Recruitment advertising: online versus offline

Although I enjoyed a cold but very refreshing run through the forest this morning, I am still on my soap box about recruitment advertising. 

Maybe I will have to run harder so my mind cannot think about work!

If I were to decorate my house, I may be lucky enough to call in an interior designer to do the design work.  This would no doubt be followed by a large invoice and then a few white vans outside the house with carpet layers, painters, electricians and probably knowing my wife, builders as well (to do some building work).  This no doubt makes sense to most people; unless of course you're DIY Jack and try to do it all yourself.

Is recruitment advertising really any different?  We have a raft of wonderful designers who can create adverts that win awards but don't attract many applicants, send in a large invoice and then hand over to the 'workers'.  Problem is, they tend to just send in Jack who has to do it all (I know, I've met a few Jacks and Jackettes).  The result tends to be a long proposal with lots of suggested expenditure, most of which will be...... offline advertising.

Problem is, the client doesn't really know much better so what are they to do?  Of course, there are a number of 'us' who are promoting the benefits of online being a great alternative (better in many cases) but even a lot of the online 'specialists' will end up with job boards as their primary source.  There is then little or any tracking behind this, the job boards spout off with all of their stats to justify their sales pitches, and still the client is no wiser, happier or healthier.

However, clients will start to demand more so the agencies will have to get better.  But will the likes of Barkers, Workcomms et al create 'proper' online divisions and staff them with people who know what they are doing or, will they just leave the door wide open for the niche online agencies who will get better and better at what they do/offer.  The small agencies are generally staffed by people who have a real passion for online and, have no offline revenue to fall back on; so they have to make sure they know more than most.

It's easy to suggest that if no-one does anything the client will learn how to do it themselves because they won't.  But that doesn't mean that the industry can stay as it is.

The big dilemma is: "How does the client actually get the service they need if the majority of agencies still rely on offline?"