Online recruitment sites have come of age and have more of a role to play for jobseekers and employers looking to fill vacancies. So claim the latest surveys into the internet recruitment sector.

Loyalty to online recruitment sites is improving, in spite of the fact that there are hundreds to choose from on the web.

The National Online Recruitment Audience Survey (NORAS) for winter 2004 said 66% of users were repeat visitors, while 45% of online jobseekers said the internet was their preferred method of finding a new job.

However, candidates don’t just visit sites to find a job. 30% use them to find out information about employers, while 23% visit to make salary comparisons.

Candidates report considerable success through their online jobseeking: 75% have applied for a job they found online, 59% got through to the interview stage and 44% got the job.

The average online jobseeker is 33.6 years old, has 12 years’ work experience and earns £34,594, according to NORAS.

A separate survey from reed.co.uk claims that HR professionals have warmed towards the internet as a recruitment medium over the last four years. 72% of HR people said the internet was effective when recruiting, compared with 42% in 2000. The chief advantage was its low cost, said 40% of respondents.