minority groups (for example, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native

Americans) because there is a racial or digital divide in access to and use of computers.

Research shows that 33 percent of African American households in the United States own

computers; and 24 percent have access to the Internet (U.S. Bureau of Census, 2001). In

contrast, 56 percent of Anglo American households have computers and more than 46

percent have Internet access (U.S. Bureau of Census, 2001).

Furthermore, according to scientific literature, females have less experience with

computers and have lower levels of computer-self efficacy on a global scale (although

this aspect is not representative in every country). Bakers and City University observed

that 25 percent of graduate recruiters reported a drop in female applicants since moving

to an online process (Czerny, 2004). Females tend to be more uncomfortable during an

online application process and are prone to select themselves out. The reduced “human

element” during the recruitment process and lack of personal touch also seemed to

discourage women.

2.4.3. Privacy issues

According to Stone, Stone-Romero and Lukaszewski (2003), applicants may perceive

that e-recruitment systems have the potential to invade their personal privacy. This fear

may be attributable to the ever-present sharing characteristic of the Internet, through

which any data can be shared with almost anyone and can be easily merged or networked

with other systems. Data-sharing is considered a great advantage amongst employers, but

it can become a source of discouragement for applicants because individuals can be

permanently stigmatized during the recruitment process. For example, information

gathered during the application stage can be used by employers to find out non-job

related information about the candidate (lifestyle, medical history, credit information,

etc.), thus data that has no effect on the potential employee’s current job performance can

hinder his or her chances.


Another fear for online applicants is the threat of information theft. For example, a person

posing as a recruiter gained access to 2400 resumes in 2002 and used the data obtained

for personal reasons. According to Dixon (2003) over 80000 individuals experience

identity theft yearly in the United States and this number has only increased during the

last few years. With the alarming growth of information sharing and dependence on

online services, unauthorized access to personal data and obtainment of personal bank

account information and social security data is now an everyday phenomenon.

TechFreakz.com posed the following data concerning the proportion of different types of

identity theft:

Figure 5 ‐ Types of Online Identity Theft (source: TechFreakz.com, 2011)

Because of the aforementioned threats, applicants worldwide are often reluctant to submit

their applications online, because they worry that their personal data could fall into the

wrong hands (Harris, Van Hoye and Lievens, 2003).


2.5. Chapter Conclusions

It is undisputable, that e-recruitment is quickly becoming the dominant method used both

by employers and job seekers. However, due to the fact that it is still a relatively new

method and scientific research is scarce, specialists emphasize that organizations should

use online recruitment as only one potential source of applicants, used together with other

traditional methods. Users should capitalize on the strengths of e-recruitment and pay

particular attention to avoid the potentially dysfunctional consequences and

miscalculations that may arise with the implementation of this method.

Gueutal (2006) states that “it is evident that the proliferation of e-recruiting systems is

likely to accelerate as organizations face increasing pressures to attract and retain talented

employees in a highly competitive marketplace”, so organizations should focus on

developing and perfecting every aspect of online recruitment.

Gáspár Lilla Research methodoloty and results

CHAPTER 3. – RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND RESULTS

3.1. Research framework

3.1.1. General considerations

With the help of the numerous recruitment concepts presented up until this point, the

main theme and research-study of the present paper can be developed. The main goal is

to assemble a detailed comparison of the phenomenon of online recruitment (practices,

trends, skill requirements and other implemental aspects) in the United States of America

and Romania. In order to make a comprehensive and representative comparison, both

qualitative and quantitative data have been gathered and analyzed in an objective

framework.

Economical and managerial research aims to provide a bridge between theoretical and

practical issues. It facilitates deeper comprehension of the different effects and

phenomena present in the given framework analyzed. According to Easterby-Smith,

Thorpe and Lowe (2002), in the past, attention has been focused on describing, coding

and counting events, often at the expense of understanding why things are happening.

Due to these observations the methods used in the present research-study focus on both

quantitative and qualitative analysis in order to produce a representative result. When

examining the main types of research methods, scientists concluded that a clear

distinction between qualitative and quantitative methods could not be delimited. For

example, some techniques (e.g.: interviews) can be used to gather data either in a

qualitative or quantitative way; similarly, any single piece of data can be analyzed in

either way.

