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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Ruffski |
| Date: | Monday, 19th Jan 2009 09:25 |
| Views: | 39 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Yep, they started charging users when they made their CV database searchable just under 12 months ago (For an additional fee). Reed were part of a PSL I was managing for a major nuclear engineering business and their account manager was mortified that the board of directors at Reed had taken this decision as it meant that competing agencies could access her database of candidates for a small fee, thus making her job a good deal more difficult! Unfortunately in the same month they also decided that they were no longer going to play second fiddle to 3rd party managed accounts, so pulled their contract with us hence I don't know if this lead to Reed becoming less able to compete. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Vin |
| Date: | Wednesday, 28th Jan 2009 16:17 |
| Views: | 40 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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I know exactly what you mean they pulled all my freebies, but after a couple of calls and snotty feedback on their website I found that they had made me back upto 400. Maybe pointing out the errors of their ways can help...?
Good luck |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Poster |
| Date: | Wednesday, 28th Jan 2009 17:52 |
| Views: | 42 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Your lucky,
We had 50 free jobs allocated. Used 6 of them on one day and found that the 44 remaining had been deleted 14 days later when we came to post some more positions.
Complaining changed nothing for us!
I think its very much a case now of moving towards no free postings what so ever and it being a pure premium service.
Whilst i dont think its right to give free posts and then take them away at the end of the day Reed are in business to make money |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Pea |
| Date: | Thursday, 29th Jan 2009 11:04 |
| Views: | 43 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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down south recruiter - its the fact they originally promised a free service forever i.e. 500 jobs per year. Now they keep moving the goalposts from 500 to 200... to 25!
I dont care when a company charges for something but they seemed to promise a free 500 jobs forever, then once they had everyone signed up decided to cut the free jobs down to 25 meaning everyone having to pay alot more!
Pea |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Ruffski |
| Date: | Thursday, 29th Jan 2009 16:46 |
| Views: | 44 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Whilst I agree that Reed as a market leading national should be making a profit, the way that they have gone about charging their clients is in my opinion unprofessional and dare I say, underhand. If I were advised that I had 500 free postings per year and this was then reduced to only 25 without so much as a call or letter from the company providing the service, I feel pretty annoyed to say the least. It's hardly demonstrative of a company who care about their clients or providing an upfront, honest and quality service, in fact quite the opposite as far as I'm concerned. This said, I don't believe that such a successful service should be provided for free as it devalues the rest of the job boards and to an extent recruiter services. It's a good service (Despite the client care problems) and is worth paying for. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | 500 free jobs |
| Date: | Saturday, 31st Jan 2009 16:35 |
| Views: | 48 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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i recently had my free jobs too and called them up to find out why. was advised that every november the remainder of your 500 free jobs is recet to 0, and the amount of free job posts you qualify to get the next yr is equal to the amount you used up out of your free 500 this year. basically, you can get up to 500 free postings still, but if you only used 25 in 2008 before it recet then you only get 25 free postings to use in 2009. if in 2009 u only use 20 of your free 25 posting, come 2010, you will only get 20 free postings, and so on. my advice? keep posting and reposting your jobs to increase the number of free postings you can get the next year! |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Michelle Jones |
| Date: | Monday, 9th Feb 2009 13:14 |
| Views: | 34 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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I'm having a battle with them currently. When I set my account up with Reed in december I explained exactly the nature of my business - part of which offers a fixed fee recruitment service - & they were happy to give me 500 free credits.
They have since decided to withdraw my access as they believe that I re-sell the advertising space - which I categorically dont. They have then said its because I offer a fixed fee service & dont work as a 'traditional' recruiter, making an intro fee (again, I do this for some clients).
I have gone back to them as I just don't understand Reed's decision not to allow 'fixed fee recruiters' to advertise on their board under the same terms as traditional recruiters (i.e 500 free credits). We are all doing the same job for part of the rec process - just charging in a different way - i.e; per campaign or vacancy rather than based on a successful introduction. What is it about the nature of that part of my business that is different from a traditional recruiter apart from the fee/charging structure? I cant see any further differences and why they would discriminate.
I am waiting on a full explanation from them as to why they are discriminating against fixed fee recruiters in this way.
I also offer a consultancy to clients advising them where best to spend their online job-advertising budget, and as Reed has always been successful with my previous businesses I would look to recommend them. It wouldn't be something I'd feel that comfortable with if they blocked me in this way, although I appreciate I need to have my clients best interests at heart - not my own.
