More and more job seekers are becoming reliant on social media to hunt for their next position, meaning that employers must look for ways to integrate the advancing technology into their talent sourcing, according to the latest report released by recruitment specialist Hays.

 

Hay’s latest white paper, titled Tomorrow’s Workforce, canvassed over 830 employers and candidates. It found that 69.3 of candidates use LinkedIn when looking for a new job, while blogging also proved popular, with 26.8 per cent of candidates using them to look for positions.

 

According to the survey, 82.2 per cent of candidates use social media to find jobs of interest, while 69.3 per cent of them use social media to research the organisation. The survey found that 7.3 per cent use them to see what others have to say about the organisation. 26.1 per cent use them to promote their own skills and abilities, by blogging or via Facebook.

 

For employers social media should be considered for its ability to connect with potential recruits,” says Nick Deligiannis, Managing Director of Hays in Australia. “According to our survey of employers, organisations are slowly beginning to use such tools to communicate their employee value proposition, although the uptake is far from universal.

 

 

According to Mr Deligiannis, technology has a crucial part to play in the recruitment process, with candidates becoming increasingly strategic in their approach to find positions.

 

“But it must not be done at the expense of face-to-face methods, which remain central to the recruitment process. We need to look at it as just one of the attraction tools that we can use. Taking the time to get to know someone is still crucial in identifying the right role for them and picking up the phone to candidates or meeting them in person just can’t be substituted,” Mr Deligiannis said.

 

Hays outlined the following key methods to implementing a successful strategy in using social media for hiring:

  • Research: Find out what is being said online about your organisation, and where it is being said
  •   Listen: Continue to listen to what is said about your organisation. You can also use the information as the basis for your future conversations with potential recruits
  • Identify potential audiences
  • Develop a strategy
  • Involve the business – do not restrict your social media efforts to the HR department as candidates want to have peer-to-peer conversations with those in the areas of the business they could work in
  • Select your social media ambassadors well and provide training on appropriate content that will engage potential recruits
  • Do not become preoccupied with a single area of technology. Social media changes rapidly.

 

The full report can be found here