Melyssa Bernstein Participates on Expert Panel at Onrec/Kennedy Conference

PRLog (Press Release) - Nov 10, 2009 -
CUPERTINO, CA—Melyssa Bernstein, Account Executive and Emerging Media Specialist for global recruitment advertisement agency CKR Interactive (www.ckrinteractive.com), was on a panel about corporate career sites at the Kennedy/Online Recruitment Conference & Expo 2009, held in Chicago on November 2-4.

The discussion, entitled, “Corporate Careers Sites: What Separates the Best from the Rest,” was led by Paula Santonocito, U.S. features editor of Online Recruitment Magazine. Other participants included Tracy Cordova from Motorola, Shannon Seery Gude of Bernard HODES Group, and Timothy Kutzer of Best Buy.

The economy’s impact on employment and the subsequent outpouring of jobseekers into online recruitment channels were top of mind for the panel’s participants. Bernstein said that because more candidates are visiting corporate career sites than ever before, now is a critical time to critique your site and address problems with your applicant tracking system. Are you capturing enough data on each applicant? How long does the application process take?

Employers can also choose to turn their career page into a social network by including social media widgets, videos, discussion forums, blogs, and testimonials. “It’s the best time,” Bernstein noted, “to focus on providing a positive candidate experience while building a pipeline in preparation for an economic upswing.”

In addition to making functional and cosmetic changes to your site, Bernstein recommended tying your employer and consumer brand together on the career page.

“Connecting your consumer and employer brand is important because it furthers your credibility and helps create a more unified message,” she said. “Best Buy is a great example of a company that uses their employer brand to help their consumer brand. Conducting the necessary research upfront will help to determine your biggest unique selling point.”

“Highlighting accolades, great benefits, or superlative diversity programs are other notable ways to attract candidates,” Bernstein said. “But the most important thing to remember is that a career site should be all about engagement, and having the right tools at hand makes two-way communication quicker and easier. If you know your audience, you’ll know what tools to use to effectively reach them and target your message accordingly.”

Bernstein has an extensive background in hospitality management and advertising. She is also a former employee of a search engine optimization firm and holds a degree in advertising and PR. Currently she oversees a number of clients and assists the agency with social media initiatives.

About CKR Interactive
Founded in 2001, CKR Interactive (www.ckrinteractive.com) is a recruitment advertising agency delivering comprehensive services to today’s employers. Focusing on interactive solutions, the firm’s areas of expertise also include research and planning, creative development and marketing communications. With offices throughout California, Arizona, Ohio and Florida, and partner agencies in the United Kingdom, Australia and India, the award-winning firm’s growing list of clients represents a range of industries, from healthcare/biopharm and high tech to government and hospitality/food service.