I have a problem with job boards that share and pilfer job content from other sites at the expense of a value adding, high quality user experience.
If your job site doesn't add value to the job seeker then you should do something else. There are enough job boards splashing around in the muddy waters already.
I have long had an issue with job board aggregators however the rate at which major Australian job boards are displaying each other's job ads worries me. It seems that if you put a job ad on any site other than SEEK then it will end up on 100 other sites within an hour. What does this tell the job seeker about the experience they should expect? How does the Advertiser protect and manage their brand?
Consider this example.
- I am in Google and see a job ad that interests me so I click it
- I end up on Indeed.com.au
- I click into the job ad and it takes me to a job on Linkme
- At the bottom of the job ad it says "applications for this job are via MyCareer"
- I look for the Apply button only to see a message that says "applications for this job are now closed".
What sort of message is this sending to job seekers? To me the messages are clear;
- Do not trust job links in Google
- Do not trust job content on job aggregators
- Major Australian job sites are pimping each other's ads
- Stop experimenting and go back to SEEK next time you need to find a job. At least when you see a job there you know it is still open and has not come from another job board.