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hotjobs2.jpg Amid all the noise about Microsoft and Yahoo!, one of the unanswered questions has to do with MS’ intent toward the recruitment business — a business that actually has some relationship with Microsoft’s core enterprise solutions (as opposed to its less established interests in social networking and arguably, search).

As Ken Doctor points out, HotJobs comes as part of the package when you buy Yahoo!. As recently as June 2007, however, Microsoft acquired a 4 percent share in rival CareerBuilder — probably to cement its technology and advertising ties with the site, and with its owners: Gannett, Tribune and McClatchy.

Is a rollup of CareerBuilder and HotJobs possible? Alternatively, would Microsoft opt out of its interest in CareerBuilder, and instead form a duo with Monster, an independent, publicly owned entity with its own newspaper ties? Indeed, just thinking of Microsoft in the recruitment space makes me wonder: Should local media concerns be owning these incredibly complex, technology-driven verticals?

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  1. Here is an interesting comment from CJ Reuter, a regional sales manager from Monster….But for the record, I wouldn’t call the dual interest in CareerBuilder and HotJobs “duplicity.” At this point, I’d call it a “coincidence.” Peter K

    Interesting read on your blog about the potential Yahoo-Microsoft merger. At Monster we are watching the events very closely because Microsoft is a client and Careerbuilder and Hotjobs are viewed as competitors (for the U.S. Market anyway). The recruitment space will morph into more media heavy offerings as people realize companies will pay for targeted ads to specific candidates, but for now it is a race for the passive candidates and then reaching certain skill sets and diverse candidates for most companies. I am glad someone else caught the duplicity of Microsoft’s potential ownership/investment in both Hotjobs and Careerbuilder – who operate in basically the same vertical business.

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