Good news for job applicants

New online features will make it easier than ever for job seekers to apply for a position with the city of Vacaville, according to a statement released this week.

While the city will continue to accept applications that are mailed or hand-delivered, a new system allows for online submission of resumes and job applications. Visitors to the city's Web site could print out applications before, said Human Resources Director Dawn Villarreal, but they could not complete them electronically.

"I think this is meeting the needs of people who are looking for jobs in this day and age," Villarreal said.

The director explained that the city had contracted with NeoGov, a company that specializes in online application tracking systems, for the service. NeoGov charges an annual fee of $6,900, as well as an initial fee of $2,500 for staff training.

Villarreal said the change would be beneficial to job seekers, who can apply from the comfort of their own homes, and for city staff, who will be dealing with less paperwork and can conduct the screening process on the computer.

"Internally, it makes the process much more efficient," she said.

Paperwork reduction could make a noticeable difference in a department that pro-cessed just over 3,100 applications in 2006.

Online applicants will get receipts, automatically on their screens and via e-mail, that their work was received. They also can receive updates on their application status and be automatically notified of new positions as they are posted.

Overall, Villarreal said the changes will provide "improved customer service."

"It opens up the line of communication with the candidates," she said. "They will be able to send us messages and we will be able to respond to them."

Internet users can sign on to www.cityofvacaville.com to try the system, and the Human Resources Department is available to hear questions or concerns at 449-5101, or online at jobs@cityofvacaville.com.


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