Role of Social Recruiting Expands as Companies Seek Top Job Candidates

Role of Social Recruiting Expands as Companies Seek Top Job Candidates »

WOODCLIFF LAKE, N.J., Dec. 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — New research from Lee Hecht Harrison reveals that job seekers can expect social recruiting to play an increasingly greater role in how they land a new position. Lee Hecht Harrison is the global talent development leader in connecting people to jobs and helping individuals improve performance.

As the impact of social networks on hiring continues to expand, there is less reliance on job boards, with just 11% of job seekers finding new career opportunities on passive job sites, according to research conducted by Lee Hecht Harrison. “Employers are realizing a significant advantage by using social recruiting to actively find the best potential employees. By entering search criteria that is highly targeted to an organization’s hiring needs – specific knowledge, skills and ability – recruiters and hiring managers can now access qualified job candidates directly through their social networks,” said Peter Alcide, President and Chief Operating Officer for Lee Hecht Harrison. “Postings on job boards often generate a large number of unqualified candidates and are proving to be far less efficient in identifying the best candidates.”

Alcide advises job seekers to leverage the increasingly important role of social recruiting by ensuring their social bios are not disqualifying them from consideration. Alcide offers, “Most companies are using social networks to scope out potential hires and a social bio should answer important questions such as who you are, who you help and how you help them, with specific measurable accomplishments to support it.”

However, social recruiting is just one tool recruiters and hiring managers use in the hiring process as connecting and engaging with candidates is still a critical part of evaluating candidates. After identifying potential employees based on qualifications, recruiters and hiring managers must evaluate each candidate’s goals, interests and behavioral traits to determine if they are a good fit for a potential employer. “Assessing for cultural fit is just as important as assessing for skills,” stated Alcide. “A significant number of new hires fail not because they didn’t have the technical aptitude to do the job, but because they didn’t fit in with the team. You can’t determine a good fit based on a social bio and this is where strong interviewing and interpersonal skills come in.”

Alcide explained, “Social recruiting is becoming more sophisticated every day, allowing companies to make better hiring decisions, so it’s important for individuals to understand that social networking can make – or break – their career. Whether currently looking for a position or part of an overall career management strategy, social media tools can help individuals ensure they are creating a favorable impression in the virtual world.”

For more information and advice on the use of a wide range of social media tools for online identity management, job search and career adva

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By Tim Spagnola