Kelly - Sometimes it’s what you don’t see

In today’s fast-paced electronic age, corporate Web sites serve as an immediate way for the general public to learn about an organization. Visitors to these sites often form an impression of a company based on what they see…or don’t see. With this in mind, the goal of the Kelly Services eBusiness department was to better serve the company’s online audience by redesigning its corporate Web site to provide pertinent information via a consistent format and easy-to-use navigation structure.

Implementing change

The Kelly Web site was redesigned two years ago to effectively deliver specific information to Kelly’s key global audiences – job seekers, prospects and investors. Although the main objective is to employ job seekers, the Kelly Web site also serves as a means to inform companies of Kelly’s staffing solutions. “The site was designed to provide solutions that our customers and employees have come to expect from the pioneer of staffing services,” said Dave Fenech, director, eBusiness. “We continually strive to provide visitors with resources they value via this interactive channel.”

To coordinate with Kelly’s global branding initiatives, the look and feel of Kelly’s Web site was refreshed and incorporates an updated design. Worldwide information is more accessible via direct connections from the homepage to Web sites for each of Kelly’s international offices. Users also have the ability to locate local branch offices by using a geocoded search. The Web site provides quick access to general corporate information as well, including current and archived news releases, financial and investor data.

Additional highlights include the ‘Job Seekers and Employees’ section, which provides a fully interactive job search application called the Kelly Career Network™ featuring employment tools and general company information. The ‘Employers’ section was also revamped to provide prospects and customers with detailed descriptions of the staffing solutions Kelly offers. To further assist customers, Kelly has developed a suite of eSolutions applications to increase the efficiency of various business processes. These tools support Kelly’s core staffing offerings and include online time keeping, ordering and reporting.

Creating solutions

There were various elements to consider throughout the process in order to successfully produce an effective corporate Web site. The first step was to create a comprehensive, unified look by encompassing multiple brands throughout various countries. To accomplish this, a standardized site design and architecture was developed for each of the 26 countries where Kelly has a presence. A content management solution was then deployed to empower marketing managers with content publishing rights to provide users with accurate and up-to-date information for each Kelly international office.

It was also important to achieve a complete understanding of Kelly’s different audiences and identify the assorted information each would require. To directly and individually target these groups and focus on the individual needs of each, the Web site incorporated distinct user paths that allow a more efficient delivery of useful content.

As one of the pioneers in the industry to develop online job searches, Kelly has helped expedite the hiring process for many companies. To maintain its position as a leading staffing solutions provider, it was necessary to implement technology to provide Kelly recruiters with real-time ability to post job openings on the Kelly Web site and receive replies using a filtering response mechanism. To accomplish this goal, Kelly formed a partnership with specific job boards to share in their expansive reach and overall brand awareness.  

Successful results

The redesigned Kelly Web site has resulted in an effective business tool with hundreds of thousands of job seekers registered online in the Kelly Career Network™, providing recruiters with more than one million resumes from which to choose at any time.

The Kelly Web site has also received accolades from top industry organizations including the Web Marketing Association, which recognized the Web site for two consecutive years – in 2002 and 2003 – with its “Best Employment Website” award in the employment industry category.

To maintain an effective corporate Web site, Kelly continually runs satisfaction surveys to provide the eBusiness department with the knowledge necessary to incorporate high impact changes to achieve ongoing user satisfaction.  

About Kelly Services

Kelly Services, Inc. (NASDAQ: KELYA, KELYB) is a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Troy, Mich., offering staffing solutions that include temporary services, staff leasing, outsourcing, vendor on-site and full-time placement.  Kelly serves 200,000 customers through 2,500 company owned and operated offices in 26 countries.  Kelly provides employment for nearly 700,000 employees annually, with skills including office services, accounting, engineering, information technology, law, science, marketing, light industrial, education, health care and home care.  Revenue in 2003 was $4.3 billion.  Visit www.kellyservices.com.

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