So the comparisons between Monster’s BeKnown and BranchOut are obvious. We covered that this morning already here on FOT. Many are saying that BeKnown is just a copy cat, a very obvious copy cat, which was one of the big points of discussion between us and the BranchOut folk yesterday. Obviously, our friends at Monster took notice. Not just to us necessarily, as the comparisons have been hitting the blogosphere and press… but what I think may have struck a chord with Monster were the sweeping statements saying they replicated BranchOut, and then some “factually inaccurate” statements about their product by BranchOut. So out of complete fairness, while here in Vegas at #SHRM11, we took a moment to chat with Monster’s BeKnown product manager to get the scoop on what differentiates their product from BranchOut, and where they may be taking things in the future… plus some perspective on their brand, more broadly speaking. (Email/RSS subscribers, you can click through to learn more.)
Monster Speaks About BranchOut vs. BeKnown from fistful of talent on Vimeo.
In Monster’s defense, I totally get where they are coming from. Sure, BranchOut was the first out of the gate to develop a Facebook app for career networking… but for Monster to not jump in the game? Well, their customers are demanding it. So how could they not be responsive? And in their opinion, being second out of the gate isn’t so bad – it was actually an opportunity to learn where BranchOut may have some gaps and then improving upon their product from there.
So apps on Facebook for the job seeker, well, it’s only getting more crowded… but as Kris Dunn put it this morning too… none own the pipes, and they all have to figure out how to scale. Good luck with that, friends. We’ll be watching to see how it all shakes out.
Jessica Lee is a VP of TA at Marriott International where she leads a team that enables the company to think big, broad and boldly about all things talent acquisition and in effect, keeps them relevant and ahead of the curve in how they attract and acquire top talent. Don’t be fooled by that fancy pants title and description though, she’s still an everyday HR gal in the trenches at the core. SPHR certified, a decade and a half into trench HR life… she can whip up a corrective action plan or source for your purple squirrel in a heartbeat.
