How effective are online recruitment ads?

Jobs are just a click away. The rapidly growing online recruitment market is witnessing a competition between jobsites and organisational websites to attract the right candidates. The past year has shown major growth in e-recruitment advertisements, which cost 80 percent less than newspaper ads and is about 10 times cheaper than hiring consultants. However, when it comes to assessing the exact impact of the advertisements, very little is known. The focus is still on collecting data, saving time, cutting costs and having a wider reach. And for the job seeker, the concern is choosing the right ad among the thousands. So, how does a company ensure that its ad is among the most attractive that can lure prospective candidates?
Most prospective candidates today go through various recruitment sites and keep a tab on what is happening in the job market. The chances of getting them to spot an online recruitment ad are much better than that of print or electronic media. In fact, it would be effective in case of mass recruitment. Industry statistics reveal that 100 percent of the high tech companies in Global 500 list, and 89 percent of Fortune 500 companies, already use their corporate websites for recruitment. Of these, 17 percent are receiving 75 percent of the résumés online.
Experts however point out that the industry is still evolving and a lot is yet to happen. “It is the ‘pull advertising’ as against the ‘push advertising’ of the traditional media. Use of rich and interactive multimedia content in online advertisements offer a rich emotional involvement for the targeted user. That benefits the recruiter as well as the users,” says Wg Cdr Naresh Taneja, the head of human resources at HCL Technologies, Mumbai (formerly Gulf Computers).
N Muralidharan, the managing director and vice president of JobStreet.com India, believes that there are two mantras, which make online advertising very attractive for corporates—“sourcing” and “processing”. “Online ads are visible anywhere, anytime and this is a powerful sourcing tool. For corporates looking at candidates from across the world, tools such as ‘Job Alerts’ virtually remove the possibility that a candidate may not see the ad. There are also powerful applications in e-recruitment, such as database capture and retrieval using data warehousing or data mining tools. Over a period of time these will only get better as the captured database increases and technology improves.” On the other hand, “processing” helps HR managers to save time and costs.

“Online advertising combined with the use of online screening and testing tools has become imperative for companies,” says Akhilesh Mohan, the vice president of HR with HFCL. A survey by Monsterindia reveals that the cost per hire on average using traditional media, including placement consultants, varies from Rs 25,000 per candidate to Rs 100,000 for senior positions. This figure can theoretically be just Rs 1,500—the cost of a simple ad on a site—in case you are able to find the right candidate.

Nilanjan Roy, senior manager-corporate marketing, JobsAhead, believes that recruiters now want to shortlist candidates on hard skills, and then narrow down on soft skills. “The Internet offers a unique opportunity to shortlist candidates on hard skills from a wide geographical area, at a minimal cost and fractional time, when compared to traditional recruitment mediums,” he elaborates. Dr Gobind Baghasingh, vice president-HR of Divine India, adds, “E-recruitment comprises 60 percent of our hiring plan. We have tie-ups with jobsites such as JobsAhead, Monster, Hot Jobs and Naukri for placing our ads.”

Taneja reminds that e-recruitment is not just limited to approaching a jobsite and tying up with them, a company’s own website also plays a critical role in this endeavour. Corporates have realised the value of branding through their websites while attracting job seekers. Agrees Dhruv Shenoy, the vice president of marketing of Monsterindia, “We believe that a company’s website is one of the most prolific and critical sources of talent for the organisation.”

An Internet usage survey by Nua recently found that 91 percent of Global 500 companies are using their corporate website for recruitment compared with 51 percent for Monster, 43 percent for HotJobs and 22 percent for CareerBuilder. Not only that, the number of job postings available with Fortune 500 corporate sites are 75,000, compared with approximately 25,500 with Monster, 13,200 with CareerBuilder and 7,800 with HotJobs.
It is almost a norm for companies to first search their own database of candidates applying through their corporate website. If they are unable to find the required resource, then only they think of using jobsites and online advertising. But whenever they do resort to advertising, it is primarily to combine it with the corporate brand building exercise rather than solely seeking to fill the vacancies. And the remaining requirements are met through print ads, employee referrals, campus recruitment, job fairs and There is an increasing trend of companies to set up their own websites for attracting candidates. Naukri.com enables organisation to have their own microsite exclusively meant for HR needs. “This is the kind of value-add which we can provide to our clients and is a win-win situation at both the ends,” says Ambarish Raghuvanshi, director and chief operating officer of Naukri.com.

