A new online job-applicant tracking system will help Human Resources be more responsive to both internal and external job candidates.
All applicants may now search for MIT jobs using a wider array of career areas and also narrow their search to specific periods of time. Using new software called WebHire, internal applicants will be able to apply for positions by completing an online statement of qualifications. They may also cut and paste their resumes to the web form.
When people apply for MIT jobs online, they will receive an acknowledgement via the web site immediately after completing the application process. Those who include an e-mail address will also get a separate acknowledgement by e-mail.
Resumes received online become part of a database searchable by HR, so applicants need apply only once during a six-month period. Staffing Services will screen and forward the resumes of candidates who seem most likely to meet the qualifications for an opening. They will then contact candidates if they're a good fit for other MIT jobs in addition to those for which they applied. This gives hiring managers a chance to review promising resumes and possibly hire candidates without spending money on advertising.
When applying online, candidates are asked to provide their source of referral. This gives Staffing Services as well as departments, labs and centers information that can be used for making better decisions about the most effective advertising venues.
As the applicant database grows, WebHire will let HR officers and Staffing Services give hiring managers and administrative officers a variety of recruitment-related reports, such as the most successful referral sources, time-to-hire reports (data on the time from submission of a request for personnel until the job is actually filled), and information to help assess outreach efforts.
HR now receives approximately 4,400 paper and electronic resumes each month and hires about 700 new employees per year. This new software will let recruiters and hiring managers more effectively navigate the hiring process and connect us with the best candidates.
Comments or questions about the job search and application pages may be e-mailed to staffingservices@mit.edu.
A version of this article appeared in MIT Tech Talk on January 29, 2003.
