Approximately four years ago Nebraska began to take a serious look at e-recruiting and how we might best serve the citizens of Nebraska. We faced not only the problem of an extreme labor shortage, but that our labor intensive method of matching "people to jobs" and "jobs to people" might not meet the challenges of the future. The Recruitment Unit had already identified what specifically our customers wanted and what the market had available in state-of-the art applicant systems. We identified several goals that would allow us to change the emphasis from "paperwork" to "people work." We spent entirely too much time moving paper from one place to another, and we wanted to redirect that time to moving people into jobs.

Technology was identified as the key to working quicker and smarter. Our initial step into the world of electronic imaging was the off-site DocuRom imaging process for application materials. By utilizing DocuRom our office was able to eliminate the tasks of housing and maintaining paper applications as they are now accessible through our desktop software. Although we knew the direction where we were headed and the keys to our success, we were initially unable to locate an automated applicant tracking program that was flexible enough to meet our needs. After creating several in-house short term solutions we found that we still needed a product that would work for us now and be able to readily adapt to the new technologies down the road.

The State of Nebraska was ready to invest in a long-term partnership and was fortunate enough to locate the Personic Workflow product. Personic provides the design flexibility, a "best of breed" development philosophy, and a customer-focused approach to all facets of the organization. Personic allows us to take a leadership role in the applicant processing/hiring arena.

Our work has changed since the implementation of Personic Workflow and the rewards from its purchase are experienced daily. We have moved away from providing regulated personnel assistance and see ourselves more as a staffing agency offering flexibility, customer service, and new and innovative ideas in the Recruiting and Selection arena. Applications and resumes are traceable, the daily activities are documented, statistics are easily retrievable, and there is a more devoted effort toward recruiting future state employees. An outline of services enhanced due to the implementation of the Personic Workflow product include:

On-line or web based Application

Nebraska Department of Administrative Services (DAS) State Personnel, in conjunction with Nebraska On-line, developed a web based application process which allows applicants to view current listings, apply for open positions, update their candidate file and view different agency highlights and upcoming personnel events. All of this can be done from any computer having access to the internet. This tool not only provides a faster, more streamlined process for applicants, it also creates much greater access to our entire system for candidates from remote locations of the state and from areas outside of Nebraska.

Customer Service Area Restructure

One of the most progressive changes has been the way in which we serve our customers. We have restructured our front reception area allowing each Personnel Assistant the ability to concentrate on assisting the "individual applicant." It's no longer the "stand in line and take a number" approach. Each Personnel Assistant has an office with a customer service window. Privacy is achieved by divider walls, a desk and chair for the applicant, and the ability to turn off their telephone headset when speaking with an applicant visiting our office. With five representatives ready to assist applicants either by phone or in person, each applicant receives our undivided attention. Personic allows the Personnel Assistant to view candidate information and each job order or announcement on the screen in front of them and respond to applicant requests at the touch of a finger. By being able to provide more comprehensive information to the applicant in a calm and unhurried manner and providing necessary information up front, instead of waiting for the applicants to phone us, we have seen a lower number of phone calls.

Coordinated Classified Advertising Program

All state government classified advertising efforts with the Omaha World Herald and Lincoln Journal Star, Nebraska's two largest newspapers, have been centralized and have resulted in a savings of over $378,930 since March 1998. Personic allows job information to be edited and transmitted electronically, which greatly simplifies ad composition and layout. Weekly, a display ad is placed in the newspaper that includes an overview of each job, application information, and additional hiring information. Besides the display ad, an in-column ad for each job also appears. The ads have been enhanced with our new logo and are consolidated prior to placement. For this service, agencies pay an administration fee. The administration fee is then reallocated in the form of advertising (Internet/radio), career fair attendance, and other recruiting events.

S.O.S. Program

We operate an internal temporary employment program known as Specialized Office Services (S.O.S), which is devoted to assisting agencies by providing qualified temporary assistance during peak work periods, employee leaves, and short-term program implementations. Personic has become our central point for all S.O.S. job requisitions, candidate information, and statistical data. We can recruit applicants into temporary positions; record their state employment history, employment, and educational background; and read this data electronically so that we have a ready pool of applicants from which to recruit. In these days of labor shortages, we find the S.O.S. program successful in providing applicants an opportunity to discover state government employment and meet the state's needs by filling in when necessary. Through Personic, we are better able to manage our workflow which allows time to concentrate on improving the services and our previously instituted programs. Employees of the S.O.S. program receive health, life and dental insurance coverage and S.O.S. is the central point of contact for all temporary placements.

"Spotlight" Intern Newsletter

This electronic newsletter, emailed to all the agencies, is a vehicle for communicating new and innovative programs and changes. Initially, it is enhancing our services to interns by explaining and emphasizing the Intern program and giving capsule summaries of the interests and qualifications of prospective interns. Its attention-getting, easy-to-read style with colorful lettering, creative graphics, and animation has resulted in a number of intern placements.

