by Ben Hess, Managing Director, ThirdPool Recruiting
Google recently announced it will be discontinuing its recruiting software product called Google Hire.
Google Hire joins a long list of other products/services Google has created and shut down (here’s a list of more than 170 others) because they didn’t meet expectations.
Why did Google Hire fail? Â
According to recruitment technology expert Raghav Singh, there were multiple factors that led to its demise. Here are two of the most compelling:
Too generic: Hire’s failure is likely the result of it being a remarkably mediocre offering that tried to compete in a market that already had plenty of cool, feature-rich, and innovative products.
Recruiting software works best when it’s meeting the unique needs of recruiters inside a specific industry. A one-size-fits-all recruiting solution is not overly helpful.
Poor Connection to Sourcing: Hire does include features to source candidates, [but it didn’t] stand out from the field…. It’s strange that [Google] launched an ATS with no demonstrated superiority.
The connection between recruiting software and sourcing is critical. Without a constant flow of recruiting prospects, great software means nothing.
It’s important to learn from failures—whether they happen to you or happen to others.
