[quote style=”boxed”]Measure everything–whether it’s customer conversion, user engagement or optimal functionality. If you don’t measure, you cannot evolve and improve.[/quote]
Assaf Eisenstein founded GooodJob in order to improve upon the existing model of employee referral programs, and to provide corporate recruiters with a way to increase their access to better candidates. GooodJob offers organizations a sophisticated yet user-friendly social recruiting platform, which enables them to leverage employees’ social media networks and reach quality candidates. The company does this by providing innovative tools that use the power of social media to share job openings with employees’ first-, second- and third-degree network connections, and by successfully motivating employee participation.
Previously the CEO of two publicly traded companies, Assaf holds a law degree from the University of Leicester in England, and an MBA from the College of Management in Israel. During his (rare) free time, he enjoys relaxing with his wife and two children, and mountain biking.
What are you working on right now?
We’ve just launched our “Forever Free” Facebook career tab. This free tool will enable corporate recruiters to reach top talent directly from their Facebook pages. Recruiters can enjoy an increase in job applications, unlimited job postings, unique employer branding tools, and additional sharing options via LinkedIn and Twitter. There are no strings attached, and there’s no expiration date or credit card required.
Where did the idea for GooodJob come from?
By nature, I’m a problem-solver, and I’m always on the look-out for something to improve. I became acquainted with the recruiting industry through my wife’s work (she owns a boutique recruiting agency).
And after some initial research, I noticed a surprising disparity: while more corporate recruiters are acknowledging that employee referrals are an excellent source of hire, this truth is marred by the astonishingly low employee participation rates of 10-20% on average. The gears in my brain started to shift; I realized that by leveraging the power of social media networking (which has a rapidly increasing presence in our everyday lives) and integrating social recruiting into the referral program, it would be easier for more employees to get involved and increase the visibility of open positions.
What does your typical day look like?
Well, with two kids under the age of four, it starts pretty early. If I don’t have a morning meeting, I arrive early at the office and delve right in. Our team works in two, large, open rooms, and there is constant interaction and bustle. An average day involves me reviewing product issues with the development department, brainstorming content ideas with the marketing team, strategizing with our customer success manager, and conferring with our vice president of sales.
In addition, I like to meet with our customers and receive feedback, participate in local HR events, and regularly consult with our web design and SEO consultants.
How do you bring ideas to life?
We’re always thinking of new ways to make the GooodJob experience even greater for our clients. When we have a feature idea, we brainstorm together as a team to weigh the different elements, including functionality and user experience, to create a realistic roadmap. Once the ball gets rolling, I still remain very much in the picture and on-hand to answer questions and provide feedback.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
The concept of “Freemium,” as well as the ability to sell a product, just sitting on a cloud, to people you’ve never met and will never meet.
What was the worst job you ever had and what did you learn from it?
I worked in tort litigation. I learned that it’s better to talk and solve problems than to litigate.
If you were to start again, what would you do differently?
I would study architecture and build structures that would last for tens–if not hundreds–of years. That’s a way to make a real impact on the world and mankind.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Measure everything–whether it’s customer conversion, user engagement or optimal functionality. If you don’t measure, you cannot evolve and improve.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
Build a marketing content strategy early on. It will bring you loads of free, online traffic, and will enable you to brand yourself as an industry professional. People are not interested in just buying software; they want to buy something with a visionary origin and concept. Having a public display of your passion and faith in what you do will resonate with a broader audience.
If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be and how would you go about it?
I believe that the car industry, well, sucks. Cars are unsafe, and their reliance on oil has awful repercussions on our environment. Fortunately (though unfortunately for my personal quest to change the world), Better Place has beaten me to the punch, with their groundbreaking ventures to spearhead the future of 100% electric transportation.
Tell us a secret.
Incorporating social recruiting into your employee referral program can enable you to maximize your reach to top talent, vastly improve your employer brand image, and successfully engage a higher percentage of employees within the program.
What are your three favorite online tools or resources and what do you love about them?
- ClickTale makes measuring analytics a breeze!
- MailChimp is our favorite newsletter platform.
- Salesforce. I love receiving new leads, especially when they are converted to opportunities!
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
While it may sound cliché, but I’d have to say Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson. I was blown away by the approach Jobs used to make people believe that they could achieve the impossible.
Three people we should follow on Twitter and why?
- Master Burnett is a true recruiting “master.”
- TalentMinded is managed by Autumn McReynolds. It’s an informative, to-the-point resource.
- Johnny Campbell is full of social recruiting articles, news and tips.
Who is your hero?
Shai Agassi, founder of Better Place; Gigi Levy, our angel investor; Chris Sugai, a friend and the founder of Niner Bikes.
How can you effectively use social recruiting to improve the quality and reach of your employee referral program?
Harness employees’ social media networks! Together, employees’ networks–and their networks’ networks–provide a far greater reach than fan pages, single personal accounts and career tabs. Passive candidates, who otherwise wouldn’t “like” fan pages, friend a recruiter or check out a career tab, are kept informed of a company’s open positions. And potential candidates are more likely to pay attention to their friends’ employment recommendations than a company’s (a clearly biased source of information).
Connect:
Assaf Eisenstein on LinkedIn:
GooodJob on Twitter: @GooodJobcom
GooodJob on Facebook:
GooodJob on YouTube:
GooodJob’s website:
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.