Monster.com Goes HourlyMonster.com Goes Hourly

Monster.com is expanding its job board to include listings for hourly and blue-collar workers, and it's turning to toll-free telephone numbers as an entry point for those without Internet access.

The initiative will begin this spring in Cincinnati. A larger rollout is expected, but Monster has provided no details. Those hunting for overtime-eligible jobs paying less than $50,000 a year would read their skills and personal data to an operator via the toll-free number. They could also fill out job forms at Monster.

Execs at Monster have formed an advisory board and a sales team for the new line and are talking to employers about this new approach.

Monster has already spent millions of dollars marketing itself to job seekers and employers, but it still will have quite a challenge in the new venture, says Peter Weddle, an online recruiting consultant. "The Web hasn't attracted hourly workers," Weddle says. He says one online recruiting company, CareerWeb, has been successful in attracting hourly workers. It publishes a toll-free number in free employment guides, which are popular with hourly workers.