Company Website - A useful recruiting tool?

Monday, December 28, 2009

Posted by Radhika

The print, broadcast and the web media are splashing news about how Recruiters must seek to utilise social networking sites for effective and efficient selection. Considered as a quicker, better and more result-oriented approach, advice columns talk about strategies to draw the right talent towards the right requirements. The benefits of Social Networking sites are established. But if we are moving toward new technologies, new methods why do we forget the older and simpler ones? Why do we forget that it is not feasible for all job seekers to be glued to their screens until the next job requirements pop up?

Solution: Company Website. A company website is accessible, well publicized and established. It is the most logical approach from a potential employee's point of view. You hear that XYZ is hiring, so you quickly find the company website, enter the careers section, register yourself and upload your resume. Lets see this in a slow motion process - I hear that XYZ is hiring. I Google XYZ and find its website. I struggle to find the company's country specific website. I enter careers but there are multiple tabs. I browse through each one sifting through the unnecessary data and finally find where I can register. The long form results in a quick beat of fear but I continue being motivated. (After all, the company is good and a little pain can lead to a lot of gain). Ok.. So here goes.. Name.. Address.. Phone.. Skills.. Achievements.. Work experience.. Eye Colour.. Legs.. Hands.. Phew.. Exhausted but finally done! Save.. Oops an error.. what is it? Oh ok.. I missed something in between which I rectify and hit "Save" .. An error again! Be patient.. its ok.. Rectify.. Save! And suddenly it says that there is some error in the page. You frantically hit the "Back" button. No difference! "Forward" No! Can you imagine the frustration of filling up just 1 company's form for the last 20 minutes and still not being registered. Is there a draft? No. Is there a way to retrieve the uselessly filled form? No. The blank page is almost a smirk for the job seekers with "Oh! So you thought it were that easy.."

I truly believe that if company's established simple instructions where potential candidates are required to save the resume with a certain Name format, customised Subject Line and an uploaded Resume the process would be useful for all. Result: The recruiters have a sorted database and they have another organised source to increase their recruitment pool whereas the candidates do not give up half-way or frustrated so that they never return to the company website again! Another advantage is that when the HR of the company tells you that in case of any future openings they will get back to you they actually have the database to get back to you.

Additional perks with shaken basics translates into a  downfall while the opposite atleast conveys promise. When we cater to a wide global audience we must remember to keep it simple. Read User-Friendly; Read Approachable. .. and then Experience Success!