New Internet Job Application Rules

Friends, be warned: If you're hoping to find a new job through a job board or other online channel -- or if you're an employer seeking candidates on the Web -- the world just got a little bit more difficult.

So begins a web article by Fortune senior writer Anne Fisher on CNNMoney.com on new internet job posting rules promulgated by the OFCCP. 

For those not familiar with the new internet job rules: "New federal guidelines meant to standardize how employers track data on the diversity of their job-applicant pool are taking effect starting today for jobs at federal contractors -- and similar rules will kick in later this year at U.S. companies with more than 50 employees."

Under this new system:

[F]ederal regulators will be checking to see that companies are keeping diversity data on all applicants, according to a new, more uniform definition of "applicant."

According to this definition, an applicant must "express interest" in the job, whether by sending in a resume, applying on the company's site, or whatever other means the company requests, says Gerry Crispin, founder and principal of CareerXRoads and a long-time Internet job hunting expert.

That "expression of interest" must show that he or she has all the qualifications for the job listed in the company's job description (not just some or most of them) -- and those qualifications must be specific and measurable.

The applicant must be considered for a specific current or future position, and "never remove himself from consideration for the job," says Crispin. For example, "if I have a job opening in Boston, for example, and you've specified that you want to work in Chicago, I can infer that you've removed yourself," he says.

To comply with these new rules and get the most diversity, employers will have an incentive to keep the pool of applicants for each job relatively small and as random as possible.

To be in step with the new internet job hunting regime, Crispin, the internet job hunting expert, recommends that applicants: (1) follow the company's instructions for how to apply for a job on-line in order to be considered for the position; (2)  spell out their  qualifications clearly so that resume or other information entered clearly matches skills described for the job; (3) keep their resume up-to-the-minute current as the new rules allow employers to sort applicants by "most recent" qualified applicants; (4)  target specific companies and visit their websites often as companies may not look further than their website if they get enough qualified applicants through the internet; and (5) if someone is referring them for a job, make sure every knows how the process works as employers are still permitted to run employee-referral programs as they like as long as they are consistently applied.

Happy internet job hunting everyone!

PS