Dive Brief:
- Google announced this week that it's shutting down Google for Hire on Sept. 1, 2020, in order to dedicate its resources to "other products in the Google Cloud portfolio." The company issued a Q&A guide for users on what to do until their contracts expire.
- Hire was launched just two years ago as an applicant tracking system (ATS) for small to midsize businesses. On top of Hire's sunset, Google for Jobs, the company's attempt to innovate job boards launched around the same time as Hire, has since run into antitrust complaints in the EU, The Verge reported, putting further pressure on the company's attempt to innovate in the recruiting space.
- According to TechCrunch, Google developed Hire after acquiring the tech firm BeBop for $380 million in 2015 from founder Diane Greene. Greene went on to head up Google's Cloud division, but left the position in early 2019.
Dive Insight:
Google joined Facebook and LinkedIn in creating a talent acquisition tool, which allowed the internet giant's entry into an arena — recruitment — not known for much innovation at the time. Google's hopes for Hire were to simplify the recruiting process and integrate its workflow into Google's G-Suite functions, including Search, Gmail, Calendar and Docs.
While mom-and-pop establishments used Hire, experts said large organizations used traditional ATS products. These circumstances may have set the stage for Hire's eventual demise.
Facebook also attempted to enter the job listings market, which saw new partnerships this year with big names like SAP. SAP is a notable household name in the recruiting space; Facebook may not have many people who are savvy about the particular market needs of recruiters in its own sphere, experts previously explained to HR Dive.
Big names in recruitment, however, have seen wider successes. Glassdoor, which was acquired by Recruit Holdings (an Indeed parent company) in 2018, expanded its reach to Latin America and Asia as well as opened offices in France, Germany and Canada as it continues its growth.
