Social Media Recruitment is Buzzing

Social media recruitment is the next big thing on the cards. Social media recruitment not only widens reach but helps segmentation, targeting and positioning of potential jobseekers. They also increase the accuracy of profile searches. The finding, screening and validating of applicants can be done online and with high precision. Companies are using Boolean strings, with operators such as ‘AND', ‘NOT', ‘OR' to pinpoint profile searches from social media/networking sites. For example, Boolean strings like Intitle: resume AND “10 years experience” Insite: LinkedIn will provide resumes of candidates only with 10 years of experience, only from LinkedIn. Social media recruitment is a low cost recruitment tool with high return on investment. The main users of social media/networking sites are the young, and India, which is on the way to becoming the country with most number of young working populace, social media recruitment can help tap this vast talent pool efficiently and effectively.

In fact, using social media for recruitment is a PR tool in itself for the company. Using social media recruitment, job opportunities can be made “portable” so that anyone can post, direct message or update their status across major social media platforms. With more than 1.5 million content pieces shared everyday on facebook alone, social media is revolutionising the way we link and communicate. Recruitment, which is essential a process of linking and communicating to potential jobseekers, cannot remain untouched from this revolution. Social media recruitment will soon be a buzzword. The future is even more exciting when Web 3.0, the next generation Web, hits the recruitment scene.

Here I present a small Literature review on this issue.

Jobvite, a US based firm (2010), conducted a Social Recruiting Survey which shows that social media has become an important tool for recruiting top talent. According to the survey, which asked over 600 HR and recruiting professionals as to how they use social networking in their recruiting process, 73.3 percent said they currently use social media to recruit candidates. The most commonly used medium is LinkedIn (78%), followed by Facebook (55%), Twitter (45%) and Blogs (19%). Jobvite also found that 46 percent of respondents are spending more on social recruiting in 2010 than they were in 2009.

Sonny Discini (2010), in her study “Social Media -- What's the Real Impact to the Organization?” identified the fundamental problem with social media. Social networks that are created online do not match the ones that already exist in real life. This goes for the business as well. Our lives have many peer groups. Some are professional, some are family, and then we have a variety of groups of friends. This has been how human behaviour has been for thousands of years. Then along comes social networking, and not only does it explodes in popularity with individuals but also for businesses. However, how social media is structured is nothing like our real lives and our businesses. Social media takes all of your relationships that otherwise would be separate, and throws them into a single group called "friends." You have no way to separate out all of these people in your profile as you would in real life. This is the fundamental flaw in social networking that has far-reaching impact.

Leigh Goessl, Abhishek Jaiswal, Christina Pomoni (2010), “The impact of social media on the future of the retail industry”. There are many tangible and intangible benefits for retailers to hop on the social media network train. Those who clearly understand their objectives, create a strategy and correctly identify the right social media outlets to invest in that would benefit their particular brand of retail, are going to be able to use this powerful resource and help lead their industry into the future. If current signs are any indicator, the impact of social media on retail is going to be strong for a long time to come. Customer relationship management is critical in any business and social media is a prominent way to build and maintain associations with consumers. Social media marketing has becoming an integral part of retail businesses' marketing plans across the globe. To be successful advertisers have to develop effective ways to reach out and be visible to consumers, and in modern society, the virtual world is where it's at. The growing importance of social media can be ascertained from the fact that a major consumer goods company managed to improve its sales by around 31 percent by including customer ratings, user generated products, and other social features on its online sales front.  It also resulted in a 40 percent increase in average order value. More companies are now using the social media to promote and educate present and potential customers about their offerings, and actively seek their opinion as part of their feedback process.  Major brands like Coca Cola, Pepsi, and McDonald’s have dedicated social media strategies which aim at brand discussions, honoring fans, and delivering marketing communications. Major retailer Wal-Mart is actively pursuing its social media strategy.  It entered this space with blogging which was created and maintained by its public relations firm.  The idea did not get much success, however the company continues to seek an active role in social media.  Wal-Mart is incorporating mobile technology as well, and it would be sending product specials information to those who give the company an approval to do so. The future of the retail industry seems rather positive in relation to social media. In the competitive business environment of today, there are three basic facts: (1) digital advertising is increasing; (2) social media marketing is increasingly leveraged; and (3) virtual world is becoming a mainstream. At the same time, there is the prominent example of Starbucks that has developed a global chain with the use of social media. Engaging nearly 8 million followers on Facebook and nearly 1 million followers on Twitter, Starbucks answers questions, reads customer feedback, has open communication with its customers and expands its customer base without the help of traditional advertising. Considering all the above factors, one can draw a single conclusion: social media marketing is a powerful strategy to promote a business in a cost-effective way. Having low barriers of entry, it allows any firm to take advantage of its huge potential and use a web platform as a means to turn a website into a profitable and successful business.

