LinkedIn and SEEK are not our friends, says Firebrand boss

RCSA · Job boards & platforms · Applicant tracking systems · Recruitment technology · People · Social media · Sourcing

LinkedIn might be a useful sourcing tool but its business model is to eliminate the recruitment industry, says Firebrand CEO Greg Savage.

Speaking at the RCSA Conference in Fiji last week, Savage said LinkedIn had "a business vision which is predicated on the goal of wiping our industry out".

He said this was demonstrated in the company's prospectus which, as previously reported, stated "we believe our solutions are both more cost-effective and more efficient than traditional recruiting approaches, such as hiring third-party search firms".

It irritated him, he said, when recruiters defended LinkedIn and particularly when they promoted their use of the site as a benefit for clients, as it amounted to "kissing the hand that stabs you".

"Look, I use it - it's good to use it... it's a good tactic, but don't defend it in the eyes of clients."

Similarly, SEEK was no friend to the recruitment sector, Savage said, and would happily "milk" recruiters for advertising revenue until they went bust.

He said Firebrand's recruitment strategy aimed to bypass SEEK entirely by sourcing candidates through social media.

Demonstrate skills that the client can't replicate

Savage said employers were getting increasingly serious about investing in talent sourcing as a business priority, and were closely examining the value provided by third party agencies.

"They are looking at every dollar, and they want to cut us out, [but] they will spend money if they can't find [talent] themselves."

Companies were not going to engage agencies whose channels were restricted to SEEK, LinkedIn, and "a piddling little database", Savage said.

More than ever, recruitment consultants needed to learn how to articulate to their clients the value they provided in ways that couldn't be disintermediated by social media or job boards.

"We should stand up for what we actually provide our clients, and if some of us don't provide enough, we need to provide more... Don't count on LinkedIn and SEEK... They are a tool. They are what we pay for. They are one of many channels [we can use]."

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