You’re not LinkedIn or Indeed: How can you still succeed? | Job Board Leaders Roundtable

For the past 1.5 years, our founder, Steven Rothberg, has hosted a very collegial and collaborative online meeting of dozens of leaders of job boards and recruitment marketplaces.

The Job Board Leaders’ Roundtable meetings are held at 11:00am U.S. Eastern on the second Thursday of each month. They’re all free to everyone involved. Send an email to Steven at Steven@CollegeRecruiter.com to be added to the invitation list for future events.

Initially, the meetings had no real agenda but were just friendly places to share ideas. We quickly moved to a format where each meeting had a particular topic, and Steven moderated the discussion. Starting in January, the format has further evolved to feature a guest who Steven interviews for roughly the first half hour, and then we open up the conversation so that any attendee can ask questions, share ideas, etc.

Today’s episode featured Peter M. Zollman, founding principal of the AIM Group. Their business is focused primarily on classified advertising in verticals such as real estate, automobiles, and jobs. For jobs, they host the annual RecBuzz conference and also publish the Recruitment Intelligence Report. Steven and others from College Recruiter have attended (and loved) RecBuzz multiple times and have subscribed to the Report since its very first edition. Steven and Peter also cohost the Inside Job Boards and Recruitment Marketplaces Podcast.

Peter, Steven, and a number of today’s attendees discuss the dominance of LinkedIn and Indeed in our industry, how that wasn’t accidental but due to a lot of great decision making and execution by both, and how best the tens of thousands of other sites in our industry can not only survive but even thrive.

AI-generated summary of today’s meeting:

• Welcome and Logistics for the Job Board Leaders Monthly Roundtable: Steven Rothberg welcomed attendees to the March 2026 episode of the job board leaders monthly roundtable, confirming that the meeting occurs on the second Thursday of each month at 11:00 a.m. US Eastern time. Mark Feffer questioned why the time seemed different. Steven Rothberg explained that the time difference was due to the US switching to daylight savings time, which differs from other parts of the world, like the UK, where the meeting is generally at 4:00 p.m. but is currently at 3:00 p.m. Steven Rothberg acknowledged that the time confusion was the “fault” of the US (00:00:00).
• Introduction of Guest Speaker Peter M. Zollman and the AIM Group: Steven Rothberg introduced Peter M. Zollman, the founding principal of the AIM Group, noting that they have worked closely together for the past couple of years. Steven Rothberg provided an overview of the AIM Group’s work in the job space, which includes publishing the *Recruitment Intelligence Report*, of which Steven Rothberg claimed to be the first subscriber. The AIM Group also organizes the annual RecBuzz conference, with the next one scheduled for Budapest, Hungary, in a little over a month. Information about the AIM Group and RecBuzz is available at aimgroup.com, where details on ticketing and reports can be found. Steven Rothberg encouraged anyone to reach out to them offline to discuss the events and reports, as they remain a subscriber (00:01:25).
• Meeting Topic: Competing with Indeed and LinkedIn: Steven Rothberg stated that the initial conversation with Peter M. Zollman would last about 20 to 25 minutes before opening it up to the audience, focusing on the dominance of LinkedIn and Indeed (00:01:25). Steven Rothberg conceded that the dominance of these platforms is well-deserved, as they consistently execute well, emphasizing that they did not become this dominant by accident but by doing many things exceptionally, potentially with some good fortune. Steven Rothberg framed the core challenge for the tens of thousands of other job boards and recruitment marketplaces as figuring out the best way to compete against Indeed and LinkedIn, questioning whether they should compete head-on or target different markets (00:02:56).
