Monday, September 29, 2008

Job-Hunters Find Easier Path to a Top Salary with The Ladders

What would you do for a $100,000 job?The question may sound like the premise for a reality show, but in the wake of the nation-wide bank fallout, the field for high-paying careers just gained thousands of new players.

As a result, many of the 100k-worthy candidates may feel overshadowed by the herd of unqualified contenders in the race for an executive-level career. To separate the elite  from the rest of pack, TheLadders provides a screening process to connect superior clients with the suitable firms.

TheLadders.com boasts "We're a premium site for only 100k-plus jobs and only 100k-plus people." In other words, The Ladders distinguishes itself from job search sites such as Monster and Career Builder by targeting outstanding clients only.

One of its TV ads features a one-on-one tennis match that becomes a chaotic, free-for-all after the entire audience storms the court, slamming balls back and forth aimlessly. A quote at the end summarizes TheLadders' main point -"When you let everyone play, nobody wins".

The ending quote shows the importance behind a single idea, which is one of keys to building a succcesful brand.

CEO and founder Marc Cenedella told Investor's Business Daily:

The old model was get as many listings as possible and inventory every job seeker. The goal of TheLadders is, Are we getting the job seeker hired?

Another symbolic illustration was TheLadders' social experiment, where a stack of $100,000 cash, protected by a clear,shatter-proof case, was placed in the middle of sidewalk in a New York City. As thousands walked by the case, 10 hidden cameras recorded their reactions, which ranged from bizarre to violent and everything in between. Some observers did the classic double-take, while others were so mesmerized that they could only stare and comment. Some were even fearful to get too close, and a few attempted to knock the case over. The ad closes with: "The conclusion? $100,000 will attract a lot of people. TheLadders.com helps you attract the right people."

Evidently, TheLadders has found plenty of people in the right niche. According to Investors Business Daily,

TheLadders has over 2 million members and posts 10,000 jobs per week...Recruiters post half the jobs, with corporate HR departments and Fortune 1000 companies posting the remainder. Executive search firms and corporate HR pay TheLadders $6000 to $10,000 a year per recruiter.... it lists about 13% of all six-figure jobs. Its goal is to double that figure in the next few years.

TheLadders proves that barriers can be beneficial, especially when you're searching for specific qualities,skills and traits.By setting 100k as its salary standard, hand-screening applicants and requiring subscription fees, TheLadders provides recruiters a better base of ambitious applicants to scrutinize.

Posted By Matt O'Hern at 11:12 AM
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