B+-+e-Recruiting

= **e-Recruiting: Web Based Recruiting and Staffing**= The Web basically allows you to put more information out there. This benefits organizations because there is an unlimited amount of space on the web, and they are free to use as much as they want. However, it would be prudent for them to keep in mind the importance of an easy-to-navigate and attractive website.

The Organizations website is heavily used for job recruiting
Around 1997 about 11% usage… approximately 80% of U.S. employers use the web today… and in a few years the number is expected to reach around 100%.

2003 – About 124,000 companies recruit using on-line service… Use it for simple description > commercial job boards > interactive recruiting site (info about company, applicant can self-asses themselves against its competency requirements).

Traditional methods usually supplement most on-line recruiting (this is usually the case for hard-to-fill positions at the top of organizations, or low-skill, entry-level positions [since most of the potential applicants don’t search for the job online])

There are millions of new users per week to join the online community.

Web recruiting serves many purposes such as saving time, saves costs otherwise related to newspapers or postage, helps passive job-seekers. //Recruiting// is the adding, maintaining, replenishing, or the expanding of a workforce.

In order for an organization to determine what types of employees they are looking for they must first develop a job analysis and a needs analysis.

•**Job Analysis:** –Involves defining the job and discovering the employee behavior necessary to perform the job. –Task and People requirements •**Job Descriptions:** –Written statements of what job holder does. –Describes basic performance standards •**Job Specifications:** –Employee knowledge, Skill, Abilities, and Behavior (KSA's)

//Passive job-seekers// are people who are content at their current jobs, but may be open to the idea of pursuing other opportunities if they presented themselves. Passive job-seekers are specific in the types of positions, companies, working conditions, etc. that they are looking for. It is important that the organization realizes that these passive job seekers are not only looking at their organization, but looking at others as well. It is because of this that the organization needs to maintain a competitive advantage in the market place, and especially on the web. This segment of the market is a huge target for organizations because if offered the right pay or benefits, working conditions, incentives, status, etc. then the seeker is sold.

In today’s economy technical professions are experiencing about 70% turnover rate and unemployment is at an all time 30-year low. Labor markets are changing, and it is vital that the right people are attracted to the right positions in the appropriate companies. An organization can attract and retain future employees by applying and understanding of their companies business strategies, knowledge of their employees' competencies, information about current and future labor markets, and insights about the people whom they wish to attract. The organization also must make sure that they have the right number and mix of people. They will go about this by choosing the appropriate applicants with the right competencies, in the right places, for the right duration, and at the right cost(wages). In order to create a great organization the applicants and soon to be new employees must be engaged and committed to doing the right things.

An Organization’s website can serve as a place to showcase the organization in a good light, can describe what requirements and skills the applicant needs, and process applications from thousands of applicants simultaneously (including passive job-seekers). //Corporate intranets// allow current employees to drive their own careers in any direction in which they choose. Online applications for transfers will be used for promotions, transfers, or development and training tools. This allows employees access to opportunities that could be beneficial to them in their individual careers. **3 Steps to e-Recruiting**: 1. Attract Applicants-- use the web to recruit applicants. Market your company and Present yourselves as an a particular image. 2. Sort Applicants-- Screen the applicants for KSAs need within the organization. 3. Manage the candidate relationship.

1.	Workforce analysis and planning: What are the talent gaps/surpluses, when and where is talent needed, in what quantities, and at what cost? 2.	Sourcing and attraction: Who has the right talent; where are they, and how do we get them interested in joining our organization? 3.	Assessment and selection: What criteria should we use to identify ad select the right people? 4.	Hiring: How do we make the offer that attracts the candidate and closes the deal? 5.	Deployment: How do we move people into, around and out of the organization? 6.	Retention: How do we engage the talent for the right duration of time, keeping that talent invested and engaged in the organization? In order to implement staffing, the organization must link the business strategy, mission and company’s vision together to see how they can win against the competition. They need to identify the competencies needed for employees to ensure that they are successful at the organization.
 * Staffing has six parts**. Each component addresses a different staffing concern.  Even though the Web impacts all of the parts, they aren’t impacted equally, rather they are sequentially linked.


 * 1**.	**Workforce analysis and planning** aren’t impacted by the Web as much as the other five components of staffing.

« Features become become very important when an organization begins to create a website. Its main purpose is to attract the potential applicant. Features may include self-assessment tools, mini-quizzes, calculators, graphics, games, etc. Basically, anything that the organization can do to keep you coming back to visit the site, telling your friends to visit the site, recommending the site to family or co-workers or talking positively about the site will have a huge impact on the organization.
 * 2**.	**Sourcing and attraction** is the most directly impacted by the Web’s technology. Organizations need to constantly keep track of external and internal candidates for positions that are currently open, and have not yet been filled or for future positions.  The internet plays a heavy role in the revolutionizing of company websites.  The organization needs to decide who the best candidates are, how to reach them and what they are going to do in order to engage their interest.  The answer to this is going to be specific to the organization because every organization has their own business strategies and visions for the future of their company, and the types of applicants they wish to attract.  The Web has helped organizations to source applicants on a global level, while simultaneously attracting applicants on the internal level as well.

