Normally here at TheOnlineBeat we focus our energies on helping job seekers find sites, tools and applications to assist in their job search. Today we take a minute to acknowledge a company that was innovative enough to see the challenges found in a job search from the recruiting side. StandOutJobs.com is answering the question, “What is your company doing to attract and engage the right candidates?"

CEO & Co-Founder, Ben Yoskovitz, was nice enough to sit down and answer a few questions for us on how he came up with the idea, where the company is going, and why he thinks companies need to be more concerned with how they market themselves to job seekers.

TOB: Could you give us a quick run down as to what StandOutJobs is all about?

Ben Yoskovitz: Standout Jobs provides a Recruitment Communication Platform to help companies attract, engage and convert the right job seekers into applicants and hires. Our software platform leverages social media and search engine optimization to increase traffic and engagement. Companies can develop and promote their employer brand, and give candidates the information they need to make the right decision on applying.

TOB: So how easy is it for a company with little tech knowledge to employ your platform?

Ben Yoskovitz: The platform is provided as an on-demand service, hosted by us, so HR and recruiters don't have to worry about technical know-how or involve their IT Departments.

TOB: So in your own words, where does your recruiting platform excel when others fall short?

Ben Yoskovitz: The platform – through career sites and recruitment micro-sites – increases the traffic an employer receives (through search engine optimization, job distribution, etc.) and then helps to convert that traffic into applicants. Companies can promote their employer brand effectively and use social media (videos, photos, blogs, etc.) to really interact and engage job seekers. Our specialty is really in the ability for a company to very quickly and inexpensively launch one or multiple recruitment sites that look great, engage the audience and drive results.

TOB: How has the response been?

Ben Yoskovitz: The response has been great so far. We launched at the end of January, 2008 and brought on board 220+ beta customers. We recently launched a new version of our product – with new and advanced functionality – and we're bringing that aggressively to market. Generally, I think we're seeing more and more HR people and recruiters recognize the importance of marketing and how recruiting is really an exercise in sales and marketing. Our platform empowers those notions – that companies need to really sell job seekers on why they should work for them.

TOB: What are the primary goals for the company right now and how do you intend to meet them?

Ben Yoskovitz: Our primarily focus is on customer acquisition and continuously delivering results for our customers. We plan on meeting them yy any and every means necessary! That's the way of a startup – you do whatever it takes to succeed. Of course, there's a more strategic plan than saying "we'll do everything". In late 2008 we worked a great deal on securing channel partners and resellers. We've brought on a great group of resellers who are actively selling our product in the market. That's providing us with quicker access to markets – in North America and Europe.
          We're now ramping up our direct sales strategy as well. And, we'll be providing significant value add to the marketplace through content creation (white papers, webinars, etc.) to build up our brand name and promote the tenets of the company.

TOB: That’s a lot on one plate, but these days it seems necessary for any startup to go full-steam ahead. Clearly StandoutJobs values the presence of social media during the job search process. What would you say to a company that doesn't see the value in incorporating social media into their recruitment platform?

Ben Yoskovitz: I'd say they're missing out. And today that might not be the end of the world, but in a few years, I honestly believe it will be. Younger job seekers are demanding that employers interact with them using social media – the tools that they, as young people, grew up with and use daily. Young job seekers want more from employers and they want to really understand the cultural and personal fit. Social media empowers companies to truly interact and engage their audience – and that's simply going to be a requirement of hiring top talent in the future.
           On top of which, if you don't hire the right people you'll have high turnover, which everyone understands as a huge pain point for HR. Turnover can be addressed, in part, by hiring the right fits upfront. And hiring the right fits upfront is addressed by giving job seekers and candidates the information they want and the positive experience they deserve.

TOB: So when you pitch to them, what sort of advantages do you stress for a company who laces social media with their recruitment efforts have over competitors?

Ben Yoskovitz: Social media allows a company to market and sell themselves more effectively. That will result in attracting better people and converting those people into applicants. If someone visits your career site today, what do they see? Is it a bland list of jobs with a 20-step application process? If the person decides not to apply at that very moment (which you should think of as a "buying decision") what happens? You lost that person, and chances are they're never coming back. You just spent money – probably through a job posting – to drive someone to a site that couldn't convert them to do something. And that's a significant waste of money. Social media ultimately will help you hire the right people, create a more efficient recruitment process, and save you money.

