Branding Expert (Not a Recruiter) Makes Blanket Statement About the Future of Recruiting Resources: My Rebuke

By now many of you have probably seen the article titled LinkedIn is About to Put Job Boards (and Resumes) Out of Business   I’m not going to spend too much time on this, but this article has bothered me since I read it yesterday. I should just let it go, but I simply need to comment on it, both for recruiters and for potential candidates.

It’s clear the Schawbel knows branding.  I’ve actually enjoyed much of what he’s produced.  What’s not clear is his experience recruiting in the trenches.  I’m fairly certain that he cannot speak as an expert in recruiting as well as the rest of us can. 

I’m not saying that this was his intention, but this piece is spoken like a person with a major interest in the product doing well. It is not a thought piece by someone with extensive experience in recruiting who has a vested interest in helping recruiters (and job seekers) do well.  To make such a wide and blanket statement while propping up one resource does not add value to the recruiting conversation.

I think this is precisely why I’m writing this and why the piece in Forbes bothered me so much. He isn’t a recruiter.  His segment within the writing titled “LinkedIn’s big announcement today” which discusses the “Apply With LinkedIn” button coming out is helpful to know but is extremely myopic.  Yes, the button will be great to many HR groups, but will it appeal to 3^rd party recruiting firms, many of which power the recruiting market?  Do these firms even have the technical infrastructure and/or support from firm owners to implement this feature?  If they cannot or do not want to use this button, is this the end of the firms?  Come on.

BTW, I’m a LinkedIn power user via my paid monthly subscription to them.  I use them daily and believe in what they offer.  So, I want the best for them as well.  But, can they offer everything to everyone?  Keep in mind that 1. Not all people know how to use or want to use LinkedIn.  2. Many people will not use LinkedIn for fear of appearing to be searching for a job (or appearing to be open to a job).  3. Many people do not have the time to use LinkedIn right, which includes using it to network.  4. etc., etc., etc.    

In addition to LinkedIn, I’ve made placements using the following: job boards (posted jobs and found resumes); niche association sites; telephone recruiting; internet name mining (internet recruit – x-ray, etc.); referrals; PPC campaigns; pushing jobs; SEO (for posted jobs on our site – aka pulling in candidates; email marketing; etc.  Will these other methods die in the future? Come on again!

I’ll close this out with this final (and timely) real life example: just today I found two gems in a resume database (aka job board) from people that simply placed their resumes into it and then moved on.  They didn’t apply to any jobs and one didn’t even add a title to their profile!  But, due to good, solid, Boolean-based saved searches, elbow grease, a hunch, and patience by me, they showed up on my radar.   Why did they put their resume there at all?  Bad day with the boss?  Do not have the time to create a profile and network via a social or professional networking site?  The reasons are endless.  Regardless though, who cares?  These are great candidates that simply wait for savvy recruiters to find them.  Put another way, the hidden gems that need to be discovered.

I’m not going to slam any resource while propping up others.  Not every source works for everyone (candidates and recruiters).  In addition, no one resource will kill the others.  Yes, they’ll change and adapt, and some will die.  But, this isn’t the Super Bowl with one resource standing above the others in the end.  Just be creative, know your niche, and use them all as you see fit.  There is value in every resource if you know how to use them. Be creative and think outside of the box. Here are two recent articles from my blog that touch on this subject. Feel free to check them out to further understand my points.

Do You Get Higher Quality Active Job Seekers from LinkedInGroup Job Postings than from Posting Jobs on the Major Job Boards? 

Names Sourcing: Not Always Static, Repeatable Queries:Sometimes Sheer Elbow Grease, a Hunch, and Patience is All You Need