Organizations with large IT staffs are most apt to recruit via the Web

Organizations with medium to large information technology staffs are more likely than those with smaller IT operations to leverage the Internet for recruitment, though few use social networking tools, according to a recent survey of global chief information officers.

Nearly two-thirds of 127 IT managers surveyed by the IT research firm Forrester during the fourth quarter of 2009 said they posted vacancies on their companies' Web sites. Between 70 percent and 80 percent of organizations with IT staffs of 100 or more relied on this strategy, compared to 63 percent of entities with IT workforces of fewer than 100 people, Forrester found.

Forty-seven percent of respondents used online recruitment sites such as CareerBuilder.com to locate candidates for entry-level positions, but only 23 percent used social networks like LinkedIn. As social media becomes more prevalent and members of the Millennial generation -- born between 1980 and 2000 -- move up the management ladder, more organizations will rely on such tools to find talent, researchers predicted.

"Millennials bring sharp technology skills, a desire for challenging work, flexibility, mobility and an ability to work well in teams," the report stated. "What Millennials want to support their work -- such as flexible work schedules, social media tools or a collaborative environment -- are work features other employees can benefit from."

The influence of younger workers might be more discernible in large IT organizations. Eighty-four percent of large IT organizations recruit entry-level staff, compared to 71 percent of small operations, the survey found. Bigger entities also are more likely to hire from local colleges and universities through job fairs and institute internship programs, according to the survey.