Due to COVID-19 pandemic, many Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) have shifted a portion of their hiring processes to the online environment and this research questions the extent of the shift. It examines the relationship between online recruitment adoption and hiring behaviour, recruitment process change, recruitment effectiveness and perceived benefits and whether perceived challenges are a barrier to adoption. The data were gathered from 220 MSMEs owners/managers, HR personnel, recruiters and other people associated with the hiring process in MSMEs of Kerala through purposive sampling. The total data was processed with IBM SPSS by using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson correlation and regression test in a structured five-point Likert questionnaire. Hiring behaviour and process change are both significantly and positively related to online recruitment adoption, as are effectiveness and perceived benefits. Perceived challenges are significantly and negatively related to adoption. Combined, the findings reveal how digital recruitment is linked to actual shifts in recruitment practices among MSMEs