On-line recruiting

I think the choice of how you search depends on your ability to be involved with the process. Recruiters specialize in locating the hard to reach and they are specifically focused on the one task of locating an exceptional candidate for you alone. Your day to day responsibilities might not give you enough time to focus on locating the right candidate, although it can be done via on-line professional groups and in-person networking. The primary weakness I see with a recruiter is that they regularly take the employers word and cut off possibilities with salary or specific technical needs. If they had more knowledge of a company's culture, they might be able to identify a niche candidate who wouldn't make it through a first cut based on the black and white of the job posting. My preference is to find my own hires through ongoing networking, but I am not an expert for each department and my HR department is also limited with their knowledge of technical must-have's (even when explained by the hiring department). When I can locate a good candidate through networking I am more invested in the search and I am also keeping my name and my company's name in the mix for future business or employment opportunitites.