RAPPORT
WWW.RECORDINGACHIEVEMENT.ORG
Issue 1 (2015)
reduce the value of the credentials (Autor, 2001).
Statistical analysis has shown that this service
enhanced the labour market outcomes of
graduates, by reducing the non-employment rate
of university graduates and enhancing the
matching quality (Bagues and Labini, 2007). It is
believed that the LMI enriches the information
available to recruiters and job seeking graduates
and at the same time improves their ability to
screen on-line applications and opportunities at
lower search costs. According to job matching
theory, this is expected to increase workers’
productivity and their wages due to an enhanced
alignment of required and acquired skills
(Pissarides, 2000; Van Eijs, Heijke, 2000).
In this study, the characteristics of job seekers
and the contribution of AlmaLaurea to filling
information gaps on the labour market are central.
These aspects become especially relevant in the
case of more educated and qualified workers
because of the higher complexity of the skills to
be assessed and of the greater opportunity costs
stemming from an inefficient recruitment process,
i.e. the long term productivity loss due to hiring the
wrong candidates. Therefore, the recruitment
practices of young university graduates is a
relevant area of investigation for assessing the
effectiveness of these online tools.
Other than fulfilling an online LMI function, the
graduate profiles found in AlmaLaurea closely
resemble the ePortfolio concept. ePortfolios,
which have been used for educational purposes
for over a decade, have previously been
operationalized as organized evidence of work
readiness and specific job skills which can be
focused to show the skills that employers want
(Smith, 1996). An ePortfolio consists of a resume,
in addition to evidence of abilities, knowledge,
skills, and potential to build credibility (Woodbury
et al., 2009). These elements are also present in
the AlmaLaurea profiles, which makes this a
unique case for further exploration given the fact
that the ePortfolio concept has, thus far, been
unable to transcend the boundaries of education
despite its theoretical utility for career purposes.
As stated by Bryant and Chittum (2013), there is
a need for increased focus in gathering and
analysing data on concrete outcomes of ePortfolio
use, and to investigate the most effective
ePortfolio platforms.
As such, the scientific contribution of this paper is
two-fold. First, it aims to deepen the
understanding of the processes underlying the
previously established utility of online job search
through LMI’s in a specific market segment
(graduates in higher education). Second, the
paper contributes to the ePortfolio literature by
presenting an empirical analysis of recruiters’
experiences with the usage of ePortfolios fulfilling
a platform function between education and
businesses.
The questions addressed in the conducted survey
are aimed at identifying the unique contribution of
AlmaLaurea in the recruitment process. To
achieve this, the following objectives are defined:
establishing the recruitment phase in which
AlmaLaurea is used; recruiters’ satisfaction with
AlmaLaurea in terms of aspects such as reliability
and quality of profiles; the perceived effectiveness
of AlmaLaurea compared to other recruitment
channels used by recruiters; the most critical
aspects of the graduate profiles in AlmaLaurea;
the quality of candidates in relation to the most
critical aspects; and critical feedback of recruiters
on the AlmaLaurea service.
The role of online LMI’s in the matching process
In theory, it is plausible to assume that online
LMI’s have indeed contributed to a more efficient
job matching process. Their scope is provided by
the imperfect nature of labour markets, which are
characterized by incomplete or asymmetric
information on the heterogeneous parties
involved. Jobs may differ with respect to terms,
remuneration and skills required, whereas among
workers there can be great variation in their
skillsets, preferences and other relevant
attributes. Furthermore, workers and firms may
engage
in
opportunist
behaviour
by
misrepresenting themselves (Mortensen, 2010).
Consequently, workers and firms have to invest in
resources in their pursuit of an optimal match
(Mortensen et al., 2011; Katz and Stark, 1987).
The emergence and growth of various online
LMI’s has likely contributed to a decrease in
transaction costs, and an increase in the amount
of inf