Companies continue to search for qualified candidates even as the country faces economic uncertainties and a tighter labor market. Nearly half (48 percent) of human resource managers say that over the past year they have had to broaden the list of places they look for candidates in order to reach more job seekers, according to a survey sponsored by Personified, the talent management and consulting subsidiary of the nation's largest online job site, CareerBuilder.com. In hopes of getting new talent in the door quicker, nearly a quarter (23 percent) of human resource managers say they have shortened the time from initial meeting to offer, and close to one-in-ten (8 percent) have removed steps from the application process.

"The labor market is forcing hiring managers to explore additional recruitment options to get exposure to the greatest pool of diverse candidates," said Mary Delaney, President of Personified. "Job seekers are going to need to adjust their job seeking strategies as well to amplify their visibility in front of potential employers. The best advice for anyone looking for a job is to take advantage of the plethora of recruitment tools available to them."

Delaney offers the following tips to increase the chances of finding that next great job:

Get online now! -- More than half (52 percent) of human resource managers say that, out of all the tools available to them, the use of general online job sites has been one of the more successful places to find qualified candidates for their open positions. Explore generalist sites, niche boards and local job boards, and post your resume on as many as you feel could benefit your search. Also, take advantage of the functions on each site to boost your exposure.

Network. Network. Network -- Whether it is social networking online, attending a professional networking event or even just telling family and friends you are looking for a new job, one third of human resource managers say they have been very successful at finding candidates from referrals. Online social networking sites are a great way to track down potential job openings through friends, but be sure to paint a positive image of yourself.

Keep your ear to the ground at your current employer -- Thirty-five percent of human resource managers say they have been very successful when looking to hire from their internal pool on candidates. If a job opens up in your company and it is a position you want to apply for, don't be afraid to meet with HR and discuss the qualifications for the position and your next steps to apply for it.

Call in the professionals -- The best way to find a recruiter or staffing firm that is right for you is to ask your professional network for referrals. Also, contact your industry's local professional organization to see if it provides a list of firms in your area.

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 242 human resource professionals (employed full-time; not self-employed; with at least significant involvement in hiring decisions) ages 18 and over between May 22, and June 13, 2008, respectively (percentages for some questions are based on a subset US Employers, based on their responses to certain questions). With a pure probability sample of 242 one could say with a 95 percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 6.3 percentage points respectively. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and varies.

About Personified

Personified is the talent management and consulting subsidiary of the nation's largest online job site, CareerBuilder.com. By delivering unmatched insight into the behavior of job seekers and employees, Personified is the leader in the new technology-driven era of talent management, and focuses on five key areas of talent management and outsourcing to help companies propel their business forward: talent acquisition, recruitment outsourcing, employment branding, diversity and inclusion and employee engagement. Personified seeks to provide organizations with unmatched access to the behaviors, needs and opinions of talent -- empowering employers to make sustainable recruitment changes to become an employer of choice. For more information visit http://www.personified.com/

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SOURCE: Personified