Social Networking And Recruitment
May 4, 2009 | 11:59 AM
Orkut, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIN… What do these remind you of? People, connections, communities, networks… Social networking is the latest way to connect, reach out and build networks. Social networking connects all kinds of people at all levels to each other. In recent times they have also emerged as a means of connecting organizations to individuals and vice versa. Thus, they reveal a huge potential for organizations, especially for recruiters, to build up their networks. Recruiting is, after all, a lot about networking.
So how does networking work for recruiters or organizations? Let’s draw up a parallel with the traditional form of networking here. Recruiter connects with a prospective candidate, interacts frequently at a personal level and, going forward, develops a long term relationship with him. In the real world, these interactions are typically face-to-face or telephonic and, in both cases, one to one. These meetings take place at conferences, trade fairs, alumni meets etc. In the case of e-networking, these interactions are usually one to many and take place through bulletin boards, posts, e-mails, forums, communities etc. In both cases, what networking allows you to do is:
- Find high-quality prospects who fall in the ‘passive jobseeker’ category and who may or may not have heard of your organization.
- Pre-qualify or evaluate them on the basis of what you feel they can bring to the table. And how well they fit in with your organization.
- Establish a personal connection with them away from the forum or the meeting and endeavour to convince them why it is in their best interest to join your organization.
Thus, e-networking becomes a powerful tool for the recruiter as well as a supplement to the traditional form of network building. The biggest advantage in this, of course, remains that e-networking has a far wider reach and access to a far greater talent pool. Also, it can save time and money because it can serve the purpose of a promotional for the company as well as a job board at the same time and most of these sites offer free registration. Building your company’s page or profile on these websites can put it in the line of view of professionals and peers and even prospective clients. Most of these websites also offer options like becoming a fan or follower of a profile. People attracted to your organization can show their interest and you can take it further from there.
So what’s the best way to make the most of this medium? Create a good profile description of the company to be put on the website and keep on updating it with everything that is current in the company. Checking out profiles of other similar companies can also bring in ideas about how to make your company’s page better. As a recruiter, be a regular at the discussion forums and the bulletin boards. Keep interactions open and regular so that contact is not lost. Providing links to blogs or other discussion forums that might interest your prospects is also a good way of keeping them coming back. Another thing which can yield results is making use of your own company’s website to network with your prospects. Establish a discussion forum or a bulletin board at your own corporate website so that you can attract posts from not only people inside the company but also those outside it. This can also be done with the help of managers who can nominate their best performers to be the moderators of these boards. Devote thirty minutes everyday to reading these posts and interacting with people who stand out. This little investment will greatly enhance the quality of the candidates you recruit.
Social networking websites or e-networking is yet to catch on in India as a recruitment tool, but the potential it holds is vast. LinkedIn has made some headway in the arena as many company profiles can be found here, but the potential held by other websites like Facebook, Twitter and even YouTube is yet to be harnessed. Jobseekers are also looking for newer ways to connect with recruiters and the increasing use of internet is only opening up the field. Though the idea of using social networking for recruitment has been around for quite some time, it is now that it seems to be catching the fancy of jobseekers and recruiters alike. Traditional recruiting techniques are in no manner on their way out, but social networking seems primed to be the tool of choice for recruiters wanting to attract ever growing pools of talent.
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