Job Boards, Job Boards, Job Boards

You either love or hate them – regardless – they are one tool both candidates and employers use.  A lot of activity has been happening in the job board space recently, but first, consider this:  Over the past 3 years traffic to large job boards has been declining, while the number of niche sites popping up is increasing.  As the big guys try to continue their attempt at increasing their value proposition (and traffic) change is imminent. 

Here is a graph pulled from Alexa.com showing CareerBuilder and Monster – with their overall traffic for the past 3 years.  The picture tells the story.

So, what’s been happening in just the past few weeks?

• Specialized recruiting ads will promote CareerBuilder and employers’ sections within Facebook


• HotJobs will no longer list job postings in date order


• Microsoft’s current bid to buy Yahoo:  $44.6 billion


• Indeed adds video to employer profiles


• Monsters stock is down with possible rumors about layoffs


• Job board acquisitions continue

The internet (including job boards and a company’s career site) combined equate to approximately 26% of external hires, according to a recent Workforce article.  This is 3rd on the list, following internal transfers/promotions, and referrals.  As niche sites continue to grow, an important aspect from my perspective is the ability to attract, sell, and hire passive candidates.  This is something the traditional "post and pray" methodology won’t get you.  For niche sites, look at both how and where they market your career opportunities at.  Good examples include (user groups, associations, networking sites, blogs, etc.).  A leading Credit Union job site like CUhire actively markets to both passive and active candidates.

In the end, the important thing to remember is job boards are just one tool, in the many we have access to as recruiting professionals.  A balanced approach is always the best, and typically yields the best results – time, quality, cost, and retention.

Posted on April 3rd, 2008 by Cara
Categories: company, cu career sites, internet recruiting, job boards

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