Job recruitment goes interactive<\/p>\n
By Tantri Yuliandini<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The advent of e-business is revolutionizing the
\nway companies recruit their employees.<\/p>\n
Soon, companies will no longer have to spend heavily on
\nnewspaper advertisements. Nor will they have to wait months for
\nresponses to their ads.<\/p>\n
Through websites like JobsDB.com, companies can advertise job
\nvacancies which will not only be read by locals, but also by
\npeople from all over the world. For a fraction of the cost of
\nnewspaper ads, companies can fill their vacant positions within
\ndays.<\/p>\n
JobsDB.com was founded in 1998 by Michael Soong in Hong Kong
\nand quickly expanded its operations to Singapore, Malaysia, the
\nPhilippines, Thailand, and Taiwan. On Wednesday, it launched its
\nIndonesian website during a job recruitment fair, \"Career 2000\",
\nat Bapindo Plaza on Jl. Jend. Sudirman, South Jakarta.<\/p>\n
The fair, which provides a platform for both internet
\ntechnology and conventional recruitment methods, was organized by
\nAsia Expo and sponsored by JobsDB.<\/p>\n
\"For JobsDB, this event is aimed at introducing our website to
\nthe Indonesian public,\" Director of PT JobsDB Indonesia Eddy S.
\nTjahja said.<\/p>\n
\"Generally we are here to give the people an alternative, a
\nnew medium for job recruitment,\" he said.<\/p>\n
JobsDB claimed that 200,000 people visit its website monthly,
\nand 70 percent of its registered users have university degrees.<\/p>\n
For employers, these figures predict a fast and qualitative
\nrecruitment.<\/p>\n
\"The people who apply are automatically those who are computer
\nliterate. It is more selective,\" I Nyoman Gde Agus from
\nPansystems, an IT company, said.<\/p>\n
To post an advertisement a company has to be a member of
\nJobsDB.com. Membership is free but to post an advertisement, a
\ncompany pays about Rp 10,000 (US$1.3) a day.<\/p>\n
The job vacancy will then be posted for up to one month. This
\nis to ensure that only the latest vacancies are posted.<\/p>\n
\"Some services post up to six-month old vacancies, which have
\nprobably been filled a long time ago,\" Eddy said referring to
\nJobsDB's competitors.<\/p>\n
When a position has been filled, the company can erase the
\nadvertisement.<\/p>\n
\"It is a lot cheaper than advertising through newspapers,\"
\nInda, a recruiting manager at ABN Amro Bank in Jakarta, said.<\/p>\n
\"Imagine how much we'd have to pay a newspaper for our 24 job
\nopenings,\" she said. Her bank used the fair to fill existing
\nvacancies.<\/p>\n
For job seekers, the service is free. Registered users have
\nthe advantage of not having to write multiple resumes for every
\njob they apply, and they will be notified by e-mail every time
\nthere is a new opening in their preferred career category.<\/p>\n
\"It saves time and a lot of stamp money,\" a visitor at the job
\nfair said.<\/p>\n
Not many people in Indonesia are computer literate, even more
\nscarce are people who are Internet literate. But, since
\nIndonesia's population, along with China's and India's, make up
\nhalf the world's population, the investment in Indonesia is a
\nworthwhile project, says chairman of JobsDB Inc. Michael Soong.<\/p>\n
Unexpectedly, the response to the job fair had been
\ntremendous. Turnout during the two days reached some 9,000
\npeople, well above the 6,000 targeted by the organizers.<\/p>\n
\"We are pleased that the response have been so positive,\"
\nProject Manager of Asia Expo Timothy said.<\/p>\n
On opening day, people of all backgrounds thronged the 18 by
\n13 meters hall, creating a mass buildup. People jostled their way
\ninto the elevator just to get to the ninth floor, where the fair
\ntook place.<\/p>\n
The people already there shoveled their way to the two ticket
\nbooths to buy the Rp 5,000 entry ticket.<\/p>\n
Apparently there had been a miscommunication, Timothy said.<\/p>\n
\"The people thought the opening was at nine o'clock when it
\nwas actually at twelve,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Once inside, the situation was little better.<\/p>\n
The 20 company counters had difficulty coping with inquiries
\nand demands for application forms.<\/p>\n
JobsDB's pavilion, its 24 computers were constantly occupied
\nby visitors browsing for jobs.<\/p>\n
Many new members were enrolled, but \"we have not yet
\ndetermined the number,\" Eddy said.<\/p>\n
The second day was better organized. Orderly queues were set
\nup by security guards for the ticket booths, and writing tables
\nwere provided.<\/p>\n
About 20 national and multinational companies joined the job
\nfair. Most took advantage of JobsDB's free three-month corporate
\nmembership offer.<\/p>\n
Companies are learning about e-recruitment.<\/p>\n
\"The process is a lot faster than conventional methods,\" said
\na staffer at Lippo Land counter.<\/p>\n
\"It saves manpower and paper costs,\" remarked Herlan Maulana
\nof Toyota Astra Motor. \"It also eliminates getting applications
\nfrom people whose qualifications we do not need.\"<\/p>\n
But there are setbacks to the new system.<\/p>\n
According to Maria Theodora, Standard Chartered Bank human
\nrelations manager, ever since joining JobsDB.com, the bank has
\nreceived some 800 responses, but \"many were from people who
\napplied more than once for a position.\"<\/p>\n
\"It is less personal, we cannot be certain that a person is
\ngenuinely interested in the position,\" Herlan said.<\/p>\n
\"For higher positions, it is not ideal to use e-mail, we still
\nneed to set up a personal interview,\" Maria said.<\/p>",
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