The parent of Internet job-hunting site Monster.com has purchased Tickle Inc., a company offering online tests to help people find their ideal job or ideal mate, in a deal said to be worth over $90 million.
"Tickle is eager to join the online recruitment industry leader and introduce the benefits of our career assessment testing services to the millions of job seekers on Monster," Tickle founder and president James Currier said in a statement. "We look forward to offering content and services that will help Monster grow and expand, while further enhancing the Monster job seeker experience and strengthening its job matching capabilities."
Monster Worldwide said adding Tickle will give Monster job hunters access to more variety in career assessment tests, such as "Right Job, Wrong Job," "Career Personality, "Career Interest Inventory," "The Corporate Culture Test," and more, helping them get a better idea of their own real aptitudes, job skills, and career goals.
"Based on the test findings, job seekers will be able to better determine which job positions are the best fit based on their individual profiles," the company said.
Formerly known as Emode, Tickle's purchase price included a million shares of Monster Worldwide common stock, an initial cash payment of $29.5 million, and a three-year payment said to be at least $40 million, tied to "achieving certain financial objectives," the companies said.
Monster Worldwide believes buying Tickle would expand its subscriber base, boost its career-tied content, and make its marketing efforts more potent, according to chief executive Andrew J. McKelvey. Tickle is believed to have over 18 million active registered users and administer an average of 50,000 career assessment tests a day.
"Tickle's expertise in career assessment testing, networking and matching, combined with the viral nature of those businesses, dovetails perfectly with Monster's vast user base," Kelvey said announcing the deal.
"With scientific research at its foundation, Tickle adds yet another layer to Monster's screening and hiring tools, providing recruiters a window into a candidate's personality and work preferences that goes beyond past achievements to who they are and their fit within the hiring organization," he continued. "As part of our long-term strategy, we have been committed to diversifying our revenue streams and to expanding our consumer online services. Tickle is the ideal business to help us achieve these goals."
