Google backs off, lots of acquisitions, and other news of the job board industry

February 6, 2024
JobBoardDoctor
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Google backs off? I guess I wasn’t as surprised as some folks – but perhaps I’m just too cynical! Still, the apparent retreat of the Google job ads offering was only one bit of a lot of news in the job board industry over the past few weeks. Let’s take a look:

Google changes its mind?: This news seems to be unofficial – but accurate: Google is killing its job ads program while still in Alpha. Jodie Cherry Roth of Recruitics spread the word on X that Google was discontinuing its job ads test – and word quickly spread across the socials. Alexander Chukovski speculated that the explaination of ‘high costs ‘ was unlikely – but that legal issues were probably at the root of the decision. I tend to agree. Ah, Google job ads, we hardly knew ye….
JobCannon raises funds: JobCannon, an AI-based recruiting vertical, has obtained a $500,000 investment. The site was founded in 2022 and went on to acquire Digital Hunters, a leading Israel-based recruiting agency. Understanding the limitations of traditional hiring methods, the company created an AI to match candidates and employers based on specified skills and abilities on the website. Congrats!
Indeed launches specialist networks: Indeed has initiated its Specialist Media Networks program with its Tech Network, which distributes an employer’s job ads across more than 50 technology-specific sites, such as WIRED, VentureBeat and Stack Overflow. Employers using this network to hire are said to receive an increase in relevant applications for tech roles–on average, employers using the Tech Network experience a 3.5x rise in relevant applications from skilled candidates. This sounds kind of familiar…
Zeit buys GoodJobs: Germany-based Zeit publishing group has acquired a majority stake in Berlin-based GoodJobs, a recruiting platform for sustainable and social jobs. All companies that post job offers on GoodJobs are reviewed in advance by a compliance team to ensure that they, as well as the advertised positions, aim “to have a positive impact on the environment and society and to create a future worth living.” The Zeit publishing group already has a strong recruiting presence in Germany through the job advertisements posted in its various publications. Interesting.
Karriere.at takes over hokify: Karrier.at spent 40 million Euros to acquire hokify, an Austrian platform targeting blue-collar workers. Using the hokify profiles on their smartphones, job seekers can easily view more than 100,000 job offers without being redirected to external portals. Hokify is planning further growth with the aim of becoming the largest career platform in the DACH region by 2030. Good luck!
Welcome To The Jungle acquires Otta: French branding and recruitment platform Welcome to the Jungle the acquisition of London-based job search platform Otta for an undisclosed amount. Welcome to the Jungle, founded in 2015, currently works to increase the visibility of 5,500 businesses to almost three million active workers across France and the Czech Republic by enhancing their employer brand. Otta was founded in 2019 and uses matching technology to pair its 1.7M users with relevant roles based on personal preferences, skill sets and values. Intriguing.
Bold.com buys FlexJobs: Bold.com, a Puerto Rican recruitment technology company with a focus on resume-building services, acquired FlexJobs, a job board specializing in remote gig work. Bold.com offers CV-writing services under the LiveCareer, Zety and MyPerfectResume brands, as well as tools and services for recruiters under the MightyRecruiter brand. In 2021, FlexJobs acquired Job-Hunt.org, which provides career advice for job seekers; the following year, it acquired recruitment consultancy LocalWise. Congrats!
HireAra raises funds: HRtech startup HireAra announced that it has raised a €527,000 seed round for their AI-powered candidate presentation platform for recruitment agencies. The platform helps recruiters to make their brand and their candidates stand out to hiring clients, increasing the speed at which these candidates are placed in new roles. The injection of Seed funding will enable HireAra to triple its sales team and bring two new content products to market in 2024. Interesting.
LinkedIn earnings beat expectations: LinkedIn beat revenue expectations in its fiscal second quarter ended Dec. 31, 2023, according to parent company Microsoft. “LinkedIn revenue increased 9% and 8% in constant currency, ahead of expectations driven by slightly better-than-expected performance across all businesses,” Microsoft CFO Amy Hood said in a conference call with analysts. LinkedIn revenue was $4.19 billion for the quarter. Congrats!
Headhuntable launches: A new technology recruitment website, Headhuntable, has launched based in Austin, Texas. The platform is an autonomous site that helps candidates find secure roles at a time when there have been many redundancies in the technology sector. The site combines three crucial elements; an intimate knowledge of the technical marketplace and its hiring practices, the use of virtual assistants (Vas) who work as agents to market candidates’ talent to potential employers and mentors/coaches who can help develop candidates’ professional skills and navigate the hiring process. Interesting.