Southeast Missourian initiates employment Web site

sejobsonline.com

Business Today

Staffing is an important challenge for any business. To help cope with the workforce shortage, the Southeast Missourian recently created an employment Web site, sejobsonline.com.

"We launched the site in early October and are very pleased with the response," said Donna Denson, director of Targeted Publications at the Southeast Missourian. "So far we have six profiled companies on the site utilizing the full-range of services the site provides."

Those companies are Charter Communications, Nordenia USA, Rust Communications, Saint Francis Medical Center, Snelling Personnel Services and Workforce Employment Solutions.

Denson said that for profiled employers, sejobsonline.com offers a recruiter desktop. This desktop service includes an interactive company profile, unlimited self-serve job postings and unlimited resume downloads. Basically, a company profile is the recruiter's resume to the job seeker. It gives the recruiter the chance to tell you why you'd want to work for them.

"Sejobsonline is proud to offer an affordable and effective online recruiting tool," said Denson. "When combined with print advertising in the classified section of the newspaper and our weekly shopper (The Big Nickel), we feel we are presenting employers a well-rounded program to meet their recruitment needs."

According to a 1997 employment study by Coopers & Lybrand, newspapers continue to be the number one choice of companies seeking new employees through external resources. In fact, the study indicates that 86 percent of companies chose this form of recruiting.

With half the U.S. adult population using the Web, there is a growing number of job seekers who are utilizing the Internet to help with their job search.

Denson said sejobsonline.com is catered to meet their needs by offering an easy-to-use job database and employment resources. The site offers help in writing resumes and cover letters. Once a job seeker posts their resume, they will be notified of any jobs posted for which they may be qualified.

At sejobsonline.com, job seekers can find jobs that were advertised in the following newspapers: Southeast Missourian in Cape, Daily Dunklin Democrat in Kennett, Daily Statesman in Dexter, Daily American Republic in Poplar Bluff and Standard Democrat in Sikeston.

Job seekers can also find online-only job postings that are submitted by profiled employers and agencies. The site is also networked through partnership with Employment Wizard to provide a national network of online newspaper job listings.

According to the William Olsten Center for Workforce Strategies, almost half of all employees are found through standard newspaper help-wanted ads, making newspapers the most popular recruitment advertising source.