It’s been a while since I looked at the newest crop of recruitment and job board sites, so I thought that we could take a trip down StartUpLane and see what we discover:

• TalentSprocket: It bills itself as ‘the first machine learning system for erecruiting ‘ – in other words, it tries to automate and improve the entire process of hiring, from job ad creation to sourcing and selection. I like the idea of crowd-sourcing the job ad – in theory – but would have to see it in practice before signing on. Seems like getting the crowd to participate would be the first challenge.
  
• Revl: Yes, it’s another ‘show the world the real me’ site – the implication being that the real you is more employable that whatever you’ve been showing folks.  After signing in via Facebook or LinkedIn, you create what appears to be a modified LI profile. It has snazzier graphics than LI, but I’m not sure it has enough difference to lure the masses.
• JobFig: This site is built around a personality test that the candidate takes; the results are used to ensure ‘right fit’ with employers and jobs. What wasn’t clear from perusal of the site is where the jobs and/or employers are coming from. The challenge for JobFig (or any other assessment site) is reaching critical mass in terms of jobs and employers – in other words, marketing and sales.
• CodeVue: Nope, it isn’t a standalone site, but a new product from video interviewing leader HireVue. CodeVue attempts to solve the age-old problem of hiring developers – how do you know if they really know their stuff? The product lets you set up questions and coding challenges, then invite your candidates to respond. It’s a twist on HireVue’s existing interview system.
• BetterWeekdays: It’s another ‘culture fit’ site – this time based on the JobScript assessment. There’s a catch, though – after some initial signup screens, you (the candidate) are asked to pay for the assessment. In my experience, candidates prefer to know up front if they’re paying. Hmm.
• Railyo: This site is what I call ‘hyper-niche’ – it focuses exclusively on developers specializing in Ruby on Rails. There’s a twist, though – the candidate has to ‘apply’ to the board, where he/she is screened (presumably by other developers before being allowed to participate in this ‘private network’. The other twist? Employers pay to have their jobs sent directly to Railyo developers – and if they don’t get someone they can hire, they get their fee refunded. Very interesting model – I’d love to hear how it’s doing.
• ReqCloud: This is the latest in a number of new sourcing services (think TalentBin, for example). ReqCloud lets employers broadcast jobs to social media, analyze response, include the LinkedIn Apply button, and a variety of other features, most of which rely heavily on LinkedIn. Seems like it could be useful, particularly for employers with internal recruiting teams.
• 3Desk: Yes, there are plenty of sites for hiring freelancers – but how many are focused on local freelancers? That’s the UK-based niche 3Desk is trying to fill – freelancers working in person, at local businesses. In this age of telecommuting and virtual offices, it almost seems quaint. But I can see a need for this, particularly in urban areas.

Pretty interesting, eh? My advice, as always – pay attention to your customers, develop solutions that make sense in your market – and never rest on your laurels!