I mentioned last week’s networking event on Monday and gave the schedule for our events for the rest of this year (23rd Oct in Manchester and 13th November in London).
However, I can also now report that the networking event on 13th November is shaping up to be the biggest ever celebration of the UK Online Recruitment sector. As well as speakers (Joe Slavin of Fish4jobs and Ann Swain of ATSCo) the National Online Recruitment Awards (NORA’s) will form a major part of the evening. I’ve been a judge for these awards over the past 7 years and this is the first year they are having a real-life awards ceremony. So, we are really pleased that we are able to work with Stephen O’Donnell to run it on the same night as our November networking.
If you want to find out more about the NORA’s you should visit their site. So far over 46,000 nominations have been made for sites in all ten categories. Nominations can still be made until 26th September.
As those who attended the networking last week will know the venue is exceptional, and we are expecting a big turnout in November. So make a point of registering early, and putting it in your diary.
Hi Louise,
This years event sure looks to be a good one.
Ive looked at the alljobsuk awards information on the link you provided buts it not clear on the selection process involved in picking finalists.
As you are involved as a judge perhaps you or Steven at alljobsuk could comment on the following as im always interested in seeing the outcome of the Nora awards, anything that brings more recognition of the UKs online recruitment classified advertising sector has to be a good thing but i do have concerns about it.
I think it’s good to have recognised awards that are based on the standard of a jobs board from the job seekers perspective. I was pleased to see this year the increase of more independent judges on your decision making panel – this is a very good move forwards, much better than previous years, the more independent judges involved at this stage the better as its reduces the risk of biased results and helps to truly identify winners that operate jobs boards that deliver what the job seeker wants to a high standard.
The reservation I have, is am I right in thinking based on the current rules that it is alljobsuk only that decides which websites go through to the judging stage? If this is the case, are the awards at risk of being seen as biased rather than impartial? after all would alljobsuk not be influenced by putting forward boards that advertise with them on say their alljobsuk website or their 1job website? What sort of guarantee can they give that this is not the case?
May I ask why all entries are not put to a panel in the first place on say a point scoring basis applied to all entries by the independent panel to decide on the finalists list and then from that selection a winner confirmed rather than the current method? – Can you see that it might look like sites that are perhaps in bed with one of alljobsuks sites that could get preference in being put forward for an award in the first place as it looks like alljobsuk decide in effect who’s entered?
My second question relates to point 3 in the contest rules about “volume of claimed visitors” being used as a deciding factor.
Can you clarify what this means? How are you doing this? Are you working off abc metrics or going off what the board tells you or using some other method?, this factor looks a bit sketchy to me to say the least unless the judging panel are seeing the log files for each site or a copy of their stats report or seeing a copy of their abc certificate or using auditing software of some kind i cant see how this factor can be applied accurately
Other than above, as I say the awards are a good thing – but only as long as results can not be corrupted in any way
Look forward to your thoughts on this
Claire
Claire,
You make a very valid point and it’s interesting that no reply has been given.
On Linked in http://www.linkedin.com/pub/1/B57/8B5 – Stephen O’Donnell is founder of alljobsuk and sales director of 1job so has to be influenced by existing clients – the finalists selection process looks biased as a result and this is where this whole award selection process falls down!.
This whole awards fiasco looks like a total sham to me, what is the point if the list of finalists are decided by one company, alljobsuk in the first place NOT THE JOBSEEKER OR PANNEL AS ADVERTISED!
Best newcomer – jobg8 ?? – No jobseeker has even heard of it yet let alone would have voted for it, has it even started up yet? – I wondered how this one could possibly have been put forward for an award by the job seeking public but then the penny dropped, they are clients of 1job and that’s how they know about them!
CV-library up for best job board? – give me strength! it’s a CV database. Again Joe public wouldn’t vote for it as a job board because it’s not one. CV Library thinks they are a Job board and are one of 1jobs biggest clients by the looks of it; hence 1job has a vested interest in them – so up for an award they go!
Then you have Jobserve up for a specialist site award – it’s a generalist site now, take a look at it, it was a specialist IT job board a few years back not any longer, ask any jobseeker who uses jobserve and they will agree it’s a generalist site!, it covers jobs in accountancy, legal and all areas yet alljobsuk obviously think it still a niche site and in the list of finalists it goes – joe public wouldn’t vote for it as a specialist only!
Next you have S1jobs – again being alljobsuk favorite site for the regional’s and amazingly its short listed again this year without them even promoting the alljobsuk awards! – let me guess will it probably win?
Then you have Careers in recruitment – again not even promoting the award but look http://www.careersinrecruitment.com/careershop/interviews/stephen_o_donnell.php
http://careersinrecruitment.blogspot.com/2008/06/interview-with-stephen-odonnell-founder.html
Again known to alljobsuk – did any member of the public vote for it? – Another one up for an award.
In all I think the mere fact that the finalists are chosen by alljobsuk only, makes a total sham of the whole process – this is NOT how it should be done!
It matters not who wins these awards as the sites to choose from are pre-selected in a situation where clients and sites known to alljobsuk possibly had an advantage over any other sites – The finalists are not chosen by JOBSEEKERS or an independent panel hence the problem.
Chris
P.S Until this situation changes I think the whole Nora awards situation has little credibility
Claire
Thanks for your comments. I think you might also find it useful to have a look at the thread “ChrisAtkins” started on our forum at http://ukrecruiter.willco.com/forum/Forum/read.php?i=138211&start=0. This certainly discusses some of the issues that you have concern with.
Stephen O’Donnell has made a response on that thread which I’m pretty sure covers off the first part of your question.
In terms the judging – I’ve been a judge for the last few years but understand we will have new “judging guidelines” this year. When these come through this week I may be able to comment further on the process.
Workmoose has also been nominated twice in the NORA Awards vhttp://www.alljobsuk.com/awards/awards2008/Norafinalists.shtml Key 103 jobs.co.uk as the best regional site and Workmoose as the best new concept. I look forward to meeting everyone and to talk about our unique online job boards.