Google for Jobs launched a little less than a month ago, creating waves through the recruiting world and leaving everyone wondering how their entrance into job search will redefine the space.
Why did google enter job search?
As the undisputed leader in search, Google identified a major flaw in the job search process — job postings. Although this fact has been known to recruiters for years, Google is ambitiously trying to improve their effectiveness and make the search process easier for job seekers.
Currently, the average job posting will receive over 150 resumes with job seekers spending an average of 2 or more hours to research a single job (Talent Board, 2016). While this has created additional stress for job seekers, recruiters have also had to deal with inefficiencies of job postings, sorting through hundreds of resumes from unqualified candidates to find the proverbial needle in the haystack.
Nick Zakrasek, a product manager for Google search, said “The aim is to increase to efficiency of job matching.”
What is Google for Jobs?
“Google for Jobs is a new feature in search that collects and organizes job postings from all over the web to make them easier for job seekers to find jobs.”(USA Today, 2017) Job seekers can now enter their search query ( i.e. “recruiting jobs near me” or “Sr. Talent Acquisition Specialist) and a dedicated space for all relevant results will appear at the top of their search results.
Unlike search on traditional job boards, Google goes beyond title and searches required skills, grouping roles by function (i.e. marketing, sales, and recruiting) to create lists of searchable jobs. Job seekers can then sort and filter through the posts to identify relevant opportunities.
How to get your job postings on Google?
At the moment, there are two ways to get your job posting to display in Google’s search results.
Third Party Job Boards
If you already use job boards, the easiest and simplest approach is to post your role to a third party job site that integrates with Google. Google has already built partnerships with some of the most recognizable job boards, including Facebook, LinkedIn, CareerBuilder, ZipRecruiter, and Monster. The only notable exception is Indeed. For the full list of partnerships, check out Google’s support page. If you post your job to any of these sites, your jobs will be indexed by Google and displayed in relevant search results.
Direct Integration
For more reliable results, you can integrate your organization’s website directly with Google. To integrate, you must meet three requirements (Google, 2017):
- Have a website
- Publish job postings on the website
- Be able to edit the HTML of job postings
If you choose to integrate your website with Google, you will be able to access real-time analytics, including clicks and impressions, on the effectiveness of your job postings. For step-by-step instructions on how to set up your integration, refer to Google’s integration guide.
How does this affect recruiting and, more importantly job boards?
With Google now in the mix, enthusiasm for job boards is at a recent high. But can Google solve the problem that has plagued the industry for years? Can Google help job seekers better qualify opportunities and reduce the number of unqualified applicants for each role?
Aside from more visibility for your job posts, it’s still uncertain how Google will impact recruiting and the job board landscape going forward. However, with the added visibility, writing an effective job posting and building a strong recruitment brand is more important than ever. Make sure you continue to hone in these skills to distinguish yourself from your competition.
In an industry where time is money, only time will tell if Google can resurrect the job posting.