Organisations like Wipro have invested a lot in terms of people, processes and software for making their recruitment process a robust one. While the company seeks jobsites to help generate a database, the processing of applications is done in-house, which is as per the organisation’s requirement. Besides this, the company also encourages job seekers to directly apply on their website, which not only helps them create a brand, but a better relationship. For this the company has also created a separate form, with in-depth options for an individual to fill in.
A survey of 35 corporate websites conducted by Monsterindia suggests that close to 95 percent of the sites, with their current design and content, cannot attract job seekers who come to their website. A few months back, in a Monster meter poll, job seekers were asked: “What’s the first thing you look for in a job ad?”. “Job description” was the most important factor (45 percent), followed by “the company” (29 percent), “the position title” (19 percent) and “the location”, averaging 7 percent. It is therefore clear that HR managers have to spend quality time in drafting the job description for every vacancy they advertise. “Online job ads require and demand the same kind of attention that newspaper ads do. And one has to be as creative to make the ad work. For there are more jobs online than there are in print and similarly, there are more people out there who are looking at the ads. A good job description not only gets the right resumes but also keeps the junk resumes to a minimum,” points out Shenoy.

Thomas Abraham, the country director for Interract Commerce, says, “The time to communicate is very important along with the ‘brevity’ and language appeal of the matter.” As job seekers today are a more informed lot, they do a backgrounder check on the company before joining. Hence more the information provided in the advertisement, more will be the applications or response the client would receive. The language, words and website design, all play a role in the advertisement online, apart from the content itself. Agrees Subhash Bansiwal, head-strategic competencies, SunTec Business Solutions, who feels that headline and appropriate words are more critical because it is a search-oriented medium. It has been found that almost 80 percent of job-seekers are already employed and are relatively secure and moderately satisfied with their jobs. They are the ones with necessary skills and experience. These potential passive job-seekers would not hesitate to make the switch if the salary was right and they felt comfortable with the new environment and the work culture of the company. Therefore, they want more than just the basic information about the job and responsibilities. All this can happen only if the content of the career page is able to excite and ignite their interest. Then there are other important technical aspects to be considered like speed of the Internet connection, download speeds from the company server, ease of navigating between different sections of the website, availability of number of options to enable the submission of the applications, etc.

Online recruitment advertisement is going to grow and will be of immense assistance in junior and middle-level recruitment. Senior positions require a different strategy. Most of the big enterprises are tying up with some of the best jobsites throughout the world and developing a proper network for getting the best talent suiting their requirement. They are using their websites as a very productive tool for recruitment. What needs to be kept in mind is that the search should be well-designed, with comprehensive information, and has to be transparent.

As a trend, it is no more a concept sale. People are realising the power of this medium as well as the impact it can have on cost savings. While technology companies were the early adopters, today other industries are also embracing this medium. With the Internet penetration growing, one can be certain of the popularity of this medium.

How to have a Perfect Resume

List your qualifications in order of relevance, from most to least 
Only list your degree and educational qualifications first if they are truly relevant to the job for which you are applying. If you’ve already done what you want to do in a new job, by all means, list it first, even if it wasn’t your most recent job. Abandon any strict adherence to a chronological ordering of your experience.

Quantify your experience wherever possible 
Cite numerical figures, such as monetary budgets/funds saved, time periods/efficiency improved, lines of code written/debugged, numbers of machines administered/fixed, etc. which demonstrate progress or accomplishments due directly to your work.

Don’t sell yourself short. 
This is by far the biggest mistake of all resumes, technical and otherwise. Your experiences are worthy for review by hiring managers. Treat your resume as an advertisement for you. Be sure to thoroughly “sell” yourself by highlighting all of your strengths. If you’ve got a valuable asset which doesn’t seem to fit into any existing components of your resume, list it anyway as its own resume segment.

Keep yourself goal-oriented.
Don’t wander off the beaten path in subject matter. If you are trying for an academic position present your academic qualifications. Use trigger words for that field, or that industry. If you don’t know what those words are, then do your research prior to starting your resume.

Write down your strengths and weaknesses.
Consider the industry or field you are approaching and see where your strengths lie. You don’t want to give someone an outline of your life. You want to sell yourself on this thin piece of paper, because here lays the opportunity for advancement.

Dress Code for an Interview.

Want to know how to know a candidate is well organized? Try judging him by his attire. Here are few things which can be kept in mind while interviewing a Candidate for HR rounds & also you can also use them if going for an Interview, Whatever =)

While the college campus may be the perfect forum in which to exhibit your flair for the latest in fashion style, the interview is not the place to do so. With very few unusual exceptions, sandals and sweatshirts are out. Oxfords and business suits are still in. A necktie is still a fact of life in interviewing. Even though many companies have relaxed the internal company dress code, interviews still follow the conservative standard. Don’t buck the trend.

Unfortunately, most college grads are woefully underprepared with proper interview dress. They feel they can “get by” with what is already in their wardrobe. Usually not. Dress for the world outside college is quite different from the campus scene. Remember that stylish is not conservative. You should be doing the talking, not your clothes.

