Are job boards in need of an evolution?

Do job boards need to evolve?

Job boards have dominated the recruitment scene for the last decade. Advocates will argue that they have made recruitment quicker, easier and more cost effective. Critics will argue they have served to treat people as commodities and de-skill the process. Is it time for the second generation of job board – one that offers a more personalised approach for an industry that is about people?

PWC forecast annual room growth for London of +5.3% in 2015 and RevPAR is expected to grow over 5% for UK hotels. With this growth and a constant high labour turnover in the hospitality sector, businesses are dependent on recruiting good talent. So why are recruitment consultancies not thriving?

The hospitality recruitment market has changed beyond recognition in the last ten years. Many recruitment agencies in this space are trying to 'survive' and it would seem that few are optimistic about how their business will be in 5 years' time. The hospitality industry they serve, however, is performing well.

 

The recession was a catalyst for many hoteliers to change their recruitment habits. Many human resources managers had to refrain from using recruitment agencies due to cost. They had to learn how to compete on the market themselves and now there is no going-back. However, although employers might be saving cost on agencies, there still isn't an effective solution for finding good candidates – at low cost.

Social networks used for recruiting often yield inaccurate candidate profiles on search terms due to exaggerated skills. Job boards provide a low price point, but are mass market and the quality of candidates is generally poor. For many jobs, 90% of all applicants are unsuitable, resulting in wasted time on screening. So are these alternatives cost effective?

It always says much of a character when they follow their beliefs in how a service and market is changing. Rupert Sellers had such a belief and has spent the last five years working to bring that vision to life.

Rupert has spent two decades working in luxury hotels, including senior roles with top brands – Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons and three years spent in Sydney. He spent the last decade in specialist recruitment working with hotels globally as board director with Profile before leaving to follow his beliefs.

“I think we are ready for the next generation of job board. We have been working to develop a solution which addresses all these issues by offering a curated job site whereby all candidates are pre-screened before we submit to our clients. The site will be purely for end user clients and all jobs will be employer branded. This transparency and the way jobs are presented will provide more focus and relevance, and a much better candidate experience”.

Recorded video is used to showcase candidates beyond their CV and provide clients with more insight. As part of the application, candidates will answer a few pre-set questions that relate to their job category. Although this won't be mandatory, candidates will be aware that the video will greatly increase their chances of success.

Employers will also be able to record videos about the job for candidates to view before applying. It could be the hiring manager talking about their company ethos, while colleagues could provide insight about the work environment. This informal use of video is not only much more appealing than a standard job description, it's also more engaging and credible than a scripted 'corporate video'.

Rupert already has a video interview business called Compact Interview which is used by hotels such as InterContinental London Park Lane, as well as other businesses such as Pearson and Reckitt Benckiser – and this system will power the video functionality for Barometa.

Barometa aims to be a hub for strong talent – candidates who have relevant experience and a good track record, as well as hotel school graduates starting out on their career.

The system is set to scale rapidly and soon after starting with the UK market they will handle emerging markets in the Middle East and Asia, such as Dubai and Shanghai where there is considerable demand for hotel talent.

“We have a lot of plans in the works to provide clients with the best possible recruitment solution but as with all service lines, we want to ensure that we have a product that hits the market with those seeking to buy. At the moment job boards are considered a necessity for many employers but the market is crying out for an evolved model that offers more.”

Rupert is one of the entrepreneurs that will be present at EP’s “Meet the Entrepreneurs” event tonight. For more information on our initiatives for entrepreneurs please contact Arlene McCaffrey