Internal and external job seekers can apply online

By SUSAN WITTSTOCK, onCAMPUS staff

Applicants for staff positions at Ohio State and the Medical Center will be able to go online to submit applications and résumés beginning Aug. 25. A new Web page, www.jobs.osu.edu, will go live that day and serve as a portal to application systems for both university and Medical Center staff. There also will be a link to the Office of Student Financial Aid for student positions.

"We're excited to make the jump from a paper-based model to an entirely online format for our applicants," said Penny Ellis, director of employment services for the Office of Human Resources. "The new format will be more efficient and cost-effective, not to mention providing employment staff with more time to focus on customer service rather than paper processing."

Although applications will be made online, referral of candidates to the hiring units will continue on paper until the Human Resources user part of the systems is rolled out. A pilot program for five colleges and units for Web-based application referral will begin this fall, with the rest of the university and Medical Center expected to convert to a Web referral system during 2004.

Ohio State's software system was developed by People Admin, a software company that has worked with 30 other university clients. The Medical Center is making use of eRecruit, a PeopleSoft module commonly used in business settings. Each system is designed to cater to the specific needs of its provider, although the functionality for applicants is very similar.

Applicants will be able to log in to each system and create a user name and password. They can then select the position they wish to apply for, fill out an application (forms differ for university and Medical Center positions), respond to screening questions specific to the position, and include a résumé and cover letter. The need to fill out or photocopy multiple forms when applying for several positions at once is eliminated. Applications will stay in the system for at least one year from the last date of use and users can update information at any time for specific positions. In the university's system, applicants also will be able to log in at any point and view the status of any submitted applications.

Ellis would like to see all applicants start their employment search on the shared jobs page portal, where general information and news regarding Ohio State employment will be posted along with links to university employment policies.

Mark Ringer, administrative director for University Hospitals Human Resources, said going online should improve recruitment efforts. "As a health system, being able to provide the ability to apply online will help us to recruit for difficult-to-fill positions. There will be less time between posting the job and filling the job, which should allow us to hire the strongest candidates before someone else does," he said.

Both Ellis and Ringer said the demand for an online application system has been getting steadily stronger for at least the past two to three years. Many other area health systems and employers have made the transition, and applicants expected Ohio State to do so as well.

Faculty positions will still be posted on the Web, but applications will continue to be processed the current way: by sending a packet of materials directly to the academic department.

Computer station kiosks have been added to the employment offices for applicants who do not have computers, with staff on hand at all locations to offer individual assistance. The Northwood High location has four kiosks, Doan Hall has three, and University Hospitals East has two.

"We have tried to be sensitive to the needs of potential employees who either do not own a computer or are unfamiliar with computers, which is why we're adding computer kiosks to our offices," Ellis said. "The application program is very user-friendly and is simple enough that anyone who can use an ATM or the self check-out at the grocery store should be able to use it with a little instruction."

The pilot program for the Web-based tracking system will begin in September for physical facilities, select offices within student affairs, and the colleges of Veterinary Medicine, Medicine and Humanities. Hiring managers and search committees in those units will be able to receive and process applications via the system.

Phyllis Newman, senior fiscal officer for the College of Humanities, had the opportunity to evaluate the application system as a member of a focus group and was impressed.

"It's marvelous. Instead of having to run over to Northwood and High or wait for campus mail to deliver applications, all you have to do is push a couple of buttons on your computer," Newman said.

The pilot program for hiring units is important, Ellis said, but the current focus is on the applicant. "We really want to serve our applicants right now and make sure they're comfortable with the new system before we turn our attention to the hiring units."

Reading Recovery names new executive director

By MARSHA STUDEBAKER, RRCNA Communications

The Reading Recovery Council of North America (RRCNA) named Jady Johnson as the new executive director Aug. 11, replacing Jean Bussell, who retired July 20.

Reading Recovery is a highly effective short-term intervention of one-to-one tutoring for low-achieving first grade students. The initiative was introduced to the United States by an Ohio State collaboration with the international program in 1985, and remains today the location of its headquarters and the administrator of the program, which has served more than one million children.

Johnson brings 14 years experience as chief executive officer of professional and trade associations as well as consulting experience in association management, strategic communications, marketing, legislative and regulatory advocacy, and project management. She was president and CEO of the Ohio Association of Health Plans from 1994 to 1999 and before that was executive vice president of the Ohio Academy of Family Physicians and its foundation.

Maribeth Schmitt, RRCNA past president and search committee chair, said, "We believe that Ms. Johnson's skills and experience are well suited to our organization's needs. With increased national attention focused on early literacy, we have an opportunity to raise awareness about Reading Recovery and its potential to help struggling first-graders catch up with their average classmates."