The big bang launch of GDPR in May 2018 is etched in everyone’s mind, but the launch of Google for Jobs in the UK seems to have slipped in under the radar. The release of Google for Jobs seemed to be a bit of a secret by all accounts. Launched in the US back in 2017, there had been no real indicators of when this functionality was due to be released in the UK. Until now.
Google for Jobs is driven by artificial intelligence (AI). It displays personalised search results using information it has collected about the user to display vacancies that could be of interest to them. Instead of having to visit lots of different job sites to find their perfect role, it will display the jobs they feel are relevant and allow the candidate to filter and construct a highly personalised search.
Google for Jobs also goes a step further than most job boards. They will show the candidate the typical salary level for the type of role they are searching for, based on information from local employers, in addition to any Glassdoor reviews that may be available.
The software creates its job board service content by taking jobs from job boards that opt-in (so far we know that Reed, Totaljobs and CV Library are in!). It also takes data from careers websites.
Put simply, Google is providing the opportunity for candidates to find relevant jobs all in one place and to drive traffic to your careers website direct from Google. With so many job boards currently available, it can be difficult for candidates to trawl through all available opportunities. This means they could easily miss their perfect position (i.e. the role with your organisation!)
For Jobtrain clients, we pre-empted the launch of Google for Jobs in the UK. We have all of the technical requirements behind the scenes already in place to ensure your jobs are found by Google. In short, if you’re a Jobtrain client, then Google will be finding your jobs already!
We do know that Google likes careers site content that is mobile friendly, has fresh content and with clear and easy to understand job titles. If you include video content on your careers website and in your job adverts then Google will like this even more!
What we don’t know right now is how the launch of Google for Jobs will affect Indeed (who interestingly have not ‘opted in’ with Google so far) and other job boards. We’ll continue to see how this new functionality impacts the world of recruitment. At first glance, and especially from a job seekers perception, it seems like a good move from Google. Let’s watch this space.