United Biscuits is set to halve its recruitment costs by extending its
online recruitment scheme.
In September the company will start a three-month trial of the system, which
will see its web-based graduate recruitment programme extended to cover all
roles in its £20,000 to £50,000 wage bracket.
Aileen Roberts, development manager of organisational change at United
Biscuits, predicts that the £40,000 costs of extending the online recruitment
programme will be recouped by the time 10 applicants are hired.
United Biscuits claims that its graduate recruitment programme, which cost
£30,000 to set up, has cut graduate hiring costs by 85 per cent and cut the
recruitment process time by half.
Roberts said that the move to broaden the scheme, "will release HR employees
from non-strategic activities".
"Line managers will have more ownership of recruitment, making HR more
strategic," she said.
Prospective employees will have to submit a pre-screening questionnaire
based on role scenarios and company culture, an application form and their CV
online. Successful candidates will be offered face-to-face interviews.
Applicants will also be given a password which allows them to track the
progress of their application.
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Roberts said, "The Internet fulfils a filter role, which funnels
applicants down to a shortlist. A relationship with candidates is still
essential."
