Interview with Sachin Shah – Simply Hired

Vertical job search engine Simply Hired had a big year in 2009, with expansions to multiple countries and a $4.6 million round of funding. Simply Hired does not charge companies to add their job feeds, but it does offer a pay-per-click model for sponsored listings.

jobsportalwatch.com recently spoke to Simply Hired’s director of international, Sachin Shah, to find out what challenges the search engine is currently facing, what it thinks of its competition, and what its plans are for the coming year.

Simply Hired now covers 17 countries and had raised a total of US$22.3 million in funding by August 2009. What have been the factors behind its growth?

There are two primary factors behind our growth: a strong focus on providing job seekers with the best search experience and the introduction of a cost-efficient, performance-based alternative for employers to reach potential candidates through recruitment advertising.

In which market is Simply Hired most successful in terms of unique visitors? Where is it facing the most challenges in becoming established?

In addition to the United States, Simply Hired has seen success and traction in Canada and the United Kingdom. The Asian sites will be the most challenging markets; however, since these sites have only recently launched, it is far too early to tell what changes will need to be made in order to properly serve these particular markets.

In August, Simply Hired announced it had been cash flow positive for the past four quarters. Has the global economic downturn had an effect on the search engine?

Based on our experience, the economic downturn has had two effects on job search engines. The first is the most obvious; the downturn has resulted in a surge of job seekers, and at Simply Hired, we are very fortunate to be in a position to help them find a new job.

Second, many companies have cut their hiring budgets, and HR departments are feeling the squeeze to do more with less. That is where we come in, as employers are more likely to increase spend on newer, cost-efficient alternatives such as Simply Hired’s pay-per-click advertising model.

In 2009, Simply Hired expanded to Italy, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, Japan, Switzerland, and China. Which countries will be added to the list in 2010?

Let’s not forget Mexico! We will continue to expand in 2010 at the same if not faster rate, both by deepening our presence in established countries (through the introduction of new tools for job seekers), and launching our job search engine in new markets. The focus of the expansion will be in Europe and Asia, but certainly large economies in other parts of the world will also be included.

New job search engine hired.my recently launched to cover Malaysia. Does Simply Hired see space for more than one job search engine per market?

Choice is a great thing for both job seekers and employers, and there is certainly room for multiple job search engines per market. Each one offers different tools for job seekers from specialty filters to social connections. This is also true for employers. Besides, competition is healthy and helps to ensure we are all striving to improve the job seeker experience.

CareerBuilder CEO Matt Ferguson recently told ere.net he doesn’t think job search engines pose a threat to traditional portals. Does Simply Hired think job search engines and portals can co-exist?

Job search engines and traditional job boards will co-exist. Each has its individual roles to play in the ecosystem. We do not consider traditional job boards a threat because they are partners, not the competition. However, assuming that a pay-per-post model is the only tool a recruiter needs in their toolbox is ignoring the tremendous pressure HR departments are facing to control costs and improve performance.

What are Simply Hired’s goals and plans for 2010?

Simply Hired’s 2010 goals focus around our core business, the job seeker experience, to ensure they get exposure to all the relevant jobs on the Web; continuing to increase our global reach to ensure employers connect with potential candidates in a more effective way and build our relationships with partners around the world.

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