It is safe to say that social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook have already impacted greatly on the recruitment industry. This impact is likely to continue over the next few years.
Out of all the modern social media platforms that are available, LinkedIn is the most used by professionals for networking purposes. This platform has become one of the most useful tools in the recruitment industry, as there is a higher chance of getting people jobs through this platform than any other social media tool.
There have been massive changes in the recruitment industry such as a major shift in emphasis from candidates doing the searching (for jobs) to recruiters doing the searching (for candidates). Therefore, it is clear to see that the majority of candidates now want full control of their profiles and the people that have access to it. Candidates want to be able to put their trust in social media platforms to provide them with the necessary job opportunities as soon as they become available. The element of trust is definitely a lot more supported by social networks than simply posting your curriculum vitae (CV) onto a job board.
Leading recruiters within the industry are now looking to adapt their recruitment strategies to incorporate these changes and are now focusing their efforts on using social media platforms for not only branding purposes but also for setting up recruitment campaigns which can lead to increased branding.
The big question that comes out of the above is whether or not social media will completely replace recruitment agencies? I think it is safe to say that it will not; especially for those agencies that have other qualities to offer. Smaller organisations that only hire a few people a year will need access to a third party that can provide the necessary knowledge and experience required to successfully recruit the right candidate. For the bigger corporations, having access to social networks is a superb way of gaining access to more candidates, however this can also make the recruitment process a lot more complicated. On the positive side, social networks provide lots of opportunities for all parties to get the best candidate into the best job.
How does LinkedIn compare to other social networks?
It is important to note that LinkedIn provides access to a vast network which gives a huge pool plus the visibility and the quality to help provide a transparent recruitment process. On the other hand, LinkedIn’s goal of becoming an ally to recruiters does leave it wide open to losing its exclusivity and trust. At the moment, LinkedIn’s main selling point is that the fact that it is ‘boss friendly’ i.e. you can put your profile on LinkedIn and you would be happy for your boss to see it. If LinkedIn becomes just another job board then it will lose its trust factor. As its clear that no one is going to want to send their Monster CV profile over to their boss!
It is pretty evident that Facebook is going to become a lot more useful to recruiters in years to come. However, at the moment, it has a limited use for recruiters but the potential is there for all to see, as there are more and more plug ins being produced that replicate the main functions of LinkedIn and the fact that Facebook is being developed to function as a business platform as well as a personal platform.
Overall, it is clear to see that social media is impacting on the recruitment industry, however it is important to note that the traditional methods of recruitment advertising will continue to adapt themselves over the next few years to embrace the new processes that are being widely adopted by the target driven recruiters. If you are looking for the right candidates for your business, then why not utilise the expertise of a recruitment advertising agency. For more information please visit: http://www.360inspire.com/recruitment_advertising.htm. (Jason Tucker)
