Kijiji, CraigsList...Free posting sites are tempting for anyone whether they are selling a car, a used TV or their services. In most instances, the system works fine and like-minded people end up getting what they want. In certain circumstances though, the arrangement can go very wrong.
The headline states that a woman was assaulted after replying to a job ad on Kijiji.ca, Canada's most popular free classifieds site. Please read the article here.
This created a special degree of interest in our offices as we operate job boards and speak regularly to employers who insist that they are happy posting their vacant jobs on free sites such as Kijiji or Craigslist. While cost containment is important in a tough economic climate it is also very important for Employers to align their brands with professional and legitimate jobsites. Let's not take part in encouraging earnest jobseekers from visiting a site that is used by criminals to lure victims through job postings.
Jobseekers should be especially weary of where they are job searching. The benefit to using a legitimate niche job board is that staff members vett the Employer and the posting to ensure it is above-board. InsuranceWorks.com views every Employer registration and resulting job posting to ensure that it is insurance-related and posted by an actual broker, agent, company or recruiting firm. Sites like Kijiji or Craigslist do not do so, so literally anyone can post anything they like whether or not they are a legit employer.
It's important to remember, what kind of Employer posts their job on a free general site?
In response to this unfortunate cautionary tale, we felt compelled to provide some guidance to our community as to how they can job search safely.
1. Stick to niche sites that charge for their postings.
2. Apply to jobs that are not "backfilled" from other sites. Original postings only.
Two easy steps to staying safe.
From,
The InsuranceWorks Team