Careerbuilder.com Enters Exclusive Partnership with NRF Foundation to Connect Retail Companies and Job Seekers
Nearly Half of Retail Workers Plan to Change Jobs in 2004
CHICAGO, January 9, 2004 - CareerBuilder.com announced it has entered an exclusive agreement to power the online career center for the NRF Foundation (NRFF), the research and education arm of the National Retail Federation. Prior to this, CareerBuilder.com was part of the National Retail Federation's member discount program and, as such, powered the online career center for the National Retail Federation for the last three years. CareerBuilder.com offers more than eight million resumes and over 400,000 jobs from more than 25,000 of the nation's top employers. The National Retail Federation represents an industry with more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments and over 20 million employees.
The new agreement between CareerBuilder.com and the NRF Foundation comes at an opportune time for both retail companies and candidates as they respond to an improving economy. According to a CareerBuilder.com survey of over 250 retail hiring managers and more than 500 retail workers completed in December 2003, 91 percent of retail hiring managers say they plan to hire new employees in 2004 as turnover and expansion of business operations necessitate. One in four retailers expect their recruitment budgets to increase in 2004. At the same time, one in four retail workers say they are dissatisfied with their current positions and 46 percent say they will be on the hunt for a better job opportunity in the coming year.
CareerBuilder.com sees over 850,000 job searches in retail each month with an annual total of around 9.5 million. CareerBuilder.com combines the distribution power of online and print with the 130 newspapers of its owners Tribune Company, Gannett and Knight Ridder. Including its newspaper affiliations, CareerBuilder.com has more than 350 partners with over 1,200 Web sites reaching national, local, industry and niche audiences.
"Retail companies and workers are feeling more optimistic about the economy in 2004," said Tracy Mullin, President and CEO, NRF Foundation. "CareerBuilder.com's vast network of newspaper and association partnerships helps companies to reach qualified candidates quickly through multiple channels. The NRF Foundation's partnership with CareerBuilder.com enables retailers to get the latest industry news while marketing open positions locally and nationally, hourly and salaried."
"Retailers invest significantly in location, image and merchandise and can't afford to lose on that investment by hiring mediocre employees," said Bob Montgomery, CEO of CareerBuilder.com. "To provide great service and maximize sales, retailers need to have experienced go-getters interacting with customers and behind the scenes. With nearly half of retail workers seeking new positions in 2004, our partnership with the NRF Foundation will help retailers to zero in on those top performers quickly."
Bob Montgomery will present results from CareerBuilder.com's latest survey of retail hiring managers and workers on Sunday, January 11 at 8:30 a.m. at the National Retail Federation's 93rd Annual Convention and Expo in New York. The presentation, titled "Career Currency: The Employee Benefit that Pays Dividends," will focus on retail hiring trends, factors impacting job satisfaction and strategies for recruiting and retaining top performers.
Joining Montgomery will be Scott Biggerstaff, Manager of Sourcing Strategies for Sprint, who will discuss Sprint's retail hiring plans for 2004 and their techniques for attracting and managing top performers to increase sales.
Other presenters include Corinne Berkseth, Director, Youth & Career Initiatives, NRF Foundation; Brad Boa, CEO, Whereits@.com and Deborah Masten, Director, Human Resources Communications and Development, JC Penney Company, Inc.
The presentation will take place in room 1E09 in Jacob Javits Convention Center.
About the Survey
The new CareerBuilder.com survey, "Trends in Retail," was conducted from November 18, 2003 to December 4, 2003 of more than 500 retail workers and over 250 retail hiring managers. To collect data for the survey, CareerBuilder.com commissioned SurveySite to use an e-mail methodology whereby individuals who are members of SurveySite Web Panel were randomly selected and approached by e-mail invitation to participate in the online survey. The results of this survey for retail workers are accurate within +/- 4.34 percent (19 times out of 20). The results of this survey for retail hiring managers are accurate within +/-6.16 percent (19 times out of 20).
About the NRF Foundation
The NRF Foundation (NRFF) is the research and education arm of the National Retail Federation. A non-profit foundation created in 1981, the Foundation conducts industry research, develops education, standards and national certification programs and workforce development programs, and promotes retailing as a career destination. The NRF Foundation benefits retailers, their associates and business partners and allies, and consumers in many ways. Research provides the basis for education about the industry and its importance to the economy, and provides industry and government leaders with an analysis of public policy decisions on consumers, retailers, and the economy. The Foundation's education and career development efforts, including NRF University, encourage professional development and excellence in performance of retailing for associates and executives at all levels.
About CareerBuilder.com
CareerBuilder.com is a leading online source for maximizing recruitment dollars and optimizing job searches with superior products, customer service and technology. With a unique combination of national, local and niche audiences, CareerBuilder.com makes it easy for recruiters to reach the most qualified candidates with industry-leading market research data and support. Job seekers can search for the right job from more than 400,000 continuously updated postings, representing more than 25,000 of the top employers in virtually every industry, field and location. Together with Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE:GCI), Tribune Company (NYSE:TRB), and Knight Ridder, Inc. (NYSE:KRI), CareerBuilder.com includes the Web's top newspaper sites - the most trusted employment sources in recruiting. For more information about CareerBuilder.com products and services, call 888-670-TEAM or visit CareerBuilder.com at http://www.careerbuilder.com.
NRF Media Contact
NRF Foundation
Ellen Tolley, 202-626-8189
tolleye@nrf.com
CareerBuilder Media Contact
For all media inquiries and interview requests, contact:
Jennifer Grasz
(P) 773-527-1164
(E) jennifer.grasz@careerbuilder.com
