Jobshark to Launch in Uruguay in 2 Weeks - Uruguay
Wednesday, April 11, 2001

Canada-based online recruitment services provider Jobshark (www.jobshark.com) plans to launch its service in Uruguay in the next couple of weeks, managing director for Ibero-America Andrew Macdonald told BNamericas.com.

The company is currently present in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela and Chile. The company also has operations in Peru, through a 50/50 joint venture with local newspaper El Comercio.

Jobshark was founded in Canada in 1997 and created the Ibero-America division last year, when it also became the recruitment channel for regional portal El Sitio (NASDAQ: LCTO).

Revenues come from charges to companies for access to a database of candidates, as well as additional recruitment and selection services.

"We're basically breakeven on an operational level in Latin America," Macdonald said, adding that Jobshark is profitable in its other markets. Unlike some regional players such as Latpro, Jobshark does not charge candidates for posting their applications, which are based on skill set profiles with CVs as attachments.

"You can get away with charging candidates in emerging markets where there is high unemployment, but when it becomes a seller's market, i.e. the candidate is sought after, you can't," Macdonald said.

Nor does Jobshark obtain significant revenues from advertising, he continued, as the goal is not to bring candidates back to the site, but to notify them by email when a desired position is available.

The site has some 300,000 candidates on a regional basis, while 450-500 companies are currently using the service in Latin America, Macdonald said.

BNamericas.com