StartWire Returns to Sponsor the Candidate Experience Awards


SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - Jun 13, 2012) - The Talent Board, a non-profit organization focused on the elevation and promotion of a quality candidate experience, today announced that StartWire™, a game-changing Internet job search organizer, has returned to sponsor the 2012 Candidate Experience Awards (CandEs). One of the original sponsors of the CandEs during its remarkable 2011 inaugural year, StartWire will support the benchmarking and awards program as a gold-level sponsor.

"StartWire is already helping enhance the candidate experience by providing a solution that fosters greater communication and keeps candidates informed on their application status," commented Elaine Orler, chairman of the Talent Board and president and founder of Talent Function Group. "We're honored to have StartWire join us again as we continue our mission of helping organizations better understand the impact candidate experience has on overall success, and the steps they can take to provide a positive experience."

The original spark of the CandEs was a conversation between Orler and StartWire CEO and co-founder, Chris Forman. Forman is credited with the original idea to produce an industry award on candidate experience that operates transparently. The spark quickly caught fire, and Orler rallied a consortium of like-minded industry figures to form the Talent Board and the Candidate Experience Awards. Now in its second year, the CandEs awards and benchmarking program is widely recognized for the positive impact it has on the industry and has initiated global expansion with a new U.K.-based program.

"The results of last year's CandEs confirmed that companies can do more to better communicate with candidates, especially when it comes to the status of their applications -- candidates would rather know, even if it is bad news. But with application volumes at their highest and limited HR resources, updating these individuals regularly proves to be challenging," said Forman. "At StartWire, we're committed to helping stamp out the 'black hole' by keeping candidates informed on their status automatically. We're proud to support the Talent Board and the important work it does as it honors those organizations that provide exceptional candidate experiences."

Participation in the CandEs consists of three survey rounds designed to evaluate and recognize organizations that produce outstanding candidate experiences. Round one is comprised of a multi-dimensional survey designed to capture and evaluate the nominated company's recruitment processes and practices impacting the candidate experience. Companies that complete the first round submission process will receive an Employer Benchmark Report. Those that meet the standard for candidate experience will be invited to participate in round two of the competition, during which a random sampling of the company's 2012 candidates will be surveyed. Companies that meet criteria for both rounds one and two will be awarded a "CandE Award Winner" designation stamp. High scoring companies will be advanced to the round three, where they will be interviewed by the CandE judging panel to determine areas of distinction.

Complimentary and open to all North American and U.K.-based employers, the submission deadline for the first phase of the awards process is June 15, 2012. North American "With Distinction" honorees will be celebrated, along with all CandE winners, at the 2012 HR Technology Conference in Chicago this October.

About StartWire™
StartWire™ is a game-changing Internet job search organizer that launched in early 2011. StartWire closes the "résumé black hole" by providing job seekers with automatic application status updates from thousands of employers. Over the past 12 months, StartWire has received rave reviews and write-ups in US News & World Report, About.com, AOL Jobs, CNN, ERE, and HR Executive Magazine.

About the Talent Board
The Talent Board is a non-profit organization focused on the elevation and promotion of a quality candidate experience. The organization, awards program and its sponsors are dedicated to recognizing the candidate experience offered by companies throughout the entire recruitment cycle and to forever changing the manner in which job candidates are treated. More information can be accessed at http://www.thecandidateexperienceawards.org.