Trends in HR Marketing:

HR Internet Research Behavior Survey

Contents
Abstract ....................................................................................................................................................... 2

Methodology ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Buying HR Products /Services: Where do HR Decision Makers Start? ................................................ 3

What Search Engines do HR Buyers Prefer? .......................................................................................... 4

How Often Do Buyers Use a Search Engine? .......................................................................................... 4

Search Engine Advertising: To Click or Not to Click. ................................................................................ 5

Which Informational HR Websites Do HR Buyers Prefer? .................................................................... 5

HR and Web 2.0 and the Devaluation of Traditional Media ................................................................... 6

Social Networking ...................................................................................................................................... 7

Further Reading and Resources ............................................................................................................... 7

About HRmarketer...................................................................................................................................... 9

About Fisher Vista, LLC............................................................................................................................. 9

Fisher Vista, LLC Products and Services ................................................................................................. 9

Abstract
This research report, conducted by HRmarketer.com, focuses specifically on how
the Internet, Web 2.0 and social networking technologies are impacting how
human resource professionals research and purchase products and services for
their organizations.
The data in this report is based on responses from human resource and
employee benefits buyers during August of 2008, collectively referred to as HR
buyers in this report.
The key trends outlined in this report tell us the following about HR buyers and
their buying process with respect to the Internet:

Increasing numbers of HR buyers turn to the Internet first (even before

turning to peers) when searching for vendors of HR products/services
they are interested in purchasing;

While a significant number of HR buyers go to the Internet daily for

HR information, they do not rely on any single website. Instead, they
tend to visit many HR information websites;

Over half of HR buyers surveyed use an Internet search engine at least

once per week to search for information related to human resources.
The most popular search engine? Google, with nearly 90% of
respondents saying this is their preferred search engine;

Nearly one third of HR buyers are likely to click a vendors sponsored

ad on a search results page of a search engine (e.g., the ads on right
side of Googles search results);

LinkedIn is the most popular business social networking service used

by HR buyers. However, nearly half of HR buyers are not using any
social networking service for professional / business purposes;

Nearly half of HR buyers surveyed participate in an HR-related

Webcast/Webinar at least once per quarter.

Nearly two-thirds of HR buyers read at least one HR-related white

paper/research report each quarter.

Methodology
The research data referenced in this report is based on responses from human
resource and employee benefits professionals and executives. The data was
collected during August of 2008.
Over half of survey participants were Director level or higher, with
approximately 8 percent CEO / C-Suite Executives, 17 percent Vice Presidents,
30 percent Directors and 27 percent Managers.

Buying HR Products /Services:

Where do HR Decision Makers Start?
When HR buyers were asked how they begin their searches to identify vendors
of HR products/services they may be interested in purchasing, Internet
Search Engine ranked first (38.7%), followed by Favorite HR informational
website (24%). For the first time in three years, since HRmarkter.com has
been conducting these research reports, Ask a Peer was not ranked first.
Only 16 percent of HR buyers said they asked a peer.
We cannot overstate the significance of these findings. Clearly, the
importance of a strong online presence has never been greater, with 64% of HR
buyers saying they turn to the Internet first when searching for HR solutions.
How do you typically begin your search to identify vendors of HR
products/services you may be interested in purchasing?

What Search Engines do HR Buyers Prefer?

Google is overwhelmingly the most often-used search engine of HR buyers who
search for HR information online, with over 80% of HR buyers saying they use
Google for their searches. A distant (almost insignificant) second was Yahoo!
(9.3%) with MSN and Ask.com coming in at a tie for 3rd (4%). This is
consistent with national trends showing Google as the dominant search engine,
and in the corporate environment this appears to be even more the case
important information for HR suppliers using or considering using searchengine advertising (Pay-Per-Click).
Which Internet search engine do you most often use (choose one)?

How Often Do Buyers Use a Search Engine?

Over half of HR Buyers surveyed use an Internet search engine at least once
per week to search for information related to human resources with nearly
30% going online daily to search for HR information.
How often do you use an Internet search engine to search for
information related to human resources, especially when researching
products and services (choose one)?

Search Engine Advertising: To Click or Not to Click.

Nearly one-third of HR Buyers are likely to click a vendors
sponsored ad on a search results page of a search engine
(e.g., the ads on right side of Googles search results).
Clearly, HR buyers are getting more comfortable clicking on
search engine ads. Contrasting with our research on this
subject six months ago, only 5% of this years respondents
were highly likely to click a sponsored ad.
This is fairly consistent with national search trends, where
research shows that about 70% of Internet users click on
organic listings, versus 30% on paid listings. Organic search
results are usually perceived as unbiased and therefore more
credible than paid results.
This is why marketers are well advised to invest in SEO
(search engine optimization) and SEM (search-engine
marketing) to boost their natural rankings.

Nearly one-third of HR
Buyers are likely to
click a vendors
sponsored ad on a
search results page of a
search engine.

