“Social networking sites are not a miracle cure”, Ben Yoskovitz, Standout Jobs cofounder
Although they are taking on a growing role in hiring, social networking sites are not yet a panacea. Ben Yoskovitz, cofounder of job portal Standout Jobs observes: “They are good tools, but like any tool, they need to be used effectively.” The Web 2.0 specialist, who has just sold his Montreal-based firm, reports on the state of online recruiting.
Why did you sell Standout Jobs, less than three years after starting it?
There are many reasons. We realized that our site was just a piece in the puzzle of the vast recruiting sector. We wanted to grow, so we sold it to a company with many other resources that will allow Standout Jobs to move forward. Customers will therefore have more choice.
How did you get the idea for such a job board?
It all started in 2007. My partners and I saw a recruiting opportunity for small firms. The timing was right, since social networks were expanding quickly. Web 2.0 was being used in many fields, but not really for recruiting. We had been hearing employers and job seekers critiquing the design and functionality of certain job boards for a couple of years already, so that’s when we started thinking about creating an attractive product to meet everyone’s requirements.
What will you take away from your three years heading Standout Jobs?
I was able to validate certain things, such as the fact that social networking sites are not a miracle recruiting cure. Using these new tools properly is a real challenge. Companies have to make efforts to understand Web 2.0. We can give them the tools, but if they don’t understand them, they won’t get the desired results. We tried to help companies better incorporate these elements.
Is Web 2.0 the death knell of traditional job portals?
Only if it allows companies to reap benefits. The key is to determine the recruiting method that works best for them. It’s true that social networks are playing an increasingly important role. But it’s been said that radio was going to kill print, and that the Internet would make television obsolete, and that hasn’t happened. For now, it’s still quite difficult to measure the efficacy of social networks for hiring. But one thing is for sure: in five years, forking out $500 for a job ad will no longer be a valid option.
Are social networks as effective as job boards?
The problem is that the exact value provided by social networks for recruiting is still difficult to determine. Before, on Monster, you paid a fixed amount for a certain number of applications, and it was easy to calculate the return on investment. This approach doesn’t work with blogs or Facebook, but we’ll have to find a way to quantify the outcomes.
You say that you set the standards for online recruiting with Standout Jobs. What exactly are these standards?
Most of the time, corporate sites have unappealing career sections. These pages should be interactive, interesting and updated regularly. Our work at Standout Jobs involved guiding companies by helping them build better sites and then assisting them in the use of blogs and social networks. Today, more and more jobseekers turn to social media for corporate information. To attract them, companies need to reach them via their preferred method, focusing on their benefits and working conditions. That’s what I mean by standards to be attained by online recruiting.
Should we expect other changes in recruiting via social networks?
Demand is going to increase on both the candidate and employer sides. I also hope that recruiting strategies for social networks will be fine-tuned. You can put an ad on Twitter for accountants, but finding a doctor is a lot more difficult. Social networks will have to be more compartmented so that all types of jobs can be represented. The entire world is accessible online, but you have to know how to reach people.