The Society of Human Resource Management have found an interesting way to better connect job seekers to company web sites who are posting jobs through a .jobs URL (SEE LETTER I RECEIVED BELOW). We had a high school student pull job specific URLs of local companies earlier this year and have been distributing it to folks via our eNewsletter and we have seen it to be a success. Therefore, this seems like a good idea to better assist the job seeker, however, only 10% of jobs are received through online channels. Folks still must network with other individuals to obtain job leads making yourself unique against the masses.

Dear SHRM Member,

A recent SHRM study found the majority of job applicants now come from on-line recruitment. Given the reliance on the Internet for job searches, an important question to consider is: can job seekers find your job postings?

It is for this reason SHRM has supported the creation of a new URL developed especially for HR professionals called .jobs (pronounced "dot jobs"). With a .jobs URL, you can direct potential employees straight to your job postings.

The .jobs URL can be purchased in the format of "www.[companyname].jobs", such as

www.att.jobs or www.hertz.jobs . This format provides human resource professionals with an exact destination to send job seekers and is compatible with the URL their company currently uses. For example, SHRM has registered the Web domain address of www.shrm.jobs

, so anyone looking for a job at SHRM can simply type in that URL to find the Society’s job postings.

SHRM Research studied the effectiveness of .jobs URLs and found that companies using .job URLs to guide candidates directly to the career section of their website had 74% more candidates apply. Also, 71% of these companies believe direct navigation to the career section of their website has improved the effectiveness of their advertising. This research demonstrates that a .jobs domain name in recruitment advertising provides a crucial missing element — direct navigation.

It is for this reason we are encouraging HR professionals to be sure their company purchases and uses a .jobs URL. To make it easier for you to purchase one, we have negotiated a special SHRM member rate of only $114.95. With your purchase, you will also be giving back to the profession as SHRM will receive a small royalty that we will use to help us fund important programs, and to keep your membership dues low. For more details on how to sign up, please visit

www.shrmspecial.jobs

.

Sincerely,

Sue Meisinger

President & CEO

SHRM