Your recent article, ‘Easing the burden of talent bombardment’ (Recruiter, 15 April), perfectly captured the struggle that so many organisations are currently facing. With unemployment rising, many firms face a barrage of applications from candidates who previously would never have considered them as a potential employer. While this means the quantity of available talent has increased, it also means employers need to work much harder to find the quality candidates among this growing talent pool.

Many recruiters are getting smarter at distinguishing between ‘serious’ and ‘serial’ jobseekers and are using online recruitment to pre-screen and assess candidates’ suitability. But as with manual recruitment processes, this approach will only ever be effective if companies have a clear understanding of the values, behaviours, competencies and experience required for a specific role and remember the importance of the human touch when it comes to recruitment.

All too often HR teams are distracted by the promises of recruitment technology, such as the opportunity to save time and money and cut their administrative burden. When this happens the opportunity to connect with and engage the talent required to drive the organisation forward is frequently overlooked.

Paying attention to both is the mark of a skilled recruiter. And once organisations recognise and embrace the importance of people within the online recruitment process, putting the needs of candidates first and foremost, then the cost-cutting and talent-improving benefits organisations so desperately want to see, particularly in the current economic climate, can easily be delivered.

Lesley Nash, managing director, Changeworknow