Yahoo unveils HR software

Yahoo will introduce new recruiting and hiring software Wednesday that leverages its search and instant messaging (IM) technology, and serves to expand the company’s enterprise offerings.

The Hiring Gateway will be officially launched at the Employment Management Association conference in Las Vegas later this month by Yahoo’s Resumix recruiting and hiring division. Yahoo gained Resumix when it purchased recruiting company HotJobs in February of 2002.

The software is aimed at giving company recruiters and hiring managers a way to manage, sort through and communicate with job candidates. The user interface is designed in a style akin to the Yahoo homepage, and  the company is emphasizing its ease of use.

“The standout feature of this product is its usability,” said Resumix executive vice president and general manager Tim Villanueva. “We believe that people will be able to walk away with the ability to do their job easier.”

Hiring Gateway leverages Yahoo’s search and extraction technology to sort job applicants using rules defined by the user. The software also allows users to track and annotate their progress in the recruiting process, as well as set up meetings and even IM with candidates who have a Yahoo Messenger account.

The software also features an integrated e-mail functionality, alerts and analytics.

Villanueva said that the software is designed to eliminate what hiring and recruiting professionals call the “resume black hole” that can emerge when companies receive a glut of job applicants.

The launch also serves to broaden Yahoo’s enterprise offerings as the company continues to strive to diversify its revenue stream.

The Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Internet company has already made a showing in the small business market, offering Web hosting, business mail and other products and services. The new recruiting and hiring software is aimed at larger companies, however.

The software will be available Wednesday and is priced at $200,000 and up for new customers, while existing Resumix customers can receive a “low cost upgrade,” Villanueva said.