Are you a business owner or hiring manager who has the task of hiring a new employee for a current job opening? If so, you may consider ditching the traditional method of posting job listings online. Many more business owners are now performing their own search by using online resume databases. As with any other method of finding job applicants, searching online resume databases does have its pros and cons.
The Pros of Searching Online Resume Databases
Easy to Search: Resume databases online come in a number of different formats. Some programs and websites only let you see documents uploaded through that site and others will search all across the internet for you. Regardless, these systems are easy to use. Search with a keyword phrase, such as the job title, enter in a zip code or a radius to search, and you will see the resumes of job seekers that meet your search criteria. You should be able to click to see the full resume posted online in its entirety. This is a simple, quick, and easy process.
Fewer Unqualified Job Candidates: When you post a job listing online, you are opening the flood gates; anyone and everyone can apply for the job. In fact, a good percentage of those who do apply will be unqualified for the job (they do not meet the requirements or recommendations you posted). When this happens, you waste time by having to weed through these applicants. With an online resume database search, you search with a relevant keyword phrase and are automatically paired with qualified talent.
The Cons of Searching Online Resume Databases
Not Everyone Posts Resumes Online: As the number of business owners who use online resume databases increase, so does the number of job seekers who upload their resumes online. With that said, not all job seekers know to do this important step. For that reason, there is the chance that you will miss out on seeing some quality resumes when searching online, as opposed to letting job seekers submit their resume in response to an online job listing.
Resumes May Not Be Current: Rarely will a website or a resume database inform you when a resume was added. Most times, you just see the resume when it appears in your search. This means that there is a good chance that you are looking at older and possibly outdated resumes. You may even come across a few resumes where job seekers found a new job and have no intent to leave; they just left their resumes lingering online. That is why it is a good idea to have a backup plan. Choose a selection of job seekers to contact for an interview, not just one or two.
In short, there are many pros as well as cons to using an online resume database to find qualified job candidates. As a reminder, most websites are free to use and most desktop search tools that let you search across the entire internet for resumes come with a free trial. Basically, you have nothing to lose by trying this method of hiring for a job.
