UnitedWeWork.org, a new Web site aimed at matching job seekers and employers, launched earlier this week.
The unique thing about this site is that it’s taking advantage of the current economic recession and offering services for free – at least for now. The site is aimed at helping more people weather the economy and get hired faster, ultimately adding value to communities and the country as a whole.
The site was initially developed by AllianceQ, a collaboration of industry-leading Fortune 500 companies. The objective of the Alliance is to help job candidates connect with other employers and drive down future recruiting costs.
Through AllianceQ, companies share job candidates they cannot hire, giving each member access to more talent and giving job candidates access to more precisely matched opportunities with other employers.
UnitedWeWork.org is being fronted by Jason Kerr, founder and CEO of QuietAgent, which powers AllianceQ. Several large organizations – including 7-Eleven, ADP, Allstate, AT&T, Hewitt Associates, Hyatt Hotels & Resorts, Office Depot, Sears Holdings and Starbucks – have partnered with AllianceQ for the site.
“This concept has been in the planning stages for months,” Stephen A. Lowisz, CEO of recruitment search firm Qualigence and AllianceQ chairman, said.. “The economy needs to improve and one way to improve it is to get people back to work. We developed UnitedWeWork.org to be instrumental in accomplishing this.”
Any employer or job seeker can use UnitedWeWork.org, which will facilitate the connection between job seekers and employers. Job seekers will always have free access to the site. Every company will have free access to UnitedWeWork.org for the rest of this year, and businesses with fewer than 100 employees will have free access through July 2010, but businesses with more employees will have to pay a $35 annual fee beginning next year.
Companies that join the site will have access to advanced matching technologies to generate a shortlist of qualified, skilled and interested job seekers that are matched based on skills, competencies and work preferences. Candidates are re-evaluated daily as new jobs are posted.
“In this economy we are seeing far more job seekers and far fewer jobs – to the point where some job boards have actually taken to charging job seekers to help them find work” AllianceQ Director Phil Haynes said. “UnitedWeWork.org is the only significant offering to allow companies to save on job posting, search and recruitment fees, as well as give all job seekers an equal chance to be found and hired.”
Popularity: 4% [?]
July 17th, 2009 at 10:05 am
I love free but the problem I always see with free sites is that there is no traffic and no distribution. This site doesnt even register on Compete, there are no inbound links etc etc etc. So while free is great, there has to be a way for a site to make money and promote itself otherwise its another one of the 100,000 job boards that cannot hit a critcal mass and cannot provide value. Real distribution costs real money.
July 17th, 2009 at 1:34 pm
Willingtotryit – you’re right – the biggest problem with all new entrants in the recruitment market, is the “chicken and the egg” – you need jobs to attract candidates and candidates to attract jobs.
United We Work solved this by partnering with the Fortune 500 and AllianceQ. The Fortune 500 get millions of candidates apply – they simply cannot hire them all, so they through AllianceQ, they refer these ‘excess candidates’ to our candidate database. This year over 50 million referrals will be made to the candidate database by AllianceQ members. (see http://AllianceQ.com)
United We Work takes it a step further, by giving access to hire from this candidate database for free for any recruiter, and opens it up to any job seeker to join.
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United We Work helps job seekers get back to work faster.
For job seekers, we pay to match and send your resume to recruiters who have jobs you want.
For recruiters, search and hire from our candidate database for free.
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Simple.
PS: As to Compete rankings, we launched on Monday.
Thanks – Jason Kerr
Founder, UnitedWeWork.org
PSS: Cheezhead crew – nice article thanks – and thanks for your help in getting the word out so more people can get hired in this economy.
