THE TRAVEL industry’s first virtual job centre specialising in business travel is due to be launched this week, with the aim of matching up employers with potential employees over the Internet.
London-based agency C&M Recruitment has been working for six months on developing the interactive Web site, which can be accessed at www.candm.co.uk
C&Mspecialises in recruiting business travel consultants, managers and back-office support staff for companies that include American Express, Carlson Wagonlit Travel and Hillgate Travel.
The Internet site allows business travel agencies to advertise their vacancies, and at the same time allows potential employees to post their CVs on a job board, to let companies know they are available for work.
Business travel agencies will be able to access the site through an extranet, which they will be able to get into by typing in their own password. This secure extranet allows information required by individual agencies only to be accessed by them, thus ensuring confidentiality.
C&Mdirector Angus Chisholm said: “Our business travel clients can send vacancies to us via the extranet. They can do this by filling in a set template on the screen, giving details of the job, annual pay, bonuses, benefits and a telephone number to contact.
“We will then circulate this in the section that can be accessed by potential employees.
“At the same time, every time a business travel client gives us details of a vacancy, we will scan the CVs that have been sent to us and send the ones which are suitable over the extranet. It is totally confidential.
“For our business travel customers, the extranet is like having access to a filing cabinet full of potential CVs 24hrs a day.”
He added: “The extranet has had a good response.It is totally flexible.
“We can give everyone in the company access to the password, or only one person in the company, such as the human resources manager, a password which only he or she knows.
“Alternatively, each department can have a different password.”
The Internet site has two other sections. One details training programmes which are run by C&M. A second overseas page is aimed specifically at potential employees coming from abroad.
C&Malso gives advice to overseas employees on finding accommodation. Chisholm said: “We will be posting temporary and permanent vacancies on the site, which will be updated daily.
“For people who have access to the Web, it means that they can browse through the jobs at their leisure. They can apply for a position directly with the company, send their CV over the Web, or e-mail us for more details.”
Chisholm, who set up C&M a year ago with business partner John Maloney, got the idea after seeing the Internet used for similar projects in the finance industry.
He said:”In the financial world, a lot of recruitment is done over the Web. Ibelieve this is the way that the travel industry will work in the future.
“The industry is slow to pick up on using technology, but travel is a young game, and we get a lot of CVs sent to us by e-mail. The Internet allows us to communicate in a quick, safe, private and confidential way. We will be monitoring the site’s progress. Within two years I believe there will be a significant number of people recruiting and looking for jobs in this way.”