Which Informational HR Websites

Do HR Buyers Prefer?
While a significant number of HR buyers go to the Internet for HR information,
they do not rely on any single website. Instead, they tend to visit many HR
information websites on a daily basis. Our research showed the following ten
websites as the most common sites visited by HR buyers (numbers rounded):

SHRM.org
HR.com
bls.gov
humanresources.about.com
workforce.com
hrvillage.com
humancapitalinstitute.org
hr-guide.com
benefitnews.com
IHRIM.org
ere.net
hrmarketer.com
hrstore.com
hrimmall.com
worldatwork.org

Daily

Weekly

Monthly

21%
7%
7%
5%
5%
4%
4%
4%
4%
4%
4%
3%
3%
3%
2%

44%
19%
8%
3%
15%
0%
3%
3%
13%
1%
0%
4%
1%
1%
7%

19%
16%
20%
7%
15%
4%
8%
8%
4%
4%
1%
3%
5%
3%
5%

Other sites worth mentioning include:

aseonline.org

hrgopher.com

aspenpublishers.com

hrwebcafe.com

bna.com

pbpinfo.com

conference-board.org

thehrspecialist.com

corporateleadershipcouncil.com

voluntary.com

dol.gov

worldatwork.org

ebia.com

hrhero.com

Again, as emphasized earlier and in previous reports by HRmarketer.com, this

is why HR and employee benefit marketers need to invest in SEO and engage
in a variety of Internet marketing campaigns (leveraging content like white
papers) to increase their online visibility.

HR and Web 2.0 and the Devaluation of

Traditional Media
When it comes to webinars, podcasts and blogs, HR buyers continue to adopt
these Web 2.0 technologies. Nearly half of HR Buyers surveyed participate in
an HR-related webcast/webinar at least once per quarter. And nearly twothirds of HR buyers read at least one HR-related white paper/research report
each quarter.
How often do you do the following?

Worth noting is that while an HR buyer is more likely to read an HR-related enewsletter than a print HR trade magazine on a daily basis, print HR trades
continue to be of importance, as nearly half of HR buyers still read a print HR
trade monthly.
The key takeaways for HR suppliers are:
1)

If you are not already blogging, podcasting and doing webcasts, consider
doing so. These tactics are becoming increasingly important to generate
visibility and leads.

2)

While Web 2.0 activities need to be a part of your ongoing marketing and
PR, traditional media relations (including regular distribution of press
releases) are still important to secure placements in print HR trade
magazines.

Social Networking
Not surprisingly, the most popular business social networking service for HR
buyers is LinkedIn, with 47% of HR buyers using this service on a regular basis.
Other social networking sites used by HR buyers on a widespread basis include
Facebook (12%) and MySpace (10%). Interestingly, Twitter made our list for the
first time with nearly 2% of HR buyers saying they use this service on a regular
basis. Plaxo also made the list for the first time, with just over 1% of
respondents using this social networking service.
The message to HR suppliers? Start experimenting with social networking.
HRmarketer.com recently began experimenting with social networking by
creating the HR Community (www.HRmarketer.com/community), and we can
speak from experience that HR buyers and sellers are taking to these services
quickly. In just over three months since we launched the HR Community the
Community already showcases hundreds of HR and employee benefit vendor
profiles and over 1,300 white papers, research reports, webcasts, articles and
podcasts uploaded by members.

Further Reading and Resources

For more information about marketing and PR in the HR marketplace, please
visit http://www.hrmarketer.com/home/whitepaper_main2.htm for many
white papers on the subject.


Subscribe to our popular blog http://hrmarketer.blogspot.com/ (consistently

ranked as a top 20 blog in the HR marketplace), which discusses many
subjects relating to marketing and selling to HR.

Download our free eBook titled How to Reach Human Resource Buyers
and Convert Them to Leads (no registration required) at
http://www.hrmarketer.com/selling_to_HR.pdf

Create your own Supplier Profile at the HR Community

(www.HRmarketer.com/community and promote your content to HR buyers.

About HRmarketer
HRmarketer.com, a service of Fisher Vista LLC, is the no. 1 Internet marketing and
media visibility service in the human resources industry. Over five hundred human
resource suppliers have used HRmarketer.com to generate publicity, website traffic,
sales leads and improved search engine rankings. The HRmarketer Services Group
helps HR suppliers who do not have the internal resources available and/or internal
expertise to fully leverage the power of an HRmarketer.com membership. For these
companies, the HRmarketer Services Group offers a full range of marketing and
public relations services as well as Web 2.0 digital media services.

About Fisher Vista, LLC

Fisher Vista, LLC is a marketing services firm focusing on the human resource and
senior care marketplaces. Our products and services combine innovative Webbased technologies with traditional marketing and PR. Since 2000, weve helped
hundreds of suppliers in the HR and senior care marketplace improve their
marketing and PR and generate more publicity, website traffic and sales leads.

Fisher Vista, LLC Products and Services

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