I am baffled and still waiting to hear from them. They need to get their policies straight and stick to them - I know for a fact that other businesses similar to mine advertise on there for free & have slipped through the net.
Back to work.. ! |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Jo90 |
| Date: | Monday, 9th Feb 2009 14:46 |
| Views: | 26 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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ahhh
The next step towards total removal of free adverts.
Reed invest significant sums into marketing to maintain the market reach they have (biggest reach of all the jobs boards) so it was only ever going to be a matter of time before they started to recoup that investment.
Frankly i think reed are right to charge, nothing is ever free and Reed dont need to support competitors.
In fact in the current market conditions if Reed didnt support any recruiter with free marketing they would be better off. The paying clients they have would get more effective results and Reed would pick up more business from firms that may migrate to them rather than to weaker competitors that they currently support.
The problem here is that, no recruiter wants to hear that its the end of the gravy train. Recruiters wont like it no matter how nicely reed say NO.
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Liz |
| Date: | Monday, 9th Feb 2009 16:10 |
| Views: | 39 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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What utter nonsense in the last post and Jo you don't have any idea why Reed do what they do, you've missed the point entirely. Reed don't let people advertise for free to support competitors!
They are a profitable business and neither James nor Alex Reed are idiots. The reason they allow agencies to advertise for free is to enjoy the benefits of being a market leading job board - candidates! For every job (and they recognise they don't get every single job available) an advert is placed, which in turn attracts candidates. They know that allowing an agency to use the board will attract many more candidates than if they only advertised their own jobs.
Thus they USE other agencies to get them candidates. They have access to everyone who applies. They are able to put THEIR jobs at the top of the list on a daily basis. They don't need to rely on the market being busy and there being an influx of jobs directly to them, to still be able to attract quality candidates.
They're not a charity and they created the website as it is to do the above.
Michelle, perhaps you should contact someone more senior. I cannot imagine Reed not giving you the credits for the way that you recruit. I know that they often recruit on a fixed fee basis
themselves. Sounds like someone is spinning you a line and I have found them to be very fair normally. Try going a little higher up maybe. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Jo90 |
| Date: | Monday, 9th Feb 2009 22:04 |
| Views: | 36 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Liz,
Sorry but it is YOU that miss the point. The only thing I agree on is that the directors of Reed are not stupid. I will explain why you are wrong:-
Whilst Reed was in its development cycle, it was in Reeds interests to back fill its website with adverts from Recruiters.
These recruiters are and have always been a total financial liability to Reed but what they did do was help cement Reeds position as a market leading site when Reed needed them.
Now that Reed has that pole position and is now able to charge Recruiters for using its site, a good percentage are now paying, it now acts the same as any other online media facility. It NO LONGER NEEDS TO CARRY ANY FREE JOB POSTS.
In the background is the fact that marketing costs continue to increase and whilst Reed continues to invest into marketing maintaining its share it needs to further monetise its website. It doesn’t want to waste that spend any longer on business that doesn’t directly benefit Reeds business.
Put simplistically, Reed would rather have say one hundred and fifty thousand paying job adverts on its site than four hundred thousand free ones. Reed is currently doing you the favour allowing you to post some adverts for free on its website, not the other way around – now do you get it?
You point is now out of date, yes way back, Reed needed other recruiters adverts to bolster their position – now Reed has enough of these from paying advertisers and doesn’t need any more. The only reason they went to 500 free adverts rather than none was to ensure the site maintained traction whilst they changed over to a paying model; next stage is to ensure all recruiters using their service pay for it.
Its not what you want to hear but Reed are in the business of making money, the free adverts no longer add value, they dont need them.
Jo.
P.S I would bet any money that Michelle will not get her free advertising account back, no mater how high up the chain she goes. Reed doesn’t need this business and it’s a matter of time Liz before they pull yours. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | sweatpea |
| Date: | Tuesday, 10th Feb 2009 11:58 |
| Views: | 34 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Some recruiters must be stupid not to understand that Reed works in its own interests.They need to charge because marketing is so expensive now. I dont know why Recruiters think they should have some kind of right to having something for nothing.
