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Rachel Moeller ’88, director of internships and externships for Career Services, was part of a team of researchers from across the country that recently had a white paper about the impact of electronic recruiting on college students’ job searches published on the web site of the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE).
Moeller, a NACE member since 2001, was interested in a more active role in the organization and was invited to join its technology committee last summer.
“Technology has made it much easier for employers to manage the administrative aspects of the recruiting process,” Moeller says. “Email as a form of resume submission has eliminated the abundance of paper resumes and the need for screening by the human eye. Many large employers now use technology to scan resumes for key words to weed out those that lack the necessary skills and background.”
“Most employers are doing a good job of using their web page to provide initial information to job seekers about available job opportunities and background information about the organization,” she adds. “Electronic recruiting also allows interested job seekers to submit resumes even if the employer is not coming to their campus.”
Moeller is quick to point out that problems begin when technology becomes a replacement for personal connections.
“Nothing is more frustrating to students than to visit with an employer at a career fair and when they inquire about available opportunities, are told to ‘look on our web site.’ The recruiter is an ambassador for their employer; [a] lack of willingness to provide basic information is a real turn-off for students,” she says. “The challenge facing employers is how best to use the new technology without sacrificing opportunities for personal interaction with job seekers.”
Moeller explored this problem with a team of peers through conference calls.
“I think it is interesting to note that the committee members are from all over the country. We managed to come together to choose relevant topics, research, and write the paper while never meeting in person. This is such a pertinent and complex issue that we will be spending more time on it this year.”