The Internet has revolutionized recruitment, but there are more changes still to come
Using the Internet for recruitment can make the process more timely and cost-effective, as well as providing access to a broader pool of job candidates. Those are key drivers behind the proliferation of job boards in the past few years.
One of the shortcomings of the traditional recruitment process is that it involves “a huge volume of paperwork,” says Carolyn Collett, Toronto-based HRMS solutions leader for Oracle Canada. There are also issues related to the recruitment cycle and timeliness of communication, she says.
It’s increasingly common for organizations to post vacant positions on the corporate Web site as well as on job boards, which are essentially a place where resumes and vacant positions can be listed. And while both these approaches are helpful to both corporations and job candidates, there’s still potential for improving the interaction.
Currently, after a selection process has been initiated, desirable candidates sometimes drop out of the competition because of poor corporate communications, she says. “You’ve gone through the application process, and started the interview process, and then communications lag.”
That may be due to difficulties scheduling interviews with candidates, but it leaves the candidates in limbo, and when highly skilled candidates are scarce resources, they move on, dropping out of your job competition. That’s a sign of the candidate’s frustration, and it’s equally frustrating for HR personnel, who may have to start the process all over again.
The next phase in the evolution of online recruitment will be based on standards for the exchange of human resources-related information developed by the international, non-profit HR-XML Consortium, which develops and publishes open data exchange standards using Extensible Markup Language (XML), says Collett. (For more on the HR-XML project visit www
.hrreporter.com select search and enter article #1662.)
This will facilitate the exchange of information about jobs and candidates beyond your own enterprise, she says. New self-service recruiting solutions will make it easier for HR departments to create multi-purpose job portals based on the new standards. It will also improve communication during the selection process, she says.
What you want to be able to do when a vacancy occurs within the organization is put a requisition out simultaneously to job boards, posting the position and initiating a search of existing resumes, says Collett. Ideally, this information would all flow using a common data format. But that would be just the first step.
A portal that is integrated with a corporate Web site and linked to other sites can be used to tap into markets ranging from schools to industry or sub-sectors by targeting the market. “You would be able to vary the content, look and feel,” depending on the projected audience, says Collett.
This approach would also allow companies to post their own jobs, as well as those at subsidiaries. People who are interested could bookmark the site and even request e-mail notification when a vacancy occurs, once they have decided that they want to work for a specific company.
If they decide to apply for a position, they would be able to attach a resume. In addition, one of the features will be a self-assessment capability so that potential applicants can match their skills and competencies to the requirements for a given position, says Collett.
Different kinds of people, ranging from prospects to applicants to hiring managers and recruiters would access the portal. Those checking the status of a position that is being filled — recruiters or candidates — would be able to use a password to determine where they are in the process, says Collett.
That would help applicants stay informed about whether a short list has been selected, and when interviews are scheduled. Similarly, recruiters would be able to provide better service to their clients. And thanks to the use of XML, it would be easy to give secure access to appropriate partners, such as companies doing background checks on candidates.
This approach also allows for the use of metrics so that time and costs associated with the recruitment process could be measured.
The XML-based portal concept “supports your whole employment brand, if you will,” encouraging repeat traffic, says Collett.
One of the shortcomings of the traditional recruitment process is that it involves “a huge volume of paperwork,” says Carolyn Collett, Toronto-based HRMS solutions leader for Oracle Canada. There are also issues related to the recruitment cycle and timeliness of communication, she says.
It’s increasingly common for organizations to post vacant positions on the corporate Web site as well as on job boards, which are essentially a place where resumes and vacant positions can be listed. And while both these approaches are helpful to both corporations and job candidates, there’s still potential for improving the interaction.
Currently, after a selection process has been initiated, desirable candidates sometimes drop out of the competition because of poor corporate communications, she says. “You’ve gone through the application process, and started the interview process, and then communications lag.”
That may be due to difficulties scheduling interviews with candidates, but it leaves the candidates in limbo, and when highly skilled candidates are scarce resources, they move on, dropping out of your job competition. That’s a sign of the candidate’s frustration, and it’s equally frustrating for HR personnel, who may have to start the process all over again.
The next phase in the evolution of online recruitment will be based on standards for the exchange of human resources-related information developed by the international, non-profit HR-XML Consortium, which develops and publishes open data exchange standards using Extensible Markup Language (XML), says Collett. (For more on the HR-XML project visit www
.hrreporter.com select search and enter article #1662.)
This will facilitate the exchange of information about jobs and candidates beyond your own enterprise, she says. New self-service recruiting solutions will make it easier for HR departments to create multi-purpose job portals based on the new standards. It will also improve communication during the selection process, she says.
What you want to be able to do when a vacancy occurs within the organization is put a requisition out simultaneously to job boards, posting the position and initiating a search of existing resumes, says Collett. Ideally, this information would all flow using a common data format. But that would be just the first step.
A portal that is integrated with a corporate Web site and linked to other sites can be used to tap into markets ranging from schools to industry or sub-sectors by targeting the market. “You would be able to vary the content, look and feel,” depending on the projected audience, says Collett.
This approach would also allow companies to post their own jobs, as well as those at subsidiaries. People who are interested could bookmark the site and even request e-mail notification when a vacancy occurs, once they have decided that they want to work for a specific company.
If they decide to apply for a position, they would be able to attach a resume. In addition, one of the features will be a self-assessment capability so that potential applicants can match their skills and competencies to the requirements for a given position, says Collett.
Different kinds of people, ranging from prospects to applicants to hiring managers and recruiters would access the portal. Those checking the status of a position that is being filled — recruiters or candidates — would be able to use a password to determine where they are in the process, says Collett.
That would help applicants stay informed about whether a short list has been selected, and when interviews are scheduled. Similarly, recruiters would be able to provide better service to their clients. And thanks to the use of XML, it would be easy to give secure access to appropriate partners, such as companies doing background checks on candidates.
This approach also allows for the use of metrics so that time and costs associated with the recruitment process could be measured.
The XML-based portal concept “supports your whole employment brand, if you will,” encouraging repeat traffic, says Collett.