Inside Story

This informational training for applicants on application and resume preparation, interviewing, cover and follow up letters, how to apply for jobs in general, how the state system works, and what state personnel can do for them, is provided in turn by teams of recruitment staff members who will actually be working with their applications and materials and can give them "the inside story" of what happens to applicant submissions and what employers are looking for. Applicants and even agency supervisors and personnel people have found the information useful and the format inviting. Ongoing efforts to tailor the program to specific needs and carry it across the state are also being received enthusiastically.

What does the future hold for Nebraska's recruitment efforts?

Continued advancement in the area of technology while progressing toward more customer-focused team- based services is our ongoing goal. Implementation of Personic has enabled Nebraska's DAS State Personnel Recruitment Division and fellow staffing partners to create electronic links and manage all information associated with the state's recruiting and eventual hiring processes. Currently, state personnel is testing software and fine-tuning new processes to link agencies around the state and enable them to share and collect information on applicants and requisitions. The new software is accessible from the internet and will provide greater communication possibilities between the central office and the different agency locations throughout Nebraska. This new access provides greater levels of customer service and communication between state personnel and the outlying agencies. Agency hiring managers will be able to electronically send and receive information in seconds that used to take days (and in some cases, weeks), increasing effectiveness by lowering hiring turnaround times and facilitating applicant processing, report generation, and statistical data gathering. Personic Workflow, EPIC and eManager will not only broaden our communication network with applicants and the agency managers, but continue to provide that central "link" needed in today's competitive labor market.

The State of Nebraska is moving toward a comprehensive human resources information system (HRIS) to replace our current mainframe payroll and accounting systems. Personic--which is compatible with PeopleSoft, SAP, and most other current HRIS--may play a significant role in this transition and beyond.

As the result of the implementation of Personk Workflow outlined in Table 1, the State of Nebraska was able to redirect recruitment servces in the amount of $51,644 annually to its customers.

Mike McCrory
Director, State Personnel Division
Nebraska Department of Administrative Services
301Centennial Mall So., Mall Level
Lincoln, NE 68509

Dovi Mueller
Recruitment Administrator, State Personnel Division
Nebraska Department of Administrative Services
301Centennial Mall So., Mall Level
Lincoln, NE 68509
Table 1. Actual Savings and Service Enhancements

Then                                  Now

Regulated assistance                  Flexibility with agencies

Service as required or                Response to agency suggestions
we had time for.                      and needs. Innovative and creative
                                      uses of information and communica-
                                      tion technology will allow even
                                      greater agency input, cooperation,
                                      and coordination in the future.

File cabinets/Wang                    Personic

25,000 paper applications             A full service applicant tracking
that had to be found, pulled,         and recruitment automation system
checked, written on, copied,          where the touch of a button brings
alphabetized, and filed.              up job or applicant information and
                                      adds or changes information as the
A computer database that held         applicant or agency or supervisor
name, date, address, Social           speaks. Information is scanned, read,
Security Number, and kept track       bridged, then viewed, printed, or
of jobs applied for, all of which     emailed from the screen. Personic
had to be entered in batches after    emulates the workflow of HR
being typed on handwritten on the     Departments.
application and innumerable other
forms.

Paper application, Job Mart,          Online Application, Job listing,
Referral Form                         Referral Form

Paper forms requiring requisitio-     Electronic forms accessible on the
ning, purchasing, distributing,       Web; two of which can be completed
typing or handwriting, returning,     online and emailed. That are sub-
sorting, carrying, alphabetizing,     mitted, formatted, and attached by
folder preparation, filing,           pressing a button and distributed,
retrieving, finding, stacking,        viewed, sent, or printed the same
and clipping.                         instantaneous way.

Front Desk, chairs, & tables          Customer service area with windows,
                                      chairs, computers, tables, & play
                                      area

One or two overworked receptio-       Five members of the customer service
nists guard the door and answer       team greet applicants and provide
the phones.                           help in person or on the phone with
                                      online access to information and
                                      services.

Ads                                   Contractual Advertising

Each ad typed and faxed and           $378,930 savings (3/98 to present)
filed.                                from coordinated classified ads.

SOS temporaries                       Temporary Clearinghouse and SOS
                                      pool with benefits

Temps hired from paper files.         Electronic files of candidates who
                                      are interviewed and entered on a
                                      walk-in basis.

No time for an intern program         Spotlight Intern Newsletter

Prospective interns get an            An attractive, informative online
agency phone number.                  listing of interns and their
                                      qualifications is sent to every
                                      agency.

Insights                              Inside Story

Information on applicant rights.      Inside tips on getting jobs in an
                                      applicant's market.