Tribune To Connect Hourly Workers, Employers

By: Tribune Co. launched CareerBuilder Connect this week for the hourly job market in Chicago and Hartford, Conn. The product will launch in Los Angeles and Tribune's Florida markets next week.

"A lot of job seekers don't have access to the Internet and many don't have prepared resumes," said CareerBuilder CEO Robert Montgomery in a statement. CareerBuilder Connect lets hourly workers complete pre-interview profile questionnaires about their skills and experiences via the Web or a toll-free telephone number with interactive voice commands in English or Spanish.

Those profiles are consolidated into a single database for employers to review online. Employers will pay a fee to access the database. "Large and small businesses need more efficient ways to screen and hire hourly workers," said Craig Besant, Tribune Classified Services vice president/recruitment.

Monster.com recently started a similar service called JobMatch targeting hourly employees.

Tribune said government statistics show that over 70% of U.S. workers are in jobs requiring education or training less than an associate's degree.

The new product will be promoted in Tribune newspapers and Web properties.

CareerBuilder is owned by Tribune and Knight Ridder, San Jose, Calif.