There are no guarantees for career progression. Although the online application is not universally desired by candidates, it is the core engine of an effective recruiting Web site, and the best way to turn an interested candidate into a live and manageable applicant. By collecting a little basic demographic information, asking a few key screening questions and capturing the candidate record electronically, a company can build its own private talent database. Even a relatively simple system can allow the company to source and screen candidates, communicate with them and measure the performance of the recruiting process. Better yet, many of these systems are now available from vendors who offer the additional benefit of allowing recruiters to minimize the need to rely on scarce internal technical resources.
Offer candidates a personal touch.
Although the Web has changed the face of recruiting and allowed companies to automate and modernize many of their recruitment processes, it has not replaced the need for human interaction between candidates and recruiters. Although it may not be realistic to have personalized interactions with each candidate that applies, companies can do a number of things to make their process feel more personal to candidates. Even companies that don't have the inclination or resources to set up a program like this can soften the hard-edged feel of their recruiting sites. Although entirely electronic, this feature, which is technically very simple, gives users a positive impression of the company and its people. Some of the strongest reactions to corporate Web sites come from people who have been unintentionally ignored.