As the popularity of social networking sites continues to grow, more and more hiring managers are looking to them for recruiting. There was a time when job seekers viewed social networking sites as barriers to getting jobs. These cautionary views surfaced after a story was released that an employer found inappropriate content on an applicant’s Facebook page.
Now, social networking technology has become the ultimate source of applicants for recruiters. Searching for candidates on social and professional networks has resulted in the finding of proficient candidates who are innovative and more technically savvy.
From a recruitment standpoint, social networking profiles offer companies the opportunity to display their employer brand while also proving they are a leading-edge company.
Social networking sites also provide access to an extensive network of skilled professionals. A job opening can be broadcasted across multiple networks instantaneously. The ability to target different age groups and network locations can be helpful as well.
As a professional in the field, I have found that there are some online recruitment techniques as well as sites that work better than others.
Job Boards vs. Social Networking Sites
My experience with social and professional networks has been both positive and negative. I have applied multiple techniques to a couple of websites including; LinkedIn and Facebook. I have also tried a job board that is geared towards “technical jobs” and have found the following results:
LinkedIn
I had a positive experience with this professional network because it allowed me, as the recruiter, to view individuals’ work history and recommendations before even reaching out to them. Since the LinkedIn members utilize the site for professional networking they were more receptive to my inquiries than other social networking sites. Searching for keywords on LinkedIn was also useful and the ability to see how people were connected proved to be beneficial.
Facebook
Recruiting through Facebook was not as advantageous as LinkedIn. The job was posted on my Facebook status as well as three other coworkers’ during a 3-day timeframe. Although the job post was good exposure, it did not generate any traction. I estimated that at least 1,000 Facebook members, between the ages of 20-40 years, viewed the post within those three days. Besides the poor performance of the job post, I found that Facebook pages contain too much information about a potential job candidate and keyword searches are more difficult.
Job Board
After posting the job on this particular job board, I received an abundance of resumes, none of which fit the job criteria. While filtering through around 300 resumes, it became apparent that many job seekers were applying for multiple jobs at once, without researching the company or job requirements.
The Right Approach Yields Quality Candidates
The recruiter’s approach to messaging a potential candidate through a social networking site must be professional and stimulating. The communication sent by the recruiter must distinguish the company in some way to confirm that it is not a recruiting agency. This will hopefully entice the candidate to look for more information about your company as well.
Candidates that are currently employed and have updated social networking profiles tend to be applicants that are highly sought-after. These employees have held onto their jobs and have likely taken on additional tasks during this challenging time.
The idea of making personal information public is unsettling for some, but having a detailed profile can increase one’s visibility online. The professionalism of an online profile may also distinguish one candidate from another. It is personal advertising for the candidate and it should be well-branded.
As with anything there are positives and negatives, but ultimately, recruiting through social networking does require technique and location, in order for it to be successful. It does offer a low-cost solution, high job visibility rates and demographic targeting capabilities; however, if you don’t take the right approach, you may be left unsatisfied.