Sourcing and recruitment advertising costs consume high percentages of HR staffing budgets. With increasing pressure on a decreasing talent supply, getting good results from your sourcing investments looms even larger.

Newly released is an interesting and extensive ERE Media and Classified Intelligence research report ($495) that’s based on a survey of 350 recruiters across the United States. The report title tells much of the story: Job Sites Up, Print Going Down: Recruiters Rate Advertising Effectiveness. According to the survey, employee referrals remain a top source of choice; newspapers are quickly losing favor.

Where have the recruitment ad dollars been spent in the past, and what changes are expected for budget allocation? Here the report also offers good info:

As you set your own budgets for next year’s recruitment advertising, you can use this research to get a broader view of source effectiveness and payback expectations. Then you can benchmark against your own plans. Each program should be evaluated on its merit for your organization. If, for instance, employee referrals rank high – be sure that your employee referral program is optimized. None of these sources will be effective for you without ongoing monitoring and analysis.