Van Maanen defined quantitative methods as “an array of interpretative techniques which

seek to describe, decode, translate and otherwise come to terms with the meaning, not the

frequency, of certain more or less naturally occurring phenomena in the social world”. An

important differentiating feature of qualitative techniques is that the process of data

collection is distinct from the analysis.


3.1.2. Research instrument’s design

As stated before, the main goal of this paper is to observe and analyze the differences and

current trends in the US and Romania concerning online recruitment. The data used in the

research phase was gathered by analyzing several online-recruitment sites, job-boards,

corporate websites and online job advertisements in both countries based on pre-defined

criteria systems.

These systems were specifically designed to capture and emphasize the representative

differences by combining both quantitative and qualitative data. The research process is

composed of two major parts: the first one deals mainly with general aspects concerning

online recruitment by job boards (like website characteristics, orientation and focus or the

type and quality of information provided by the given website), while the second part

focuses on specific job requirements concerning Human Resource managers and

specialists stated in online job advertisements in the two countries. The aforementioned

systems were broken down into several basic criteria, which focused on the existence of a

representative element that facilitated the usefulness of the analyzed component (e.g.: the

existence of a search engine in a job advertisement page) and were scored accordingly (1

for fulfilling a given criteria and 0 for not). In some cases, like for example the number of

years of experience needed or the amount of salary specified in a given advertisement, an

average value was calculated according to the data gathered in order to create a better

framework for analyzing and comparing the information.


3.1.3. Data collection process:

In order to compile a representative analysis and result for any given research, it is

essential to gather suitable and correct data that can be processed accordingly. In this

case, information was gathered with a simple, yet effective method to reduce potential to

contain mistakes and misinterpretations.

As a first step, two comprehensive criteria systems were created based on the data

required for the comparison. These systems will be presented in detail further on, right

now, only the fact that the whole data gathering process was based on these systems is

important.

In the first part of the research phase, several job boards were investigated in both

countries, and the five most influential ones were selected based on several aspects (e.g.:

the number of unique visitors, number of advertisements posted, number of registered

users and search engine ranking):

• United States of America : monster.com, careerbulider.com, us.jobs,

collegerecruiter.com and maximum.simplyhired.com;

• Romania : bestjobs.ro, myjob.ro, ejobs.ro, bizoojobs.ro and netjobs.ro;

The obtained results were then inputted into a table containing the criteria system that

will be presented in the next chapter, and each website was analyzed and compared

accordingly.

When dealing with the more detailed comparison concerning the job advertisements

(second phase of the research process), the data gathering process was more complicated

due to the large number of elements analyzed and the more sophisticated nature of the

whole analysis. Firstly, it was essential to gather data from multiple sources (e.g.: job

boards, corporate websites and governmental employment sites) in order to gain a

representative result. Secondly, due to the large number of analyzed elements in each

advertisement, only detailed and well-developed job advertisements could be considered

when gathering data (again, to gain a representative result).


By paying close attention to the constraints presented previously, 30 job advertisements

for Human Resource managers and specialists were analyzed from each country.

3.1.4. Data analysis process:

After the data collection process, the results obtained in both cases (job board analysis

and job advertisement analysis) were inputted into a database and several charts and

tables were created to facilitate the analysis of the results and to enhance and emphasize

the major findings.

Two comprehensive tables were created that formed a matrix-system between the criteria,

the analyzed elements (in the first case the analyzed job boards and in the second case the

advertisements) and the gathered data from the previous step.

The majority of the criteria were developed to check the existence of a given

characteristic. Based on the results, scores of 1 or 0 were assigned to each analyzed

element to create a point-based system that facilitates the whole comparison process.

With the help of this simple method even relatively complex and subtle differences could

be observed and analyzed. In the case of two criteria, namely the number of years of

experience and the amount of salary received, a different approach was taken. Due to the

fact that these elements are numerical in nature, an average was calculated based on the

data gathered.


3.2. Commercial job board comparison

In the first part of the research process the 5 major commercial job boards in the U.S.A.

and Romania were analyzed and compared in order to capture recruitment-trend

differences in this field between the two countries. Each and every examined website was

analyzed thoroughly with the help of a detailed criteria system which was compiled

specifically to facilitate the aforementioned comparison. In the following section every

criteria will be explained in detail in order to create a better framework for understanding

the results of the research.

