The first comprehensive national study of recruitment advertising effectiveness, conducted by ERE Media, Inc. and Classified Intelligence LLC, asked recruiters to rank the value of job sites, print, social networks, employee referrals and career fairs. Most important in making that judgment, the survey showed, is number of hires compared to cost.

"The big news is that recruitment sites are identified as an effective way to find and hire employees," said Peter M. Zollman, founding principal of Classified Intelligence. "Especially among large companies, recruiters are increasing their spending. This should mean real growth for the online job segment – most likely at the expense of newspapers."

Nearly half of the 353 recruiters who participated (45 percent) expect to increase spending with job sites this year over 2005; more hires for more companies come from job sites than anyplace else. Niche and national boards are more effective than diversity, regional or executive boards. Of respondents who spend more than $100,000 a year on advertising, 39 percent use job boards.

More than half the recruiters expect to spend more on employee referral programs, although fewer than one-third of hires come from these. Social networks are used by 43 percent, but the jury is out on effectiveness. While dollar levels are low, 44 percent said they expect to spend more this year.

Print received the lowest rating, with 58 percent calling it ineffective. Forty-three percent will spend less on print this year. One recruiter called print "less and less effective every year, as the new generations don’t read the classifieds."

All forms of advertising have a place in the spending mix, recruiters emphasized.

"This is extremely valuable information for recruiters who want to know what approaches their colleagues are finding successful, and consider how best to allocate their budgets" said David Manaster, CEO of ERE Media. "The report reflects HR professionals from a great cross-section of industries and company sizes talking about how to get the most for their money."

The report presents key findings about recruitment advertising trends, with guidance for recruiters seeking the best results from their advertising budgets and for publishers, print and online, for improving their recruitment products. Profiles of HR professionals share specifics about methods that work well for their companies.

This report is available for $495 at www.classifiedintelligence.com and www.ere.net. Reporters may request complete copies for editorial use at 407-788-2780 or through the Web site.

About Classified Intelligence, LLC

Classified Intelligence LLC is a consulting group that works with leading media companies, dot-coms and technology providers to develop successful classified advertising services. It publishes a continuous advisory service, "Classified Intelligence Report," that focuses on trends, products and companies in the industry. It also provides proprietary and published research about classified advertising and offers workshops, training and planning services. Founded in 1998, it is based in Altamonte Springs, Florida. For more information, visit ClassifiedIntelligence.com or call (407) 788-2780.

About ERE Media Inc.

ERE Media Inc. is the leading source of information and networking for recruiters. ERE boasts the largest community of recruiting professionals on the Internet, with over 50,000 registered users taking advantage of a variety of free publications and premium research products on its Web site (www.ere.net), including daily articles on recruiting topics as well as the most active forum of recruiters and HR professionals on the Internet. ERE also hosts the ERE Expo conference series (www.erexpo.com), the largest conferences for corporate recruiting leaders.

For interviews or more information contact:

Classified Intelligence founding principal Peter M. Zollman is available for interviews at 407-788-2780 or through info (at) classifiedintelligence.com. ERE Media CEO David Manaster is available at 212-671-1181, ext. 801.