Recruitment Relationships: Its not me, its you.
by jamieleonard
As the flames of love start to flicker back to life between recruiters and recruitment media, its a good time to take a look at the very desired and the many media, via for her affection.
National Press
The long standing marriage that once stood between the nationals and recruiters has become very casual indeed. Yes things were good and they’re happy to hook up from time to time, but they’ve both moved on, and its only a matter of time before they both find someone else.
With most nationals relying heavily on travel, display and other such non-recruitment nonsense now days, the umbilical cord of recruiter cash that once fed these giants of media no longer exist, and both parties have certainly moved on to pastures new.
Regional Press
Ahhh, the dumped. For years the regional press and recruiters had very one way relationship, with the regional’s taking the form of the demanding boyfriend and the recruiters the docile girlfriend. But one day the recruiters finally said enough is enough, and dumped the fattened sweaty other half, for a younger and far more accountable significant other.
Now days, you’ll find the regional’s, crying at a bar somewhere, talking about “how good it used to be” oblivious to the fact that it was them that were the cause of this devastating split.
Job Boards
Now 5 or so years into their married , the job board and recruiters are still very much going strong. Their relationship is one based on trust, equality and understanding, but how long will this marriage last? Well that really depends on both parties. Relationships relying on honesty and with the market now picking up, the job board market are certainly the one “trying to make it work”. The market is over crowded, to say the least, and recruiters have a lot of other options available.
New and appealing alternatives are appearing on the horizon and things could get rocky for this young married if both parties don’t understanding each others needs, quickly.
Mobile
Like that one night stand you can’t get out of your head. It felt good, it was fun, you told your mates about it, but god damn, you have no idea if you’ll ever go back again.
The mobile recruitment industry keeps poking its head in every now and again and gives recruiters a glimmer of what could be, but just as quick leaves again.
Social Media
The eyes of recruiters are starting to be drawn to the new hunk in town. The promise of a 2 way conversation has become appealing to them and is making them consider if what they have indoors is really all that?. However, their still very much unproven, and commitment could be huge gamble. Do recruiters take the leap now and forsake an upstanding and still working Job Board for this younger partner? Not now, and maybe not for a few years. Social recruiting is in its younger years, even for the online world. However, the “new” is becoming more and more appealing to recruiters, but right now its nothing more than a quick fling to test the water.
But hey, that’s just one mans opinion!
Hope you enjoyed it.
J
Nice angle, and well written Jamie.
You should do this more often.
Stephen O’Donnell
Top stuff Jamie – a concise and humorous start to the day!
Good to see you back and on article writing form Jamie.
Slight additional angle for you re Job boards and their new marriage (you know there’s nothing I like more than kicking the bejesus out of an analogy
:
The way I see it is that the Job Boards are perhaps about to get caught out playing away from home – cheapening the beautiful thing that they and Direct Recruiters had been working at (a route to engage and promote themselves to potential applicants) through some ill-conceived extra marital fling: namely the pants down volume deals.
Yeh – sure it felt good for the job boards for a while – like visiting a lady from that oldest of industries for some “on tap gratification” (in this instance numbers of jobs advertised), followed by perhaps a swing in traffic and SEO-sexiness. Win-win surely?
Not really.
Why? Because the job board becomes dependent on this part of their world. But like all too many failed marriages have proven – you can’t keep the two apart (not even if you’re an overpaid footballer or a member of Take That!). It used to be offered to those REALLY big buying Rec Cons, then in a slow month it was offered to tempt some of the smaller Rec Cons, then businesses started springing up (largely from the cash rich Rec Cons) buying up these cheap postings and flogging them to the Direct Clients directly. And so (to complete the analogy) the dark side of the errant Job Boards life suddenly encroaches on the “respectable” part, obliterating any perceptions of value in their relationship.
I think it could also be argued that it’s potentially self defeating in terms of the candidate experience too – because using these broad brush aggregators puts the emphasis on spreading the message wide as opposed to getting the message right. And in a market where there’s so many “non ads” (in terms of content and/or actually existing) from Rec Cons, surely a job board should be showcasing their “real” jobs to candidates. That’s what keeps engaged, builds the brand connection and gets them to come back? No?
Reckon it’s time Job Boards took a good long look at themselves and worked out who they are, where they’re going and what they want out of life – because your partner always finds out sooner or later (doesn’t she Ashley Cole?), and when that happens then you really only do have yourself to blame, whether they walk away because of the superficialness of your relationship (high volume, low quality response because you just went after the easy option every time) or perhaps they decide to have a play away from home themselves (the massive cost disparity sending them to low cost Job Board aggregators) rendering your relationship obsolete as they decide they like the other side of the fence better too. Are Job Boards truly aware of the implications of a double lifestyle?
(Oh – and BTW – this is all COMPLETELY from my imagination and in NO WAY a reflection of my real life!
This is nice piece. I have just started to get into this blog, I like the topics and the style. Good work.
Its comments like that that make me want to post more. Group hug!
Good angle! I didn’t know you had a blog!
Glad you liked it mate.