Enhancements to the Human Resources website rolled out at the end of summer give job applicants from both inside and outside Emory the ability to track the status of the positions in which they are interested, a template to build their resumé, and a vastly improved search engine to find openings.

Since its debut on Aug. 15, the site, which requires users to register with an e-mail address, has been a big hit. In just one month, 12,000 people have registered, a figure Director of Employment Services Del King called “remarkable.”

“We’ve often heard that candidates apply here and then they don’t hear anything as far as their status,” said King, adding that HR deals with between 30,000–40,000 applicants each year. “Now they have access to receiving specific feedback on their application.”

After registering, users will receive updated information regarding the status of their application—whether it has been passed up the line and even if it has not been referred. If not referred, the applicant will see the reason online.

Another new feature is the HR resume builder, which is easy to navigate. Users are asked to fill in blanks with information such as career goals, technical skills, education, work experience and references—all benchmarks of standard resumés.

The feature serves two purposes: One is to standardize resumés that are submitted to HR, the other is to make the process easier for prospective employees who lack the resources to write one themselves.

“We wanted to give people who aren’t technically savvy the opportunity to have a resume that looks good,” said Randall Cumbaa, senior recruiting specialist.

Using the new system isn’t the only way to submit a resumé. Persons with electronic copies of their resumés can still upload them to the site, and that copy is what will be passed on to hiring managers.

To make finding jobs easier, the website’s search engine has been vastly upgraded. Users can enter keywords for jobs (“financial analyst,” for instance), and every open position with those words will pop up. In addition, if any new jobs are posted containing the keywords in the description, the user will receive an e-mail notice.

Emory employees are given the option to complete an online transfer form, so they don’t have to travel to HR to drop off the form or resume.

“We thought the online transfer form would be really valued by our employees,” Cumbaa said. “Employees have the option to register and view job listings with a sense of complete confidentiality.”

HR also has added four workstations in its offices at 1762 Clifton. They allow both employees and outside applicants easy access to computers, and King said HR plans to add additional workstations around campus.

“It’s important that we uphold Emory’s image because this often is the initial contact for people who are coming to work here,” said Jessica Levin, HR program development coordinator. “We want visitors to see that we are technologically knowledgeable.”

Job applicants who filed information prior to Aug. 15 will have to register with the new system, in order to take advantage of the new features. Users need only provide an e-mail address and either repost their resume or create a new one using the resume builder.

To visit the upgraded HR site, visit http://emory.hr.emory.edu and click on the “Careers” link at the top of the page. From there, follow the instructions to the registration page.