The cost of recruiting public service employees are set to rise by up to $370 million per year, according to a leading e-recruitment software company.

A survey of e-recruitment traffic conducted by Australian software company NGA.net, has revealed that the number of electronic job applications received by Australian Government departments over the past 12 months increased by 10 per cent, despite a 30 per cent drop in the number of new job advertisements.

NGA.net chief executive officer Mike Giuffrida warned that increased competition would put pressure on government recruitment costs.

“As competition increases for fewer jobs, the task and cost of finding the best candidate will only become greater,” Giuffrida said.

“In our experience, much of this recruitment expenditure may be unwarranted.”

Giuffrida advised government departments to update their e-recruitment software to reduce future costs.

“The next wave of e-recruitment technology promises to dramatically reduce recruitment cost and time by providing HR teams with enhanced analytical tools and a greater ability to automate crucial functions, such as internal reporting, merit-based assessment and on-boarding,” he said.