The popular pond: are we all looking for talent in the same place?

Success has a strange habit: it attracts attention, attention attracts people, and people attract even more people. Eventually, popularity becomes the obvious choice.

Think about restaurants, for example. Even though this is not about restaurants, let’s use them for a while. A queue forms outside the door, and everyone assumes the food inside must be exceptional. Did you ever experience such a thing? Me? Often!

Recruitment has quietly followed the same path. Well? Of course, why stay behind? After all, if the same human is queuing for a restaurant because of its popularity, eventually the same thing will happen in the HR department! Fish in the same pond! sorry we meant recruit in the same place

Some recruitment agencies or platforms are or were successful because of their popularity. And no one dares to question whether it’s a trap to gather every single soul in the same space or whether it’s just the only solution available! Do you see where I’m going? Sure, companies found candidates, talents found jobs, and everyone is happy. But how many talents are not happy at that popular space? You are probably still asking, where are you going now... Be patient, we’ll get to the point.

Today, thousands of businesses publish vacancies on one popular platform. I am sure you know which one. Why? Because it’s accepted, the norm, the foundation .... Its success prompted it to become the main destination if you are looking for talent. It’s the same place even if the business has completely changed in the last couple of years. Are we all still stuck in that place? Dare to leave? Oooh no, the world will crumble because there is no other place where I can show my face, showcase my skills, even though few are interested!

Can we blame it? Absolutely not!

Are you sure everyone listed their university or non-university qualifications? Are you sure this place isn’t pushing people to lie about their skills and career paths? How would you know? What is true or not true when no one cares to question what is in the public eye?

If everyone is fishing in the same pond, who dares to judge the quality of the fish?

Nobody questions the forest if it’s the single destination for the hunter! Everyone goes there. That is not a criticism. It is human nature.

I guess by this stage, you already understand what I’m talking about, right? If not, it’s fine. Continue reading; you will get there.

Freelancers on the move!

Where were we again? Yes, the pond! I hope now you understand what we are talking about, no?

Here we go... LinkedIn... our professional pond. Thus our question: The popular pond: are we all looking for talent in the same place?

Remember when we were almost shy to put our CV online? I don’t know about you, but I was! It took me a while to do it! We put our experience, education, professional picture and career history there. These were—and still are—serious things. You didn't just throw your entire professional life onto the internet and wait. You read it, checked for mistakes and made sure your colleagues double-checked it! Did you do that? I did – don’t judge me, LinkedIn was new and I had just discovered it! 😊

LinkedIn gave us that place; a professional place. You showed your career and companies showed their opportunities! LinkedIn became the first question recruiters asked: “I did not find you on LinkedIn. Why?” Gosh, it was embarrassing if you did not have a LinkedIn account!

The popular pond: are we all looking for talent in the same place? What happened to our pond?

Today, sometimes I open LinkedIn and wonder whether I am on Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram or an ad company.

• A new job? LinkedIn.

• A motivational quote before working time? LinkedIn.

• A new baby? Well... Facebook and LinkedIn are both invited to the celebration.

• A birthday? LinkedIn..🤦‍♀️

• Someone leaves a company after six months? There comes the emotional farewell.

• Someone starts a new job? “I am delighted, honoured, humbled, excited and thrilled to announce...” You know the song. We all do! Wunderbar!

Somewhere along the way, the professional CV space has become something of a big bazaar, thus the algorithms to reduce the bazaar: recruitment platform, networking platform, personal branding platform, content platform, messaging platform and social platform. A combination of Facebook for professionals, Instagram and WhatsApp for the rest.. am I wrong? See for yourself!

Nothing is wrong with evolution or diversifying your product. Platforms evolve, but LinkedIn has become a little like Amazon: you came looking for one thing, and two hours later you've seen twenty others, read three opinions, watched a video and somehow forgotten what you originally came for.

As my mum used to say: when one place becomes the place for everything, we should ask whether it can still be the perfect place for the one very specific thing you need.

We are not asking you to leave your favourite space; we are only asking you to open your sphere, look beyond the noise and search in a different forest for that rare bird.

Did you hear about VirtualMasst?

This place gives your privacy back. You have your own room as a freelancer searching for a job; companies will only see your professional space, no other drama emotional messages, they only see what you offer, what you can do for them.

When you discover a professional on VirtualMasst, you don't have to start by guessing:

Can you work on a freelance project? or are you self-employed? No! those questions have been handled for you. That distinction employee/freelancer has already been made, doubt removed. The European professional is registered to operate as an independent professional.

The hiring company came because it has a project, a mission for freelancer and is looking for experts.

LinkedIn can remain LinkedIn and Indeed can remain Indeed. VirtualMasst doesn't need to drain them.

We only built another lake for you to fish.:-)

Conclusion

So, what is the point of all this?

The popular platforms are not the problem; they became popular for a reason, and there is nothing wrong with continuing to use them. Our question is: why should they be your only option?

The way we work has changed; freelancing has changed; companies have changed. Perhaps the way we search for opportunities and professionals should change too.

For companies, diversification should not stop at investments, you can also diversify the places where you look for talent too! Explore specialised platforms, different professional communities and new spaces where the people you need may already be waiting to be discovered.

For independent professionals, don't allow your visibility to depend entirely on one profile, one algorithm or one popular platform. Give your skills more than one place to be seen.

That is where VirtualMasst comes in. We are not asking you to leave what already works. We are giving you another professional space to explore.

Sometimes, finding something different starts with looking somewhere different.

Share your thoughts with us. Send us your ideas, challenge ours, and tell us about your own experience. Where do you look for talent? Where do you look for opportunities? Have the popular platforms still got everything you need, or have you started looking elsewhere? We’re curious to hear your side of the story. And, as always, welcome to VirtualMasst.