If you decide to go with online recruiting, your reach is practically unlimited as job hunters are not restricted to only technical folks. These days, the Internet attracts a much broader audience, from administrative assistants to marketing managers.

Plus, resume databases are getting to be massive in size, so there's no shortage of candidates to choose from. The question is: Are they qualified?And are they a good match for your company?

Most online services allow you to post and edit job postings in real time, but others still require you to submit postings by fax or e-mail. After you post your jobs, the process varies depending on the particular service.

Many online recruiting services have compiled member profiles, which detail candidates' skills and desires, and the recruiting consultants use special software to match qualified individuals with the appropriate job. So searching for and qualifying leads, including reference checks, is all handled for you so that all you do is review the interview-ready candidates and decide who you want to meet.

After deciding on the target profile that best matches your job opening, some services say you can expect to receive resumes in about five days. Some services set their prices according to the number of resumes you will receive. One such service, for example, offers 10 qualified candidates for business searches for $3,495.

Other services are less involved in the actual search. You can post a job on their site, which can cost about $300 for a 60-day posting of one job, and applicants will send their resumes to you. Then it is up to you to take over the screening process to select the people you want to interview.

It's hard to beat the price of this method of Web recruiting since this kind of online advertising is significantly cheaper than traditional newspaper ads or headhunters. But keep in mind, there's a lot more footwork involved with these services so make sure you have adequate resources to handle the screening process.

With the thousands of online job sites, it's difficult to select the one that's going to produce the best leads. Just because it's easy and cheap doesn't mean it's effective.

The best way to get a feel for an online service?Use the site as if you were the applicant. If you think the service asks the right questions to lead candidates in the right direction then you can take comfort in the fact that other job applicants will probably have the same experience.

If you have the time and resources to pore through the resumes yourself, then that would be the cheapest option. If, however, you don't have the manpower or the time, paying more for a handful of solid leads is a better strategy.