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?
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.
