Blog Excerpt
To hire top talent, businesses should learn how to attract the interest of job applicants who are now used to the speed of networking apps and websites. Here are some things that businesses need to know about today’s social recruiting.
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Gone are the days of recruiting by going through piles and piles of resumes. Now, one can do recruitment even through a mobile phone—proving that technology has changed the dynamics of recruitment forever. Sometimes, an applicant does not even need to show up for an in-person interview when a Skype video call will do.
To hire top talent, businesses should learn how to attract the interest of job applicants who are now used to the speed of networking apps and websites. Here are some things that businesses need to know about today’s social recruiting.
- Be fast
Applicants weaned on social media apps and websites expect the application process to be fast. An employer who takes too long to reply will find that the best candidates will leave them for other opportunities.
The internet makes alternative career possibilities very transparent. The millennial sending in his/her application to become a social media strategist may well change his mind and decide to be an independent digital influencer instead.
Job seekers can just as quickly apply to another company with a click of a button.
- Update your social media apps
Companies wanting to recruit competitively must make sure that their social media accounts like Twiter and Linkedin are updated and ready. Just as employers check an applicant’s online presence, so does an applicant checking if their prospective employer has a good image.
More and more recruitment happens in social media as companies scour the internet for active and passive job seekers. Whereas, active job seekers are those looking for new jobs while passive job seekers are those who are already employed but open to other opportunities.
- Network online
Businesses should not stop at merely trawling for talent online, as the internet is also a tool for networking. Networking online is useful for businesses as a tool for possible partnerships and collaborations.
A connection may land the company that much-needed consultant for their new project, or an expert may just quit his job and announce it on Twitter. A business needs to know what is happening and be ready to hire the right person when the opportunity presents itself.
In addition, being a part of online public groups gets you first dibs on news of under-the-radar talents. It is a common story to hear of top people being poached by competitors all because of social media.
- Digital profiles
Recruitment trends are now moving from paper-based resumes to relying on digital profiles. Companies can check digital profiles of an applicant based on his social media presence as an initial way to screen possible candidates. An applicant’s digital imprints online often tell more about him than a resume ever will.
What are the applicant’s activities online? Does he join public interest groups? How does he interact others online? From that alone, a company recruiter can gauge if the applicant will be a good fit for the company—culturally.
As recruitment has become easier and faster, so has labor piracy. A competing company can just as easily hire your best talent, so it would best to be on your guard.
ABOUT Karthik Subburaman:
Karthik Subburaman is currently the Country Manager of ECC International (ECCI) and Apex Global Learning. He has notable experience as a lead consultant and solution architect for clients across industries – in the areas risk management, business process re-engineering, corporate sustainability strategy and organizational learning management. Among other expertise, he has an eye for problem solving, decision analysis, and quality excellence helping a number of companies across industries to improve business processes and learning improvement and sustainability.
