Alarming Study of Online Job Seeker Concerns Released by Transformation Systems Inc.

Arlington, VA (PRWEB) September 24, 2003

Transformation Systems Inc. (TSI) announced today the release of the company's latest research report titled "The Transformation Systems Inc Survey of Online Recruitment Perceptions: Job Seekers Speak about Privacy, Trust, and Use of the Internet for Employment Pursuit".

The report presents the results of a 2003 survey of online job seekers conducted by TSI Vice President Dr. Rich Cober, and his long-time research collaborator, Dr. Doug Brown of The University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada).

The TSI study is based on survey data collected from 591 random online job seekers who participated in an online survey. The study represents one of the first efforts to directly access and report on online job seekers' views regarding online privacy, trust in online employment mechanisms, and use of the Internet for employment pursuit.

Job Seekers responses yielded several findings that should be noted by employers, online job board operators, and industry analysts including:

• 69% of the Job Seekers reported the best way to obtain a job interview using the Internet was through employer web sites
• 68% of the Job Seekers reported that Internet Job Boards are the best mechanism for learning about available jobs
• 83% of Job Seekers felt Internet Job Boards were a more likely source of spam resulting from a job search than a typical employer's own employment web site
• Employer Web Sites are viewed as better sources of information and more instrumental for actually obtaining an interview than Internet Job Boards.
• Concerns about privacy are pervasive as 85% of job seekers are at least somewhat concerned about the privacy of the personal information they submit while searching for jobs on the Internet.
• Employer Web Sites are viewed more positively with regards to Privacy and Trust Perceptions than Internet Job Boards.

The survey results tell a provocative story and should serve as a wake up call for the rapidly expanding and dynamic online recruitment industry. Job seekers are increasingly sensitive to invasions of privacy, and their perceptions of online recruitment indicate that they may become more hesitant in actively using online application and selection tools unless organizations take more assertive actions to protect their privacy and subsequently increase trust in the integrity of the Internet as a recruitment source.

The study is an extension of the research program that Drs. Cober and Brown have been involved in for the past five years. At a time when online recruitment is proving to be one of the most successful business applications for the Internet, significant issues are emerging with regard to the perspectives of job seekers and their online job search needs. The findings in this report provide insight into the needs, desires, habits, and concerns of today's sophisticated job seekers.

About Transformation Systems, Inc. (TSI)

Located in Northern Virginia, TSI has helped organizations energize and enable their workforce since 1994. TSI has built its reputation helping both public and private sector organizations improve their performance through better strategic planning, organizational development, and human resource management efforts. Today, TSI helps organizations conduct assessments, use measurement scorecards, and build HR processes and tools to improve workforce performance.

You can learn more about TSI by visiting http://www.we-transform.com.

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For questions or a copy of this report, please contact Dr. Rich Cober by phone (703.998.6590) or e-mail (rich@we-transform.com).