Strategy to connect hourly workers and employers

Tribune Company introduces CareerBuilder Connect, a new online recruitment product that matches hourly workers and employers quickly and efficiently. CareerBuilder Connect provides job seekers an easy way to apply for hourly jobs online or via phone and gives employers access to a database of experienced candidates and the ability to search and sort by job qualifications, compensation requirements and geography. Tribune will launch the product this week in Chicago and Hartford, Conn.; the Los Angeles and South Florida markets will follow the week of August 12.

"CareerBuilder Connect combines the reach of newspapers, the functionality of the Internet and the ubiquity of the telephone," said Craig Besant, Tribune Classified Services vice president/recruitment. "Tribune newspapers have long been the primary resource for job seekers and employers in the hourly recruitment segment. This new multimedia product builds on that leadership."

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 70 percent of U.S. workers are in jobs that require education/training that is less than an associate's degree. However, until now, there have been limited Internet-based resources to serve this marketplace.

"A lot of job seekers don't have access to the Internet and many don't have prepared resumes. CareerBuilder Connect makes it easy for them to find jobs," said Robert Montgomery, CareerBuilder chief executive officer. "We look forward to working with our other newspaper partners to introduce the product in additional markets."

Tribune's CareerBuilder Connect enables hourly workers to complete a pre- interview profile questionnaire that details their skills, experience and contact information. The profiles are then consolidated into a single database for employers to review online.

During the next two weeks, job seekers in Los Angeles, Chicago, South Florida and Hartford can begin completing CareerBuilder Connect individual profiles by dialing a toll-free phone number and following interactive voice commands, or by logging on to latimes.com/careerbuilder, chicagotribune.com/careerbuilder, sun-sentinel.com/careerbuilder and hartfordcourant.com/careerbuilder.

The profile questionnaires -- available in English and Spanish via phone and in English online -- include approximately 20 general and job-specific questions. General background questions include: "Indicate the number of years of experience you have" and "What is the highest level of education you have achieved?" Job-specific questions help detail relevant experience and qualifications. For example, a position for a home health aide includes: "Do you have experience checking a patient's pulse, temperature, respiration and blood pressure?" and "Are you certified as a Home Health Aide?"

Initially, the CareeerBuilder Connect database will collect profiles for jobs in six employment categories and/or industries. The categories, representing the skill sets most in demand in today's hourly marketplace, are: customer service; healthcare; hotel and hospitality; office administration; restaurant and food service; and sales and retail. Additional job categories will be added in coming months.

Employers can purchase access to the CareerBuilder Connect Web-based profile database to search, qualify and contact experienced hourly workers. Employers will be able to use filters to best search the profiles and weight the significance of certain profile responses. This flexibility saves employers time, narrowing their selection to identify the most qualified candidates.

"Large and small businesses need more efficient ways to screen and hire hourly workers," said Besant. "CareerBuilder Connect was designed to meet that need."

Tribune will promote the product through in-paper and Web site advertising and via a targeted email campaign to Los Angeles, Chicago, South Florida and Hartford-area job seekers currently using CareerBuilder.com.

"Tribune Web sites and CareerBuilder have a distinct advantage over other online job boards," added Besant. "We are uniquely positioned to aggressively promote CareerBuilder Connect through our newspapers and Web sites."

Tribune will introduce CareerBuilder Connect at its seven other newspapers in the coming months: Newsday, The Baltimore Sun, Orlando Sentinel, The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.), Daily Press (Newport News, Va.), The Advocate (Stamford, Conn.) and Greenwich Time (both serving Connecticut's Fairfield County).

Tribune created CareerBuilder Connect with the assistance of Wonderlic, Inc., a recognized leader in recruiting, assessment and retention products and consulting services for businesses and academic institutions. Wonderlic developed the CareerBuilder Connect pre-interview questionnaires as well as the software technology used to capture profiles and assist employer reviews.

"Wonderlic is excited about its new partnership with Tribune and the opportunity to help create this innovative online recruitment service," said Charles Wonderlic, Jr., Wonderlic, Inc. president. "Our expertise in pre- qualifying more than 130 million job-seekers in the last 64 years and Tribune's unparalleled local reach and trusted newspaper brands make for a powerful combination. CareerBuilder Connect makes the process of filling job openings with qualified job seekers significantly easier, quicker and more efficient than traditional alternatives."