On the surface Jigsaw sounds like a great bet!  I met with my account manager three weeks ago to learn more about how the site works.  I was very impressed with the ability to search for a particular job title, industry, and company all while being able to select my level of contact especially given the fact that the service is free if you enter your personal contacts into the site. Points can also be purchsed.  Being the always persent optimist as well as the ever present cheapskate, I was pumped when the site tour was complete. 

 

Three hours later I had entered in all of my business cards and network contacts and began my first search.  (yes, 3 hours later luckily I had the television to keep me company).  I started with something small, a company in OKC locally that had recently went through some restructuring.  No results.  Eventually, I used the search tool very broadly and came up with roughly 85 contacts for an open position I'm trying to fill in Sales.  Eagerly, I spammed and called away.  About 25% of my information was out of date or incorrect.  I am happy to report that I was able to connect with a larger number of passive candidates with greater success  than traditional social networking sites like Myspace or Facebook.  Unfortunately, I'm not able to report any success in hiring a candidate using this tool but I'm cautiously optimistic especially for recruiters who are working in a larger metropolitan area. 

 

The key to Jigsaw is that the information is only as accurate and reliable as those who enter the information which is why I am still optimistic that this is a great tool recruiter's can add to their arsenal.   I would highly recommend Jigsaw to those that have either some extra cash to purchase points or a lot of time to enter in their personal networking contact information.  According to my rep, Jigsaw is specifically targeting sales organizations like my company and offers several different options as well as the ability to transfer your purchased contact information flawlessly to online databases like Salesforce. 

 

Have a success story or similar experience with Jigsaw?  I would be interested in hearing yours.  Send your story to jmiller-merrell@sbcglobal.net. 

 

Happy Hunting!  Jessica