Business Services Industry

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

"Far too few companies do the type of research or thinking it requires to set up a site that appeals to the consumer," says Pollock. "When you look at other areas of the web, like e-commerce, you can see how customer-centered and interactive the Internet can be. Corporate web sites are a generation or two behind, and many HR professionals still think they don't matter that much because, in today's job market, they hold the power. But companies that don't give proper attention to their recruiting web presence will pay the price, and soon."

At Presstime

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) on March 4 published proposed guidelines in the Federal Register that define when someone who applies for a job via the Internet must be considered an "applicant" for civil rights recordkeeping purposes. The EEOC will accept comments about the proposal through May 3. For more information about this long-awaited action, as well as other information about web recruiting, see the online version of this article at www.shrm.org/hrmagazine.> Chat with Us Online

Learn how to maximize your online recruiting from experts Gerry Crispin and Mark Mehler, authors of CareerXRoads, a directory of recruiting web sites and advice for employers and candidates. Join the EMA Forum chat at 3 p.m. on April 22 at www.shrm.org/ema/webcast.> RELATED ARTICLE: Easy Enhancements to Your Corporate Career Site

* Add a prominent button from the home page to the careers section.

* Reduce the number of clicks from the home page to a job listing to two or three.

* If using pre-employment screening questions, keep them simple and use no more than five.

* Allow job seekers multiple ways to apply. For example, offer an online application tool but also the ability to fax or e-mail a cover letter and resume.

* Include a resume builder tool, but also offer the capability to cut and paste an existing resume.

* Include an "agent" tool that enables visitors to register and receive notifications about new jobs and other information that can be pushed to their e-mail.

* Make sure your "refer-a-friend" feature enables the company to contact both the friend and the original applicant.

* Find ways to give feedback to visitors and to say thank you.

* Have the careers pages frequently checked by a disinterested third party to ensure it is communicating effectively and working seamlessly.

MARTHA FRASE-BLUNT IS A FREELANCE WRITER BASED IN SHEPHERDSTOWN, W.VA., WHO HAS WORKED AS A PROFESSIONAL WRITER AND JOURNALIST FOR MORE THAN 20 YEARS. SHE ALSO WRITES ABOUT WORKPLACE HEALTH FOR THE WASHINGTON POST.