But employers have to do legwork, put resources into it and add value
The social networking revolution has taken over the world — well, the e-world at least. Social media and blogs are now the fourth most popular online activity, according to Neilsen — ranking ahead of email but trailing search, portals and PC software. And the growth is expected to continue at a rapid pace.
Don’t believe the hype? Try this statistic on for size: More than one-half of the top 25 websites visited in Canada are social media-related, according to data from web research firm Alexa.
Chat rooms such as MSN or Yahoo, social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and media tools such as YouTube and Blogger are building an increasingly strong presence in the e-world. It’s even difficult to think back to the time when experts predicted Facebook would be a fad, social networks such as Bing and LinkedIn had yet to catch on and Twitter — and the verb “tweet” — had no relevance.
But now the facts are indisputable: Social networking is here to stay. Adaptation, therefore, becomes the next big issue. How can a company adapt to the changing face of the e-world? Incorporating social networking into the recruitment strategy is a must. Through the use of external social media tools such as corporate blogs, YouTube, Facebook and other sites, companies can target specific demographic groups. This tactic will become even more important as the recession winds down and labour shortages return with a vengeance.
As a seasoned social networking nerd, I am often asked how to recruit via social networking tools. The answer is not an easy one. There is a vast array of social networking websites out there. As a result, it is imperative HR professionals think outside the box when creating a viral campaign. For starters, a collaborative effort is a must — you will need support from all aspects of the business including marketing, communications, corporate and HR.
Many employers use simple recruitment techniques, such as creating a fan page for the organization on Facebook to post upcoming job opportunities. But this is not the most effective way to use social media. Employees are unlikely to invite their peers to join, nor would the everyday user land on the page.
There are a number of ways employers can effectively use social media:
• Identify the demographics you want to target. Social networks tend to have a particular type of user.
• Understand the type of material typically forwarded from one user to another on a social network.
• Using a social network to post job opportunities will not work effectively. You need to provide extra value, whether it is through a campaign, products your company sells or services you can provide.
• Create a brand campaign that targets the user and the particular network. The more personal a network is, the more viral, and creative, the employer must be.
• A social network allows for two-way communication — this is its strength over job boards and newspapers. Therefore, employers have to actively respond to a user’s questions or concerns in a timely manner. By responding to messages, users will naturally start referring others to the employer’s social networking page or website
• Using multiple social media is more effective than using only one. This allows for more exposure and increases the likelihood a user finds you.
• Videos are an effective way to involve employees to not only recruit for the organization but spread its material to their networks. This creates the viral effect a company desires to attain.
The audience is clearly out there. Facebook alone boasts more than 300 million active users, so there is untapped potential to provide people with information while creating a viral spin. Accounting giant Ernst & Young has successfully composed such a strategy.
With the use of social media, it has not only cultivated more than 40,000 users who tune in to frequent communication with recruiters but it has also redefined user-company interaction by taking a creative spin on simple things such as the common frequently asked questions that appear on corporate websites.
HR professionals need to seize the change brought on by the social networking revolution as an opportunity to redefine the industry and how they find the talent their organizations need to thrive in the future.
Harpaul Sambhi is the Toronto-based CEO of Careerify, a niche social networking site that matches employers and employees. He can be reached at (416) 840-6216, [email protected] or visit www.careerify.ca for more information.