TOB: Do you believe your platform works for any potential employer or do particular industries benefit from your product more then others, depending on the ideal job candidate and the degree of web engagement?

Ben Yoskovitz: I think our platform can work in almost any situation. It's not about being the "coolest" company or having the "coolest" jobs. It's about companies promoting themselves in the best light possible, and meeting job seekers halfway. I'd like to believe that almost every company has a worthwhile story to tell, it's just that they don't do a very good job of telling it.

TOB: Wow that’s a great way of looking at it. It seems like something companies need to be more concerned with moving forward. I’d love to hear your story as to how you came up with the idea and what led you to launching StandoutJobs.com?

Ben Yoskovitz: I've been an entrepreneur for over 12 years. I started my first company in 1996 while still in university. That company was also in the technology space, focused primarily on business-to-business software. So I've spent the last 12 or so years in the B2B software space, although Standout Jobs is my first business in the HR industry.
     I've always enjoyed "creating things" and starting businesses is very much an exercise in creating something. Back in 1996 I didn't think I would be specializing in B2B software solutions, but I've always enjoyed working in the corporate world to improve efficiency, generate more results for less money.

TOB: Here at TheOnlineBeat we really stress the importance of matching your passions and your energy with the right workplace. What kind of culture do you instill at StandoutJobs? What kind of adjectives do you think are important to stress in a company’s culture?

Ben Yoskovitz: Standout Jobs is a very do-it-on-your-own type environment. There's no micromanaging that takes place, and we encourage (or you could say "demand") that everyone pull his/her own weight aggressively. We're a startup, and in a startup each person is vitally important.
        The old cliché is true – you work hard and you play hard. We set high expectations and push the team to meet them every single day. But we also take time off, play video games and enjoy a casual atmosphere.
In terms of words (adjectives or otherwise) that represent Standout Jobs and our culture, these come to mind: focus, customer support, speed, execution and serious fun.
 
TOB: That sounds like a great place to work. A lot of our readers are entrepreneurial in spirit, what advice would you give to someone who is just launching his or her own company/site?

Ben Yoskovitz: Honestly, this depends on the company or site that's being launched – it's scope, the industry it's in, etc. but here are some things that I feel are universal:
•    Be prepared to do a lot of work you don't want to do. There are always things you love doing – maybe it's programming or sales or marketing – but there are going to be a lot of other things that you don't like doing, or don't have expertise in. Guess what? Those are probably going to be some of the most important things you'll have to do in order to succeed.
•    Hire top people. You can't afford to hire B or C-level players when you're just starting. Everyone has to be an A-player. In a small team, every single person is just too important.
•    Nothing is more important money. Companies go out of business because they run out of money. It's as simple as that. Nothing is more important than money management, even if your business isn't focused on generating revenue initially.
•    Know your market. It's essential that you understand your market – what they want, why, how they buy, what they pay for (and what they won't pay for), etc. You have to know the market size, who are the buyers, the competition and so on. I wrote a post on this recently related to software-as-a-service companies.

TOB: That is all great advice, what most surprised you during the creation & launching of the site?

Ben Yoskovitz: The most surprising thing is how fast time flies. Perhaps this is universal for many people – they feel like things are just flying by and they can't possibly get enough done – but it's especially acute when you're starting a business. I can't believe that we started Standout Jobs in early 2007 (and then launched officially in early 2008) – we're now almost 2-years in from the moment we started. That's incredible.

TOB: It seems like you guys are doing all the right things and really pushing the appropriate avenues to separate StandoutJobs from the pact as a leader in recruitment platforms. We wish you the best of luck moving forward and look forward to hearing a great deal more on StandoutJobs in the future!

If you are a company looking to improve your recruitment efforts please contact Ben at ben@standoutjobs.com.

If you are looking to connect socially with StandoutJobs check out:
StandoutJobs on Twitter
StandoutJobs Blog

If you are looking to connect socially with Ben, check out:
Ben on Twitter
Ben on LinkedIn
Ben's Blog on startups, entrepreneurship & social media