Well reputed website, www.onrec.com, which is an online recruitment website shares view of experts from various industries on Social Media & its Impact on Online Recruitment- revolution or fad? (2008). Armando Ruffini, Co-Founder & CEO of Zubka, demonstrates how digital recruiting has matured dramatically over the last few years: "Recent statistics from BRMB Internet Monitor show that there are now 12 million people using the internet to find jobs in the UK alone. NORAS figures also tell us that online recruitment is increasingly successful, with 56% of online job seekers getting a job via the internet in 2007, compared with 44% in 2004. Online advertising revenues for the sector overtook those of national press in 2005 according to the Advertising Association, and are expected to overtake trade press imminently." Kelvin Newman, Natural & Social Search Manager at Site Visibility explains how expectations have changed: "As more individuals and business have moved online inevitably competition has increased. This means recruiters and job boards must 'earn' the attention of their audience rather just 'buy' it or 'expect' it. It's no longer enough to have a website that merely is a list of current vacancies. You have to add value, this can come in a number of ways; building a community, producing compelling content or facilitating relationships between candidates & clients, whichever you choose more strategy and effort is required." Nick Goldstein, Sales & Marketing Director at Jobtonic.com has seen a trend towards more niche sites serving ever smaller geographical or industry specific sectors. He says there has also been an emergence of web 2.0 companies bringing new online recruitment solutions to market, that mobile technologies are beginning to be utilised effectively and social networking has now opened up new opportunities to reach truly passive candidates." As Matt Martone, Manager of Media Sales Strategy at Yahoo! Hot Jobs points out, two years ago:

"It was uncommon for an employer to consider blogging for recruitment. Today employers are seeking out all the information they can on blogging and social media as they prepare to attempt to engage millennials. Very few employers were using search engine marketing. Today's its realizing supercharged growth. Blogs weren't all that influential to the hr buyer. New vendors are pushing new products and the historically slow to move hr/recruiting consumer is picking up steam and starting to adopt and inquire about new technologies. Some of the new vendors and offerings have legs. Some do not. He believes that social media is causing employers and recruiters to question, network, attract, engage and connect with talent like they have done before. He says this is causing employers to question their long standing online recruiting strategies. Keith Busfield, Regional Manager at Career Management Consultants Limited believes the key change has been the rise and rise of social media and the increasing importance of the hidden job market: "-in the world of executive outplacement, over 50% of people find new roles through routes other than advertised vacancies. The importance of networking for recruiter and candidate will become more and more important and I foresee a rise in employee referral schemes whereby employees will be remunerated for trawling the web for future colleagues. More information on candidates is more readily available, creating candidate pools that didn't exist before. The old headhunter question of "do you know anyone who might be suitable" works even more powerfully, as technology oils the wheels of the grapevine, to use a mixed metaphor." However, he says he has seen other fads come and go, and therefore is cautious: "Change is happening increasingly quickly and in many ways unpredictably through technology breakthroughs. Will Facebook and indeed Linkedin be around in the current format in 5 years time? I think not!! Heresy I hear people say. Will the web replace the press, radio etc? No, I think not. Experience suggests that it will be/is an incremental media, adding to what exists." Sophie Relf, Head of Marketing, totaljobsgroup.com says that the biggest changes have been led by consumers or jobseekers: "They expect the online jobseeking experience to mirror that of shopping or banking. Whereas you can track an order online, you can't track how your job application is doing because it stops at the point that it is submitted to the recruiter. Then it's down to individual employers to 'engage' with jobseekers. The better the engagement, the better the consumer/jobseeker experience. This is a far cry from web 2.0 or social media networking where would be recruits are welcomed into a virtual 'employer branded' world; which is pre-matched to their personality traits and squash playing prowess." Accuracy of content is a big concern for many. As Kelvin Newman says, "Social media makes the distance between you and your customer much shorter; if you lie or underestimate them they will share their negative opinion. Social media allows word of mouth to spread across the world. However if you treat them with respect, they will trust you and act as evangelists and marketers for your company." Keith Busfield points out that content written after a drunken night out on a social web site can be used against you by current or prospective employers, and warns that people have to be more and more careful about their candidate brand.

Subadra Kalyanaraman, (2010) “Social Media for Recruitment” presented her views from both sides of the coin; recruiter’s and applicant’s viewpoints. From the recruiter’s perspective one of the reasons why social media has emerged as an important tool for recruitment is its power to offer them a broad perspective about the candidate. It tends to bring forth certain traits and personalities of a candidate which may not be reflected in their resume. Secondly, social media recruitment widens the choice pool for the employers and also fastens the recruitment process. While on one hand the recruiters get access to a wide range of candidates from various geographic locations, it also makes the process quick and more effective by increasing the accuracy of profile searches. This function is of great advantage, especially given the fact that a vast majority of social media users are the youth who would be the prime working force in companies. Thirdly, it is a low cost tool with a good return on investment, thus saving both time and money costs. Additionally, social media increases the brand visibility of the recruiter. From the applicant’s perspective, social media helps applicants gain deeper insight into the company about certain facts and information which may not be readily available on the company website. They also get to know the openings available in various companies and apply accordingly, provided the companies are active on these social mediums. Thus social media recruitment is redefining and reshaping the traditional hiring processes of companies.

Debashish Sengupta (2010), Social Media Recruitment, Business Line. Social media recruitment is a low cost recruitment tool with high return on investment. The main users of social media/networking sites are the young, and India, which is on the way to becoming the country with most number of young working populace, social media recruitment can help tap this vast talent pool efficiently and effectively. In fact, using social media for recruitment is a PR tool in itself for the company. Using social media recruitment, job opportunities can be made “portable” so that anyone can post, direct message or update their status across major social media platforms. With more than 1.5 million content pieces shared everyday on Facebook alone, social media is revolutionising the way we link and communicate.

Julian Goldsmith (2010), “Ten ways to recruit through social media” presents a case study of Michelle Flynn, recruitment manager at technology consultancy EMC Consulting. She was tasked with moving the company’s recruitment away from agencies and taking the process in-house in 2006. Currently, she recruits all EMC employees through social media sites. In doing so, she saved the company £2.7m in agency fees, not to mention the time saved by consultants in toiling through mountains of CVs. Specializing in technology services, EMC Consulting’s applicants are naturally more attuned to social media, but Flynn insists that using these sites to recruit staff is something any company can do.

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