The new Monster (profile; site) launches today.
Depending when you read this, the redesigned site that company officials promise puts the focus on the jobseeker may already be up and running. If not, give it time, a company spokesman said Friday afternoon. Launching a new site, especially one that is global, is not just a matter of flipping switches, he said.
Today’s launch has been in the works for much of 2008. The date was picked at least as far back as October when Monster gave sneak previews at ERE Expo in Ft. Lauderdale. The company’s presence at the show was unavoidable. Buttons touting 1.10.09 where everywhere. Showgoers lined up at the booth to see what was coming and, of course, to pick up one of the purple Monster beach towels or win a stuffed trumpasaurus.
What we saw of the new Monster showed a site that seemed as useful to passive jobseekers on their way up the career ladder as the current one is to active job-seekers. It has career planning tools that let a user compare their progress to others in their field, even in the same job at other companies. And like a good talent management system, the new Monster will show a user where the gaps are in their experience and background.
We certainly didn’t get to see everything Monster had in the bag, but our tour guide, Eric Winegardner, VP of Client Adoption, promised that something like 90 percent of the user experience — recruiter, as well as seeker — was reworked, redesigned, or improved.
After you’ve walked through the new site, tell us what you think.