Tuesday 14 June 2011

Sainsburys puts jobs online only to boost recruitment


Sainsbury's has become the first major UK employer to introduce an Internet only staff recruitment scheme and is estimated to save 4 million a year in administration costs.

Candidates will get immediate feedback as they complete their application on-line, and will be contacted by the supermarket within an average of 48 hours. The entire recruitment process will take days rather than weeks and save the candidates time and worry.

The move comes after research, showed that the vast majority of the 50,000 people who apply for jobs with Sainsbury's every year are already skilled in Internet use - and would prefer to apply online than use paper forms.

To ensure equal job opportunities, the supermarket is introducing Internet access in stores for those who don't have a computer.

Sainsbury's recruitment manager Jane Basley said; "We're using technology to make that nail-biting wait for news of a job a thing of the past.

"It will also enable Sainsbury's to find the right people and fill vacancies faster than ever before."

The scheme is being introduced at the supermarket's Fosse Park store in Leicester on November 24th. It is the first store to have a 'Job Point' computer workstation where applicants can log onto www.sainsburys.co.uk to access detailed information about jobs at Sainsbury's and immediately apply on-line. It is the first store to trial the scheme and further stores will follow in the New Year.

Applicants will be able to apply for a specific job role and location and be guided to available jobs which best suit their individual skills and needs - producing a perfect match.

The online application form, with a series of key questions, enables them to apply there and then - and receive immediate feedback, which will help them to understand exactly what Sainsbury's are looking for.

Sainsbury's launched a recruitment drive for the over 50's earlier this year and the on-line application will also suit their needs. A recent NORAS survey revealed that 50% of over 50's use the Internet.

Applicants will not lose out on face-to-face contact during the recruitment process, since candidates selected from the online applications will still be interviewed by a Sainsbury's manager.

The website also has a text only version for those who are partially sighted and for people with disabilities or who are not familiar with the internet, Sainsbury's colleagues will be on hand to offer advice.

Sainsbury's colleagues will be on hand to help those people unfamiliar with the Internet or with a disability.