3.2.1. Website characteristics and orientation subsystem criteria

The first subsystem focuses exclusively on the analyzed job boards’ attributes and main features from the point of view of both the job seeker and the employer. Nine criteria were considered in this part of the analysis:

1. Existence of a search engine

The analyzed element here was the existence of a search engine that enables users to find job openings according to several criteria defined according to his/her preference.

2. Clear delimitation between job categories

The analyzed element here was the existence of specific differentiation between the advertised job openings according to position type. Due to the huge amount of job advertisements in one site, it is virtually impossible to list every job opening at once (this is why every job board contains a well-developed and optimized search engine), so focus was put on the possibility for the user to search for job openings by categories.


3. Geographical delimitations

The analyzed element here is the possibility to search for job openings by geographical location (state, city, town, etc.)

4. Clearly separated web space for recruiters and job seekers

The analyzed element here was the existence for recruiters to operate on a different and specialized web space, separated from applicants.

5. Possibility of registration

The analyzed element here is the possibility to create a permanent presence in the website by uploading relevant data by the user and maintaining a profile.

6. Possibility of resume creation or upload

The analyzed element here is the possibility to create (according to a set of criteria allotted by specialists) or upload an already finished resume in order to facilitate recruiters’ work.

7. User diversity delimitations (students, disabled applicants, ethnicities, seniors, etc.)

The analyzed criteria here is the focus of the given website on under-privileged users, by emphasizing special opportunities for university graduates, minorities, war-veterans, ex-inmates and other categories.

8. Integration with social network pages

The analyzed element here was the existence of a connection between the given job board and any social network page (e.g.: Facebook, Google+, Twitter, etc.) to facilitate further information gathering for both job seekers and employers.

9. User friendly interface

The analyzed element here was a combination of several characteristics of the given website regarding usability, aesthetics, clear delimitations and several other practical aspects that enable users to perform sophisticated tasks (creation electronic resumes, search by several criteria, finding relevant information easily, etc.) without any special knowledge.


3.2.2. Information provided subsystem criteria

As in the previous case, the criteria here were designed to point out differences between

the level of information provided by the analyzed job boards. Compared to the other

subsystem, the analyzed elements here were more specific and “tangible”, due to the fact

that the existence of a piece of data cannot subjectively interpreted, in contrast to some

elements inspected previously (e.g.: user-friendliness of the job board). The subsystem

contains seven criteria as listed below:

1. Clear job title and description presented

2. Main activities and tasks listed

3. Required competences clearly defined

4. Responsibilities listed

5. Name of the company stated

6. Description of the company presented

7. Multiple contact information listed


3.2.4. Commercial job board comparison’s results

According to the obtained results, the basic elements that define a job board are the same

in both countries. Every analyzed website contained a well-integrated and optimized

search engine, with clear delimitations between job categories and the location of the

advertisements (first three criteria). Furthermore, each job board delimited separate web

spaces for job seekers and recruiters (fourth criterion) with the possibility of registration

for each user (fifth criterion) in order to facilitate and expand the usefulness of the

website. Naturally, along with the possibility of user registration, the prospect to create or

upload an existing electronic resume (sixth criterion) was also offered in each case. All of

the mentioned criteria contribute to the ninth criterion listed in the system, namely the

user-friendliness of the analyzed website, which was also clearly observable in each case.

Criteria Number of job boards which comply to the analyzed criteria

Website characteristics and orientation USA Romania

1. Existence of search engine 5 5 2. Clear delimitation between job categories 5 5 3. Geographical delimitations 5 5 4. Clearly separated web space for recruiters and job-seekers 5 5 5. Possibility of registration 5 5 6. Possibility of resume creation or upload 5 5 7. User diversity delimitations 3 0 8. Integration with social network pages 5 3 9. User friendly interface 5 5 Information provided

1. Clear job title and description 5 5 2. Main activities and tasks listed 5 5 3. Required competences clearly defined 5 5 4. Responsibilities listed 5 5 5. Name of the company 5 5 6. Description of the company 5 5 7. Multiple contact information 2 0

Figure 6 ‐ Criteria compliance (out of 5 analyzed job boards)


There were two general aspects in which the job boards in the two compared countries

showed significant differences. Firstly, while in the USA every analyzed job board had

some sort of integration with a social networking site, in Romania only 3 of the 5

websites found this characteristic important enough to implement it into their system.

