Integrating Social Media and Recruitment Together (Part 1)

A headhunter Singapore Article by Recruitment Guru - Dougles Chan

Facebook has over 750 million users; Twitter has about 200 million and 100 million on LinkedIn! What are we doing just making friends, following each other and people or institutions we admire or update our professional profile just to let people know? Here we are, at a point in time where these social networks are being exploited for recruitment purposes. And not just for doing background checks on applicants but companies are utilizing these virtual spaces to establish themselves, create positive brand image, post about job openings, and search for relevant candidates and of course, to finally take a look at their profiles before processing the applications.

When using social networks for recruiting, information asymmetry exists between employers and prospective employees. It is important for candidates to take a step forward and bridge this gap. Apart from following/becoming a fan of all the companies that are on the list and applying whenever a relevant job posting come your way, there are some more things that can be done.

The first and foremost important thing is that being a potential candidate, you need to know your future employer better and also give him a chance to understand you. Begin with getting as much information about the companies as you can. And not just about the role and the salary but also understand what the philosophy of the company is, what are the work ethics like, the hierarchical nature. While finding out what the employees think about their company and taking interview tips from them, try and also find out what the customers of the company think about their product/services. Are they satisfied? Do they have any trouble? If so, has the company taken due cognisance and improved their customer relations?

In the sector that you might be looking at entering, it will also be interesting to observe closely the social network presence of competitors. On the outset all of them might be big companies but understanding the intrinsic differences in functioning can help a candidate carve out his/her own preferences better and understand where he/she can fit the best.

All the three social networks function fundamentally differently. It can be helpful to understand that as well. Each of them has pros and cons. Facebook might not be the best place for indiscretion but it is the best for mass recruitment. LinkedIn might be the best network while searching for a person to work in one particular role but the power of community is non-existent on LinkedIn reducing its utility if next year some company wants to employ a handful of HR professionals. Twitter’s most constraining feature is the 140 characters limitation but on the brighter side, it allows connect on on-on-one basis.

The essence is that one must become knowledgeable. And only holistic information can lead to such knowledge. Gathering information from all possible sources about every little thing matters is a must! It is not enough to only have the details that immediately matter in the recruitment process. Clear understanding of what one is getting into will maximize the benefits of this process for both the parties. Continues in Integrating Social Media and Recruitment Together (Part 2)

An article by The Recruitment Guru – Dougles Chan

Continue at…Integrating Social Media and Recruitment Together (Part 2)