« Top websites have press releases from corporate public relations, articles on hot topics by noted scholars (internal and external) with information that current and potential employees want to know, reference centers with links to important topics, regularly scheduled chat rooms with key company executives, politicians, scholars, or well-known company spokespeople, recruiting events and other employment-related information, tips on how to interview, what to wear, and what to do, chats with new employees and live views of offices, bios and points of view of key executives, who the competition is and how we compare with them, community investments, information about what the future holds and what positions are available and how to apply. «You want to make it really easy for applicants to access the features that allow them to apply, and also make the criteria or requirements for the position visible for them to see. Adding a FAQ’s link (frequently asked questions) wouldn’t hurt either.

« It is also very important to make it easy for the applicant to contact the organization with any questions that they may have about the application process, so having a “contact us” link is imperative. This begins the back-and-forth constant and open communication between the potential employee and the organization. This open forum, so to speak, will make the applicant comfortable and familiar with the application process.

« It is also necessary to make the application process relatively quick and easy. Maybe upload a resume, fill out a mini-quiz and self-assessment, enter basic contact information; but that’s it. If it becomes too lengthy then the applicant may withdraw from the application process too soon and the organization may be missing out on an excellent candidate.

« You really want the nature, environment and values of the company to parallel its website. You want to create excitement in the applicant who could potentially be your new employee.

« However, just the increased automation of resume collections, job postings and other processes don’t necessarily guarantee you the best qualified candidates. Although, the automation does allow for faster and more efficient job postings and resume submissions from applicants. « In order for Web-based approaches to be worthwhile and effective they have to generate more pros than cons, but it seems that on-line recruiting continues to create more problems than it solves. « This leads us to the fact that the website is used primarily to make impressive first impressions. The functionality of the website must be striking. If you say that you’re a high-tech company then your website must have amazing functions and scream “//Look at me//!” Easy navigation on an organization’s website is essential. If someone visits your website and it’s not functionally impressive, it’s hard to navigate and it’s slow then they aren’t coming back, and they’re also telling their friends, family and coworkers not to either. Nothing is worse than bad word-of-mouth for an organization. When people hear negative comments and reviews about organizations and websites they will rarely question their source, but will immediately believe them and continue to spread the negative statements onto the next person.

« Confidentiality and safety is also important to a Web user. Allowing applicants to screen themselves in a secure environment lets them see if they have the necessary skills or if they are the right fit for the position in question. When an organization defines their set of company values and the competencies desired for the position up for fulfillment this helps people decide if they will be good candidates. « Organizations should also put other relevant and pertinent information that job seekers would want to know on their websites such as neighboring areas, real estate, nearby restaurants, easiest ways to get to the office, etc. You want to make sure, though, that you don’t let the employee linger too long on the other links and that you keep them coming back to the main website.

« The Web also allows for an enterprisewide process of recruitment and staffing, while also keeping it user-friendly and specific to the customer. It is because of all of the benefits of a globally Web based recruiting and staffing process, that traditional methods such as local advertisements, job fairs and personal references serve as just supplementary to the bigger picture.

« Organizations want to be the employer of choice. It is important that they don’t just reiterate this to the applicant through words, but that they show them! Using text, graphics, interaction, multimedia and many other functions this can be successfully accomplished. The employer wants to show the applicant that their organization is the best place to work and why. The Web has such a large capacity for showing the organization's features that it is hard not to take advantage of it. Video-chats with executives, chat rooms with new employees, virtual tours… anything is possible. I bet interviews will start to be conducted on the Web soon as well; it is only a matter of time.

« The organization will conduct some market research to find out what is the best method to use in order to reach their targeted audience. Specific information must be clearly stated, educational opportunities along with training and developmental opportunities, competencies and requirements being sought, why the applicant is needed and when they will start employment, how their performance will be measured and rewarded, when they will be eligible for promotions and any other information the organization wishes to list.

« The organization’s website becomes the medium between the technological world and the real world. It can be updated as needed, and can also provide links to other websites, job boards or schools to further expand its search.