The most representative difference came to surface thanks to the seventh criterion in our

system, user diversity delimitations. This method is already a commonly used practice in

the USA do to their advanced social awareness. Three American websites put special

emphasis on these kinds of delimitations, by providing related information that every user

can see. Interestingly, none of the analyzed websites in Romania presented this attribute

in the manner observed at the American job boards.

While examining the second criteria subsystem (information provided), several

advertisements from each job board were selected at random and analyzed according to

the requirements. As in the previous case, many common characteristics could be

observed: each analyzed job board contained a clear job title and description (first

criterion), had the main activities, tasks and responsibilities listed (second and fourth

criterion), had the required competences clearly stated (third criterion) and every

advertisement contained the name of the employing company (fifth criterion) – as an

exception, by special request of the employer, a few advertisements did not state the

name of the employing company (instead of the aforementioned information they stated

that the nature of this data is confidential) – and some sort of description related to the

company (sixth criterion).

In this section, only one element produced alternating results, namely, the existence of

multiple contact information in an advertisement. Interestingly, only in three situations

were more than one possibilities listed to contact the employer (e.g.: via telephone, fax or

any other means besides email), and all of these advertisements were American.

Up until this point specific common elements and differences were discussed in

relationship with one another. But the scores assigned to each element offer the

possibility to make a general comparison, which compares the results obtained from the

two countries as a system.


The results were broken down into each subsystem in order to observe even the slightest

differences. Considering the website characteristics and orientation USA outscored

Romania 43 to 38 out of a possible maximum of 45 points. It is not a huge difference, but

it is representative enough to point out areas that need to be improved upon (e.g.: the

focus of user diversity delimitations in Romania). Looking at the results obtained from

the second subsystem (information provided) a similar conclusion can be drawn:

Americans pay more attention to provide relevant data in advertisements (32 points to 30

out of a maximum of 35). Naturally, the aforementioned partial results imply that USA

obtained a greater total score than Romania, emphasizing that American job boards are

more developed and provide more information generally than job boards in our country.

USA Romania 1. Website characteristics

subsystem 43 38

2. Information provided subsystem

32 30

Total score 75 68

Figure 7 ‐ Score comparison (out of a maximum score of 80)

As a special note, a discovery that was made during the analysis phase has to be

mentioned in order to complete the analysis. Each investigated Romanian job board

contained a special counter that showed the number of candidates that already applied for

a given advertisement, an element that was completely missing from American job

boards. The author of this paper considers that this element was not accidentally left out

of the American job boards, as this counter is missing from online recruitment pages in

other western countries (the UK, Germany, France, etc.) also. This may be attributable to

the negative effect that an advertisement with a huge number of already-applied

candidates can have on inexperienced, but possibly suitable job seekers.


3.3. Online job advertisement comparison

The second part of the research process went deeper and focused on more specific details

concerning online recruitment trends and practices than the job board comparison.

Few scientific studies were conducted on the topic of online recruitment and online job

advertisement due the relatively young age of the phenomenon, but a few general

observations were documented that capture the major tendencies related to e-recruitment.

According to Walker and Reif (1999) both the content and process of online managerial

recruitment activities are heavily influenced by the competitive strategy and managerial

style that dominates a certain organization and business environment. There are two

clearly definable theoretical perspectives that represent the two major tendencies in

online managerial recruitment:

• Performance and behavioral screening

• Resource and knowledge management

Performance and behavioral screening: emphasis in this perspective is put on profile

test that assess certain behavioral and attitude-related competences while screening out

unwanted traits. Due to the critical position and increased responsibilities of managers

nowadays, it is implemental to capture during the hiring process potential employees’

patterns of behavior, strengths and weaknesses with the help of detailed behavioral

interviews, employee profiling, attitude test, etc. Scientists concluded that these screening

methods can effectively reduce employee turnover, and produce candidates that fit the

corporate culture.


