Google sunsets yet another service, this time it’s Hire

By Trevor Mogg August 28, 2019

Google has decided to fire Hire.

The fact that you’ve probably never heard of Google Hire possibly tells you all you need to know about why it’s closing the service.

Part of G Suite, the tool is designed to help recruiters working at small and medium-sized firms. But in a message on its website on Wednesday, August 28, Google said it will be sunsetting Hire on September 1, 2020 (yes, 2020, so another year of use is possible), adding that no new features will be incorporated into the service moving forward.

It also said that some of the experimental features that have not been formally launched will be turned off in the coming weeks.

The Mountain View, California-based company described Hire, which launched only two years ago, as a “successful” part of G Suite, but said it had nevertheless decided to focus its resources on some of its other products.

Google’s Help Center includes various details about how the decision affects current Hire customers, with information on support, fees, and how to export data between now and the service’s expiry date.

It also notes that after the next billing cycle, Hire will be free to use until it closes.

Hire helps smaller firms to recruit

Hire costs users several hundred dollars a month and integrates with G Suite (home to web apps such as Docs, Calendar, and Gmail). It’s designed to assist with tasks such as posting job openings to multiple recruitment sites, collaborating with hiring teams, finding new employees, and setting up interviews, thereby enabling firms to keep tabs on all of their various recruitment processes.

Another one bites the dust

Google is such a massive company that it’s normal for it to shutter various apps from time to time as it constantly juggles resources and turns its attention to new ideas.

In the last few months alone, the web giant announced it was closing down its Allo chat app, as well as its travel planner app, Trips. Depending on the popularity of the service, users might kick up a fuss about a closure, but once Google makes its decision, it’s almost certainly curtains for the targeted app.

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