Unprofessional sledgehammer to crack a nut......

As an engineer, its a great time - lots of things which couldn't be, now can be.

But, as a business person and as a consumer/buyer, there are some things which just prove that often, even when something is possible, it really shouldn't be taken to market - hence, the sledgehammer to crack a nut principle!

In example - peoplecompare.co.uk It is so "cool," and launches in July 2008, claiming to be: the UK's first ever recruitment comparison tool of its kind in which employers are provided with a fast and effective way to compare people for employment from a number of recruitment companies in a quick one-step easy process. Further...... For a small annual fee recruitment companies enjoy cost-effective genuine enquiries from employers on a regular basis throughout the year. Many have been quick to get onboard and take advantage of the site's introductory offer of just £150 (+vat) which covers one year's subscription to the site and includes account creation, Logo upload, and an initial amount of credits to get started.

Wow, that is so wonderful for both sides, its amazing that no one ever thought about creating that before......

Woops, they did - its called the Recruitment and Employment Confederation Directory of Members. It's free for anyone to use, but for recruiters to join and be listed they have to be members of professional body REC - so it ensures quality (less than half of recruiters in the UK are REC qualified and registered). The cost of joining REC - one course of about £1,000, and an annualised membership fee of around £150 plus some refresher courses - which provides your clients with industry level insurance and a mediation option.

Does peoplecompare.co.uk offer similar? No, just £150 annualised fee to recruiters, and nothing to employers except a Yell.com listing and a set of prices comparisons which don't mean a lot.......

The nice thing about being a capitalist is that, the machine quickly removes the un-thought-through chaff: anyone for a bet on how long peoplecompare.co.uk will last - single digits only, bets in days or months?