• AIM Group and RecBuzz Update and Acknowledgment of Dominant Platforms: Peter M. Zollman thanked Steven Rothberg for the favorable introduction, although expressing disappointment that Steven Rothberg and a person named Core would not be attending the RecBuzz conference in Budapest. Peter M. Zollman noted that registrations for RecBuzz are going “surprisingly well” despite the current climate for job boards and recruitment marketplaces (00:04:03). Peter M. Zollman welcomed anyone from Indeed or LinkedIn who might be on the call, agreeing with Steven Rothberg that they have executed many “smart things”. Peter M. Zollman specifically praised Recruit (which owns Indeed) for being brilliant since the day they acquired Indeed, even though they have had missteps like Cost Per Apply. Peter M. Zollman noted that Deco, who runs the whole company and Indeed directly, is a talented and intelligent person. Regarding LinkedIn, Peter M. Zollman acknowledged that it is a brilliant company but noted its main problems are spam, AI content, and an abundance of bogus profiles and job listings (00:05:08).
• Initial Assessment of Indeed and LinkedIn Strengths: Steven Rothberg initiated a rapid-fire discussion on a few things that LinkedIn and Indeed do extremely well. Peter M. Zollman identified **scale** as a major strength, noting that smaller boards cannot compete on that dimension. They are effective at providing certain **tools** for small employers, including effective packaging and pricing options like pay-per-click and pay-per-whatever. Peter M. Zollman also noted that LinkedIn specifically creates a **sense of community** through users posting comments and content, though this has recently become “spammy and AI driven” (00:06:27).
• Initial Assessment of Indeed and LinkedIn Weaknesses: When discussing what the dominant platforms do not do well, Steven Rothberg focused on LinkedIn’s issue with low-value, AI or bot-generated content. Peter M. Zollman identified the key failing as the limited ability of both platforms to **create a sense of community**. Peter M. Zollman stated that this community aspect should be the differentiating factor for almost all other job boards (00:07:41).
• Elaborated Definition of ‘Community’ in the Job Board Context: Steven Rothberg recalled a previous conversation with Peter M. Zollman where Steven Rothberg used examples of sites where candidates interact with one another, like a Facebook-like experience where one nurse helps another find a position. Peter M. Zollman clarified that their concept of community is broader than just job seeker-to-job seeker interaction. Peter M. Zollman defined winning as reaching a point where job seekers think of the platform as **”my job board,”** and employers think of it as **”the place I go to find my people”** (00:08:52). If a platform is merely one of 22 options alongside Indeed, LinkedIn, and ZipRecruiter, it has not won. Winning means building the job board to be *the* place for customers and even people in the community who are not actively seeking a job (00:09:53).
• Analogy of Community to the Local Pub: Steven Rothberg connected Peter M. Zollman’s concept of community to the UK pub culture, where people feel a sense of ownership and belonging to their local pub (00:10:58). Steven Rothberg appreciated the idea that candidates and employers should feel a sense of belonging with their job board (00:11:52).
• Strategies for Smaller Job Boards to Compete with Dominant Players: The core topic of discussion was how smaller job boards and recruitment marketplaces can effectively compete. Peter M. Zollman reiterated that they must **create a sense of community**, noting that Indeed fails at this completely, while LinkedIn achieves it only to a degree (00:11:52). Peter M. Zollman acknowledged that simply saying “become my job board” and “create a sense of community” is consultant-speak and does not detail the *how* (00:13:04).
• Tactics for Building Community and Content Beyond Listings: Peter M. Zollman suggested that job boards should focus on getting people to **engage with content** and providing **forums** and **opportunities** for people to get “more than just information” and listings. If a platform is only a job board with listings, it is “probably dead already” and will not survive; it must be a marketplace with content, information, and community (00:13:04). Peter M. Zollman provided a healthcare example from Orlando: if a job board could create a community specifically for Advent Health (nurses, lab workers, phlebotomists), then their local competitor, Orlando Health, would advertise there, and even a system in New Jersey needing nurses might advertise to poach people, offering higher pay (00:14:18). This involves content, community, and people talking to people (00:15:43).
