An employment website is a web site dealing specifically with employment or careers. Many employment websites are designed to allow employers to post job requirements for a position to be filled and are commonly known as job boards 1 2. Other employment sites offer employer reviews career and job-search advice 3 describe different job descriptions or employers. Through a job website a prospective employee can locate and fill out a job application or submit resumes over the Internet for the advertised position.
It is reported that over 40000 employment sites are in existence the largest of which are represented by The International Association of Employment Web Sites a trade association for the global online employment services industry. 4
History
The Online Career Center launched in 1993 as a non-profit organization backed by forty major corporations as a system for job hunters to store their resumes within the databases as well as for recruiters to post job openings to the databases. 5
In 1994 Robert J. McGovern began NetStart Inc. as software sold to companies for listing job openings on their Web sites and manage the incoming e-mails those listings generated. After an influx of two million dollars in investment capital 6 he then transported this software to its own web address at first listing the job openings from the companies who utilized the software. 7 NetStart Inc. changed its name in 1998 to operate under the name of their software CareerBuilder. 8 The company received a further influx of seven million dollars from investment firms such as New Enterprise Associates to expand their operations. 9
Six major newspapers joined forces in 1995 to list their classified sections online. The service was called CareerPath.com and featured help-wanted listings from the Los Angeles Times the Boston Globe Chicago Tribune the New York Times San Jose Mercury News and the Washington Post. 10
The industry attempted to reach a broader less tech-savvy base in 1998 when Hotjobs.com attempted to buy a Super Bowl spot but Fox rejected the ad for being in poor taste. The ad featured a janitor at a zoo sweeping out the Elephant cage completely unbeknownst to the animal. The elephant sits down briefly and when it stands back up the janitor has disappeared. The ad meant to illustrate a need for those stuck in jobs they hate and offer a solution through their Web site. 11 Hotjobs.com promplty fired the advertising agency who created the ad. 12
Monster.com gambled on a 1999 Super Bowl ad. CEO Jeff Taylor authorized three 30 second spots for a total of four million dollars. 13 The ad which featured children speaking like adults drolly intoning their dream of working at various dead-end jobs to humorous effect were far more popular than rival Hotjobs.com ad about a security guard who transitions from a low paying security job to the same job at a fancier building. 14 Monster.com was elevated to the top spot of online employment sites. 15 Hotjobs.coms ad wasnt as successful but it gave the company enough of a boost for its IPO in August. 16
After being purchased in a joint venture by Knight Ridder and Tribune Company in July 17 CareerBuilder absorbed competitor boards CareerPath.com and then Headhunter.net which had already acquired CareerMosaic. Even with these aggressive mergers CareerBuilder still trailed behind the number one employment site Jobsonline.com number two Monster.com and number three Hotjobs.com. 18
Monster.com made a move in 2001 to purchase Hotjobs.com for 374 million in stock but were unsuccessful due to Yahoos unsolicited cash and stock bid of 430 million late in the year. Yahoo had previously announced plans to enter the job board business but decided to jump start that venture by purchasing the established brand. 19 By August of 2002 Monster.com posted a loss of 504 million forcing COO James Treacy to resign. 20
Statistics
According to the International Association of Employment Web Sites http://www.employmentwebsites.org/ there are over 40000 employment web sites. These sites range from broad all-purpose job boards to niche sites that serve various audiences geographies and industries.
References
"INTERNET Inc "Job board" June 17 2008". http://internetinc.com/job-board.&
"The International Association of Employment Web Sites". http://www.employmentwebsites.org/.&
Matas Alina Internet becomes an on-line opportunity for employers and job hunters The Washington Post Nov. 7 1993 pg. H2
Peter Behr David Segal High-Tech Turks Lure Big-Buck Backers; Outside Investment Grows but Trails Other U.S. Centers The Washington Post Nov. 4 1996 pg. F05
Rajiv Chandrasekaran Tapping Into a Web of Aspirations; NetStart Helps Firms With Online Job Hunts The Washington Post Dec. 30 1996 pg. F13
Building a Career Path The Washington Post Jan. 19 1998 pg. F05
Michael Selz Financing Small Business: Computerized Employee-Search Firms Attract Investors Wall Street Journal Jan. 13 1998 pg. 1
Jesus Sanchez "THE CUTTING EDGE: COMPUTING / TECHNOLOGY / INNOVATION; 6 Papers Launch On-Line Help-Wanted Classifieds; Advertising: With 23000 entries employment service initially will be free to job-seekers&:Home Edition" Los Angeles Times p. 4. Retrieved December 18 2008
Sally Beatty "News Corp.s Fox Rejects Big Spot By Hill Holliday on Basis of Taste" Wall Street Journal p. B6. Retrieved December 12 2008
Denise Gellene "Monday Business; BRIEFLY / MARKETING; HotJobs Agency Fired Over Super Bowl Spot&:Home Edition" Los Angeles Timesp. 2. Retrieved December 12 2008
Stuart Elliot At 1.6 million for 30 seconds few commercials proved worthy of their Super Bowl spotlight. The New York Times Feb. 2 1999 pg C10
Matt Richtel Big Stakes In On-Line Job Listings The New York Times Feb. 14 1999 pg. 3.12
Rachel Emma Silverman HotJobs Plans to Show Its Hand With New Multimedia Campaign Wall Street Journal p. B 9:1. Retrieved December 12 2008
Business Brief -- CAREER BUILDER INC.: Knight Ridder and Tribune Agree to Buy Firm Jointly Wall Street Journal Jul. 18 2000 pg. 1
James Peter Rubin Breakaway --- Web Workers: More small businesses are filling vacancies from an ever-growing pool of Internet candidates Wall Street Journal Oct. 23 2000 pg. 8
Mylene Mangalindan "E-Business: Online-Jobs Niche Sparks Yahoos Bold Move" Wall Street Journal p. B4. Retrieved December 12 2008
"IN BRIEF /; TMP Worldwide Posts Loss; COO to Resign&:HOME EDITION: . Los Angeles Timesp. C.2. Retrieved December 12 2008
