How does online recruitment work?

Employers’ approaches to online recruitment vary enormously. Some are happy to place an advertisement on their website and then invite applications by post, in effect using the web simply as an electronic newspaper. Others have honed their web recruitment processes to the point where they are a far more useful and complete way of learning about and applying for a job than any other, with everything done online. The best websites offer jobseekers much more information about a position than a newspaper advert ever could, going into detail about the nature of the role and the organisation, and sometimes even providing useful interviews with other people working there. This information can save you time by making it clear whether this is the kind of job you’re looking for, and can then be very useful when you’re working on your online application or CV or preparing for an interview.

Some employers even go so far as to provide questionnaires, aptitude tests and psychometric exams online to help them gauge your competence and fitness for the job, helping them filter out inappropriate candidates early in the process. The advantage for you is that if you have a PC at home you can get through this part of the process without even getting dressed.