Domain.me, one of the largest providers of web domains, is spreading the word that having a personal website is the best way to land a job.
The company recently conducted a survey of roughly 300 human resource professionals to gauge the value that companies assign to a job applicant's web presence.
The results show that two-thirds of those in charge of hiring believe that a personal website can provide insight into a candidate's abilities that a traditional resume cannot. Similarly, two-thirds say that when making a hire, they want to be able to assess certain personal qualities of an applicant that cannot be examined through a resume alone.
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While there appears to be a significant group of recruiters who greatly appreciate personal websites, the majority of HR pros do not believe a personalized site is an absolute must. Less than a third of respondents said that a website could provide a competitive edge in the job market, and only 40 percent said they were more inclined to contact a candidate with a website.
However, even those who aren't paying alt of attention to personal websites now recognize that they will likely do so in the near future: 83 percent anticipate being more reliant on digital resources for recruiting in the next five years.
The survey also showed that not all types of online presence are regarded favorably by recruiters, 61 percent of whom say web activity allows them to identify "red flags" on applicants. The thing that turns recruiters off the most? Risque photos (71 percent), followed by complaints about work (69 percent), negative comments about former employers (66 percent) and profanity (65 percent).
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