Social networks offer a new way of tackling business problems, particularly within recruitment. The very nature of these networks means they are integrated into the recruitment process whether intentional or not; it is virtually impossible for any recruit to evade a company’s online social presence.
Research has shown that social networking or blog sites are now being visited by three quarters of global consumers who go online and the average visitor spends 66 per cent more time on these sites than a year ago. The audience is so strong that businesses can not only become more efficient in reaching targets online but also help drive cost savings.
Love or hate the hype around social media; the SME sector needs to embrace the varied advantages of using it effectively in order to keep up.
eBay Classifieds Group has grown from 60 to 800 people in less than five years and established its social media strategy exclusively for recruitment - designed to ensure that candidates can conveniently access interactive and useful information about the company in many places.
To get the best out of the ‘recruitment network’, companies must ensure that they use it as a tool to make processes easier and more efficient – not to create extra work. Here are some of the efficiencies that we suggest you can drive in 2011:
Efficiency number one: Finding potential candidates
The internet can present a challenge in sifting through a mob of ‘unknown’ candidates to find the one to suit your organisation. But instead, online social networks can save your company time if used to locate and target niche online communities that represent the qualities you might be looking for.
For example, if eBay Classifieds Group is keen to recruit graduates, we shortcut straight to student communities. Or if we need a Spanish-speaker for a particular role, the team can search for Spanish-speaking online communities and begin making connections, speeding up the process.
Efficiency number two: Finding recommended talent
Small companies can save vast amounts of time and money by capitalising on their existing networks. Why spend time tracking down ‘un-vetted’ candidates in the first instance when you can find pre-endorsed contacts faster?
This has been very successful for eBay Classifieds Group as we made a purposeful decision to connect with our employees via LinkedIn, creating referral networks. Our HR department is now linked with over 50,000 people, featuring high-potential candidates who already have a trusted referral from our existing colleagues.
Efficiency number three: Informing candidates
More than ever, candidates are ready to engage with potential employers on social networks and appreciate the additional information you can provide them online.
The key is to ensure that there is a continuous, ever-present contact ‘loop’. For example, eBay Classifieds Group might begin by calling a candidate to generate interest, but we then follow up by connecting to them via LinkedIn. Subsequently, the candidate might research us on our Facebook page and Twitter feed, as well as checking the traditional corporate .com site.
This wide range of opportunities to connect with your company creates more chances to engage the candidate but less work for you in the long-run.
Efficiency number four: Engaging candidates
Once a candidate is interested, social networks can be an effective way to convert this interest into recruitment by connecting with candidates via more personal platforms. For example, a Facebook page can be more visually creative and personal than a company’s website, incorporating interesting links, video content and images.
eBay Classifieds Group is also developing video job descriptions for candidates to host online, as we see this as an opportunity to communicate our brand in more informative, digital formats. Videos bring to life a company’s ethos and personality, and candidates can potentially meet their manager and see the office they’d be working in before even requesting an interview.
All companies should communicate genuinely with candidates and we recommend that the most effective and efficient way is by featuring testimonials of existing staff. This can help to personalise your business to new audiences by illustrating the company culture and highlighting positive brand messages in a credible way.
SMEs are facing difficult challenges in 2011 – attempting to cope with the economic crisis and VAT increase, whilst perhaps beginning to invest in and master new technologies and striving to streamline business and cut costs. However, the ‘recruitment network’ is one strategy that can help your bottom-line. By integrating and streamlining the entire process of finding, informing and engaging top talent, the ‘recruitment network’ can propel your company into the digital age.
Tom Clancy, Lead Recruiter, eBay Classifieds Group
