Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. Reinvents Recruiting With First Website Designed to Determine if the Firm and Student are a Match.

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 2, 1997--Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. unveiled a new website today that will help both students and the firm determine if they are "right" for each other.

Springboard(SM) is the first use of a technology tool by a Big Six firm designed to revolutionize the recruitment and selection of students by matching competency organization and role-fit requirements with the culture and traits of a specific organization.

"We are taking the candidate selection process to a new level," said Iris D. Goldfein, vice chairman, human resources for Coopers & Lybrand. "Springboard will allow students to complete the first part of the recruiting process online without ever leaving their residence. This utilization of technology is groundbreaking for our profession and, possibly, for business in general. We have gone far beyond posting positions and receiving electronic resumes on the Internet. We are actually making an initial selection determination."

Students in the business assurance area of accounting, auditing, and computer assurance can complete an employment application and four initial screening modules at their convenience by accessing the new C&L website, www.clspringboard.com and its Strategic Selection Advantage(SM) (SSA) Online application. The website can be accessed any time or place and the application can be completed in one sitting or several.

"It's a great time-saving benefit to students who are busy with studies and other academic activities. Studies show that over 95% of college students have access to the Internet. By using the Internet to replace the traditional 'resume review and first screening interview' with SSA Online, students will have around-the-clock flexibility applying for a position with our firm. They can log on from their dorm rooms, computer labs or from any location that has Internet access. But Springboard goes a step further," according to Goldfein. "By comparing a student's work preferences and education with studies conducted on our firm's culture, traits, and profiles of its most successful partners and managers, Springboard/SSA Online will help a student determine if Coopers & Lybrand would be the right 'fit' for a rewarding career. This also enables our recruiters to focus their efforts on candidates who are most likely to succeed and grow at our firm."

SSA Online was evaluated with more than 300 first-year Coopers & Lybrand associates. "When we analyzed the responses we found a high correlation between those who received high performance ratings as business assurance professionals and those who performed well in the SSA Online application. Our study enabled us to prove that performance on SSA Online is predictive of performance on the job," said Goldfein.

Before using the new site students will need a computer with an Internet connection and a World Wide Web browser. They should also be prepared with key information such as: college GPA; GPA in the field of study; undergraduate and graduate aptitude test scores; key facts about their accomplishments; and job history including addresses and references. Once submitted, an acknowledgment receipt is sent back to the applicant within 48 hours and later, the status of the application. Qualified candidates will then be contacted by C&L recruiters for one-on-one interviews either on-campus or in a C&L office.

While Springboard/SSA Online is now available for potential recruits with an interest in accounting, auditing and computer assurance, Coopers & Lybrand will expand the system to its other lines of business in the fall of 1998.

One of the world's leading professional services firms, Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P. provides services for enterprises in a wide range of industries. The firm offers its clients the expertise of more than 16,000 professionals and staff in offices located in 100 U.S. cities and through the global network of Coopers & Lybrand International, more than 74,000 people in 142 countries worldwide. -0- If you would like to learn more about Coopers & Lybrand L.L.P., the company's Internet address is: http://www.us.coopers.com

CONTACT: Coopers & Lybrand, New York 

Steve Greene, 212/259-5163