Supermarket giant Sainsbury’s hopes to slash recruiting time and save £4m a year by launching an internet-only staff hiring scheme.

The move comes after company research found that most job applicants are well-skilled in internet use, and would prefer to apply online than use paper forms.

The scheme was introduced last month at Leicester’s Fosse Park store.

It is the first store to have a ‘Job Point’ workstation, where applicants can log on to the store’s site

to access job information. Further stores will follow in the new year.

To ensure equal job opportunities, the supermarket is introducing online access in stores for those who don’t have a computer.

“We’re using technology to make that nail-biting wait for news of a job a thing of the past,” said Sainsbury’s recruitment manager Jane Basley.