BeKnown - 1st Thoughts

So Monster have stepped into the fray into the much discussed social network solution for jobs by launching BeKnown loads of info in link and Matt has given his initial thoughts here.

Essentially - its introducing a LinkedIn type product to the Facebook audience (gross oversimplification i know)

So what do i think?
- the perfect solution does not (nor should it ever) exist to corral the platforms of social media into a neat job ad/app box. And i am sure Monster doesn't think its a panacea either.
- it's a pretty cool solution. Very easy to distribute, network, "follow" relevant companies, jobs, people.
- unsurprisingy but pleasingly they have put as much thought into how organisations may use it as opposed to just candidates. This obviously will help its commercial take up.
- There are many companies who want to "do" social and this may be a very easy way to dip toe in water.
- I hope Monster put a lot of money behind marketing it - as if they do and they get some momentum - this could be a massive game changer - could being the operative word as ever who really knows.

As for the business model - i will have to come back to you on that one!

Digital First - possibly Digital Only - papers and agencies

Guardian made an announcement yesterday on "Digital First Strategy" which is kind of just a way of saying we are going lay off a lot of journalists (and sales, production etc) but we do have a plan. This is a bit of slap in the face of the counter intuitives who are proclaiming print to make a comeback any time soon.

Choices facing the large newspaper groups are

- either to radically reduce their cost base (and i mean RADICALLY reduce)- Guardian employ 630 journalists - the Huffington Post employs about 80

- or become playthings of very rich vanity publishers.

The similar choices for the traditional rec ad agency businesses are

- Radically reduce their cost base (many seem to have been pursuing this via multi stages for last 2 years)
- Reposition your business - WMW are largely employee comms/brand, Work and TMP are very much brand strategists to some degree
- Or go out of business as your lunch is eaten by the new models that have sprung up while they have been paralysed staring at the gaping holes in their revenue line

That is unless Roman Abramovich fancies buying up a couple of businesses in recruitment advertising to put on his mantelpiece.

Reasons to be Cheerful

Surely - it's time to call the private sector recruitment downturn over and has been over for quite some time. Everywhere i look there is activity or worst case talk of activity. Even our clients that are having their share prices whacked are still active in sourcing the best people to work in their businesses. And then we have organisations (including some of above)who want to really kick on and do very cool stuff indeed or worst case very necessary remedial work on their recruitment processes/attraction strategy.

From a personal perspective - OME's Reasons to be Cheerful include
- new staff Jamie Bailey and Sarah Casey - come on down!
- new clients - welcome aboard! LIDL, TGI Friday's, London Business School, NPL (part of Serco), Northgate Arinso and Go Ahead.
- new products - launching under JV a business called R4O - which is a natural product extension to what we do - more detail to follow.

So i officially hereby declare (with apologies to my friends in public sector)- this period of caution and nervousness over.

NB Expect the normal pessimistic, bordering on miserable author of this blog to return next week.

I agree with Nick.....

What is going on out there! Up until recently - i could go onto various blogs and forums on any day and find something i could completely disagree with - i could think the author was clearly a fool and a charlatan and consequently tell them just that in a funny (well to me anyway) and incisive way. There was so much abject nonsense out there, that it was like shooting fish in barrel. I am also well aware that there would have been some (clearly "fools and charlatans") that thought OME were 100% wrong on many issues too.

Now i keep finding well thought out balanced views supported by evidence or logic, and predictions with suitable ifs and buts rather than this is DEFINITELY going to happen.

So
- Is this a sign that this industry is growing up? established digital channels, adoption of the new in a controlled and measured way, progressive clients and suppliers on the same page. No established habits but a light and healthy cynicism of the new entrants to market, that means financial investment will come later.

- Have we become too consensual and staid, maybe a new establishment is forming ( i could get all Animal Farm on you here)

The one thing i know is that disagreeing and arguing was much, much more fun. Debating the value of spending £50K on Second Life, winning awards for YouTube Videos that no user ever saw, Big campaigns that had no decent response mechanism and not a thought for the user experience, and for my own part i remember saying that Twitter would never catch on.

Aaaaah, those were the days......