City of Charlotte Streamlines Hiring and Reduces Paper Usage with Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise Candidate Gateway

The City of Charlotte, North Carolina’s largest city, has implemented Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise Candidate Gateway, part of PeopleSoft Enterprise Human Capital Management, to streamline hiring by providing a convenient and easy way to view and apply for city job openings online. The online process also helps the city reduce its paper usage, reinforcing its commitment to environmental initiatives.

With PeopleSoft Enterprise Candidate Gateway, the city can make job information and easy-to-use application tools available to potential employees around the clock via its external Web site, as well as the intranet for internal applicants. On the first day of deployment, the city received more than 400 applications with minimal questions about how to use the system. By the end of the first week, the city had received more than 1,860 applications with no increase in questions via phone or e-mail. This surpassed the average number of paper resumes or applications the city previously received in one week.

Charlotte’s job site also features tools – such as frequently asked questions and step-by-step instructions for completing applications – to help job applicants. Further, the city provides on-site computers not only at the human resources office but also at a number of the city’s field offices for prospective employees applying for jobs. Assistance is also available via e-mail or phone. These tools along with the user-friendly application are the main drivers in the large increase in applications.

PeopleSoft Enterprise Candidate Gateway allows city staff to receive applications quickly and consistently via the Internet due to the streamlined application process. To further simplify processes for the city’s more than 340 hiring managers, the city created a custom page that managers can visit to view all applicants, application information and hiring status, as well as to easily print or e-mail a copy of each application. This unified page simplified the training process significantly.

This fall, the city plansto further expand the system by developing automatic screenings. This will assist Hiring Managers in processing large volumes of applications to find the best-qualified candidates. The city will also deploy additional reporting capabilities and enhance e-mail communication with applicants.

“We are pleased to work closely with the City of Charlotte as it continues to reinforce its commitment to the environment as well as provide superior services to its potential and current employees. Oracle’s PeopleSoft Enterprise Candidate Gateway is helping the city operate more efficiently, ultimately saving time and money,” said Mark Johnson, vice president, Oracle Public Sector.

“With Oracle, we have significantly enhanced service to our constituents, both internal and external. The application not only helps us streamline the hiring process, but the online process means we use less paper – another step in our efforts to ‘go green.’ In addition, with the increase in submitted applications, we can ensure that we hire the highest caliber employees,” said Tammy Boyles, manager of Human Resources Management Systems, Human Resources Department, City of Charlotte.