The Trend for Job Seekers and Employers is to Go Niche When Searching for the Ideal Job or Candidate

The virtual career space is experiencing an evolution as users of general job boards are beginning to migrate towards niche job sites. Many employers and job seekers are making a shift because these niche web communities have the ability to attract a more targeted audience based upon specific industries or geographic locations. Niche jobs sites are also gaining popularity due in part by some of the challenges that exist when using generic job sites such as the quality or freshness of the candidate base, inability to seek out hard-to-reach passive job seekers and candidates wanting to find a local job in their industry or interest. Job Ads in the Right Place at the Right Time Typically, postings on generic job sites can span across a wide range of geographic locations and industries, which is a drawback for some candidates who are not interested in relocation or multiple fields. They often times find themselves being contacted by companies that they have very little interest in, or are located in another city or state As a result, many job seekers are starting to utilize niche job boards which can produce faster results that are more targeted to specific interests and career aspirations. “A recent survey of more than 4,400 Nexxt Network visitors found that nearly 75% of business professionals commute less than 25 miles to work, says Rich Milgram, CEO of Nexxt, Inc. a full-service provider of more than 15,000 niche web communities (www.Nexxt.com) Niche sites, such as PhillyJobs.com, are able to effectively meet the demands of candidates who are only searching for local job opportunities. Also, due to the high volume of resumes that employers receive on generic job boards, it is easy for candidates to get lost in a sea of applicants. Because niche job boards target candidates that are geared toward the open position, employers tend to receive more relevant candidates, which in turn helps these job seekers increase the chances of getting noticed by employers. Quality and Efficiency for Employers Employers who post ads on generic sites are many times overwhelmed with the volume of resumes they receive and disappointed with the lack of qualified candidates. Milgram says, “By turning to local and industry-specific sites, such as Nurses.com, employers and recruiters have the ability to effectively target qualified candidates for their business and reduce time spent searching through large quantities of irrelevant resumes. The end result is reduced costs and increased quality of overall recruitment efforts. The Secret of Niche Job Boards While it really is no secret, niche communities are increasing site traffic by offering a variety of resources that provides localized job and candidate content to visitors, and allows them to interact with fellow visitors who possess similar interests and traits. This movement is beneficial for employers because these communities consist of targeted visitors who often times come not necessarily to look for a job, but to gather information, conduct business or socialize.. Therefore, employers can effectively target passive job seekers, a valuable segment of the marketplace, that most general job boards are unable to reach today. Generic Job Boards Could Be Missing Valuable Candidates Nexxt has found that the highest traffic time for job seekers to view available job postings online are between the hours of 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. Many companies block well-known generic job sites from their network, reducing the ability for these candidates to access the job site and post their resume during these peak traffic times. Many times, this can impact the number of accessible resumes for employers when limiting candidate searches to only the generic job sites. Web 2.0 Defines and Drives the Future of Niche Job Boards As business professionals, companies and recruiters continue to realize the significance of niche communities, many job sites are beginning to incorporate Web 2.0 based principals and technologies since it is people who drive content and content that drives communities. Web 2.0-enabled networking tools and features are helping niche communities continue to grow virally by promoting repeat visitors and site stickiness. Milgram adds, Web 2.0 philosophies are defining and driving the emergence of many new features in the career space. These tools allow sites and visitors to create or enhance their own communities using customizable content, articles/blogs, interactive surveys, web portfolios, and XML/RSS job feeds that will further enhance online recruitment and allow niche communities and their members to thrive. Keep Up the Momentum These new Web 2.0 technologies and features are revolutionizing the career space and increasing the probability that niche job boards will continue to gain momentum in recruiting and connecting professionals regardless of whether or not they are actively looking for a job. Niche job boards are here to stay. To help ensure continued growth, niche communities should provide measurable results by offering relevant job postings for candidates and high-quality active and passive candidates for employers. By keeping visitors satisfied and providing them with valuable tools and resources to grow personally and professionally, it will increase the chances that the trend to search for jobs and candidates on niche job sites will soon be considered mainstream.