• The Importance of Rich Content Beyond Basic Listings: Steven Rothberg emphasized the need to focus on content, niche specialization, and interactions with employers (00:15:43). He clarified that having *only* listings is the definition of “dead,” contrasting this with job boards like College Recruiter, which are primarily listings but are supported by tens of thousands of articles, videos, and social media. Steven Rothberg then asked Peter M. Zollman about effective non-job posting content beyond generic “how to write a resume” articles (00:16:45).
• Types of Content and Engagement that Work for Job Boards: Peter M. Zollman focused on creating engagement rather than just content. They classified content into two types: **current, fresh** (today, this week, this month) and **evergreen**. Specific content suggestions included **short video clips**, **mock interviews** about interview questions and responses, and “Day in the life via GoPro” videos (suggested by Steve Levy) (00:17:49). Annie Ann suggested **events**, particularly for geographically or location-based boards, such as job fairs and get-togethers. Peter M. Zollman also suggested **meetups** for specific groups (e.g., nurses from Advent Health) that allow semi-public discussion (00:18:53).
• The Value of Human Connection and Customer Service in Competition: Steven Rothberg noted that in-person, real-life events are important, acknowledging that for geographically spread audiences, online avenues like Google Meet work well. He highlighted Steve Levy’s suggestion of “pop-up resume review meetings” and the industry trend toward wanting real-life connections as HR tech moves toward increasing automation (00:20:12). Other valuable content includes salary reviews, newsletters, and platform publishing on platforms like Substack (00:21:33).
• Customization and Customer Service as a Small-Board Advantage: Steven Rothberg transitioned to the advantage small niche sites have over larger organizations (like Indeed or LinkedIn), which often prioritize automated solutions like chatbots, leading to uneven customer service and high account manager turnover (00:21:33). Peter M. Zollman emphasized that smaller job boards can **customize** what clients are buying much better than the large players. Small boards can provide hands-on assistance with listings, branding, and package selection, including guidance on the best kind of listings or the audience they can reach (00:22:43). Peter M. Zollman noted that Indeed and LinkedIn operate at a “20,000 foot level,” whereas smaller boards can “get down and dirty” with client needs (00:24:34).
• Financial Models and Pricing Strategies: Steven Rothberg shifted the discussion to financial models, or “commercials,” noting Indeed’s misstep with the Cost Per Application model. He mentioned job boards like Job Index in Denmark, which remain dominant against Indeed and LinkedIn partly due to their pricing model (00:25:21). Steven Rothberg noted that most boards sell two products (CV/profile searching and postings), but within those, there are many models (job slots, CPC, CPA, cost per quality application, duration-based). Steven Rothberg asked if the AIM Group saw any pricing model that would give smaller boards an advantage (00:26:30).
• The Importance of Flexibility in Pricing and the Future of Pay-Per-Hire: Peter M. Zollman stated that no single pricing model gives a job board a definite advantage (00:26:30) (00:28:55). Instead, he cited a quote from the *Recruitment Annual* emphasizing that **being flexible** is crucial because companies may not always know the exact profiles or quantities needed. Working in partnership with a client eliminates the need to rigidly define how they will interact with the job board. Peter M. Zollman reaffirmed that smaller boards have greater ability to work closely with customers and engage with job seekers (00:27:40).
• The Holy Grail of Pay-Per-Hire: Peter M. Zollman firmly believes that the ultimate working model is **pay per hire**. He acknowledged that this model faces numerous challenges with attribution and payment amounts, suggesting it is 5, 10, 12, or 15 years away, if it ever happens (00:28:55). Ultimately, pay per hire is the “holy grail” for the employer, the recruitment marketplace, and the job seeker, as it eliminates the “black hole” of applications and results in the employer proactively approaching the candidate (00:30:12).
• Biggest Mistake: Trying to Emulate Indeed or LinkedIn: When asked about the biggest mistakes job boards make when competing, Peter M. Zollman stated that it is **”Trying to be LinkedIn or Indeed”**. This includes trying to imitate their features or becoming AI dependent just because they are. The advice is to “be what you can be” and be strategic. Smaller boards cannot be bigger, smarter, or richer than the dominant platforms (00:31:15). The focus should be on becoming different—not just different as a job board, but different *to* the individuals and employers who use the platform, making it *their* tool rather than a generic one (00:32:13).
