Social Media Recruiting: The New Normal?

The way job candidates are recruited has evolved for some time now with an increase in the use of online talent management applications.  With more job hunters being required to apply online, the search process has become heavily dependent on internet searches for career opportunities.  Organizations are becoming increasingly more aware of how their online presence can influence their ability to recruit the right talent for their teams.

To that end, social media platforms have become an increasingly popular way to attract both active and passive candidates for open requisitions.  A recent SHRM poll of HR professionals found that over 30% of companies are targeting smartphone users in an effort to utilize mobile recruiting and 84% companies are incorporating social media as part of their recruiting toolbox. The most significant reason cited for the use of social media-driven recruiting was to reach not the active candidates but the passive candidates. In fact, 82% of those surveyed indicated that the passive job seeker was their primary reason for including social media in their recruiting efforts. With sites like Linkedin, Facebook, and Twitter, many organizations find that they can reach far more candidates than they ever could have dreamed. With strategies like this, the job has become casting the widest net.

However, a little can go a long way, and there can be too much of a good thing, too. Social media recruiting can become a battle of quantity vs quality.  While casting a much broader net than traditional recruiting methods, you will also be reaching many job seekers who do not meet the actual job requirements. The ease of use of these applications encourages an increase of applicants, many of whom are not actually qualified for the position for which they are applying. For HR, this can make the recruiting process even more cumbersome than before. People just find it much easier to say “I made a mistake” or “I never did that” with a computer than with a human.

To avoid getting lost in the masses, use social media for recruiting in a way that targets the best without attracting the rest. To start, use precise recruiting campaigns where the type of candidates you are seeking are going to be found. Even though the internet offers a multitude of options in reaching job seekers, not all are created equal and choosing the wrong one can negatively impact the image of your organization.  If you would like more information about social media recruiting plans, please contact our office where we can help you determine what will work for your organization and how to best capture the talent pool you are looking for.