In ancient times, newspapers were commonly used as a tool of job search. Individuals after locating a particular job(s), would most likely highlight it with a yellow marker or red pen. This was so they could easily locate the information when they were ready to apply for the job(s).  The next step was to respond to the ad based upon the employer's instructions. Most ads requested that the interested candidates mail their resume and cover letter to the address given, and some listed a phone number to call.  In some cases, job seekers could actually go into a company and fill out an application and leave it along with a resume with an HR representative. These were the most popular methods for applying for a job before the Internet came into existence.

Due to modern technology, recruitment methods have changed within the last ten years or more.  Job seekers are able to go online to the employer's website, various job boards, and other professional sites to apply for a job. Job seekers can search and apply for jobs that interest them, simply by clicking a mouse at any hour of the day.

The job applicant's documents are transmitted within seconds. Company recruiters use the applicant tracking system (ATS) to identify resumes that best match the position they are seeking to fill.  This online method of recruitment is fast, convenient, and efficient. However, there are disadvantages associated with online recruitment for both the employers and the job seekers.

The growth in the e-recruitment industry has been fuelled with the adoption of technology by prospective employers and Internet penetration. According to a survey, organizations have cut costs by almost eighty percent over traditional recruitment modes by moving over to the online recruitment process.

With the advancement of technology and internet, organizations adopt to use web-based tools as a daily management function. For example, recruitment has no longer constrained by distance and time.

The raise of e-Recruitment has bought attention to majority of organization. To seek the best qualified candidates, employers adopted the trend of using e-Recruitment process. The trend of employer using e-recruitment process has result a decrease using traditional paper-based recruitment process.

The trend of recruitment process has tendency of use web- based methods, such as job boards, employer web sites, and professional web sites

E-Recruitment strategies gradually occur global-wide. More and more countries adopted the trend. Cost reduction, increase the efficiency of the process, time efficient, and accessibility to broader pool are common factor for adopting e-recruitment system

In order to effectively deliver the precise information to the target market, the communication and information flow play a critical part in online recruitment process.

According to research, the since the evolution of internet, there is an overflow of information. The overflow of information lead to 60% of people could not find relevant information. The researchers suggested that the information needs of the consumers should be centered and beneficial to the consumers.

In e-recruiting, both employers and employees expect to find valuable information of each other on the web, so a result, the information that either the employers or the employees upload to the web should be carefully reviewed. Both employer and employee expect to learn from each other. Despite the communication preferences, more and more employers use company website, job boards, and social networking sites to recruit talents. All these tools can reach large candidate pools. Especially social networking sites have bought attention to both employers and jobseekers.

A fast-growing number of people use social sites to look for jobs such as LinkedIn, Rozee.pk etc. In the jobseekers' view, it is easier to connect people with less pressure since it's not face to face. It is great for passive jobseekers. In the employers' view, it is low cost, shorter recruitment cycle, and it can get well-rounded information of the candidates.

A well-developed online application process can speed up the hiring process and more responsive to the applicants. The effectiveness of e-Recruitment can be varied depends on the size of the organization.

A study showed that online recruitment was not as appropriate for small organizations, for blue-collar, lower-level position and very senior positions, online recruitment remain more effective in larger organizations and service sectors because larger organizations potentially have larger vacancies to cope with larger group of candidates.

The effectiveness of online recruitment may also affect by the strategies implemented. For organizations, there are some opportunities to increase the effectiveness of online recruiting by adding values to the process.

For instance, developing a candidate-attraction process, providing screening and response management for the online recruiting process.

Majority of organizations use some form of online recruitment simply because the advantages overwhelm the disadvantages. The common findings of advantages among studies are: reduced costs, faster processes, wider accessibility, improve reputation brand, higher quality of applicants, better match of the position, 24/7running ability, and reduction of unqualified applicants. On the other hand, the disadvantages are privacy issues, lack of personal touch, user-unfriendly tools, and discrimination issues.

Without a shadow of a doubt, e-recruitment system is a necessity for organization to adopt and implement. Majority of organization have some degree of online recruitment process. It certainly creates competition within the industry. E-recruitment is affected by many internal and external factors, and it certainly changes fast. Organizations have to constantly aware of the changes and develop appropriate strategies in order to truly gain effectiveness of the e-recruitment process.