Four years ago John, the President of a very large, multi-plant web and gravure printing organization suggested that I come up with a way in which we could bring medium level managers and hourly employees to their organization in a much more cost effective fashion. John was looking for an alternative to the traditional executive search for lower level positions. He needed a mechanism that was fast, efficient and easy to administer.

Furthermore, John needed a way to hire craftsmen with very specific backgrounds and the skill sets that were fundamental to his four plants. Traditional recruiting --newspaper “help wanted” ads, job fairs, and College/University campus recruiting just didn't get the job done -and was too expensive.

This article explains a new “productivity medium” that many industry firms are using to acquire qualified staff - online job boards. I will also illustrate the reasons for this fundamental shift in the hiring process.

Shift in Advertising from Newspapers to Job Boards

The public's acceptance of Internet based job boards has given the newspaper industry considerable concern as there has been a huge shift in expenditures away from traditional media and towards Internet based “help wanted” classified ads. Employers are expected to spend an average of 35% of their classified budgets for online recruiting in 2002. Spending on newspaper classified ads are expected to slide from 28% to 22% of the total recruiting budget in 2002.

According to the Newspaper Association of America, Sunday circulation has dropped by over 3 million copies between 1990 and 2000. Daily circulation has dropped by 6.5 million copies during the same time period. In an attempt to shore up their revenues, newspaper classified ads have become more expensive and less effective as the audience shrinks and the cost per thousand climbs. According to a recent EMA Cost Per Hire and Staffing Metrics Survey, the average cost per hire for a non-exempt Internet hire was $51 while the print advertising cost per hire was $726.

The growth of Internet users combined with the efficiency of Internet job postings has the newspaper industry very worried. In fact, many newspapers have launched their own online job boards to leverage this decrease.

What's Behind the Meteoric Growth of Internet Job Boards?

There are a number of reasons online job boards have enjoyed such rapid growth. According to Jupiter Media Metrics, the number of U.S. Internet users in the year 2002 is approximately 157 million. By the year 2006 there will be well over 210 million users in the U.S. alone! What newspaper can claim that kind of readership?

Companies realizing the potential of the Internet have started shifting their advertising budgets to take advantage of the ability to reach out and touch literally millions of potential candidates with a single ad. Candidates entering the job market from college and technical high schools are connected and are at ease using the Internet for their job searches. Graduating college seniors use the Internet in record numbers to research and apply to companies they feel will fit their skill set. This presents opportunities for graphic arts companies to introduce themselves to this young and vibrant source of new employees.

Some of the larger generalized job boards have been the target of criticism because their ads sometimes elicit over a 1000 responses. Imagine reading 1000 resumes. Specialized job boards servicing vertical niches have seen growth in their subscription base because their candidate base is very targeted and they offer the ability to set up very finite search parameters attracting direct hits for these openings.

Consider a search on a general job board where a printing company posts a job for a sales representative living in the Chicago area. A general job board will potentially drive thousands of responses to that opening while a targeted vertical job board will expose candidates to the opening with very specific talents and experience relevant to the graphic arts industry. Why? Because the candidates that frequent and register with a niche job board do so because they are interested in exploring positions within their area of expertise.

Speed/Control/24x7/Action!

Imagine this: Its Monday morning. Everything is going well in your plant. As you walk over to the coffee machine to grab your second cup of coffee, Bob, your first pressman taps you on the shoulder and asks if he can have a word with you, in private. The door closes and he hands you his resignation letter telling you that he has decided to make a lifestyle change. He will be building porches for a living and his last day is, well, today.

After an unsuccessful attempt at counter offering Bob to stay with you, your next thought is obvious. Time to replace him and replace him fast! You fire up your graphic arts online job board and post the opening. On many industry job boards, you can also browse the database and contact candidates that may have the experience you are looking for.

The whole process took about 10 minutes. Your search is in circulation and the Internet is at work for you, immediately. I know many printers with the exact circumstances in this example that have filled their position within two days.

In the Year 2010

According to the US Census Bureau, by the year 2010 there will be a gap between the number of jobs and the number of people to fill them that will be somewhere around 8.5 million. Sure, as of today the unemployment rates are rather high due to the recent economic downturn. However, over the long run, the competition for skilled craftsmen within our industry will become absolutely intense.

The companies that are learning to use such powerful methods of recruiting and hiring will surely prosper and survive. It is imperative that every graphic arts company, whether large or small, research and find a job board that fits their particular need. They are cost effective, fast and they work.

The low cost and productivity advantages that industry job boards offer should not be ignored. And with margins tighter than ever, every second counts.