Get over it
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Liz |
| Date: | Tuesday, 10th Feb 2009 12:34 |
| Views: | 36 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Thanks for your point of view Jo, which was rather pleasant considering I'd said yours was a load of nonsense.
I'm not convinced that they will get rid of the 500 free postings, so have contacted their press office for comment. Perhaps you're right, as my knowledge was from 4 years ago when I worked there.
Sweatpea = another anonymous job board recruitment consultant hater = opinion irrelevant. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Michelle Jones |
| Date: | Wednesday, 11th Feb 2009 11:01 |
| Views: | 32 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Thanks for comments on my post. I am liaising with the MD (UK presumably) as it was him that initially contacted me to stop the posts. Still no conclusion.
I have no issues with Reed charging - makes commercial sense now - but why promote '500 free credits' to recruiters if that isnt actually the case & why give to a company like mine (after being vetted) & then take them away. If I had known they were going to charge I would have considered them when I was choosing the boards to advertise on - i've now spent all my budget for this quarter & dont have any additional £££ to spend.
I have been told this week by someone at Reed that they consider the free posts as a 'privilege' not a 'right'. I understand that - but why give them, then take away and why not have one firm policy & stick to it?
Reed benefit from the amount of jobs posted, the numbers of candidates it attracts & of course knowing in many cases where that job is located & potentially gaining that client as an advertiser or as a customer of Reed Recruitment. Its win win for them in every aspect. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | fish fingers |
| Date: | Wednesday, 11th Feb 2009 11:10 |
| Views: | 25 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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i do think that sweetpea has a point. why should you have any right of anything for nothing? I dont get it. Fair do's free trial to people who maybe havent used it and are sceptical about potential success - but once the product actually has a clear value to your business you should be expected to pay for it.
And im not a recruitment consultant hater - i think you guys do a good job - but i think sweetpeas right. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Pea |
| Date: | Wednesday, 11th Feb 2009 11:42 |
| Views: | 29 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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I think it has more to do with the fact that Reed gave the impression that the 500 adverts per year would be free forever... now that all recruiters on board we can see what they where up to all along.
I don’t mind paying for something but I don’t like getting conned like this.
Pea
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Pete |
| Date: | Wednesday, 11th Feb 2009 12:25 |
| Views: | 29 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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Excerpt from a (standard) letter from the Chief Executive of Reed sent to me when I first signed-up to Freecruitment: "We pledge that this is not an introductory offer. Reed has no intention of ever charging for this service."
I fully understand why Reed introduced the free service and why they now wish to charge for it.
It is their prerogative to change their mind and it is mine to be cynical about them delivering on their promises in future, if and when it no longer suits them. |
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| Reply To This Thread |
| Re: Reed...no longer free |
| Author: | Jo90 |
| Date: | Wednesday, 11th Feb 2009 12:47 |
| Views: | 36 (excluding Digests and RSS feeds) |
| Category: | Job Boards | | URL: | http://web.ukrecruiter.co.uk/forum/Forum/read.php?i=170811 |
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"Reed gave the impression that the 500 adverts per year would be free forever"
They also gave the impression when they started out that "Free Recruit" would be available forever.. but times change.
Think about it...
If one of your competitors lets say any high street brand Pertemps, Adeco, Blue Arrow etc etc asked you as a recruiter to use its website to source candidates and said if it works out for you our fees will be 8-12k a year for using the service after your trial period, you would more than likely think "stuff that, what..support a competitor and pay them to do it at the same time - you must be joking". You would more than likely do business elsewhere. No other industry i can think of supports a competing player in this way.
In Reeds case they have played on the fact that Recruiters like a free lunch and by offering you a free Recruit service (something for nothing) a good number were suckered in only to find that later they need to start paying because they became to depend on the service.
A bit like giving away free "E"s to students at a night club - once they start depending on them the dealers can charge what they like for them and students have to start paying.
To a certain extent, i believe you reap what you sow, recruiters were more than happy to take, take, take and if truth be known many didnt actually appreciate what they had that much at the time, after all it was free.
Over time both Reeds effectiveness and the quality of its products have improved and as mentioned earlier the cost for marketing is now higher - Reed no longer need to offer any free marketing.
They are a market leading site born out of recruiter greed and Recruiters only have themselves to blame for pushing a major competitor to this level - time to pay up or shut up. I only wish i had thought of the idea when they started!
Jo.
This should ruffle a few feathers! |
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