Resource and knowledge management: the main focus of this perspective is the fact

that in this competitive era companies need to quickly and effectively acquire competent,

skilled and flexible managers.” Firms often examine star performers, key players, and

experts to develop success profiles. The main assumption is that today's scare resources

are information, know-ledge, and expertise. The challenge for firms and countries is

finding effective ways to attract, motivate and use the talents of these knowledge

workers.” (Birkett 1995; Pitt and Clarke 1999; Lewin and Regine Sep/Oct 2000)

The combination of these perspectives represents the major considerations that were

taken into account when designing the criteria system according to which the research

was conducted. All of these elements are essential to compile a representative comparison

between the two countries.

3.3.1. Criteria presentation

For the research-study, thirty Human Resource-related job advertisements from each

country were analyzed with the help of a conceptually similar, but much more detailed

criteria system than in the job board comparison. It is composed of 29 competence-based

criteria separated into 5 subsystems that cover every major aspect that can facilitate a

comparison between the two countries. During the data gathering phase for this analysis,

it was essential that the given criteria appear by word in the analyzed job advertisement

or to be implied on in some sort of context for it to be considered as a valid element.

The first subsystem focuses on core skills that are looked for when hiring an HR

manager. It is composed of four criteria, namely communication skills, writing skills, IT

(computer usage-related) skills and foreign language skills. The second subsystem

analyzed the existence of core traits in job advertisements (creativity, problem solving,

dependability, flexibility and innovativeness). These two criteria-groups covered the

essential basic requirements.


The third subsystem focused on specific HR-related skills, knowledge and tasks that are

needed in order to qualify as a potential candidate for the analyzed job:

• 1. Staffing and recruitment tasks

• 2. Organizational development tasks

• 3. Workforce evaluation tasks

• 4. Organizational tasks (events and meetings)

• 5. Special software usage (besides Office)

• 6. Interaction with stakeholders (internal and external)

• 7. Cooperation with other departments

• 8. Knowledge and understanding of current employment laws

The fourth subsystem contains criteria related to general managerial skills like staff-

motivation, leadership skills, the ability to generate performance increases, the ability to

manage teams, the need to be involved in strategic decisions and the ability to develop

and set departmental strategies.

The last criteria subsystem covered the external, non-departmental requirements such as

the existence of an age limit for the given job, the existence of a gender preference, the

experience and the salary levels required by the employer.

3.3.2. Online job advertisement comparison’s results

In order to systematically present every obtained result, each subsystem’s findings will be

presented in the sequence listed in the previous chapter.

Interestingly, when analyzing the core skills required by employers in the USA and

Romania, almost every (96.6% out of the 60 analyzed elements) online advertisement

emphasized the need for excellent communication and writing skills. These two criteria

represent the first common element between the two countries in the online job

advertisement comparison. Going further, Romanian advertisements focused more on IT-


related skills (Office and special HR software usage), – 76.6% - than in the USA-based

companies; only 56.6% of the analyzed advertisements stated clearly this requirement

there. The most representative difference appeared with the analysis of the foreign

language skills needed in each country: while in Romania 80% of employers looked for

candidates who speak other languages besides their mother tongue, only 6.6% percent of

American employers found this requirement important (out of the 30 analyzed

advertisements)

0,00% 50,00% 100,00%

Communication skills

Writing skills

IT skills

Knowledge of a foreign language

Core sk

ills

96,60%

96,60%

56,60%

6,60%

96,60%

96,60%

76,60%

80%

Romania

USA

Figure 8 ‐ Emphasis on Core Skill Requirements

The analysis of the second criteria subsystem – the one dealing with the required core

traits – presents similar tendencies in both countries with only small alterations between

results. Almost every analyzed advertisement focused on candidates that possessed

excellent analytical and problem solving skills (100% in the USA and 93.3% in Romania)

and emphasized the dependability of the given applicant (96.6% in the USA and 90% in

Romania). Interestingly, only a very small percentage of employers found creativity and

innovativeness as essential skills when considering new employees (creativity – 16.6% in

the USA and 3.3% in Romania; innovativeness – 26.6% in the SUA and 3.3% in


Romania). The last criteria in this subsystem focused on the flexibility of the given

applicant. Results showed that 56.6% of American and 40% of Romanian employers put

special emphasis on this attribute.

