How technology turned the "Most Successful Ad Ever" into the "Generic Garble" we see today.
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Before the internet, ads were priced by the line. Every word cost money. This forced recruiters to be honest, succinct, and compelling.
Ernest Shackleton's ad for his Antarctic expedition is legendary. It didn't list "requirements" or "compliance." It sold a journey.
For hazardous journey. Low wages, bitter cold, long hours of complete darkness. Safe return doubtful. Honour and recognition in event of success.
Employment worked on referrals. Someone in your village recommended a cousin. Trust was inherent.
Paper manufacturing allowed for public notices. Ads were nailed to posts and piers. The birth of "Help Wanted".
Monster.com launches. Internet replaces newspapers. Ads are no longer charged by the line.
Indeed, SmashFly, and 100,000+ job boards. Volume explodes. Quality plummets.
Technology should improve communication. In recruitment, it undermined it.
Old Way: Price per line.
Result: Brief, punchy, marketing-focused ads.
New Way: Flat fee / Unlimited text.
Result: Recruiters copy-pasted 3-page internal legal descriptions.
Instead of writing advertisements, we started posting Job Descriptions—internal legal documents meant for evaluation, not attraction.