Amitai Givertz’s Recruitomatic Blog

Jason Goldberg, Chief Jobster and darling of the online recruiting space, shows the world how business is done around here.

Recruitomatic notes – with delight – the promotion of Todd Leeson to the leadership role Vice President of Marketing. Jason Goldberg is reported to have said:

“Todd Leeson has played a critical role in Jobster’s success more than doubling our customer base in the past five months,” Goldberg said. “He has spearheaded our marketing strategy and execution, and is establishing Jobster as the innovation leader in online recruiting.”

Praise indeed. What is more interesting in all this is this:

1. In web 2.0 companies succession planning appears to mean planning more successes and not necessarily grooming the next generation of industry darlings. Of course, the money-backers and industry pundits and talent management sages would persuasively argue the two are inseparable, but in this context, that kind of thinking is so web 1.0. If history is any guide – and assuming Jason Goldberg has an exit strategy, clearly too soon to say – Todd Leeson may sooner follow Jason Goldberg to the next adventure rather than compete to fill his Prada shoes at Jobster. Who knows? Not me. Maybe I am overstating everything and this is “just another job.” That’s possible too, I guess.

2. Social networking appears to be at work. That is also a good thing. With a shared past at T-Mobile, does this apointment suggest that either past associations and/or secret handshakes played a part in the process once the obligatory test of  “playing a critical role” was passed? Having played his own critical role in the Recruitosphere can we expect Dennis Smith – another T-Mobile die-hard – to be wooed into the Jobster camp soon? From where I sit – intrigued by Jobster and a huge fan of Dennis Smith – that would be an inspiring thing for this fledging space and emerging band of seminal blogging business thinkers.

3. There is no mention of what role Todd Leeson will play in marketing Recruiting.com and how his success in doubling Jobster’s customer base in record time will be repeated for Recruiting.com. With such exciting news for Recruiting.com in recent days, this correspondent is saddened to see no press release or similar ballyhoo for Jason Davis’s achievements with the site’s re-launch. No matter. I am sure with Todd Leeson and Jason Davis closeted away in strategic planning sessions and with a steady stream of promotional dollars coming on tap – Jobster will spend some VC dosh here, won’t they – we can expect more than good news hitting the wires soon. Investment dollars!

Todd Leeson, our coffee mugs are raised. The entire Recruitomatic staff toasts your success. We wish you well and look forward to your article submissions on Recruiting.com because blogging ain’t for everyone it seems. [Insert cutsey double wink-wink smiley emoticon thingy.]