0,00% 20,00% 40,00% 60,00% 80,00% 100,00%

Creativity

Problem solving

Dependability

Flexibility

Innovativeness

Core traits

16,60%

100,00%

96,60%

56,60%

26,60%

3,30%

93,30%

90%

40%

3,30%

Romania

USA

Figure 9 ‐ Emphasis on Core Trait Requirements

The core Human Resource job tasks subsystem contained the largest number of criteria,

due to the fact that the whole research focused on HR managers and specialists.

Naturally, this was the area that produced the most representative and interesting results.

Due to the many aspects that have to be treated in this criteria system, the obtained results

will be presented separately in both countries.

Online job advertisements in the USA put considerable focus on staffing and recruitment

tasks, organizational development tasks and the need to interact with stakeholders

(internal and external). All of the mentioned criteria appeared in over 90% of the

analyzed advertisements. Interestingly, the third major HR function (workforce

evaluation) scored lower percentages than the staffing and development criteria (76.6%).


With 86.6% and respectively 76.6%, the need to interact with other departments and the

knowledge and understanding of current employment laws, were also highly emphasized

requirements in American advertisements. Only two criteria appeared in fewer than half

of the analyzed advertisements. 40% of employing companies required organizational

skills for special meetings and events, while 23.3% required special HR software usage

skills.

In Romania, the same criteria ranked in a slightly different order: the most important

requirement here was also the staffing and recruiting-related tasks (96.6%), followed by

cooperation with other departments (70%), organizational development tasks (66.6%),

interaction with stakeholders (63.3%), workforce evaluation tasks (56.6%), knowledge

and understanding of current employment laws (26.6%), organizational tasks (20%) and

finally, special HR software usage skills (13.3%).

0,00% 20,00% 40,00% 60,00% 80,00% 100,00%

Staffing and recruitment tasks

Organizational development tasks

Workforce evaluation tasks

Organizational tasks (events and meetings)

Special software usage (besides Office)

Interaction with stakeholders (internal and external)

Cooperation with other departments

Knowledge and understanding of current employment laws

Core HR job tasks

93,30%

96,60%

76,60%

40%

23,30%

96,60%

86,60%

76,60%

96,60%

66,60%

56,60%

20%

13,30%

63,30%

70,00%

26,60%

Romania

USA

Figure 10 ‐ Emphasis on Core HR Job Tasks


The first two criteria of the last subsystem produced expected results: there were no age

limits (besides, of course, the minimum age-limit stipulated by the given state’s law) and

no gender preferences in any of the analyzed online job advertisements. Several

employment laws and policies exist in both countries specifically to avoid any kind of

discriminatory factors when dealing with recruitment.

If we have to point out any single element that could be considered the most important

criteria in this research, it would probably be the required experience by a given

employer. Due to this fact, not only this criteria’s existence in advertisements was

analyzed, but also the number of years that were required. First of all, every

advertisement in the USA required some sort of previous experience in a related field,

while in Romania 13.3% of employers did not consider this element eliminatory when

looking for new employees. Secondly, when analyzing the average number of years of

experience required in both countries, a significant difference in preferences appeared:

generally, American applicants require almost twice as much experience as Romanian job

seekers.

Average number of years of experience required USA 5,6 yearsRomania 3 years

Figure 11 ‐ Average Experience Required

The last analyzed criteria of the whole research analyzed the existence of salary levels in

advertisements. Surprisingly, very few employers considered defining the amount of the

compensation that the soon-to-bee employee would receive important. Only in nine cases

(seven in the USA and two in Romania out of the total of sixty analyzed cases) was this

particular information provided in the advertisements. Due to this fact, a representative

comparison regarding the salary levels in the two countries could not be made based only

on information provided by online job advertisements.


After systematically presenting the results obtained by analyzing every single criterion, a

more general comparison is needed to finalize the research. By creating an average of the

obtained percentages in each criteria subcategory, several universal tendencies and

differences can be observed between the two analyzed countries.

