Monster.com Launches Hiring Service For Hourly Workers

Internet job board Monster.com has launched a new service for employers and job seekers interested in hourly positions.

The new service, TriState JobMatch, is based on Monster's Internet technology and enhanced searching and screening capabilities. Job seekers have the option of applying for jobs at Monster, making a phone call, or filling in a paper application. They can apply for multiple jobs by filling out one application; each is given a user name and password to track application status at Monster. "We're not assuming everyone who comes in by phone won't have Internet access," says Patrick O'Brien, president of TriState JobMatch. "We're hoping they will either go to a local library, a friend's or family member's house to log on to Monster.com to see how we can help them in their job search."

Employers who access the Monster JobMatch applicant database can input screening preferences to find candidates who are willing to work weekends, live within a certain radius of the job location, or are willing to drive, O'Brien says.

Monster is launching TriState JobMatch in the greater Cincinnati area. No employers have signed up for the service yet, but O'Brien says Monster has garnered interest from employers in the hotel and manufacturing industries. Monster execs say they will spend about $2 million on marketing the hourly hiring service by direct mail, print, and radio. There are no plans to partner or advertise with free employment guides, which are widely used by hourly job seekers, O'Brien says.

The job-seeking process for hourly workers hasn't advanced much in the past few decades beyond requiring applicants to complete applications for each company they'd like to work for, says Peter Weddle, an online recruiting consultant, but the combination of a toll-free number and the Web could improve the process for blue-collar workers.