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RAPPORT WWW.RECORDINGACHIEVEMENT.ORG Issue 1 (2015) reduce the value of the credentials (Autor, 2001). Statistical analysis has shown that this service enhanced the labour market outcomes of graduates, by reducing the non-employment rate of university graduates and enhancing the matching quality (Bagues and Labini, 2007). It is believed that the LMI enriches the information available to recruiters and job seeking graduates and at the same time improves their ability to screen on-line applications and opportunities at lower search costs. According to job matching theory, this is expected to increase workers’ productivity and their wages due to an enhanced alignment of required and acquired skills (Pissarides, 2000; Van Eijs, Heijke, 2000). In this study, the characteristics of job seekers and the contribution of AlmaLaurea to filling information gaps on the labour market are central. These aspects become especially relevant in the case of more educated and qualified workers because of the higher complexity of the skills to be assessed and of the greater opportunity costs stemming from an inefficient recruitment process, i.e. the long term productivity loss due to hiring the wrong candidates. Therefore, the recruitment practices of young university graduates is a relevant area of investigation for assessing the effectiveness of these online tools. Other than fulfilling an online LMI function, the graduate profiles found in AlmaLaurea closely resemble the ePortfolio concept. ePortfolios, which have been used for educational purposes for over a decade, have previously been operationalized as organized evidence of work readiness and specific job skills which can be focused to show the skills that employers want (Smith, 1996). An ePortfolio consists of a resume, in addition to evidence of abilities, knowledge, skills, and potential to build credibility (Woodbury et al., 2009). These elements are also present in the AlmaLaurea profiles, which makes this a unique case for further exploration given the fact that the ePortfolio concept has, thus far, been unable to transcend the boundaries of education despite its theoretical utility for career purposes. As stated by Bryant and Chittum (2013), there is a need for increased focus in gathering and analysing data on concrete outcomes of ePortfolio use, and to investigate the most effective ePortfolio platforms. As such, the scientific contribution of this paper is two-fold. First, it aims to deepen the understanding of the processes underlying the previously established utility of online job search through LMI’s in a specific market segment (graduates in higher education). Second, the paper contributes to the ePortfolio literature by presenting an empirical analysis of recruiters’ experiences with the usage of ePortfolios fulfilling a platform function between education and businesses. The questions addressed in the conducted survey are aimed at identifying the unique contribution of AlmaLaurea in the recruitment process. To achieve this, the following objectives are defined: establishing the recruitment phase in which AlmaLaurea is used; recruiters’ satisfaction with AlmaLaurea in terms of aspects such as reliability and quality of profiles; the perceived effectiveness of AlmaLaurea compared to other recruitment channels used by recruiters; the most critical aspects of the graduate profiles in AlmaLaurea; the quality of candidates in relation to the most critical aspects; and critical feedback of recruiters on the AlmaLaurea service. The role of online LMI’s in the matching process In theory, it is plausible to assume that online LMI’s have indeed contributed to a more efficient job matching process. Their scope is provided by the imperfect nature of labour markets, which are characterized by incomplete or asymmetric information on the heterogeneous parties involved. Jobs may differ with respect to terms, remuneration and skills required, whereas among workers there can be great variation in their skillsets, preferences and other relevant attributes. Furthermore, workers and firms may engage in opportunist behaviour by misrepresenting themselves (Mortensen, 2010). Consequently, workers and firms have to invest in resources in their pursuit of an optimal match (Mortensen et al., 2011; Katz and Stark, 1987). The emergence and growth of various online LMI’s has likely contributed to a decrease in transaction costs, and an increase in the amount of inf