• Audience Feedback on Indeed and LinkedIn Matching Quality: Steven Rothberg opened the discussion to the audience. Gabrielle posted a comment noting that Indeed’s recommended jobs are “pretty poor” and that Indeed is one of the biggest users of ChatGPT (OpenAI’s contract) (00:33:29). Peter M. Zollman agreed, noting it is “remarkable how bad LinkedIn and Indeed can be at matching” and ranking candidates, which results in “a lot of awful” candidates being sent (00:34:30).
• Matt Farrah’s Perspective on Community: Stack Overflow vs. Identity: Matt Farrah, one of the co-organizers of the roundtable, broke down community into two types. The first is the **Stack Overflow model**, which is the “holy grail” of proper stickiness where people return regularly to use the services and the jobs are an adjacency (00:34:30) (00:36:53). This is difficult and depends on the sector; for example, a forum was highly successful 15 years ago for cabin crew/flight attendants because they like to chat, but Matt Farrah has been hesitant to launch a forum for the nursing sector because nurses are happy on Facebook and Reddit, and sticky features have not taken off on their site. The second type is a community based on **shared identity**, where users feel “at home” and comfortable because the site talks about their world (e.g., articles by nurses on a nursing site) (00:35:42). Matt Farrah observed that, even with identity-focused content, the interaction on their site is often still transactional, with people coming only for job services and not returning after applying (00:36:53).
• Case Study on Community and Events (DevBG): Ivaylo Hristov shared that their company, DevBG, which is a very local and niche tech job board in Bulgaria, has successfully created community. DevBG is known as the biggest tech community in Bulgaria, employing a whole events team of five people and a community manager. They organize approximately **180 tech events** in the country annually, including the biggest tech conference, podcasts, and site content. This strategy has proven effective, as they do not view LinkedIn as a threat and Indeed is not active in Bulgaria (00:38:05). These events are mostly small, averaging about 70 people, often user group meetups that are even more local (e.g., .NET, Java, AI groups). Steven Rothberg noted that a 40-person event likely leads to a much wider reach (e.g., 400 people) through word-of-mouth (00:39:24).
• The Role and ROI of a Community Manager (Indeed Experience): Steve Levy, who previously led sourcing at Indeed (2017-2019), acknowledged the degradation of Indeed’s connection with the communities it serves. Steve Levy confirmed he hired a community manager at Indeed and emphasized that being a community manager is the “most important and most thankless task” in the business (00:40:38) (00:42:51). The role requires constant reminders and outreach because if communication stops, people forget about the platform (00:41:42). Steven Rothberg asked about the business case for hiring a community manager. Steve Levy stated the justification was **revenue** (00:43:53). Around that time, large employers (ENTAs) were educating themselves on programmatic advertising and questioning the costs. The head of sales at Indeed, according to Steve Levy, held the view that recruiters were “stupid” and should be oversold. The community manager’s purpose was to be a **human mouthpiece** to deal with the concerns, questions, and reduced spending that employers were starting to implement (00:44:43).
• Indeed’s Focus on Employer Community vs. Job Seeker Community: Steve Levy clarified that the community manager at Indeed was focused on the **employers**, not on generating community among job seekers. He noted that Indeed has still not figured out how to cultivate a job seeker community, despite their original slogan, “I help people get jobs”. Ultimately, because candidates are not the ones paying the salaries, that job seeker focus “went by the wayside” (00:45:50). Steve Levy concluded that one good experience can lead to ten additional potentially good experiences (00:46:52).
• The Power of Customers as Advocates: Steven Rothberg recalled an event they organized for a niche audience (US federal government employees/contractors) where an attendee stated that events like this turn a “room full of customers into a room full of advocates” (00:46:52).
