CHAPTER 3

ELECTRONIC
RECRUITING
A Trip Down Memory Lane
 Long-time HR specialists still remember (not without
regret) receiving stacks of resumes sent by
employment agencies or one of the other more
traditional recruitment sources described in the
previous chapter.
 The process of receiving and reviewing resumes and
employment applications has changed dramatically in
the last two decades especially with the advent of the
World Wide Web in 1989. Increasingly, employers
are using the internet to recruit, either by developing
an online presence of their own or by linking up with
web-based job search services.
 Electronic resumes made their appearance for the
first time in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
The Internet as a Recruitment Tool (cont’d)
Definition of an Applicant
 The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
(EEOC) has proposed guidelines to define when a
person who applies for a job over the internet is
considered an “applicant.”
 This is important since employers are required to keep
records for applicants on the basis of race, gender, or
ethnicity, to preclude charges of discrimination.
 The proposed guidelines stipulate that “the core of being
an applicant is asking to be hired to do a particular job
for a specific employer.”
Definition of an Applicant (cont’d)
 According to the EEOC, three conditions must be met
for an individual to be considered an electronic
applicant:
1. An employer must take steps to fill a given job
opening.
2. An individual must follow the employer’s
standard application procedure.
3. The individual must express interest in the
opening; casual browsers are not considered
applicants.
Definition of an Applicant (cont’d)
Following are some examples of instances whereby
individuals would not be considered applicants:
 Transmitting a resume to the “jobs” e-mail address
on a company’s website, without indicating
interest in a specific job.
 Posting a resume on any major job board.
 Having a resume “passed on” by one company to
another company, without first ascertaining the
applicant’s interest in a particular job.
These proposed guidelines apply exclusively to the
internet and related technologies. The EEOC is
reviewing the above guidelines and a final version is
still awaited.
Electronic Resumes (cont’d)
Proponents of the electronic format offer the following
reasons for discouraging paper resumes:
 Paper costs much more than the average electronic
file of six kilobytes.
 Processing paper into an electronic format takes
longer than processing an originally electronic file.
 Mail delivery, especially snail mail, is much slower
than electronic mail.
 Electronic files can be formatted, extracted,
and otherwise manipulated countless
ways; they can also be incorporated with
other data or stored in various applications
or systems.
 They take up less storage space and
cause no “pollution.”
 Electronic Resumes (cont’d)
Paper resume supporters offer the following
arguments against electronic resumes:
 They are often difficult to read.
 They lack a professional look.
 They lack privacy and confidentiality.
 They may get lost in a mile-high cyber pile. (see
cartoon next)

