To many observers, job boards are passé; relics of a bygone era. Carey Eaton, CIO of SEEK, Australia’s largest job board, thinks otherwise. Here’s his take on the current challenges and future opportunities for job boards.  Read more...

The 2010 Job Board Report is ready for download here. Here are four observations from the report:

The Competitive Landscape
The wrath of the downturn spared no one; industry revenue dipped by 21%.  However, the industry grew in numbers even in the midst of falling revenue. We recorded 270 jobs boards, an increase of 14% from last year, and many more are still in the woodwork (we counted around 50). Convinced that the print industry has no long-term future, job boards are buoyed by the fact that spending on print media still amounts to an estimated $400-600 million every year.  Read more...

Currently perched on top of the Job board ladder, SEEK amassed many laurels since it started in 1997.  Of late, in the backdrop of an economic downturn, SEEK’s shares dropped to their nadir. However, SEEK is determined to maintain its #1 spot in the midst of uncertain economic times and ever growing alternatives. I recently spoke to Carey Eaton (CIO), and we discussed a range of issues including the economy, the competitive landscape, aggregators, and SEEK’s approach to social media.

Q. SEEK’s share price has been in a freefall lately. Do you think it will get worse or better? What’s SEEK’s reading on the current recruitment marketplace in Australia. What are job ad numbers at SEEK telling you?
CE: Clearly the entire market has been falling and media stocks generally have been hard hit – there’s certain factors SEEK can control and factors beyond our control, so we’re really focussing on those that we have control over and make sure we position the company as best we can.  Read more...