Job Board Doctor
Making job boards and career sites better
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A new look for Job Board Doctor
Hey folks – it’s a new look for the Job Board Doctor! I’m now on the Thesis framework (thanks, Eric) and – although it’s not done – I’m inching toward a final revision. Haven’t quite figured out how to integrate my logo – it may not be possible, given the design, but we shall see. So…what do you think? Likes? Dislikes? Suggestions? Comments? Let me know! |
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How to make money – revenue models for job boards
I’ve been cataloging job boards for the past two years (for obvious reasons), and frankly, I’ve been surprised at how many sites rely on candidates for their primary revenue stream. Making money, of course, is always a primary focus for job board operators; after all, job boards are businesses, and if businesses don’t turn a profit, they disappear. So inevitably, anyone entering the industry will ask: “How can you make money with a job board?” The... |
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Being social isn’t enough
Sorry to tell you this – but job boards are businesses. They make money. They produce results. Why are these statements such a shock to social media enthusiasts? Just like Apple and Google, job boards rely on customers who pay for results. Perhaps there’s the rub – most social media tools and sites are free (at the moment). Since job boards aren’t free, they are by nature less lovable and effective than (insert the name of your favorite social media... |
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.jobs: Who does it benefit?
It’s back!! Yes, just when I thought I wouldn’t write about it again, the .jobs proposal has returned. If you’re not familiar with the .jobs initiative to create ‘a million’ new job sites, go here. In a nutshell, .jobs is a top level domain (TLD) originally created to serve employers’ needs – simply buy your .jobs domain (for example, www.jobboarddoctor.jobs), then use it to consolidate your hiring needs. Only one problem – out... |
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Disaster will strike – it always does…
I am an optimistic pessimist. In other words, I expect the worst to happen, and when it doesn’t, I’m pleasantly surprised. In fact, I usually try to act on my pessimistic outlook by planning ahead for disaster. This approach has served me well over the years in my roles as a marketer, product developer, company manager, and now solo consultant. But inevitably, disaster will strike. It struck my business recently – and I wasn’t prepared. Geez. You may have... |
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What no job board wants to talk about…
As you might guess, I’m a great believer in the fundamentals of job boards. I’ve seen the emails from happy job seekers and employers extolling the many ways job boards can save users time and money. In essence, for many people, job boards work. But…there are things that job boards often shy away from – topics they don’t want to touch. Why? Because sometimes job boards don’t work. Perhaps there were unrealistic expectations. Perhaps there... |
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How important are candidates?
Are candidates important to job sites? You’re probably thinking, “He’s kidding, right?”. Sadly, I’m not. For many job site operators, the focus is almost exclusively on employers – what they want, how they want it, how much they’ll pay, and so on. In a way, this makes sense – after all, for the vast majority of job sites, employers pay and candidates don’t. But step back for a moment – why are employers willing to pay... |
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The recession’s legacy for job boards
Ding dong, the recession’s (not quite) dead! Every day I hear from another job site that their numbers are up, that more jobs are being posted, and that the general feel from employers is positive. Folks are breathing a little easier. So what effect has the recession had on the job board world? Fewer competitors: Those job boards who were overextended, underfunded, or just poorly run have gone by the wayside – which is ultimately a good thing. More competitors: Huh?... |
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Fundamental changes…or tempests in teapots?
People get bored. This is the number one reason that anything ‘new and shiny’ captures our attention. We get frustrated that what we’re doing is, well, kind of repetitive and doesn’t work the way we imagined it would. Then something new comes along and we think: Maybe this time things will be different! Maybe that software will really work. Maybe this really is the magic bullet. Or, maybe not. Honestly, I fight this type of thinking all the time. I’ll... |
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The impact of freelancers on job boards
The length and depth of the recession has led to an increase in freelancers in many professions. In fact, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics claims that the number of people who became self-employed as a result of the downturn has more than doubled, to 1.2 million people. This trend has significance for job boards, and for several reasons: Many of the self-employed simply don’t use job boards anymore – they’re not looking for a job (they’re looking for... |
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How branding protects against commoditization
Commoditization – it’s a big word. What does the dictionary tell us? “When a product becomes indistinguishable from others like it and consumers buy on price alone, it becomes a commodity. ” (emphasis added) One of the top concerns expressed in the recent job board industry survey was the commoditization of job postings – and by default, the job boards that provide those job postings. In short, if job postings are just job postings, then the lowest... |
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Results from the 2010 job board industry survey
A few weeks back I asked you to help with a job board industry survey – and you did! You answered questions about the effect of the recession on your job sites, threats to your business – and your thoughts about the future of the industry. So first and foremost, thanks! I received 94 completed responses – which gives me considerable confidence in the results. A wide range of job sites participated, ranging in revenues from less than $500,000 to more than... |
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And the winner is…
A few weeks back I offered to provide 6 hours of free consulting to one lucky job site. I called it the “Extreme Job Board Makeover.” Why? Well, because the job board industry has been very good to me over the years – and we’ve suffered during the recession. The rules? The job board had to perform a valuable, recognized service for its audience – one that the board could document through testimonials from job seekers and employers; and the site had to... |
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Why (some) recruiters hate job boards
Oh, to be the new kid on the block! Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of social media are experiencing that thrill – they’re new, exciting, and can do no wrong. A while back, job boards were the new kids. No more messy newsprint, no more limits on ad length, immediate results – what was not to like? Recruiters flocked to job boards and, in the process, made many boards very profitable. But things have changed. Job boards are old news, like those ugly, dependable... |
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The future of job boards is…
The future is alluring – nothing bad has happened yet, you haven’t made any dumb mistakes yet, and anything could happen. In fact, the future is so much fun to write about that I am going to write about it (with my job board industry goggles on, that is). So, let us finish the following phrase in as many interesting and contentious ways as we can, shall we? The future of job boards is… Dead. After all, hundreds of bloggers and commentators can’t be wrong... |
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Take the job board industry survey – we’ll all benefit!
Folks, I need your help. We’re emerging from an extremely challenging recession – one that has affected the job board industry deeply. So I thought we might all benefit from some collegial insight. Thus, I’ve put together a short (12 question) survey that should help us better understand the state of the job board world. Your responses are completely anonymous. No names named, no sites cited. I will publish the main findings in this blog, and if you’d like... |
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Know a site that needs an extreme job board makeover?
The formula for the extremely popular reality series “Extreme Home Makeover” is simple and compelling: find a family (or sometimes an individual) who have done good works in their community but have been beaten up by bad luck luck; add the Extreme Home Makeover crew and local supporters; create a new home for the family. All in the space of 7 days. So why can’t we apply that to the job board world? Well, in fact, we can. I don’t have the resources (or sex... |
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Job board software – competition is good
Back in the early days of job boards, technology was fairly straightforward – you hired programmers, told them what you wanted, and they created it. As we moved past 2000, many job boards were adding features piecemeal, updating their sites occasionally, and generally moving forward in a hodgepodge fashion. Job board software vendors first appeared around 1999, when Jobbex introduced its first pre-packaged offering. As the decade progressed, more vendors moved... |