64,17%59,33%

73,75%

62,78%

87,50%

46,00%51,60%

24,40%

0,00%

10,00%

20,00%

30,00%

40,00%

50,00%

60,00%

70,00%

80,00%

90,00%

100,00%

Core skills Core traits Core HR job tasks

Managerial requirements

USA

Romania

Figure 12 ‐ General Comparison

We can easily observe from the chart provided above, that Romanian online

advertisements put more focus on emphasizing core (basic) skills required by the

employer, with traits, job tasks and especially specific managerial requirements being

considered as non-essential in more than half of the analyzed cases. In contrast, results

from the USA showed that recruiters there consider every category of requirements

almost equally important, with all four of the subsystems scoring more than 60%.

As a general observation, according to all of the obtained results, it can be stated without

a doubt that American online job advertisements provide more information than

Romanian ones in a balanced manner (by touching every major aspect of the advertised

job’s requirements).

Gáspár Lilla Conclusions and recomendations

CHAPTER 4. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

4.1. Conclusions

As stated previously, the main aim of the research process was to point out and to analyze

the major differences related to online recruitment trends in Romania and in the United

States of America in an objective framework. Based on the two separate analysis

presented previously, a series of observations and conclusions can be presented to

summarize the obtained findings.

4.1.1. Results and conclusions of the job board analysis

The job board analysis provided somewhat expected results: there are no differences

between American and Romanian job boards when it comes to the basic elements that

define such websites (search engine, job category and geographical delimitations, a

separate area for job seekers and employers, etc.).

What has to be emphasized is the fact that three criteria produced results that differ in the

two countries, bringing to surface alterations between trends and customs concerning

online recruitment in the two societies.

A clear distinction can be made between the level of importance that the analyzed

countries put on user diversity delimitations, more specifically, the emphasis on

opportunities for under-privileged job seekers (seniors, minorities, war-veterans,

university graduates, disabled persons, etc.). While three out of five American job boards

provided some sort of special service to the aforementioned users, none of the analyzed

websites in Romania showed similar efforts. This difference may be attributable to the

more advanced social and diversity-related awareness of the American society, a

phenomenon that is still missing in our society. This observation is not a groundbreaking

one, but the level of difference is still a bit astonishing.


The second difference of the job board analysis was related to the integration of social

networks with the given website. The alteration in this category was not as significant as

with the previous criteria, but the presence of a clear difference could be observed in this

case also. While every analyzed job board in the USA possessed some sort of connection

with a social network site, only three out of five job boards had the same integration in

Romania. This difference is much more representative and expected as the previous one,

due to the fact that the phenomenon of social media networking originates from the USA,

and possesses a much more developed “cyber-infrastructure” there. This alteration is

expected to dampen with time, due to the constant development of the whole

phenomenon of social media networking in Northern-Europe too.

The last criterion that has to be mentioned in this part was the one dealing with the

availability of multiple contact information in a given job board advertisement. This

element does not bare major consequences for advertisers compared to the previous

cases, due to the fact that the advertisement itself acts as a channel of communication

between the employer and the job seeker, but the possibility to contact employers by

more personal means (e.g.: via telephone) may constitute an advantage in many cases for

both parties. Results showed that generally few advertisements offered this kind of extra

information (only two from the USA and none form Romania), fact that can be

attributable to the premise presented previously.

Finally, with the help of the criteria- and point-system designed specifically for this

purpose, a general comparison and conclusion can be drawn. Based on the results,

American job boards scored higher in both subsystems (website characteristics and

orientation and information provided), underlining the fact that more attention is put into

facilitating the online recruitment process (by offering more information and creating a

better, more efficient framework for job board users) in the USA than in Romania.

Although this difference is not a huge one, it is representative enough to point out areas

that are in need of improvement.


4.1.2. Results and conclusions of the job advertisement analysis

The job advertisement analysis was based on more than twice the number of criteria than

the previous study and compared 60 samples (online job advertisements) during the

research process. Due to the excessive number of data only the major findings will be

presented in this section.

