By Greg Simpson
While HR Managers and Recruiters are using multiple channels to find talent, the shift to social media as a recruiting tool has had a profound impact the sourcing and hiring process. Relationships are still the most powerful and effective way to identify and land a new position, but with the advent of social recruiting, companies now have access to a much larger pool of applicants and more detailed data. This abundance of data at HR’s fingertips allows organizations to assess candidates prior to meeting – or before an individual has even applied for a position.
In LHH’s recent research study, Better Hires, Better Business, HR Managers reported that the use of social media has been the biggest change in candidate sourcing and hiring (up 51%) over the past two to three years. And, over the next 2-3 years, the use of social media is expected to continue to jump another 68%, dramatically impacting the sourcing and hiring process.
Here are a few reasons why social recruiting is changing the industry:
- Access. Social media provides the ability to actively pursue anyone in the labor market with an Internet footprint, broadening the talent pool and changing the dynamics of talent acquisition. Using the right key words and leveraging connections, talent is found and pursued.
- Efficiency. “Big Data” illuminates today’s talent, giving organizations access to vast amounts of information. Gathering and analyzing this data enables employers to search for and find candidates with very specific skill sets – leading to more knowledgeable sourcing and hiring decisions.
- Speed. Technology is a great enabler for finding talent. High performers are always in demand and don’t stay on the market long. With social recruiting, competition for top talent is really heating up. Relying on older methods may render organizations too slow and uninformed to capture the most talented employees.
Social media allows recruiters and hiring managers to leverage their extensive online networks to target prospective candidates who possess specific skills and experience. Job seekers have an opportunity to capture attention and interest with online profiles on sites like LinkedIn and Twitter that do a really good job of representing their skills and experience in the workplace.
Originally posted on Workplace Insights.