 Some attachments may not be opened by

recruiters due to incompatible software or fear
of computer viruses.
 They tend to overlook older workers and
others who are uncomfortable with/don’t have
access to computer technology.
Scannable/Text-Based Resumes
 Scannable/text-based resumes are devoid of all
formatting – no bold type, italics, underlining, bullets,
fancy fonts, columns, or rule lines.
 Scannable resumes are text-based as opposed to
design-focused.
 Scannable resumes look for key words or industry-
specific language to establish a preliminary match
between an applicant and a job.
 Many recruiters ask applicants to e-mail their resumes,
either as an attachment or in the body of an e-mail
message.
 Text-based resumes work best for posting on websites
that use built-in forms. Recruiters can then look for key
words since the resume is already in digitized form.
Scannable/Text-Based Resumes (cont’d)
 Some businesses discourage resumes sent as
attachments because of fears about computer viruses
and incompatibilities among word processing
programs.
 Portable Document Format (PDF) resumes can also
be sent as e-mail attachments, but special software
(e.g. Adobe Acrobat Reader) is required to open and
read the file. Without the right software, words may
not appear on the same line and pages may be
misaligned.
 Recruiters cannot load PDF resumes into databases
without first printing them and scanning them.
 Recruiters should, therefore, specify the form in which
they prefer to receive resumes when posting jobs.
Recruiter in trouble!
Cover Letters (cont’d)
Cover letters accompany a resume and serve several useful purposes:
 They identify the specific job or type of job sought.
 They highlight the applicant’s relevant experience and qualifications.
 They can grab the recruiter’s attention by suggesting a preliminary job-
applicant fit.
Cover Letters (cont’d)
Here are some of the critical components of an
effective cover letter:
 Cover letters should be addressed to a specific
person.
 Most cover letters are in response to a specific
posting or ad; accordingly, the job should be
identified in the first paragraph.
 Cover letters should reveal exactly how the
applicant qualifies for a particular job.
 Cover letters should restate specific job
specifications identified in the ad followed by the
applicant’s qualities: here’s the job – here’s the
person; it’s a match.
continued
Cover Letters (cont’d)
 Cover letters that demonstrate knowledge of the
employer are a nice touch, if not overdone.
 Cover letters shouldn’t overplay the applicants’
hand; they should not be presumptuous or
“pushy.”
 Chronological and Functional Resume Formats
The chronological resume is organized by job title with the most
recent position listed first.
Recruiters prefer this format because it is generally perceived as
fact-based and easier to scan.
Applicants who submit chronological resumes generally:
 Have a history of experience in one traditional field.
 Plan on pursuing a job in that same field.
 Have no discernible time gaps between jobs.
 Have been with their previous employer(s) for a number of years.
 Present a clear career path and gradual progression in job duties
and responsibilities.
Chronological and Functional Resume Formats
(cont’d)
The functional resume is arranged according to areas
of skill and accomplishment.
Recruiters dislike this format because it is difficult to
match applicant’s credentials with job requirements.
This format is preferred by students, interns, or
volunteers with minimal or unrelated job experience.
Applicants who submit functional resumes generally:
 Have diverse experiences in nontraditional fields.
 Hope to move into a field different from what
they’ve been pursuing to date.
 Have significant or unexplained gaps between jobs.
 Have worked for different employers for short
periods.
Career Websites (cont’d)
Companies that put up their own career websites are recruiting
proactively, thereby increasing their chances of finding suitable
employees.
Before investing in your own career website you should:
 Be clear about your primary objective, or you may end up with
(a) only a handful of responses or (b) get inundated with
responses from unqualified applicants.
 Plan your postings with a specific objective in mind i.e. attracting
the right number and quality of applicants whose backgrounds
and interests are compatible with your company’s culture and
job offerings.
What Applicants are Looking For
Websites are a powerful marketing tool and must be
constructed with care.
According to one California-based recruitment
technology provider, the best websites provide
helpful information about the company and make it
easy to apply for a job. In particular, businesses need
to focus on four areas:
 Content
 Navigation
 Branding
 Functionality
What Applicants are Looking For (cont’d)
Enhancing your company’s website to make it more
applicant-friendly is not difficult. Here are some tips:
 Make job listings easily accessible.
 Keep postings current.
 Avoid slow-to-load images.
 Dispense with frills such as bells and whistles unless
they serve a purpose and are consistent with your
corporate image.
 Keep screening questions simple and to a minimum.
 Allow submission options (e.g. on-line applications,
e-mail, or fax).
 Offer “cut and paste” capability so applicants can edit
an existing resume – their own!
continued
What Applicants are Looking For (cont’d)
 Provide detailed information about the history of your
organization, its products or services, major
departments, financial performance figures, corporate
culture, benefits of working there, etc. Include pictures.
 Provide information about the geographic area,
including housing, utilities, transportation, schools,
shopping areas, recreation facilities, security, etc.
 Enable applicants to register to receive updates about
new jobs.
 Ensure that the job offerings are in compliance with
relevant employment laws.
 Periodically review visits to your website to identify
patterns.
 Thoroughly test out your website before launching it.
What Applicants are Looking For (cont’d)
Getting Started
Websites are generally organized according to job
function, geographic location, or business unit.
For a good start-up, consider the following suggestions:
 Include basic company-related facts – vision, mission,
objectives, work environment, benefits, etc.
 Include a table of contents for easy navigation.
 Experiment, and ask for feedback from all stakeholders.
 The site’s appearance and visual design should be
elegant but professional – first impressions are
important!
 Strike a balance between text and graphics.
 The site’s text, tone, and look should be reflective of
the company’s corporate culture.
 Consider soliciting professional help.
Website Upkeep
Once established, maintaining a website is crucial:
 Keep job listings current.
 Keep up-to-date with new design elements,
including colors and backgrounds, and special
effects.
 Give the website a face-lift every six months or so.
Don’t become complacent!
 Keep track of the number of hits.
 Consider displaying your internet address or
Uniform Resource Locator (URL) on business
cards, company brochures, advertisements,
letterhead etc., to ensure adequate exposure.
 Make your website stand out from the rest! (see next photo)
Online Recruitment Guidelines
Here are some additional guidelines to make your website a success:
1. Make searching for job openings easy.
2. Make the site navigable.
3. Be prepared to respond to applicants quickly.
4. Maintain an up-to-date employment opportunity database.
5. Pre-screen unqualified applicants.
6. Balance content with design.
7. Keep it organized.
8. Learn all you can about your web visitors.
9. Make your address easy to remember.
10. Don’t say too much about the job itself!
International Electronic Recruiting
Most sites are in English, as it is the most widely spoken
language in the world.
It is impractical, costly, and time-consuming to prepare
variations of each webpage in several different
languages. Here are some guidelines:
1. Avoid jargon. Exceptions include industry-specific
buzzwords or acronyms. Shun ambiguous terms.
2. Select proper word usage. Avoid “casual” language.
3. Use proper grammar, punctuation, and spelling.
4. Should you stay away from clichés? It depends.
5. Be careful about how you write dates. (American or British style?)
6. Select colors for your graphics with care and
sensitivity. Certain colors are emotive!
Internet Job Boards
 General Job Boards
 Industry-Specific Boards
 Professional Associations
 Government Sites
 Others
(please see the text for details)
Electronic Recruiting Risks
 Recruiting software may pick out key words that are
spoken only by certain ethnic groups e.g. Caucasians. This
gives rise to discrimination, and ethical and legal concerns.
 Many older people are uncomfortable with electronic
recruiting as compared to younger workers. (see cartoon next)
 Disabled workers may have limited access to the internet.
 Applicant tracking sometimes becomes difficult, especially
when handling thousands of resumes.
 Overseas/distant applicants may apply indiscriminately for
many jobs without much thought or planning.
 Recruiters who say too much on a site may face charges
of discrimination.
 Laws relating to internet recruiting are still in the nascent
stage and vary from state to state and country to country.
 Electronic recruiting risks!
Many older people are
uncomfortable with new
technology!