At SAC McGuire, located at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (JBMDL), we use a mix of traditional and modern tools to find and hire the right employees. We still rely on flyers posted around base and job announcements shared through the JBMDL mobile app, but we also use social media like Facebook and Instagram to help us reach more people. On these platforms, we post not only job openings, but also upcoming events, staff highlights, and program activities. This gives people a better idea of what it’s like to work with us and keeps the base community engaged. For example, a recent Facebook post advertising a youth program assistant position received a lot of attention and brought in several walk-in applicants within just two days.
To reach people beyond the local area, we use USAJobs.gov, the main website for federal government jobs. This platform is especially useful for attracting applicants with military or federal backgrounds. Job seekers can create a federal-style resume, set up job alerts, and track their application status all in one place. It helps make the process more organized and accessible.
From a job seeker’s point of view, USAJobs is helpful because it shows verified government jobs and makes it easier to find openings that match their experience. However, the process can also be stressful. The site uses a strict format for resumes, has detailed requirements, and it can take a long time to hear back after applying.
For employers, using social media and USAJobs makes it easier to connect with more people, but it’s not perfect. Sometimes, we receive too many applications from people who don’t meet the job requirements. It’s also hard to learn about someone’s personality or communication skills from a resume alone (Nikolaou, 2014). At SAC McGuire, we try to improve this by using pre-screening questions, short phone interviews, and referrals from staff who understand our programs and culture.
Overall, SAC McGuire uses tools like flyers, the JBMDL app, Facebook, Instagram, and USAJobs.gov to recruit strong candidates. While online hiring can bring some challenges—like too many applicants or not enough personal interaction—we work around those issues through careful screening and good communication. Sharing program updates and events online also helps show what makes SAC McGuire a great place to work, which attracts people who care about youth and community service.
Reference
Nikolaou, I. (2014). Social networking web sites in job search and employee recruitment. International Journal of Selection and Assessment, 22(2), 179–189. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijsa.12067