Innovation at The NORAs

It would be easy for a person to become cynical about the progress being made in the online recruitment sector.  As is common amongst bloggers, every month, almost on schedule, we see articles predicting the death of job boards, or recruitment agencies or newspaper job ads (OK that one mostly did happen).

We are an impatient lot, especially online, and even more especially when looking for a job.  So many of the so called candidate-friendly services appear to be anything but, and it seems no-one really calls them out on it. Yes, candidates and advertisers can vote with their collective mouse-clicks, but that takes much longer than we now expect online progress to be. Andy Headworth once famously wrote about Zombie job boards, which appeared to be alive, but were really husks of their former selves or bad copies.  Jobseekers too, often complain that job boards are essentially the same as 10 years ago, performing the same functions they always have, but with a dash of social media to freshen things up.

At the NORAs we try to focus on the other end of the scale, the powerhouse national job boards, niche websites synonymous with particular industries, recruitment agencies who actually engage candidates with their expertise, and employers who want to make direct contact with future employees.

The key elements don’t change. Employers only need one successful candidate to fill each single vacancy.  Everything else is about getting to that point in the most efficient and effective manner; and that includes treating candidates in a civilised adult fashion.

People say innovation in this sector has dried up, and that all job boards are the same.  Try saying that to Jack Tang, who launched The Student Job, or Grad Cornwall, or indeed LeavingUni, three distinct sites who cater to the graduate and student sector in an amazingly refreshing way.  These sites launched in the middle of the darkest recession, and are great examples of how to think differently.  That is why they are amongst the Finalists for the Best Newcomer category for the NORAs this evening, which in itself showcases the very best line-up of stellar recruitment websites in its 12 year history.

We could spend forever bemoaning the quality of the worst recruitment websites, by why should we, when we have the opportunity to celebrate the very best.  If you’re coming to the National Online Recruitment Awards tonight, be sure to come and say hello.

Tickets are only £20, and can be booked online here, or you can pay at the door.   http://nora2012.eventbrite.co.uk