In economic downturn, applicants go straight to the source

Bertelsmann has the best career website in a fierce war for talent - employers succeed in making their websites the place where job seekers go, according to Potentialparkís Top Employer Web Benchmark 2009.

Career websites are where it all happens!

Two remarkable figures: 92% of students and graduates who plan their next career move go online to look for information about employers and career opportunities. And out of these, 86% use the career websites of companies. That makes company career websites the number 1 place to go for job seekers, even more important than job and career portals or business and social networks.

This is no coincidence. ìCompanies are
more devoted than ever to making their career websites the place where everything happensî says Julian Ziesing, Head of Research at Potentialpark. ìIf you want to find all career opportunities that a company offers, you have to go to their own career website. Events, campaigns, contacts, assessments, career opportunities and application form - the best chance to find everything is to go straight to the source.î

Especially during economic downturn, when employers cut costs and pull the break on recruiting programs, career websites play a vital role in the war for talent.

The competition for the best of the best has become even fiercer. And thatís where companies are dependent on their career websites. ìCompanies canít stop hiring forever, but more than ever they canít afford to hire the wrong peopleî, says Ziesing.

ìThey need their career websites to raise awareness, motivate the right people to apply for the right job and handle increasing numbers of applications. And a lot of career websites have actually become excellent at