Humboldt County’s recruitment and job application process is stepping into the 21st century. County commissioners unanimously approved the purchase of a job applicant tracking system through NEOGOV.
The new digital recruitment and hiring program will make posting county job openings and tracking applicants easier and more effective, according to Assistant County Manager Abel Del Real-Nava.
The current job application process requires filling out a paper application. Del Real-Nava said past applicants expressed confusion about where to submit. Some never received updates about their hiring status until well after the job had been filled.
Issues with missing documents, interview scheduling and records storage also made the process inefficient.
The NEOGOV system will allow people to apply online from the county’s webpage, create a profiles and upload digital files such as resumes.
NEOGOV tracks applicants through the entire process, allowing them to see their progress and schedule interviews online rather than via telephone.
The county can post job ads through the NEOGOV system, which will show on the website governmentjobs.com as well, creating a larger audience. Most applicants currently find job openings through the county’s Facebook page or through nevadajobconnect.com.
The new system won’t preclude people from applying the old-fashioned way, Del Real-Nava said. Resources do exist for those who struggle with computers or who don’t have a computer themselves.
Regarding the potential for being hacked, Del Real-Nava explained that NEOGOV uses banking-standard encryption.
County Manager Dave Mendiola said he had shown NEOGOV to several county employees and they were “over the moon” about its potential. Del Real-Nava said the Sheriff’s Office supported the change, and County Clerk Tami Spero said the smaller county departments would appreciate it as well.
Many other Nevada counties currently use NEOGOV and those he spoke with said they would “never go back” to the old methods.