The representative characteristics that were common in both countries appeared from the

criteria concerning basic requirements. Results showed that Romanian and American

employers put equally high emphasis on advanced communications and writing skills

when it comes to HR managers. Almost every analyzed advertisement (over 95% in both

countries) stated clearly the aforementioned traits as implemental when evaluating

potential applicants. Not surprisingly, problem solving skills and dependability were also

mentioned in almost every case. Furthermore, almost equal importance was attributed to

basic staffing and recruitment tasks, appearing in over 90% of advertisements in both

countries. These elements were expectedly mentioned in almost every analyzed case, due

to the fact that the advertisements focused specifically on HR managers and specialists,

and the previously mentioned requirements are implemental when it comes to these types

of positions.

Interestingly, core traits such as creativity and innovativeness appeared in under 30% of

online advertisements in both countries, in spite the fact that these characteristics are also

considered essential at managerial positions.

Considering the differences, a huge - although understandable - alteration between the

two countries emerged while analyzing the need for foreign language knowledge. 80% of

employers from Romania required from applicants to know at least one other language

besides their mother-tongue (with an overwhelming emphasis on English language

skills), while in the USA a mere 6.6% regarded this attribute as important. This

phenomenon can be explained by the incredible spread of the English language globally.


Based on the findings, an interesting conclusion can be drawn: American employers offer

jobs that encompass a larger and more diverse pool of tasks and require increased

responsibility from the soon-to-be employee. Besides staffing and recruitment tasks, in

every HR job task related category USA scored higher percentages than Romania.

Although significant when grouped together, these differences were not so representative

when broken down separately, excepting one case: while 76.6% of American employers

stated as a requirement the knowledge and understanding of current employment laws,

this ratio was only 26.6% in Romania.

As in the case of the basic skills and traits analyzed, the criteria related to managerial

skills presented interesting and somewhat unexpected results. American employers

requested developed leadership skills in only 53.3% of the analyzed, and this ratio is even

smaller in Romania. Shockingly, only one advertisement (out of the 30 analyzed) stated

the need for some sort of team-leading skills. In relationship with the aforementioned

criterion, another significant difference appeared with the involvement in strategic

decisions and the new employee’s ability to set departmental strategies. Both of these

criteria were significantly popular amongst American employers.

Based on the presented results, it is somehow expected that the number of years of

experience required by American employers is almost twice as higher than in Romania.

Based on the results, an average employer in the USA requires 5.6 years of previous

experience from the applicant when it comes to HR managers or specialists. This period

decreases to 3 years in Romania.

The majority of the findings presented above suggest that American employers look for

more experienced and qualified applicants and offer jobs with more complex and

demanding tasks. Basically, it can be stated that they emphasize the need for high-impact

managers, fact that can be observable even from online job advertisements. This

phenomenon is not so prevailing on our country, and accordingly, focus is only on the

specific basic skills and traits that are needed in order to perform the job. If we compare

the average scores by criteria subcategories that both countries achieved, this

characteristic can be clearly observed: American advertisements put more emphasis on

every requirement, except the first subcategory dealing with basic skills.


4.2. Future recommendations

Based on the results of this comprehensive comparison of online recruitment trends in

Romania and the USA, a clear superiority and refinement of American practices

emerged. This conclusion is not a surprising one due to the fact that online recruitment

originates from the USA, inherently suggesting a more developed state of the whole

phenomenon. The difference is not an alarming one, but it is significant enough to point

out areas that are need of improvement.

The author of the present thesis considers that by focusing on a few select elements

online job advertisers (employers) can increase the quality of their applicant pool, by

focusing on candidates that are more suitable for the given job. This improvement results

in significant cost- and resource-savings by reducing the applicant pool and sifting out

non-compatible applicants (reducing the chance to choose an unsuitable future-employee,

action that would have major repercussions in the future of the employing company).

Romanian employers can gain considerable economical advantage by investing more

effort in creating an online advertisement that comprises all the necessary elements that

are needed by potential applicants in a concise and structured manner. More specifically,

emphasis has to be put on information regarding the description on job tasks and

advanced skill requirements and not only on basic information related to the job.

American companies are already starting to recognize the advantage that a properly

formulated job advertisement can offer, and accordingly, their methods are developing

with each passing moment. Although there are several lapses in their approach too, it still

can be considered as something to emulate.

Comparative Analysis of Online Recruitment: USA versus …...Comparative Analysis of Online Recruitment: USA versus Romania . Scientific Coordinators: ... The main objective of the

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