Liquid HR: Revisiting iProfile: We're getting there

Too much time has elapsed since I checked out the iprofile website. I decided to go back on to see whether they've come as far as they said they would when last I talked with them.

To refresh, iProfile has a service whereby you can create an online CV which can then be reused among various recruiter websites. A great idea (not uniquely theirs - I originally started my own venture long ago with this idea in mind, and I'm sure others have thought of it), but in my first review of iProfile I found that the implementation bent over backwards to appease the recruiters rather than empowering the job seeker.

So anyway I logged back into my long dormant account, and was greeted with a new layout. Things are looking up. For the moment, I'll abbreviate the description of the layout. Let's just say It's more user friendly than before -- with topside tab (my unscientific name) menus and various widget boxes a la facebook. There are bits of clunkiness here and there: for instance, selecting preferred work locations doesn't seem to be using AJAX, so you have to type in and click 'search' for a location like "Switzerland." But nevertheless the interface is relatively well organized and easy to understand.

What's more important: iprofile is more user focused than before. I have a list of recruiters, and I can check and uncheck each one to determine whether my CV is distributed to their website's database. Each recruiter website has associated Terms and Conditions to which I must agree, and a little logo where they can present their brand and uniqueness (snicker, giggle). You can attach your CV and develop your online CV in another submenu, and job search in yet another. Jobs summaries are representative of that which is on various recruiters' websites. Furthermore, iProfile compatible websites have iProfile logo indicators associated with them -- so you know where you iProfile CV can be used. Of course, this creates a gentle push upon the recruiters to become more compatible.

What's also cool is that if you go these individual websites, they have iProfile compatible logos on them (ever wonder why I had the www.liquid-cv.com 'CV' in a waterdrop? It was to be distributed to all participating websites as a compatibility indicator). All of this is sign-posting for the consumer, making his or her job easier.

Liquid HR angle

Remember, there were three requirements to develop the Liquid HR economy. They were the liquidity of information, standardization of information, and the bidirectional flow of information. iProfile has helped with standardization of data: the iProfile CV is a standard CV that can be used in various websites. However, we'll need to drill a bit deeper to see whether the iProfile is replicated with data intact from one recruiter website to another -- in my last posting some time ago, it seemed iProfile was having trouble with this point: I logged in to various iProfile compatible websites and found my CV has been slightly mangled from its original iProfile form.

However, what's particularly interesting is that iProfile is now beginning to help with the bidrectional flow of information: on iProfile, we have a database of recruiters in the same way that recruiters have a database of candidates. However, this information doesn't go very deep: we don't have any information about whether these recruiters are any good, how many people they place, etc. Therefore, look for iProfile to start creating a consumer-oriented review service for various recruiters. So next to each recruiter, you might find a 3 or 4 or 5 star rating, and perhaps testimonials from happy candidates. You know -- references for the recruiter (the same way we have references for ourselves). Why do I think this would happen? Think about all the crap recruiters that have wasted your time, and the need to make that known to other would-be candidates. Furthermore, I had the iProfile idea a long time ago, and recruiter review was one of the features I wanted to tack onto it. And it's logical: it follows the requirement for the bidirectional flow of information. Companies and recruiters have info about us: we need info about them.

Good, good...the recruiters are starting to get pushed down into the lower ranks of the supply chain. They are a source for jobs, while iProfile is beginning to take over the actual consumer relationship. What's next? Once recruiter review functions are in place, the recruiters that don't add much value will be squeezed out, in favor for a direct relationship between the consumer-oriented website (in this case iProfile) and the actual source of the job (the hiring company).

So I'd say iProfile is stepping into the right direction. I'll subsequently go further to see whether, in practical terms, they are providing a worthwhile service, by reviewing the fidelity of my iProfile CV once it is sent from company to company, and by seeing if the actual jobs are any good, and if recruiters take notice of a CV. But so far, it looks like the fellas at iProfile are further along the right track.