Job board toolkits: Internet matchmaking and changes in job advertisements

• Published in: Human relations (New York) Vol. 60; no. 7; pp. 1091 - 1113
• Main Authors: Marchal, Emmanuelle, Mellet, Kevin, Rieucau, Géraldine
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.07.2007; Kluwer Academic; Plenum; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: Advertising; Applicants; Comparative analysis; Costs; Curricula; Digital technology; Economics and Finance; Employers; France; Hiring; Human relations; Human Resources; Humanities and Social Sciences; Information society; Internet; Job hunting; Job openings; Job Search; Labor market; Labor Relations; Online information services; Search strategies; Sociology; Sociology of work; Sociology of work and sociology of organizations; Studies; United Kingdom; Working population. Employment. Women's work; France; United Kingdom; United Kingdom > UK; intermediaries; job search; job matching; human resources and industrial relations; internet; job advertisements; Labor Market; Employment; Web; Crossnational Comparisons; Internet; Job Search; Human Resources; Advertising
• ISSN: 0018-7267; 1741-282X
• DOI: 10.1177/0018726707081159

This article examines the role of internet-based labour market intermediaries in coordinating job seeker/employer interactions. A twofold analysis examines on the one hand the matchmaking tools determining applicants' access to job ads, and on the other, the content of ads posted on the Web. Observations reveal that the information available to applicants is subject to a high degree of filtering achieved through the use of pre-defined lists, keywords or more frequently, input fields. A comparative analysis of job offers posted on the internet with those posted in newspapers shows that search engine toolkits have a considerable impact on ad content which is generally more standardized and quantified in the former than in the latter. Furthermore, a comparison between French and British ads demonstrates that the institutional context influences the actions taken by job boards. In contrast to Great Britain, France more frequently uses matching markers aimed at selecting applicants than those providing detailed information on the job offer. Today, French job boards thus contribute in weakening applicants' position in labour markets.