System and method for agency based posting and searching for job openings via a computer system and network

• US 7,725,405 B2
• Filed: 11/05/2001
• Issued: 05/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Yahoo! Inc. (Apollo Global Management, Inc.)
• Inventors: Johnson, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Weiss; John G
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carter; Candice D
• Application Number:
  US10/011,962
• Publication Number:
  US 20020133369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,123 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/321
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/105 Human resources
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1053 Employment or hiring
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

System and Method For Agency Based Posting and Searching For Job Openings Via a Computer System and Network for use by placement agents who normally would not have access to files in a career bulletin board. The system gives placement agents the opportunity to interact directly with corporate recruiters who are members of the system. Communication between the placement agent and the corporate member is permitted only if so designated by the corporate member. Utilities for the corporate member allow jobs to be defined, stored, and conveyed to preferred placement agents. Utilities for placement agents permit candidates to be registered, candidate profiles to be created, and sent to the corporate member who is the client of the placement agent.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a job board accessible to a plurality of placement agents and a recruiter via the Internet, said job board hosted by a server computing device on a network;

storing a placement agent profile in a database server on the network for each of said plurality of placement agents of the job board based on input from each of said placement agents;

storing a recruiter profile in the database server for said recruiter of the job board based on input from said recruiter;

receiving information on the job board regarding a plurality of job candidates and a plurality of available positions;

facilitating, via the job board, recruiter access to the stored placement agent profiles and placement agents access to the stored recruiter profile; and

facilitating, via the job board, communication of information between a single selected placement agent and the recruiter regarding an available position and regarding a job candidate, by

first establishing a first communication link via the job board from the recruiter associated with a computing device to the selected placement agent, said first communication link being established based upon permission being granted by said recruiter to said selected placement agent to conduct said communication for selective receipt by said recruiter of said information from said selected placement agent, and

subsequently establishing

a second communication link via the job board from the recruiter to the selected placement agent for transmitting the information regarding an available position from a database of stored available positions established by the recruiter directly to the selected placement agent, and

a third communication link via the job board from the selected placement agent to the recruiter for transmitting information directly to the recruiter regarding a job candidate from a database of stored job candidate information established by the selected placement agent, in response to information transmitted via the second communication link.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of

establishing a database having the profiles for the plurality of placement agents, the database being searchable by the recruiter, and

establishing a rating for each placement agent in accordance with service performed by said placement agent, the rating input by the recruiter and included in the database.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the database is sortable in accordance with the rating and information in the placement agent profile.

4. A method according to claim 3, wherein the information in the placement agent profile includes at least one of an area of expertise, an industry focus, and a SIC code of the placement agent.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a file for the information regarding available positions, the file being associated with a specific company recruiter.

6. A method according to claim 5, wherein the information regarding an available position is communicated in accordance with the profile of the selected placement agent.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

storing a candidate profile for a job candidate of the job board based on input from said job candidate; and

extracting information from the information received on the job board regarding the job candidate; and

establishing a file for the extracted information,

so that the information regarding the job candidate includes (1) a resume and (2) the extracted information in said file.

8. A method according to claim 1, wherein

said first communication link is established between the company recruiter and the selected placement agent in accordance with a determination by the company recruiter based on the profile for said placement agent.

9. A method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of establishing a file associated with each placement agent, wherein said file includes job candidate profiles and resumes.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of using a knowledge-based system to perform said extracting, review posted resumes, and populate each job candidate profile with the extracted information.

11. A method according to claim 9, wherein at least one keyword input by a placement agent is associated with a job candidate profile.

12. A method comprising:

accepting, over a network, a placement agent profile for each of a plurality of placement agents, each of said profiles comprising input from one of said placement agent, each of said plurality of placement agents being associated with a computing device;

accepting a recruiter profile for a company recruiter, said recruiter profile comprising input from said company recruiter, said company recruiter being associated with a computing device;

accepting communication by said company recruiter regarding an available position to a bulletin board; and

facilitating communication between a single placement agent selected by the company recruiter in accordance with the placement agent profiles and the company recruiter regarding said available position, by

first establishing a first communication link via the bulletin board from the recruiter to the selected placement agent associated with a computing device, said first communication link being established based upon permission being granted by said recruiter to said selected placement agent to conduct said communication, and

subsequently establishing a second communication link via the bulletin board from the recruiter to the selected placement agent for transmitting information regarding said available position to the selected placement agent.