Success with global trainee recruitment at Jotun

Global trainee program

Ingunn Ulland is an HR consultant at Jotun's Group-level HR function in Sandefjord. The department supervises and coordinates the national HR dvisions and is responsible among other things for the company's selection of HR-related tools.

"We have invested heavily in our trainee program. Jotun operates globally, and it is therefore very important for us to have access to managers with international experience.

The trainee program, which lasts 18 months, consequently includes two 4-6 month international projects during that period," explains Ulland.

When Jotun was choosing a tool to administer its trainee program, it was very important to find a solution that could reach candidates worldwide. The trainee program that pertained to Norway and Dubai in 2007 was expanded in 2008 so as to include Malaysia and China.

"We received nearly 800 applications from over 40 countries in 2007," she says. In 2008 we have received 1,700. "With our constantly increasing international focus, support for global recruitment processes is an essential requirement."

Ulland says that Jotun in China will soon be bigger than the Norwegian organization. Jotun will recruit 250 people in China this year alone

Extremely Efficient

Jotun's HR organization is impressed with the efficiency and control that WebCruiter has to offer.

"It makes it possible to manage a large number of applicants very efficiently," says Ulland. She is not currently using the tool on a daily basis, but is able to report that the users are extremely satisfied.

"They find the user interface to be especially good. The professional users consider the solution to be entirely unique. The fact that the system is easy to use makes the solution efficient, even for sporadic users."

A positive candidate experience

For Jotun, it was crucial that the application process should be a positive experience. The volume of positive feedback from the candidates indicates that Jotun has succeeded in creating a candidate experience of superior quality. Even though 800 applicants completed the process during the course of a single month in 2007, each and every one of them was well taken care of.

"We got very good feedback. The candidates felt that they were being followed up the entire time and even that they were being followed up personally, despite the fact that the processes were, of course, partially automated. The applicants found that simple things like getting immediate confirmation that their applications had been received reassuring."

The testing that was conducted using tests provided by cut-e and integrated into WebCruiter’s solution was another aspect that the candidates experienced as being extremely positive.

"We got a lot of feedback about the use of the testing tools. The use of tests and associated reports was found to be very exciting, and the candidates were extremely pleased with it."

Ulland views the fact that many of the candidates who did not make it all the way are still continuing to apply for other jobs at Jotun as an indication of a positive candidate experience.

"They obviously got a very good impression of Jotun. Some of the applicants for the trainee positions last year have since landed other jobs with us. It is obviously important to come across as being professional, including to those who do not get hired for the advertised position," says Ulland.

"This is one of WebCruiter's strengths. WebCruiter’s CV database makes it possible to preserve relationships with candidates who did not get in this time around," she notes.

Satisfied candidates

"The entire process was a positive experience. It was simple and professional," says Christine N. Andersen, one of six participants in the International Trainee program that Jotun recruited in 2007.

A year after the process she still recalls that it was easier and faster to submit her CV and application in WebCruiter than in the other solutions she had tried. Nevertheless, it was the use of testing as part of the process that was considered most impressive.

"The use of tests had a positive effect on the experience," says Christine, who believes in hindsight that she learned a great deal during the process.

According to Christine, Jotun was not the only one to feel comfortable with the candidate selection process. The candidates themselves are also comfortable with having chosen Jotun as an employer.

"After completing this extensive process, we felt assured that we would fit in and do well at Jotun," she explains.

Great resource savings for large-scale recruitment processes

Ulland believes that WebCruiter is the right choice for companies dealing with large numbers of applicants.

"It is self-evident that processes involving large numbers of applicants, such as trainee programs, must be streamlined. WebCruiter enables major savings in terms of the resources involved in candidate management, and promotes a positive experience for both the candidates and the HR employees," concludes Ulland.