The two largest job sites also had the highest percentage of loyal users. Hotjobs came out on top, with 76 percent of its visitors, shunning other top 10 career sites. The same was true for 58 percent of Monster's user base. There was even less switching back and forth between the top two sites. Just 23 percent of HotJobs users also visited Monster.com, while a similarly paltry 29 percent of Monster users found their way to HotJobs.

The people, who developed the study, are clearly not used to thinking about the network dynamics of the marketplace. Of course some users stick to one site once they've mastered it. And, of course the largest site has the least loyalty. That's how networks work.

We think that the news is good for Monster, HotJobs, and the rest of the industry. For some reason, paying customers have been led to believe that the market is a "winner take all" game from the customer's perspective. While it is true that the largest player will be the most profitable, it is not true to say that the largest player will meet all of your needs.

In the American market for protein, beef is the dominant meat. That neither suggests that all people should eat meat all of the time nor does it suggest that all meat eaters only eat meat. There's room (and even a requirement) for a balance that includes the number 2 (chicken), the number 3 (seafood), the number 4 (pork) and the number 5 (tofu). A good diet is balanced.

A good sourcing effort requires balance.

In the computer markets, Apple customers are notoriously more loyal than Microsoft customers ... until you try to get them to switch.

We're anxious to see the spin placed on this study. While you could claim that HotJobs is more exclusive, you could also say that it is home to more passive hunters; you could also claim that loyalty was evidence of success. Monster, on the other hand, could claim greater diversity, an easier to learn interface, and a greater likelihood of catching fish from other ponds.

The bottom line, however, is that the market operates like a network. Monster's dominance is powerful and important. But every diet needs balance, vegetables, and a little desert.

The message for Recruitment advertising buyers is simple. You need to arrange to have your ad appear in multiple places in order to gain the maximum benefit. This is what the Job Advertising Distribution firms accomplish for you.