Job-hunting services to get Monster makeover under DWP deal

Job-hunting services to get Monster makeover under DWP deal

Jobcentre Plus' online services for job seekers, recruiters and staff will be updated under £20.4m deal

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has signed a deal with Monster Worldwide for a range of online job advertisement and search services.

A contract award notice in the Official Journal of the European Union says the department wants to transform Jobcentre Plus' online labour market services, available to employers and job seekers.

The solution will offer an extended job search by aggregating vacancies advertised directly by Jobcentre Plus, as well as vacancies from employers' own websites and other job boards.

Companies without an online recruitment system will be able to use a self-service facility to create a vacancy and manage responses from potential candidates, according to the DWP.

It will also offer "intuitive prompts" to help recruiters comply with relevant legislation when they create job advertisements, as well as providing appropriate safeguards for job seekers.

People looking for work will be able to create their own secure online accounts, through which they can set up an online profile, detailing their skills, qualifications, competencies, work history and job criteria. The sytem will also be able to suggest alternative jobs.

It will also match individual profiles and vacancies, giving both employers and job seekers receiving an "automated match", including information such as public transport links and location.

The new system will track the activities of job seekers, providing the DWP with business and labour market intelligence.

An automated feedback facility will allow employers and job seekers to provide real time information about their experiences, which the department says will be used to influence service improvement.

The facility will be available to the public via Directgov, to employers via Businesslink and EURES, and to Jobcentre Plus personnel via internal systems. Currently Directgov typically receives 10,600 new vacancies and more than 1m job searches each working day for Jobcentre Plus job vacancies.

A value of between £14.45m and £20.44m has been placed on the contract, reflecting its possible extension to other public sector organisations. Both figures are below the department's original estimate of £50m.