Patent ID: 7266523

Claim:
An electronic auction method for auctioning an interview for a job, wherein the auction is conducted using at least an auctioneer's computer and one or more bidders' computers communicating electronically over a network, wherein a client may be the auctioneer, or the client and auctioneer may be separate, the method comprising: establishing criteria for the auction and storing the criteria on the auctioneer's computer; allowing potential bidders to access the stored criteria from a bidder's computer by electronic communication with the auctioneer's computer; storing in the auctioneer's computer submitted bid information, including relevant job-related information and a monetary bid; allowing potential bidders to view stored bid information before submitting a bid; selecting one or more winning bids based at least in part on the stored monetary bids and at least in part on submitted and stored job-related information; allowing the user to select other bids with monetary values less than the monetary value of the highest bid; and billing winning bidders their bid amounts.