A lot of travel companies are starting to realise the Internet’s potential as a way of ttracting prospective employees. Lisa James reports
THEINTERNET has not yet established itself as a viable travel booking tool, but it is starting to make its mark when it comes to travel recruitment.
British Airways, which recruits 4,500 people every year, launched a link to a new page, called Employment Opportunities, on its Web site in October.
The page recently carried an advert for BA’s graduate trainee programme, and accounted for 1,000 of the 7,000 total applications.
Going Places has included information about its Modern Apprenticeship Programme on its Web site since September 1997.
Users who access the site can gain information on entry requirements and the skills and subjects covered during the two-year programme. At the bottom of the page is a telephone number and e-mail address for interested people to contact for further details.
Going Places human resources director Julie Morosco said: “This method is a back-up to conventional methods of recruiting.It is not a prime source of recruitment for us.
“What we are finding is that people are appealing to us for jobs through the more conventional routes, but when they are preparing themselves for interviews, they are going to the Web site to look up information. If we had a vacancy for a senior position, we would not use this method, but for general information about our apprenticeship programme, it is fine.”
Swallow Hotels, however, is using its newly revamped Web site to advertise a whole range of job vacancies, from a junior sous-chef to a conference and events sales manager.
The Internet job opportunities board was launched inJanuary after a successful trial last year.
Corporate personnel manager Marilyn Harding said:”I advertised on the Internet last year for a graduate recruitment as a one-off. We got a tremendous response with more than 500applications.
“It is opening us up to a much wider potential audience of people who could be prospective employees.
“School-leavers, undergraduates and people currently in employment, are all now surfing the Net.”
“We want to be seen to be forward thinking. At the moment, we are one of only a few companies which are using this medium, but I think it is inevitable that one day it will become the norm.”
Paul Richer, senior partner at Genesys the Travel Technology Consultancy, claimed travel companies who are not already using the Internet as a recruitment tool are missing out.
“It is a natural place for career seekers to be looking,” he said.
“These travel companies using the Internet to recruit are following a trend in other industries.They recognise that individuals who are looking for a new career are switched on enough to search for a career on the Web.
“These days, almost every student has access to the Web. It seems a natural place for companies to advertise, and for potential employees to check out companies that they might like to work for.
“It has a lot of advantages for companies as it is cheaper than going to a recruitment agency.
“It also shows to a prospective employer that the user has demonstrated some initiative in seeking out the company.”
For jobs in the travel industry see our travel jobs section or visit our partner, totaljobs.com for travel and tourism industry vacancies with some of the UK’s largest companies