This is not to say that you need to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. Go for quality over quantity. One or two well-chosen business suits will serve you all the way to the first day on the job and beyond. Then, when you are making some money (and have a chance to see what the standard “uniform” is for the company), you can begin to round out your wardrobe. For now, no one will fault you for wearing the same sharp outfit each time you interview. If you desire some variety within a limited budget, you might consider varying your shirt/blouse/tie/accessories as a simple way to change your look without breaking your wallet.

For those of you who need a quick review of the basics, follow these guidelines for successful interview dress:

Men and Women

• Conservative two-piece business suit (solid dark blue or grey is best)

• Conservative long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white is best, pastel is next best)

• Clean, polished conservative shoes

• Well-groomed hairstyle

• Clean, trimmed fingernails

• Minimal cologne or perfume

• Empty pockets–no bulges or tinkling coins

• No gum, candy or cigarettes

• Light briefcase or portfolio case

• No visible body piercing (nose rings, eyebrow rings, etc.)

Men

• Necktie should be silk with a conservative pattern

• Dark shoes (black lace-ups are best)

• Dark socks (black is best)

• Get a haircut; short hair always fares best in interviews

• No beards (unless you are interviewing for a job as a lumberjack!)

• Mustaches are a possible negative, but if you must, make sure it is neat and trimmed

• No rings other than wedding ring or college ring

• No earrings (if you normally wear one, take it out)

Women

• Always wear a suit with a jacket; no dresses

• Shoes with conservative heels

• Conservative hosiery at or near skin color (and no runs!)

• No purses, small or large; carry a briefcase instead

• If you wear nail polish (not required), use clear or a conservative color

• Minimal use of makeup (it should not be too noticeable)

• No more than one ring on each hand

• One set of earrings only

If you are still not sure how to dress for the interview, call them and ask! That’s right–call the employer. But this is one time when you do not want to call the Hiring Manager–instead, ask to be put through to Human Resources and say:

“I have an interview with _____ in the _____ department for a position as an _____. Could you please tell me what would be appropriate dress for this interview?”

Sure, you run the risk of someone in HR thinking you are a social imbecile, but that’s a lot better than having the Hiring Manager distracted by inappropriate interview dress.

While many work environments have shifted to business casual as the work standard, business suits are still the interview standard. When in doubt, it is almost always better to err on the side of conservatism.

One final note on interview dress: while it goes without saying that your interview clothes should be neat and clean, very few interviewees give the same time and attention to their shoes. Shoes? Yes, shoes. I am aware of at least one Corporate Recruiter who forms first impressions based solely (pardon the pun) on shoes. This person does not have a shoe fetish–he subjectively judges that those who pay attention to details like their shoes are also likely to be diligent in their work life. And it is not just that person’s opinion. Many have said that you can judge a person by their shoes. You will find that many ex-military officers (many of whom have found their way into management positions in corporate America) are especially aware of a person’s shoes. It is not enough to be clean, pressed, and ironed. Make sure your shoes are conservative, clean, and polished.

Wipro to start Recruitments in ‘Second Life’

Bangalore: Indian firms have landed on Second Life. Wipro technologies plans to conduct corporate recruitment for its BPO unit. IBM India will also launch its office on it soon.

Second Life, by the US-based Linden Labs, is a game where players can build their very own avatars- and interact with other players from around the globe. The game has a population of more than 7-lakh residents from 100 countries. Residents can build homes, vehicles, nightclubs, stores, landscapes, clothing etc at http://secondlife.com.

Wipro Technologies plans a multi-phase presence in Second Life. It plans to conduct corporate recruitment via its Innovation Isle Island. Prospective candidates will be able to submit their resume at Wipro’s virtual campus.

Initially, limited to Wipro BPO, the e-recruitment initiative will be later become an integral part of Wipro’s recruitment drive. The Innovation Isle is created and managed by Wipro’s Gaming and Animation Practice, which is based out of Hyderabad.

The firm has also set up an Offshore Development Center (ODC) model campus with facilities such as client engagement centre, learning centre, 3 floor ODC set-up with cubicles, security desk at the campus entrance gate, amphitheatre, press announcements hall, basketball and volleyball courts, admin, data centre and library. It will be regularly staffed by Wipro’s own avatars.

“Our upcoming Innovation Isle with showcase Wipro’s innovation initiatives to our stakeholders and how they deliver increased flexibility and predictability, lower cost and faster time to market for our customers,” said Jessie Paul, Chief Marketing Officer, Wipro Technologies, in a release.

“This will also be a virtual forum for customers, partners, and other like minded people to collaborate with Wipro in the area of co-innovation and business transformation.”

The firm will use Second Life to collaborate with customers and partners, host virtual conferences and provide a mutual platform to infuse innovation in the space of technology and business transformation.