«Strategic cohesion can bring together two traditionally separate sourcing functions; //external recruitment systems// and //internal staffing systems// in order to eliminate redundant and duplicative work and information. A single, integrated system is best for handling external and internal systems since they share so many of the same procedures and identical information. –For example, the same job can be offered simultaneously to external and internal applicants even                 though the internal applicants get considered first. Then, after the internal applicants have been exhausted, the organization could extend the offer to external applicants. –However, there are certain requirements differentiating external from internal applicants. The available position may require a certain number of years of experience in the current or similar position, a current manager’s approval, background checks for external applicants or certain levels of performance.

«Ultimately, after the qualifications are built into the system, only those applicants that meet the requirements get to have an interview.


 * 3.	Assessment and Selection** rely on the competency qualifications that have been enacted by the organization in question. Automation of processes such as scheduling of tests and individual psychological assessments to analysis of past performance evaluations all contribute to the assessment and selection process.  Whether the applicants have the proper “fit” for the position and whether their competency qualifications match the organization's is decided by both the applicant and the organization.

«Face-to-face meetings are impossible to replace, but video-chats have made it a little bit easier for possible applicants to speak with recruiters and professionals inside the organization. The employee's resume, salary history, employer recommendations and e-mail address can all be included as well. “All applicants are considered, all candidates are assessed, but only some are selected to be employees.”(Walker)

«The goal is the creation of a huge candidate pool from of candidates who have the proper competencies and attributes. This pool may vary in size from small to large based on the number of competencies required and other factors that could hold weight as well. Even though the competency requirements have been made to be more specific, the Web allows for more opportunity and advancement. As a result, the pools are usually quite large. It is very difficult to select the right candidates from the pools because you need to try to match their unique competencies with the business needs, organizational culture and values and the specific job requirements.

«When trying to decide between two candidates it is not wise to choose the one with the lower salary requirement, instead you should further explore how each of them would add value to the organization if hired.

«The selection process will differ between organizations, and also within the same organization between different departments. The more HR staff members and broad range of managers present, the more beneficial it will be to your organization. This is true because it allows many opinions to be given and expressed, but only one person will make the final decision.


 * 4.	Hiring** should not be taken lightly and seen as just a formality. Web based technology can help speed up and streamline the hiring process.  This helps to increase efficiency and allows the organization to cut costs, which is always desired.

«The technology that has been created helps to eliminate certain unnecessary hiring activities. Many candidates are offered a variety of job offers so it is prudent to exercise timeliness. No one wants to wait and be kept on a string like a yo-yo for one job, when they have other opportunities waiting to be seized. An organization will lose great candidates if they fail to deliver an answer rather quickly. Turnaround time must be fast too.

«Compliance with employment law must be followed, and provides virtual participation between all parties involved in the matter such as the candidate, his family or friends, the hiring manager, HR partners, compensation function, staffing and requirement specialists, benefits managers, outsourcing providers and payroll. Sometimes the same decision is made even though different needs are being met. This means that the candidate may have a certain reason for accepting a job offer, while his family members have a different reason for encouraging him to accept. The parents may value the benefits and compensation plans being offered, while the candidate may favor the salary.

«Web-based systems allow packages that are being offered to candidates to become customized and personalized. For example, if the candidate is new to the area that package may include a map of the local areas and some information on the history of the neighborhood. In some really new systems applicant data automatically becomes new employee data. The streamlining of hiring processes helps to eliminate time-consuming and repetitive tasks about hiring.


 * 5.	Deployment** may very well be the //most central issue// of staffing, Web based or not. Deployment is the effective placement of new employees in and throughout the organization.  Intranets constantly give managers and employees the information necessary to employ a great deployment system.

«If a manager identifies an employee who doesn’t fit in the organization’s long term goals, then he can effectively help him make a smooth transition out of the organization. Counseling or other job search opportunities should also be made available to the employee that is being “let go.”

«The employee’s competencies are identified and then matched with other organizations that are seeking applicants with those qualifications. Web-based tools allow information to be connected to data warehouses that stores important data about the employees at the organization. Managers can review this information, and if a current position is open within the organization, it can be filled internally by completing an employee transfer. Basically you want to make sure that the most competent employees are matched with their compatible positions.

«Self service tools that create empowerment in areas such as training and development, staffing, flexible benefits selection, and a wide variety of other decisions are key. In this current Web-based environment, it is wise for organizations to give their employees control over certain areas in their careers, preferably areas where they can update their own personal information, participate in e-learning, or read up on the latest compensation and benefits plan.
 * 6.	Retention** is an essential aspect of staffing. While on-line recruiting and competency-based staffing is important, so is retaining current employees.  There are many aspects of the retention process that are essential to making sure that employees don’t get up and leave.

«As long as the employee is engaged in company policies and activities whether they are extremely important or miniscule, retention will be more likely. The Web also gives employees access at home which allows for increased flexibility and results in happier employees that are more likely to stay with the organization for a longer period of time. The organization should do whatever is in its power to keep the employees productive and happy so that they stay.