Big-Time HRIS For Smaller Companies

HR Magazine, July, 2001 by Jim Meade

At any given nanosecond, thousands of people are zipping around the Internet in search of employment opportunities. The "applicant friendliness" of your organization's web site can dictate how likely a hot prospect is to become an actual candidate.

Consider these two examples: On company A's web site, potential candidates must wade through megabytes of cyber clutter to find a link to its career page. That page turns out to contain nothing more than a laundry list of departments and job titles and an e-mail link for sending a resume. By contrast, company B's home page has a clearly lit path to its recruitment area. Jobseekers can browse detailed job descriptions, complete a skills assessment, quickly prepare and submit applications, request notification when certain types of positions become available, and more.

Is there any doubt which site is more apt to attract high-quality applicants?

Now companies can set up high-end, customer-friendly recruiting web sites using JobPlanet, a remote program offered by PureCarbon, an application service provider (ASP) in Scotts Valley, Calif. When it comes to creating online recruiting centers, the ASP approach offers plenty of advantages. It allows customers to hold down development costs, since no new programming, software or hardware is required. Career sites created with JobPlanet retain a look and feel consistent with the employer's primary web site. And, JobPlanet sites provide an array of self-service tools for potential applicants, expediting job searches and making applying for a position a snap.

Search Me

There are several ways that visitors to a recruitment site created with JobPlanet can look for open jobs. One is by keyword search of job descriptions. Other searches can be targeted on selected job titles, departments or locations. Searches can be executed using combinations of criteria to identify very specific opportunities. And, it's easy for users to e-mail job descriptions of interest to themselves or to friends.

When jobseekers decide to apply for a position, they can create a resume by copying and pasting an existing one, or by using an online template. Acting as a kind of wizard, the system prompts users for information about their qualifications, experience, education and so on. Specific skills can be selected from an inventory of more than 3,000 in the system. Collecting the resume information in this structured manner simplifies candidate comparisons. Applicants can develop and save as many resumes as desired with variations designated for different jobs. The same is true for cover letters. Applicants then can use the "Resume Manager" to review and edit cover letters and resumes, and can submit them when a position is available.

Another plus for candidates: When they create a profile at one JobPlanet web site, it is accessible from any of the more than 90 recruiting sites hosted by Pure-Carbon. Users have access to their Resume Manager from any site in the network and don't have to go through the hassle of resume and cover letter preparation over and over again.

Get an Agent

JobPlanet provides passive-search tools, called agents, for both applicants and recruiters. For candidates, an agent will notify them whenever a position meeting their criteria opens up at your company. For recruiters, the agent alerts them when applicants with specific skills are entered into the system.

Another valuable tool for recruiters is JobPlanet's online "Site Builder" and companion guidebook. Site Builder allows companies to create and customize web sites that complement their existing web presence. JobPlanet furnishes comprehensive but uncomplicated templates for composing job postings. Desired skills are identified from the same skill inventory applicants use when they build their resumes. Recruiters can maintain a library of postings, publishing them again or modifying them as needed.

Dave Forbes, director of marketing communications at Ditech/ Altamar, a telecommunications equipment supplier based in Mountain View, Calif., is one of a growing legion of satisfied JobPlanet customers. "JobPlanet's [affordable] price made it a low-risk decision," he says. "I can attribute 10 hires to the site, and I would have been pleased with just one."

What Could Be Improved

One of the system's most obvious limitations is that the agents don't search across the 90-plus employers on the JobPlanet network. While that enhancement isn't expected any time soon, PureCarbon does plan to roll out other improvements to the JobPlanet interface. One will allow recruiters and managers to attach their electronic notes to stored resumes. Another will let recruiters automatically transmit postings to external job boards.

The vendor also is working on an intranet application for supporting internal hiring. Employees will be able to create profiles, identify their ideal jobs, use agents and gain access to a variety of career advancement information.

Summary

JobPlanet allows corporate recruiters to easily--and affordably-- enhance their online presence. JobPlanet's recruiting tools make it possible to handle the Internet-sourced traffic efficiently and painlessly. Customers can implement JobPlanet at bullet-train--rather than mule-train--pace.