Gisteren kwam er weer een documercial over Monster uit waarin de zegeningen van 6Sense werden rondgebazuind onder het mom van een journalistiek artikel. Dit keer wordt Power Resume Search gepimpt; nu plotseling onder de naam Applicant Matching. Niets nieuws onder de zon dus.

Maar veel leuker is het geclaimde succes voor werkzoekers. Waarbij de Power Job Search nu als 6Sense Job Search BETA door het leven blijkt te gaan. Een mond vol die ook nog eens de volgende claim to fame heeft:

Monster has found that seekers using 6Sense have applied to 20% more jobs per visit and have viewed 18% more jobs than seekers using keyword based search. The primary reason is that 6Sense eliminates the frustration and clutter that is caused by keyword-based job search that is used by other job sites. 6Sense allows seekers to easily retain focus on the positions that are most relevant to their needs

Yesterday another infomercial came out, in which the blessings of 6Sense are broadcasted under the guise of a journalistic article. This time Power Resume Search is being pimped, and now suddenly under the title Applicant Matching. It seems there really is nothing new under the sun.

Much more amusing is the success claimed for job seekers. Power Job Search now seems to be going through life as 6Sense Job Search BETA. This mouthful also has the following claim to fame:

Monster has found that seekers using 6Sense have applied to 20% more jobs per visit and viewed 18% more jobs than seekers using keyword-based search. The primary reason is that 6Sense eliminates the frustration and clutter that is caused by keyword-based job search that is used by other job sites. 6Sense allows seekers to easily retain focus on the positions that are most relevant to their needs.

Fantastisch toch hoe een tweetal getallen (applied to 20% more jobs per visit and have viewed 18% more jobs) zich op magische wijze weten te vertalen tot gelukkiger werkzoekers. Terwijl ik juist zou verwachten dat een goede matching engine juist zou resulterenin minder bekeken vacatures en minder sollicitaties. Maar wel beter gericht. Afijn, Monster houdt blijkbaar nog altijd van grotere getallen en begrijpt niet dat klein echt fijner is in dit verband. En al helemaal omdat Amerikaanse werkgevers op dit moment worden overspoeld met sollicitanten…

Maar het onderdeel van deze documercial met de grootste fudge factor is de volgende tekst:
[…] Monster has also expanded the geographic reach of this technology. 6Sense was recently launched in the United Kingdom and Canada and so far the early results and level of interest from customers is very promising. The technology is also in beta in France […]

Voor de oppervlakkige lezer lijkt dit een heel positief stukje. Maar deze zinsnede: the early results and level of interest from customers is very promising is feitelijk corporate speak voor: we hebben nog een lange weg te gaan voordat 6Sense geschikt is voor deze markten. Wat natuurlijk ook de reden is voor de enorme vertragingen die de internationale uitrol van 6Sense in de tussentijd heeft ondervonden. Nee, die internationale uitrol gaat bepaald niet goed…

Monster is blijkbaar bezig in de aanloop naar de publicatie van de kwartaalresultaten om de aandacht op de toekomst (lees: 6Sense) te richten en die toekomst zo rozig mogelijk voor te stellen. Om zo de impact van de ongetwijfeld tegenvallende resultaten te dempen. Noodzakelijk, want de beurskoers is ondertussen op het laagste niveau van 2010 aangekomen; net boven de $12. En met steeds sterker wordende signalen van een wederom krimpende economie zou het me niets verbazen als die beurskoers binnenkort onder de $10 gaat duiken.

Ondertussen zijn er nog altijd analisten die hun ‘reputatie’ wensen te bezoedelen door Monster zelfs op te waarderen. Maar ja, de argumentatie is dan ook wel van zo’n abominabel niveau dat hier sprake moet zijn van een analist die frontale lobotomie heeft ondergaan. Of zou die analist zijn baan soms via 6Sense hebben gevonden?

Ik word ondertussen wel steeds benieuwder naar de resultaten van het 2e kwartaal…Isn’t it great how a pair of numbers (applied to 20% more jobs per visit and viewed 18% more jobs) magically translates to happier job seekers? While I would have expected that a great matching engine would actually result in fewer viewed vacancies as well as fewer applications and would instead be more focused. Anyway, Monster is apparently still a fan of bigger numbers and doesn’t seem to understand that smaller really is better in this context. Especially considering that American employers are currently being flooded with applicants …

But the part of this infomercial with the biggest fudge factor is the following text:

[…] Monster has also expanded the geographic reach of this technology. 6Sense was recently launched in the United Kingdom and Canada and so far the early results and level of interest from customers is very promising. The technology is also in beta in France […]

For the superficial reader, this seems a very positive piece of information. But the words: the early results and level of interest from customers is very promising is actually corporate speak for: we still have a long way to go before 6Sense will be suitable for these markets. Which of course is also the reason for the huge delays that the international rollout of 6Sense has encountered in the meantime. No, the international rollout is absolutely not going very well…

Monster is apparently rather busy, in the run up to the publication of the quarterly results, focusing on the future (read: 6Sense) and presenting that future as rosily as possible. All of this of course in order to reduce the impact of the no doubt disappointing results. And with just cause; the share price is now at its lowest level reached in 2010, just over $12. And with ever-increasing signs of the economy shrinking again, I wouldn’t be surprised if the share price soon dives below $10.

Meanwhile there are still analysts who are willing to stain their ‘reputation’ by endorsing Monster. But true, the argument is then also of such abominable levels that the analyst must have undergone a frontal lobotomy. Or would that analysts have found his job through 6Sense?

In the meantime I am becoming increasingly curious of their Q2 results…