ASRI's newest Survey of Recruiting Methods and Response Quality yields valuable insight: where hiring companies should focus their recruiting dollars.

WALTHAM, Mass. -- ASRI's (www.asri.com) latest survey of Staffing and Retention Methods follows its informative June, 2005, Staffing & Retention survey reported this October. This survey of New England employers measures Quality of Response.

Three perspectives are reported in this article: Aggregate, large-company and small-company responses. There was additional data obtained (available by request), that can be broken out individually by nine industry groups covered: Bio/Pharm, Education, Financial/Business, Health, Manufacturing, Retail/Services, Technology, Non-profit and Consulting.

Seventeen percent of the 580 HR professionals surveyed participated. "That percentage is impressive and the findings were remarkable," said Ken Isaacson, asri.com's President. "And ninety-one percent (91%) of companies surveyed are hiring." Level of hiring is predicted steady and moderate over the nine months surveyed forward, with volumes reflective of company size.

Eighteen recruiting methods were surveyed and analysis of aggregate data showed Quality of Response of the combined high and good categories yielded the following: Major Job Boards (70%); Employee Referral Programs (60%); Personal Networks (55%); Dedicated Recruiters (53%); Corporate Career Sites (52%); and Niche Job Boards (49%).

Most disappointing were Major and Local Newspapers and Staffing Agencies, which scored their best points in the 'Fair' quality category: 37%/36%/34%. Larger companies are seemingly having an easier time than smaller, in sourcing new employees. All responders reported low-single-digit percentages in 'Mainly Unqualified' from all sources. Major Newspapers and trade Journals scored highest in this dubious category, at 10%. But the message seems to be that recruiting dollars are not being wasted on the sourcing efforts companies are using.

Slightly more larger companies use Direct Mail and Email, Dedicated Recruiters, Major Newspapers and Web Banner Ads than smaller. Other methods listed but not rated: Career Fairs, Signage, Rehires and Outplacement Firms. And the data shows many participants not using methods that could be beneficial to them.

About ASRI: Since 1968,ASRI (www.asri.com, Waltham, MA, with strategic partners globally), has focused on providing Creative Staffing, Retention and Creative Solutions to HR. "The fundamental strength of our model, says Lynn Bentley, ASRI's VP of Business Development, "is that both Fortune 500 and 1000 companies rely on these services, and to find them under one roof yields exceptional synergy."