The hub will also serve as a virtual learning campus to further connect and grow the creative talent of Wipro.

IBM inaugurated virtual business centres in Australia, Singapore and Malaysia in late August, manned by local employees for local customers. The centres offer a place for IBM sales people, clients and partners to meet, learn, collaborate, and conduct business together. It has six areas: reception; sales centre; technical support library; innovation centre; client briefing centre; and conference centre.

The firm established the Digital Convergence business unit to develop services, infrastructure and business innovation in virtual worlds. The firm’s research division has also used virtual worlds to explore the 3-D modelling of energy-efficient data centres.

The company believes that one of the powerful, early applications of virtual worlds is holding meetings, online brainstorming sessions and other collaborative exercises. IBM now has over 40 islands on Second Life.

The company plans to launch a virtual business centre for its Indian customers in a few months’ time, Harriet Ip, Media Relations Manager, Asia Pacific, IBM Singapore Pte, told Business Line.

“Social networking and virtual world participation is skyrocketing in Asia. Asia is, after all, a hotbed for 3-D gaming. Why not 3-D business, too?” asked Paula Summa, General Manager, ibm.com, in a release.

Tech Mahindra enforces a dress code for employees

Tech Mahindra, one of India’s top IT companies, has enforced a strict dress code for its employees. Employees who flout the dress code will be given warnings and might have to pay a monetary penalty. The introduction of a dress code has been met with protests from some quarters, raising the question whether corporations have a right to expect a certain standard of dress from their employees.

People against dress codes argue that it is a slippery slope from a dress code to uniforms, which violates civil liber-ties. In fact, it is perfectly reasonable for companies to ask employees to dress appropriately, keeping in mind the image the company wants to present for its clients.

When a company’s business — in the hotel industry, for example, or in sales of any kind — depends on its employees reaching out to the public and eliciting favourable reactions from them, it has a right to expect employees to maximise the chances that people will want to buy whatever they are selling. Our world is driven by appearances.

People make snap judgments about others based on their dress and appearance. It makes sense for the corporation to discourage people from dressing inappropriately at work. Besides, people owe it to their colleagues to dress properly. Just as we enter a place of worship making concessions in the way we dress, similarly a person in a work situation should keep in mind the sensitivities of colleagues. In general, this means dressing soberly, yet be neat and pulled together. Nobody should have problems conforming to that kind of a code. Yet, people constantly try to get away with showing up for work as if they’ve just got out of bed or giving the impression that they’d rather be on the beach.

People respond differently to others depending on how they’re dressed. A dress code is not really about restricting expression. It is more a code to other people on how they should respond to someone, and by extension, to their company. To be treated as a professional, a person must come across as being just that. It becomes a lot easier when employees dress properly, not uniformly, but with a sense of the company’s image.

L&T to hire 8,000 professionals for Vadodara IT park

VADODARA: India’s leading engineering and construction company, Larsen & Toubro (L&T), seems to be betting big on Vadodara. In times to come, the company will literally go on a hiring spree as it plans to recruit around 7,000 to 8,000 professionals, mainly engineers, by the year 2010 for its technology park at Waghodia in Vadodara district. L&T expects to operationalise the technology park by September 2008 year. Although the company wants to hire large number of engineers for its tech-park, it would hire professionals in phased manner.

“The recruitment process will span four phases. In the first phase, around 3,000 people will be offered employment,” said L&T chairman and managing director AM Naik, who was here in Vadodara to attend the CEO Meet organised by the Baroda Management Association to mark its golden jubilee year.

The company also wants to increase the number of professionals in its technology park to 10,000 by the year 2020, Mr Naik added. L&T, whose market capitalisation recently crossed Rs 1,00,000 crore, is investing close to Rs 500 crore to set up this technology park which covers 112 acres. The technology park will also have townships to accommodate a large number of people to be recruited by the company.

Apart from this, the park will also have a project management institute, convention centre, employees’ hostel, residential colony, food courts and entertainment facilities on the campus. L&T’s tech-park is aimed at improving synergy among its various divisions and bring majority of its operations to a single campus.

Terming Vadodara as the engineering capital of Gujarat, L&T CMD informed that Vadodara has around 28 engineering colleges. Additionally, Vadodara is the most cosmopolitan city of the state. “In case we do not get sufficient number of professionals, the company will not find it difficult to attract engineers from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh to Vadodara as the cosmopolitan culture of the city makes it a good place to live in,” he adds. L&T wants to focus on smaller towns rather than big cities for its new projects, Naik said.

“That was the reason why L&T established it’s sizeable operations in Vadodara and nearby areas,” he said. The company has also bought few acres of land in Hazira to launch its manufacturing project. However, he did not divulge the details about the proposed project to be undertaken by the company.