Want That Job: Rescuing an Online Recruitment Portal from Offshore Development Challenges
In March 2006, Want That Job.com launched as an innovative jobs and careers portal, aiming to provide recruitment and advertising agencies with a powerful new outlet to reach job seekers in the ever-growing online marketplace.
Initially, the founders outsourced the website’s development to an offshore company, lured by promises of 30% cost savings and faster delivery times. However, as is often the case in our industry, these promises were unfounded and unrealistic. Costs spiralled, deadlines were missed, and six months past the intended launch date, the project was still incomplete.
Turning Things Around
With their startup budget depleted and no viable platform to launch, Want That Job.com turned to us for help. Despite the limited resources available, we worked efficiently to refine the existing system, ensuring it was in a marketable state.
One of the most critical aspects of our work involved integrating job feed imports from other recruitment agencies, ensuring the platform had a steady stream of fresh job listings. Our experience in handling complex integrations meant that we could complete the work within the remaining budget and in the agreed timeframe—much to the relief of the founders.
A Lesson in Development Strategy
Despite our efforts to bring the platform to a functional state, the initial offshore development costs had taken their toll, and Want That Job.com was unable to recover financially. Unfortunately, this meant that the company ultimately ceased trading.
While this story didn’t have the ideal ending, it serves as an important lesson about the risks associated with choosing development partners based on price alone. Our intervention demonstrated the value of working with a trusted, experienced development team that delivers on time, within budget, and with long-term sustainability in mind.
