Jobvite, a provider of next-generation recruitment solutions, has published results of its 2008 Social Recruitment Survey.
Social recruitment is the practice of leveraging social and professional networks, online and offline, for talent acquisition.
The survey shows that the majority of companies (78%) are tapping social networks to find employees. The most common method of social hiring is leveraging employee networks through referrals - 75% of companies surveyed do so.
64 per cent of companies are making contacts through online social networks, predominantly LinkedIn (80%) and Facebook (36%).
When asked which techniques they plan to use more next year, 68% of recruiters said they will increase their use of referrals and employees’ networks. Overall, responses reveal that recruiters are already engaging in social recruitment using a range of methods, both online and offline.
But Jobvite says that most have yet to implement a comprehensive social recruitment strategy that fully leverages companies’ most valuable social networks – those of their employees.
The interesting thing here is that there is implicit endorsement in social networks as a recruitment tool. So, while most employers don’t want their staff flicking to Facebook and sending IM to their friends during work hours, at the same time they are encouraging employees to cultivate potential candidates.
I’ve previously examined the importance of employment branding (and how companies like Google have a “sorting” problem rather than attraction problem when it comes to finding the right people). Philip Tusing, who writes the Destination Talent blog, recently pointed out that 62 million people are logging on to YouTube daily, and asks, “what will visitors see if they keyed in your company name?” Crazy John’s has developed a video perfect for YouTube which sells their company to Gen Y employees. Take a look!
Yesterday, I explored how savvy companies are leveraging social and professional networks, online and offline, for talent acquisition. But here’s IBM’s somewhat cynical take on cultivating potential candidates through social networks.
Everyone’s talking about Facebook. And if you’re an employer, you’re probably worried about your workers wasting office hours social networking when they should be productive.
Relax. Facebook can be an essential addition to your employees’ web working toolbox.
So how can Facebook benefit business?
For starters, Facebook is all about community. As a social networking tool, it allows you to leave messages on users’ walls, join groups and participate in discussions. You can connect with old and new co-workers and clients without being intrusive. Add these people to Facebook and stay in touch without needing to actively maintain a conversation via email or phone.
Use Facebook to virally tackle a business cause. Look for business opportunities out of shared interests. Ask questions, and take advantage of Facebook’s collective intelligence with the My Questions application. Gain insight into business challenges and discover new resources through your network.
Of course, it’s important to edit your profile and security settings, giving careful consideration to exactly who sees your profile and when. Facebook can come back to haunt you, as the Australian swimming team found out recently.
But before brushing aside Facebook as a fad, remember: if you are hiring the next generation of workers, it’s important – regardless of your age – that you remain web-literate and in touch with the latest Internet trends.
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