Social Media Recruiting
by Cabot L. Jaffee, Ph.D., President/CEO, AlignMark, Inc. -
July 11, 2011
Social Media Recruiting
By Cabot L. Jaffee, Ph.D.
President & CEO, AlignMark, Inc.
We've all heard about Gen X, Gen Y, Boomers, etc. and each of these generations have certain characteristics that "bond" them together with the most obvious one being age. Today a new generation has evolved that has nothing to do with age. We'll refer to the newest Generation as Generation Web or "Gen Web" as its members are bonded together by a single factor – Technology and Networking Groups.
Everyone talks of baby boomers retiring and the future shortage of qualified workers in the labor market. Well in almost all cases it's the new "Gen Webbers" that will fill this gap, regardless of their age. Given the current economic condition, workers from all generations that join Gen Web will be asked to fill tomorrow's jobs. Fortunately the time it takes to be part of Gen Web can be relatively short, as today the majority of jobs are becoming more and more dependent on technology. This trend will only continue, and in fact, accelerate faster in the near future. As a simple example for boomers - remember when you first used a computer, laptop or cell phone - for the younger generation, remember when you first began to text message or use MySpace. Technology weaves us all together, especially when it comes to recruiting and business.
• So what are the implications of this on your business?
• And have you tapped on the Gen Web channel for the talent you want to hire?
The need for this new generation in the workplace will force businesses to change many of their HR practices, especially recruiting and selection practices. The ways in which companies recruit, hire people, train and develop their employees, and manage them on the job will take on a very different look versus today (yes even today.)
We're already seeing the rapid increase in the use of social networking to find new sources of candidates and passive job seekers. This trend will continue with new ways of hiring information, new ways of collecting performance data on workers, etc.
Traditional candidate marketing campaigns march on - day in, day out, week after week, every year; yet for all of the effort that goes into each, they have a finite existence. Leveraging the power of Social Media Marketing (SMM) HR organizations are making their hiring efforts and its existence infinite.
Social media marketing programs usually center on efforts to create content that attracts attention, generates online conversations, and encourages readers to share it with their social networks. The message spreads from user to user and presumably resonates because it is coming from a trusted source, as opposed to the brand or company itself.
What CAN you achieve from Social Media in a recruitment context?
• Use Social Media to listen
• Use Social Media to ask questions
• Use Social Media interact virtually with your prospective employees
• Use Social Media to increase candidate pull
• Use Social Media to strengthen client contacts
• Use Social Media to pre-sell your services
More and more businesses are realizing just how this promotion method can benefit their businesses. If done correctly, social media marketing can give your business a serious boost. And thanks to a new service it takes much less time to see results than it has in the past. Download AlignMark's newest whitepaper on Turning Social Media into a Powerful Recruiting Tool for additional information.
Dr. Cabot L. Jaffee, Ph.D.
President & CEO
cjaffee@alignmark.com
407.875.1102
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