Seek job ads slide, two sites close, and more news of the job board industry

It’s an interesting environment when Seek job ads slide, multiple companies raise funds and two sites shut down, isn’t it? Well, no one goes into business to get bored! Let’s take a look at what’s happened lately:

• Seek job ads slide: Job advertisements in Australia plummeted by 20.5% year-on-year in August 2023, according to data from job board Seek. Applications per job ad rose by 6.5% when compared to the last month. By industry, the most significant decrease was seen in hospitality and tourism (-40.9%). The ICT (information and communication technology) industry saw a decline of 35.2%. Education and training reported the lowest decrease at 3.2%. Hmm.
• Foreminds launches Candydate: Foreminds has launched Candydate.app, which uses AI, video and speed dating techniques to help businesses find candidates and candidates present short pitches to prospective employers. The app’s applicant matching system uses short videos, optimized for social media to enable candidates to make a positive first impression and to allow recruiters to assess a candidate quickly. Candidates produce short video pitches to show their personality, body language and suitability for the role. Sounds kinda familiar.
• MiraiWorks and CrowdWorks merge their IT project matching services: Japan-based freelancer marketplace operators CrowdWorks and MiraiWorks have merged the databases of their respective IT project matching services, CrowdTech and FreeConsultant. The collaboration will bring together a total of 140,000 IT freelancers. Founded in 2011, CrowdWorks leads the domestic freelance market in terms of both revenue and monthly visits. Its revenue amounted to $25.0 million U.S. for the three months to June, ahead of MiraiWorks ($13.6) million and Lancers ($7.7 million). Congrats!
• Stepstone said AI will accelerate job search: According to a recent study by The Stepstone Group, two-thirds of recruiters in Germany expect AI to relieve them of manual work and thus significantly shorten the hiring process.  The company surveyed around 3,000 employees in Germany, 19 percent of whom work in HR. More than half of the recruiters surveyed find the use of AI helpful in identifying potential candidates (64 per cent), in evaluating and ranking applicants (54 per cent) and in coordinating appointments (57 per cent). Not surprising.
• Recrubo raises funds: Recrubo, a Netherlands-based recruitment service for hourly workers, has raised €600,000 ($640,000 U.S.) in seed funding. The rectech startup will use this funding to leverage AI to scale up its blue-collar hiring in the services sector.Founded in 2018 and headquartered in Tilburg, Recrubo lets job seekers apply for jobs via WhatsApp. As soon as a job is posted, the company’s AI identifies potential applicants based on their profiles. Interesting.
• Spark Hire acquires Chally: Spark Hire, a Northbrook, Illinois-based video interview platform, acquired Chally, a talent assessment platform based in Dayton, Ohio.  Founded in 1973, Chally provides assessment reports of potential hires to organizations, including those in the Fortune 500.  The deal follows Spark Hire’s merger earlier this year with Comeet, a provider of applicant tracking software based in New York. Congrats!
• WorkFree gets funding: WorkFree, a London-based freelancer website with a community angle, is launching with a $400,000 pre-seed funding round. The company will automate hiring, management and payment procedures and plans to offer freelancers educational courses and health and insurance benefits, in addition to “lifestyle perks.” A quarter of the company will be owned by freelancers, community advisors and non-institutional investors in a “unique co-founding community” that WorkFree maintains will make freelancers stakeholders in the platform. Intriguing model.
• PowerUs also gets funding: Berlin-based PowerUs, a career platform for skilled blue-collar workers such as electricians and plant mechanics, has raised €24.0 million ($25.7 million U.S.). “PowerUs wants to create a digital home for tradespeople, a place where experts are among themselves and transparency is a top priority,” said co-founder Konrad Geiger. Founded in 2019 by Geiger and Julian Lindinger, PowerUs currently has 850 skilled trades companies and 80,000 people registered on its platform. That’s a decent raise.
• Expertwired shuts down: Amsterdam-based tech startup Expertwired announced that it is shutting shop after two years of operations. The company’s CEO and founder, Reinier Huisman, broke the news in a blog post. Expertwired connected users with senior industry experts for market research consultations through 1-hour audio or video consultations. It offered a reliable, time- and cost-efficient way to get market research than traditional methods, like desktop research or buying analyst reports. No explanation was offered for the shut down. Hmm.
• FindJob calls it quits: Japan-based recruitment marketplace FindJob has ceased operations after more than a quarter of a century but has hinted at a possible relaunch. FindJob, which was operated by Mixi Recruitment Co., Ltd. and launched in 1997, announced its planned shutdown in April. Japan has numerous niche and general job sites, with Recruit Holdings, Persol Career, EnJapan and DIP among the leading players. Lots of competition.

It’s one thing when Seek job ads slide – but it’s another thing when two sites (one young, one old) shut down. Makes me wonder what is coming in the next four weeks! Well, I guess we’ll find out…

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