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We're convinced that, in the long haul, the Web will strengthen regional ties. Sure, it's not what everyone else says. Nowhere in the idealistic forecasts of global market access and increased customization do you hear anyone saying "The Web will strengthen regional ties." From our vantage point, that gets you halfway there. A number of things have pushed our thoughts in this direction. We went over the top while watching the Nightly News on one of our local television stations. In the middle of the business report, there was a segment on Job Hunting in the San Francisco area. What appeared to be the news turned into a longish advertisement for a couple of Job Fairs, including videos of workplaces and dates for the event. We're rarely shocked by the lack of distinction between news and advertising, but this one got us. The segment closed with those magic words "Be sure to check out the jobs on our Website". Please don't misunderstand. This is not a complaint about the fading boundaries between news and advertising. That's someone else's job. Rather, we want you to take a look at the jobs page on the KRON website. (While you're at it, be sure to notice the Employment Agencies page.) For what it is, it's a very straightforward recruiting page. The reason we're pointing it out is to underline the threats and opportunities of the new competitive environment. We're reasonably sure that you've never sonsidered television a competitor. At best, it's been an outlet. We'd be quick to bet that you've never considered making partnerships with television stations. But, if you look at the pages we've mentioned, the threats and opportunities stare right back at you. From a certain vantage point, few organizations are as well positioned to move broadly into community businesses like recruiting and classified advertising as are the television stations and networks. We tend to forget "native" market position as we get consumed with the details of recruiting, advertising and placement. But, just as the newspapers are venturing in to the placement fields (It's found money, after all), the television companies can't be far behind. As we keep saying, people are more likely to use the web for their interests and use recruiting services that are aligned with those interests. For a solid list of television stations around the planet with websites, see Yahoo: Television:Stations. Then, take a look at CNN or Discovery and imagine a branch of your recruiting operation there. A mediocre recruiting website is a public relations nightmare particularly if you are large enough to have done it right. It's best to keep the project under wraps until you are sure that you have a handle on the public perceptions you'll create. Since over 19% of job searchers use the net and over 10% of the industry has a presence of some sort, your website is beginning to be seen as representative of your company's culture. That means that having an Internet presence implies that you will keep your site fresh and easy to use. We reccommend that you develop a clear marketing plan as a prelude to developing your site. (We generally estimate the cost of an effective plan at 5-7% of the initial development costs). It's very easy to put web pages online. It's almost as easy to develop searchable databases. It's easy to add features to a site. It's hard to identify your target audience. It's hard to keep your site easy to use. It's hard to explain to your management why pretty graphics are counterproductive. You have to think and rethink your assumptions if you're going to use the web as a tool. We could easily put out a daily newsletter called "Crummy Recruiting and Employment Websites Daily". There is no shortage of badly implemented corporate presences in our industry. We'd rather focus on building recruiter's effectiveness and highly recommend that you read Characteristics of A Great Recruiting Website before you put your operation online. Today's rant is the result of our lengthy visit to the Management Recruiters International site which manages to list hundreds of offices in the most awkward way possible while showing a total of 7 joblistings in a searchable database (all older than 6 weeks). They would be smart to remove the site from the Web until they have a solid handle on their objectives. DT>May 15, 1996Net-Temps has joined us as an advertiser. The service competes directly with D.I.C.E. and Contract Employment Weekly. The Net-Temps product delivers unlimited Job Posting (to "over 100 sites on the Net", a Resume bank, corporate home page and email service. We think that they're well on the way to a major success in the industry. They are currently offering a 30 day free trial of their service.
The Dream Jobs approach is folksy and personal. It's backed with a discussion area about the jobs and (we bet) work in general. As you consider recruiting models, imagine a service like this in a periodical frequented by your target candidate pool. It's a really solid strategy focusing on the quality of placements rather than quantity. We're posting a list of their features as a way of benchmarking your career site. Careers OnLine has studied hard and really exemplifies the notion that "Less is More". They have five main areas: An "Employment Centre" from which applicants and employers can:
An "Advice Centre" where, if you need advice on career/work issues, this is the place to start! There are chat forums and workshops and lists of experts ready to help!:
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