Auction.com Among Most-Responsive Cos.

IRVINE, CA-Auction.com has been selected as one of the Top 25 Most Responsive Employers in the country by StartWire, which provides services to more than 2 million job seekers. The firm was the only real estate company to make the list.

According to StartWire, the 2013 rankings identify employers who systematically and proactively provide feedback to job seekers on their job applications. Other firms to make the list include AT&T, Pepsi, Sears, Yale University, JPMorgan Chase, Staples and other powerhouse employers. The rankings were determined by a review of more than 8,000 companies.

According to Sheryl Roland, Auction.com's EVP in charge of human resources, “As an innovator in online real estate sales, Auction.com's success depends on recruiting top talent from technology, real estate and a range of other industries and specializations. It's essential that we maintain a dialogue with every job seeker to determine how they might fit into our services and long-term plans.”

As GlobeSt.com reported earlier this week, despite a pick-up in nationwide job gains in the fourth quarter of 2013, December's numbers fell short of expectation, causing experts to believe that a decline in labor-force participation is the more significant trend. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 74,000 jobs were added in December, bringing the average monthly gain for the year to 182,000—similar to 2012 statistics—and  Peter Muoio, senior associate and economist with Auction.com Research, says the headlines are focusing on the unemployment rate, which fell below 7% to 6.7% during December, rather than the labor-force participation rate. However, Sayres Dudley, EVP in the Dallas office of global search firm DHR International, says that upper-level hiring in the real estate industry is on the rise, which is encouraging.

This award is the latest in a series of awards and honors bestowed upon Auction.com in the last year. Other company honors include Most Innovative Company, Business Innovation of the Year, Most Innovative Tech Company and Best New Product or Service (11^th Annual American Business Awards); the Gold Award for Innovation in Consumer Brands and the Silver Award for Innovation in Services (5^th Annual Golden Bridge Awards); and Top 50 Real Estate Technology Companies (Housingwire Magazine).

Individual Auction.com team members have also received honors over the past few months. As GlobeSt.com reported last week,in December Inman News named EVP Rick Sharga as one of the 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders for the second consecutive years, and in November, Real Estate Forum—GlobeSt.com's sister publication—selected SVP Joe Cuomo among the “Top 45 Under 40” working on commercial real estate.