I just know that if she were stealing my qualified people that I worked hard to recruit and retain, I'd have a hard time with it. We somehow doubt it. Meanwhile, the web is beginning to evolve towards evermore interesting business models. Blurring the distinction between communications, networking and recruiting, Branchout has jumped into the market with a boost from CareerMosaic . The service, similar in execution to a number of recent web entrants, allows users to build personal networks based on hobby, neighborhood, personal interest, education, company experience and so on.
Recruiters can gain access to the various networks through a series of programs .
There is something extremely attractive about being able to get in touch with old school chums or a distant mentor by simply registering with a service. The Branchout registration process, designed to facilitate connections, extracts relationship information from new members. With a goal of 500K members by the end of 1999, the service simultaneously provides value to network members and a potential gold mine for recruiters. Branchout has the potential to build resume-like profiles based on the value that members receive from other members. It's a really good idea and is likely to be adopted as the front end of a number of recruiting endeavors.