Stop Losing Out on Great Talent

This is a guest post by Sally Lawton.

Company: StandOutJobs
Slogan: Stop Losing Out on Great Talent
Pros: Easy set up, lots of information, useful
Cons: Corporate content is not always interesting

Web 2.0 jobseekers used to the instant information of Wikipedia and the relationship building of Facebook demand the same from the companies to which they apply for jobs. StandOutJobs.com, using their Reception software, allows companies to create an informative profile that attracts top talent by delivering the facts required by job seekers.
 
The homepage a company creates features general information such as, job listings, a blog and pictures. Companies set it up easily using an interface similar to other profile-creating Websites such as MySpace. StandOutJobs.com promises that through their profile, a company will build its brand, build relationships with top talent, and come across as friendly and welcoming.

From a jobseekers perspective, StandOutJobs does help make the featured companies a little less intimidating and more likely to grab one’s attention. Unlike sifting through several pages on a company's Website, the jobseeker can quickly formulate an opinion on the organization's culture and team.

The type of jobseeker that a StandOutJobs profile may attract could make companies strongly consider using the service. Jobseekers likely to enjoy a StandOutJobs profile include younger users familiar with the Internet and able to communicate with Web users, top talent with fresh ideas, and entry-level job seekers looking for good experience from a company wanting to mold the next big thing.

The Reception service, which starts at $149 a month (90-day free trial), appears to be a no-brainer for stodgy companies looking to evolve.

Traditional job search marketing tools might just attract traditional job seekers. Freshening up the mix may require a new mode of marketing to candidates. Only a company that finds success with StandOutJobs could confirm this, but the fact that StandOutJobs does offer to attract these candidates promises a great deal to the HR person desperate to find the best employees. 

StandOutJobs succeeds in making a company appear fresh and inviting, and might just separate it from the pack for young talent. Jobseekers will appreciate the wide range of available information about each company, though the Web 2.0 inspiration does not guarantee that the flashy profile will be more interesting than what appears on a corporation’s home Website.

For employers, Web-based tools such as bookmarking potential candidates, the ability to share candidate profiles with other company users, and a candidate voting system, Reception is packed with tools that all companies should take a look at.  

This occasional job seeker will appreciate that on StandOutJobs.com, the principle of  “more information is always better” is being extended to the often-mystifying job search. 

Comments

[Chris M]

Very interesting tool. It needs significant, sustained traffic for businesses to continue to see the value. Since it is off the beaten path, what is going to drive job seekers there rather than hitting the employer's primary website?

The greatest appeal will likely be smaller employers that currently have no dedicated offering like this on their own website. Larger employers will be challenged to add another piece to their talent management matrix. Even when it is easy to use widgets.

[Ben Yoskovitz]

Sally - Thanks for the post. Is there a way I can reach you directly for further comment? Or you can just email me: ben@standoutjobs.com.

@ChrisM: And thank you for the comment.

Our target is small and medium-sized businesses. Almost all of them had career sections on their site, but few of them were more than a list of jobs, or even less. Many of our customers are now replacing those sections with our offering. So people will continue to visit the main site, but when they click Careers be driven to us. And instead of offering those interested people a list of jobs or a note that says, "We always want to hire smart people, please apply via email" you can now try and truly engage and hook them.

We're also offering companies ways to distribute their jobs (and videos) to drive their own audiences. We think of it this way -- we want to give each company their own "mini destination site". And each company doesn't need huge traffic numbers - they need enough to get those high quality applicants that are exploring and looking around for the right opportunities.

[Jen, writer MembershipMillionaire.com]

Companies should really consider channeling their employee needs through Standoutjobs. First of all, who wants to apply for a job that has hardly any information about it? People are more wary now. Unless they're really deperate, I don't think they'll be willing to sign up with just the name of a company and a title.