Monster Offers Key Recruiting Tips in Conjunction with WHERE THE JOBS ARE 2009: Mission-Critical Opportunities for America Report

Monster works with the Partnership for Public Service to help federal agencies deploy HR Best Practices for hiring over 270,000 by fall of 2012

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sep. 3, 2009-- Today the Partnership for Public Service released results of a survey estimating that the federal government will be looking to fill more than 270,000 positions, and Monster Government Solutions (MGS) has teamed up with the Partnership to arm those federal agencies with the human capital and recruitment strategies they will need to attract, vet and onboard quality candidates across a wide array of open job categories.

The survey, WHERE THE JOBS ARE 2009: Mission-Critical Opportunities for America, outlines government-wide projected hiring needs for the next three years, estimating that the federal government will hire nearly 273,000 new workers for mission-critical jobs by the fall of 2012 -- a 41 percent increase in comparison to the previous three fiscal years. The majority of new federal hires are expected to come in five broad professional fields: medical and public health, security and protection, compliance and enforcement, legal occupations, and administration and program management.

“For federal agencies, this is a great opportunity to capitalize on the number of skilled candidates who are in the market right now,” said Joyce Ceconi, vice president of sales, MGS. “But agencies need to do things differently if they truly want to capture the job seeker audience effectively and drive enough qualified candidates to available jobs. This dramatic hiring need requires a new approach to recruitment. Posting in one place and hoping for the best won’t drive results. At MGS, we work with federal agencies to provide solutions and advice to attract, assess, hire and onboard the top talent they will need to fill these mission critical positions.”

For over ten years, MGS has provided federal agencies with the unmatched recruiting resources and advice of the Monster Worldwide network to connect public sector employers with quality job seekers. Monster Government Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of Monster Worldwide, Inc, (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster.com, the leading global online career and recruitment resource.

"For job-seekers motivated by a desire to make a difference and improve the lives of Americans, there are no better possibilities than those provided by our federal government," said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service. "This report confirms that the job opportunities are there. People need to seize them."

With this daunting hiring goal for critical positions, agencies will need to use the most innovative and far reaching tools available. The recruiting experts at MGS have three key recommendations to help agencies identify and attract the best talent:

      1.   Define your brand.
 
Why do candidates apply to one federal agency and not another? Or limit their searches to private sector opportunities?
 
Branding is your identity in the marketplace. What are you communicating to job seekers about your agency via your job postings and outreach efforts? A strong brand communicates your agency’s mission and engages job seekers to connect with your workforce culture. You want to ensure recruiting messages are aligned with and capture your agency’s identity. Effective branding attracts qualified seekers who will embrace and identify with your messaging.
 
2. Make the economy work for you, not against you.
 
As unemployment numbers rise, you may see a surge in applications. But aren’t three qualified candidates worth more than a thousand random resumes?
 
Fine-tuning your recruitment and hiring process is the only way to process a high volume of applications and still find those qualified candidates in the mix. Advertise in the right places. Write stand-out vacancy announcements. Develop competency based questions that drive to the most qualified candidates. Communicate with applicants every step of the way.
 
Right now, more candidates than ever are drawn to the mission oriented work and the stability of a federal career. To hire the right people, make sure you have the right tools in place to attract qualified candidates and vet them appropriately.
 
3. Think like a marketer: go where the job seekers go.
 
The hiring market has three distinct segments: active candidates, passive candidates and niche candidates. Reaching each segment requires different tools and unique messaging. It’s a good bet that recent college graduates are on Facebook. If recruiting within the emerging workforce, develop a social media strategy to reach them through their online networks. If the subject matter experts you seek connect to each other via their alumni networks or their trade associations, create a relevant presencethere.
 
The mission critical skill set you seek resides in unique, talented individuals. Your goal is to understand your target audience and speak to them in the right way. Skip the “one size fits all” approach and tailor your tactics.

For more insights and advice on public sector employment trends and practices, visit the new MGS blog at http://unleashthemonster.net.

About Monster Government Solutions

Monster Government Solutions leverages the unmatched recruiting resources of the Monster Worldwide network to connect government and education employers with quality job seekers. Our solutions are specifically created for the federal, state and local, higher education and K-12 sectors and include strategies that attract, assess, hire and retain a diverse range of candidates. With nearly 70 million registered U.S. job seekers, our services include targeted job postings, resume searches, advertising, career sites, performance assessments, talent management and more. Thousands of government agencies and educational institutions rely on Monster Government Solutions for their human capital needs. For more information, please visit www.monstergovernmentsolutions.com.

About Monster Worldwide

Monster Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE: MWW), parent company of Monster, the premier global online employment solution for more than a decade, strives to inspire people to improve their lives. With a local presence in key markets in North America, Europe, and Asia, Monster works for everyone by connecting employers with quality job seekers at all levels and by providing personalized career advice to consumers globally. Through online media sites and services, Monster delivers vast, highly targeted audiences to advertisers. Monster Worldwide is a member of the S&P 500 index. To learn more about Monster's industry-leading products and services, visit www.monster.com. More information about Monster Worldwide is available at http://about-monster.com.

Source: Monster Worldwide, Inc.

Monster Worldwide, Inc.
Erica Pierson, 703-269-4915
Erica.Pierson@monster.com
or
Steve Sylven, 978-461-8503
Steve.Sylven@monster.com