July 17th, 2009 at 2:30 pm
Jason – The chicken and egg is what all 100,000 job boards have. All of them “ask” for referrals. Remember that “even if” all of the fortune 500 companies in the world (nearly impossible) tell their candidates to go to your website, they actually have to go there and from the stats, none of them are going to your site. So its not enough that someone tell a candidate to visit your site, they actually have to come, and they have to come in the millions. Then when they get there, they have to convert to a profile. You have a long hard road in front of you and without 10 million for advertising…you are just another one of the 100K good ideas with no critcal mass.
July 18th, 2009 at 8:40 am
What do you consider “excess” Candidates? A candidate that may not have been a fit for one job might be a fit for another. Most of these Fortune 500 companies pay MILLIONS of dollars to get these candidates why would they just give them up?
July 18th, 2009 at 9:02 am
If one candidate has success and tells someone who tells someone….well, you get the picture. Good jobs and successful job searches will help the site gain popularity.
July 19th, 2009 at 9:28 pm
More love for someone trying to make a difference. A lot of the comments listed are too negative. Trying to help the unemployed find work is a noble cause and I applaud Jason for it.
Jason, let the online recruiting industry community know how we can help.
Best of luck to United We Work.
July 19th, 2009 at 10:10 pm
This appears to be an excellent marketing attempt to draw trafficg to the core busines which is QuietAgent. Nothing wrong with that, but lets call it what it is instead of pumping it up and applauding it for being something new and original, its not.
July 19th, 2009 at 10:49 pm
Its also interesting to note that there is ZERO transparency on this site. Job openings are not posted so you have no idea what kind of volume and traction they really have, if any. Nor can you apply to a position yourself, rather you are matched based on their software, keywords, and the resume you fill out in your online resume. It doesn’t appear that you can upload your resume so set aside some time to register with this site.
As they say …“You don’t search job postings, apply to jobs or get any spam. Simply visit us once, fill in some info and sit back.”
Boy, thats realistic! Job searches require full time work and effort.
Similarly, companies looking for top talent know its still very hard to find that talent and the best candidates are (generally) still working at their competitors.
The website also claims to NOT allow recruiters access to the database, yet they clearly do allow and encourage recruiters. Maybe its just doesn’t fit the CURRENT incarnation of their PR campaign, but clearly their intent is to allow and sell access to recruiters.
see http://info.quietagent.com/agencies/
The sponsors have nothing to loose. Its good PR and probably didn’t cost them a nickel. Looks like their “board” has some connections so Im sure a free sponsorship for a “good cause” was an easy thing to accomplish.
Im not a pessimist but I dont see anything of value here.
August 3rd, 2009 at 9:27 am
Thought I’d let this string play out before I commented and it looks like it had done that.
I represent AllianceQ – the consortium that has opened their recruitment network to the public. It is really that simple. Everyone here can fault QuietAgent for building their database through “referrals” but the truth is that 40+ F500 companies see the inherent benefit in doing exactly that. So if you breeze by the fact that for the next 6 months companies can hire for free (no advertising like the other “free” sites) and jump on Jason and the team at QuietAgent, you truly are simply finding a negative in a very positive message.
On the job seeker front – I couldn’t agree more with jbmon (too bad we don’t have names and a way to talk) that “Job searches require full time work and effort.” What he/she failed to see (by not actually taking the time to fill out a job seeker profile) is that this tool “with no transparency” (like job postings or resumes postings? Is that “transparency”?? I think not) is actually providing job seekers with the TIME to devote to the work and effort. Here’s a quote from one of our job seekers who sent us their feedback:
In light of my earlier frustration QuietAgent has made feel more in control and has freed up more time to focus on networking and other means of finding employment.
That earlier frustration was around NOT being able to upload a resume into the system. By not allowing job postings, resumes are not tailored to them and therefore the “transparency” lies in the annonymity of the system.
Take some time, look into QuietAgent and then realize that being married to antiquated technology, advertising and marketing to build supply and the almighty resume and job posting is keeping you from evolving in your industry.
Oh, and call me or email me PLEASE – let’s get a dialog going.
phil.haynes@allianceq.com
704-847-4801