Some such as Zenastra Photonics Inc. swear by newspaper advertising, which they say allows them to target their audience by laying out specific criteria. Overall, however, the single most popular method is probably personal networking, known in alternate jargon as leveraged networking. It certainly is hugely strong in small companies. The way tiny companies recruit is almost exclusively that and street-level advertising. The same is true for large companies.
Employee referral is a huge benefit if it is properly managed.
At Chrysalis-ITS, for example, less emphasis was placed on career fairs as it launched a major recruiting campaign this year. Human resources manager Peggy Duperron says the career fair she attended in February allowed her to wave the corporate flag and network with plenty of people. But about the only thing she caught was a major flu bug. She says the fairs are very good if companies are looking for new grads or for individuals who don't have a lot of experience, but not so good for companies searching for seasoned, skilled people with five-plus years. Referrals, on the other hand, account for more than one-third.