March 2009

Migration to online

We have read with interest a number of recent articles regarding the growing importance of online within the recruitment sector. There were two in particular that really caught our eye and, together they give an interesting insight into the current market and also what we can expect over the next few years.

Up first there were the latest NORAS survey results, with the interesting observation that the number of people using the Internet exclusively to search for job searches has more than doubled since 2007. It was reported that 1 in 7 jobseekers focus their job search on the Internet only, whereas a year ago this figure was 1 in 11 and, two years previously, 1 in 16.
Secondly, we read with interest an article from the United States, a market that is often considered a barometer for trends in Europe. On the other side of the Atlantic, the Kelsey Group and BIA Advisory Services foresee a drop in local advertising in the period to 2013. However, they do predict that online advertising will experience a growth in the share of total revenue. In 2009 nearly 12% of local advertising expenditure is expected to be online, and, by 2013, this is forecast to be at least 22%.

Tom Buono, President and CEO of BIA Advisory Services, says "... as the shift to online accelerates and the demand for accountability metrics grows, there is an increased urgency for traditional media companies to develop and embrace new business models that incorporate digital strategies... to drive business... "

Other market analysts agree. Neal Polacheck of Kelsey Group states that “The share shift we expect (between traditional and digital) could actually be more pronounced if the major traditional media are not able to integrate new interactive products into their bundle”.

At MatchWork, our main focus is to ensure our media partners are able to offer leading online recruitment solutions to ensure that they are best placed for both traditional and digital media.

Both of these articles strongly indicate that the migration to online continues apace, and those publishers with the strongest online offerings will be the ones to emerge as the strongest and most attractive to jobseekers and advertisers within their marketplace.

Sources
www.noras.co.uk
www.emarketer.com
http://www.kelseygroup.com
http://www.bia.com