• Charity Job Case Study: Moderated Anonymous Posting: Gabriele Sani from Charity Job (a well-known UK charity sector job board) discussed their community efforts (00:46:52). They used to host more events at universities but now do only five or six events annually, typically drawing 30-40 people. They maintain an online community and a community manager, though the community is used primarily for **SEO purposes** to attract traffic (00:46:52). A key successful feature is allowing **anonymous posting with moderation**, which lets people ask difficult questions anonymously while ensuring no inappropriate content. This feature generates questions, answers, and a reasonable amount of traffic, paying off easily through SEO (00:48:00).
• The Meaningful Core of Recruitment Work: Peter M. Zollman brought the discussion back to the core mission, referencing the Indeed motto: “We help people find jobs” (00:48:00). Peter M. Zollman stated that while KPIs and revenue numbers are important, it is easy to forget that helping a job seeker find a meaningful job **changes their life** and their family’s lives. Similarly, placing the right person in a position changes the employer, especially small and midsize ones (00:49:02). The flip side is the frustration of candidates applying and falling into a “black hole”. Peter M. Zollman concluded that keeping the goal of changing lives at the core of their work will make them “a whole lot better” than focusing solely on KPIs (00:50:07).
• Personal Follow-Up with Candidates: Matt Farrah shared a recent initiative where they started personally emailing every single candidate who applied directly through their site (not those diverted to a careers page). The email assures the candidate that if they do not hear back within a week, Matt Farrah will personally follow up. This process has provided insight into the quality of their applications and reinforced that they are dealing with humans. Matt Farrah receives positive replies from candidates but has also received emails from candidates who have not heard back. Matt Farrah noted that this lack of response from clients proves to them that pay-per-hire is unfeasible, as they cannot control the employer’s response, even to good quality candidates (00:51:26).
• The Lack of Excuse for Non-Communication: Steven Rothberg agreed with Matt Farrah that while an employer has the right to choose another candidate, there is absolutely no excuse for an employer not responding to a candidate, especially one who meets the qualifications. With modern automation, employers should be able to send emails to confirm application receipt and rejection (e.g., “We’re not moving you forward”) from the ATS (00:52:49). Steven Rothberg views the lack of response as a “power play” (00:53:49).
• RecBuzz Conference Details and Future Roundtable Topics: Steven Rothberg concluded the discussion and promoted the RecBuzz conference in Budapest, Hungary, around April 14th-15th. Peter M. Zollman confirmed the agenda is online at recbuzz.com and aimgroup.com, noting there are many topics (00:53:49). Peter M. Zollman highlighted that RecBuzz includes extensive **networking time** because attendees, primarily C-level executives, enjoy peer-to-peer discussion, face-to-face interaction, and sharing information (00:56:04). Steven Rothberg confirmed they have booked future guests (00:57:28). The next roundtable, on **April 9th at 11:00 a.m. US Eastern**, will feature Andrew Flowers, Chief Economist for AppCast, discussing the flaws in government-published labor statistics and whether the industry can become the “source of truth” in particular niches (00:58:13).
• Upcoming Discussion on Programmatic and Data-Driven Revenue: Steven Rothberg mentioned that Tim Dineen, who is known as the “godfather of programmatic,” will be joining an upcoming discussion in two months. Tim Denine founded Recruitix, built that company, and is currently at Aspen Technology Labs, which is a longtime vendor of College Recruiter. The conversation will be highly data-driven, focusing on how different kinds of data (not just labor statistics) can be used to drive increased revenue and profitability (00:59:16).
• Acknowledgement of Meeting Organization Efforts: Peter M. Zollman acknowledged that the current meeting had been a very fast hour and thanked Steven Rothberg for putting in a significant amount of work every month to organize the meeting. Peter M. Zollman also referenced Steven Rothberg’s efforts in organizing and producing the “Inside Job Boards and Recruitment Marketplaces” podcast, recognizing Steven Rothberg as the head community engagement specialist. Steven Rothberg confirmed that their role in community engagement was “very accidental” but expressed that it was entirely their pleasure (00:59:16).