Make a good first impression: your corporate career web site can become one of your most effective recruiting tools

HR Magazine, April, 2004 by Martha Frase-Blunt

Poor technology can be another irritant that will drive prospects away. "If a prospect trying to apply online gets kicked out of the process a few times, they won't have a good impression of that company as an employer," says Pollock. Broken links, slow-to-load images and video, and pages that print poorly will also drive prospects away. "Unfortunately, weak technology is amazingly common. It astounds me how poorly large companies' web sites function when they get into the application process." (See "Career Portals Boost Online Recruiting" on page 111.)

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Kirch admits to being tempted by the newest graphics and tools. "Sometimes we think we want something that is really neat, but we have to stay focused on the person on the other end, so we frequently test our site using a telephone connection to see how it performs."

Linda Burns, new director of HR for NexMed Inc., a pharmaceutical company based in Robbinsville, N.J., recently emerged from her own job search with a pet peeve: sites that are clearly out of date. Like many candidates, Burns stalked corporate career pages to get a sense of the companies she was targeting. "I found you can really get a feel for the HR processes and values of a company this way," she says. "But when you see job listings that are a year old, you know the company isn't invested enough in its online recruiting to do the upkeep."

Follow-up: Avoiding The Black Hole

That upkeep includes getting in touch with applicants. "The sun should never set on a customer inquiry," says Roseman. "Companies must acknowledge everyone who applies on their web site, even if it's just an automated e-mail. But every applicant should be given some type of timetable about when he or she can expect a response. There's nothing worse than not knowing."

Kennerson is keenly aware of what she calls the "big black hole" problem. "I know how frustrating it can be when you've drilled down into a company site, gotten excited about an opportunity and spent time building a resume and submitting it, then you wait for something to happen," she says. "We want to be as engaged as possible with our potential candidates, beyond simply pushing out an automated reply. If I had a magic wand I would create a truly interactive experience--for instance, hosting live chats with HR professionals or hiring managers--but I'm not sure the capability exists for what we dream of doing."

Kirch and his team are tackling this pipe dream in part with a new tool they've developed called "My Deloitte." By leaving an e-mail address, interested visitors can set up an "agent" that will alert them to appropriate opportunities as they go live, send them events calendars and reminders as well as allow them to refer a friend. Deloitte also offers tailored e-newletters and lets visitors customize views and features. "Through this tool we hope to begin to develop a stronger online relationship with our candidates," Kirch says.

Many of the "best practices" companies cited by CareerXRoads and Wet-Feet have similar tools, but, according to Roseman, plenty of black holes remain out there. "I can't tell you how many companies I research that I felt had a phenomenal culture, but they never responded to my queries. That really colors my impression of them," he says.