Chrysler only Detroit automaker to combine hourly, salaried hiring

Chrysler has created the only website among the Detroit Three that accepts applications for both hourly and salaried jobs.

The new website, www.chryslercareers.com , replaces separate sites for hourly and salaried workers. It debuts as Chrysler prepares to add at least 2,350 manufacturing jobs in the next year in Detroit and Toledo.

Unlike its Detroit competitors, Chrysler has not used explicit referrals from employees in its post-bankruptcy hiring process . The company hires only from online applications. To avoid gathering far more applications than it has openings, many of Chrysler's hourly jobs are posted for a short time -- a sore subject among job-seekers who routinely checked the old hourly jobs site without finding an opening.

But the new site allows applicants to register their interest for a certain type of job, even if it's not posted. Chrysler will send them an e-mail or text when it posts a position that might match their skills and interests.

"It's about that candidate who really wants to work at Chrysler: We don't want to lose them," said Georgette Dulworth, director of diversity and talent acquisition.

The job posting still closes after a certain number of applicants have registered, but interested candidates at least have notice when the application process first opens. Current employees also get a notice at work that jobs are posting.

After a job posting closes, the automaker screens applicants in the order in which they applied. In recent years, it has built a bank of thousands of résumés, so it may not open an application window for all plants that will add jobs.

The new site opens with an animation of a Jeep driving through scenes of Chrysler workers from all areas of the company. The trip kicks off with the slogan "Be part of something bigger," chosen from employee focus groups.

"You can have a career in IT, you can have an engineering career or finance career, but these people felt that Chrysler was their career," said Rick Munson, who oversees human resource business systems. "We're aligned. Everyone is supporting a bigger goal."

The website doesn't use the labels "hourly" and "salaried." Instead, hourly jobs are simply called "production and warehouse jobs."

"We don't want to just define somebody at Chrysler by how you are paid. We want to define people by what jobs they have and what work they want to do," Munson said.

The new Chrysler site also allows prospective employees to register to meet recruiters at job fairs and networking events, via the events calendar on the "Students" tab.

Chrysler is preparing to hire a slew of employees. Late this year, Chrysler plans to add 1,100 jobs at its Jefferson North plant and 150 jobs at its Conner Avenue plant. Early next year, Chrysler plans to add 1,100 jobs in Toledo.

Source:http://www.freep.com/article/20120720/BUSINESS01/207200344/Chrysler-only-Detroit-automaker-to-combine-hourly-salaried-hiring