Comments on: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs Health Check.

By: Jobber

Jobber — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 23:31:38 +0000

“I predict 08 will see some big moves in the online rec space with aggregation coming into its own as soon as a monetisation model gets sorted.” !!

In other words, 2008 is the year that you pick a sales pitch which goes something like:

“I have no traffic. All your competitors are on here for free. But if you pay me, you can be on here too but in brighter orange/ on the left / on the right / at the top / at the bottom / when you get some applicants.”

This is the central problem with aggregation. There IS no monetisation model unless you’re Google and have massive volumes where you can charge cents per click. You’re simply not going to be able to make enough money even with 300,000 jobs.

Assuming you can get around this issue, the reality is as soon as you become a traffic threat in any way, CareerOne and MyCareer are going to pull their jobs rug out from under your feet leaving you with a fraction of the jobs and no value proposition for jobseekers.

Anyway, I might be wrong but if I had to forecast whether its going to be you or Packer and Murdoch selling The Big Issue outside your office in 2008, I know where I’d put my money.

By: davidand

davidand — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 14:21:41 +0000

Aggregator sites eat their children!! Yes the vision of retail jobsboards funding (or at least unwittingly supporting) their own demise must have appeal in some sectors.
Re Seek – they “respectfully request” that aggregators don’t scrape their content. Wonder who’ll be the first to disrespect them?
That would be Independents Day…

By: Geoff Jennings

Geoff Jennings — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 05:22:27 +0000

Stats say that niche job sites are useful and have a level of trust amongst users. The problem is that the big boards have successfully created their own niches, i.e. Seek IT, Executive, MYC with Big Chair and C1 with blue collar.

Whilst Seek continues to dominate the jobs market, the niche sites are limited in growth and therefore are not a threat.

Aggregator sites are an interesting beast as they wish to kill the hand that feeds them…

Will the jobs eventually end up there even without Seek’s participation? What happens if they win?

Groundhog day…

By: davidand

davidand — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 02:22:56 +0000

The idea has certainly crossed our minds here. In the meantime Jobsites is doing its job in proving up the agg model in Australia – it actually works and to be able to shout MORE JOB ADS THAN SEEK is very satisfying!
I predict 08 will see some big moves in the online rec space with aggregation coming into its own as soon as a monetisation model gets sorted.
Any thoughts on niche segment boards – by industry and/or location?

By: Geoff Jennings

Geoff Jennings — Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:53:18 +0000

Nice. Have you researched building your own engine?

I think Seek are happy that MYC and C1 have overpriced their products. This makes Seek’s ads look more reasonable in comparison.

This is where the aggregators come into play with the same mantra Seek used/es against the old market leader in print, i.e. print’s too expensive and is old technology, so move over to us. What’s going to happen, though, when the aggregators take Seek’s place. Will we just have the same old, and will the results be any different?

By: davidand

davidand — Sat, 12 Apr 2008 14:45:15 +0000

The recruitment industry seems pretty p….d off with Seek – have I mentioned price-gouging?? – and I guess they’re hoping that CareerOne or MyCareer will take the fight up to them. Any recruiters out there want to comment?
And are niche boards (industry or geographic segmentation) part of the future?
Re Aussie aggregators – http://www.jobsites.com.au/ uses recruit.net’s engine for a localised board – uninspiring interface but consistently delivers more job ads than Seek (declaration reqd here – it’s a JV between my co and recruit.net).

By: Geoff Jennings

Geoff Jennings — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 01:18:17 +0000

Thanks David and good question.

At the moment it still looks like Seek are the future. No others have really made good on ‘Shaking up the job boards’ in Australia.

As far as aggregators go the only one that is close to our market here is http://www.recruit.net/ They seem to be doing a good job but lack Seek’s inventory and local brand recognition.

By: davidand

davidand — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 07:42:40 +0000

JJJ have an obligation to the industry they (apparently) misled to come clean about their current market position and their plans for the future, if indeed they have a future..?
I heard they budgeted $6-8m to spend to give Seek a shake! I think Seek spends that in about a month (…who mentioned price-gouging??).
General questions – what does the future hold for the jobsboard industry – and where will aggregation fit in – it seems to be working well overseas?