How has Web 2.0 changed the way you locate good candidates?
By using tools like Facebook, Twitter, and Linked-In, have you been able to locate candidates suitable for your open positions?
Good Answers (4)
Penelope A.
Public Relations/Social Media/Marketing Staffing Consultant to PR Agencies and Corporations - Nationwide
Hi Jon -
I think social media can be great for gathering information (most of it you don't really need at the moment) and is much more fun than the usual online sourcing techniques. But....some of it seems a waste of time to me. My usual methods still produce quick results. Changing methods can be time consuming and distract from the work......
However, I think LinkedIn is an excellent tool.....a great directory of talent....I use it all the time. I don't even remember having difficulty in the beginning. It's so easy to use. You still have to track people down in the usual manner though. Trying to reach people through LinkedIn can be tricky and is invariably sluggish.
I'm trying to get a grip on Twitter...begin to see some techniques that might be very helpful, especially for tracking passive candidates. However, I'm spending so much time experimenting etc...... not recruiting....it still falls into the "why am I doing this" catetegory for me at the moment.
Facebook....great for sharing with family and friends but I don't see it as a good use of my time as far as sourcing is concerned. YouTube I look at only when someone points something out.....MySpace...(enough already!!)
Jon, I have to agree with Charles on locating good candidates -- too much noise, not enough substance to make discerning choices -- for the most part.
On the other hand, Web 2.0 has entirely changed the way good candidates locate organizations they want to work for. There is so much more information available about open positions and, more importantly, the value proposition of working with a company that if a company is doing it right, there will be talented employees lined up around the globe to work for them. That is not to say there still will not be a need to go chase down certain key positions, but it doesn't always have to be company recruiters chasing candidates.
What are you doing to attract candidates to you? What are your employees saying in their 2.0 spaces that tell their friends, family, network connections, etc. about their experience in your organization? Are you available (through LinkedIn or other means) to your network and their connections, and have you had an employee in your organization seek you out to recommend one of their connections for employment? What is your company putting out on the web that entices new, talented candidates to seek you out for employment?
Traditionally, this sort of advertising has come from marketing departments and branding agencies. In recent years, many companies have turned to outside sources for this affirmation (Best Places lists, awards from magazines for certain benefit programs,...) of their employee value proposition. But why can't this advertising be free and come from employees? If you are truly delighting employees, will they not engage themselves in the company and sing praises to others about such an experience?
So, in short, Web 2.0 outlets provide a forum for the equation to be flipped on its head. There are more opportunities for transparency into organizations and the feelings of current employees.
Andrew J.
Our futures are not determined simply by what we do but by how and why we do it.
Best Answers in: Job Search (2), Resume Writing (1)
I think a lot of "good candidates" are not on the Web 2.0 band wagon yet. Many of the best and brightest have caught on, but that candidate pool still remains small in my opinion, unless you're recruiting for a technology related or media position. And because these talent pools are generally smaller than talent pools than those pools you develop through traditional means of recruitment, it's hard to say whether or not you're getting the "good candidates." With fewer candidates, there are fewer people to choose from, and therefore that implies that there are fewer "good candidates" to select from as well.
One might argue that although the pool is small, there are a lot of bright individuals in the pool, but just because these candidates stand out in their bright pink bathing suits, it's not an indication of how well they swim. Unless you're hiring an SEO, then you want them to stand out online.
More Answers (1)
Scott B.
Sr. Technical Recruiter at Compuware - CIR
Best Answers in: Staffing and Recruiting (7), Job Search (2), Web Development (1), Using LinkedIn (1)
I would not say it has changed what I do or how I locate the best people. It does give me another avenue to find them. Definately does not replace other things. Nothing available now (or I imagine in the future) will be the "end all" method.
