Social Networking and its Impact on Online Recruitment

Social networking websites are taking the internet by storm and are revolutionizing the way society connects and interacts with each other. What once was thought to be an internet fad is now commanding the attention of people and businesses around the world. Although social networking began primarily as a medium to allow individuals with similar interests to interact on a social level, it has since evolved to give businesses and professionals a place to connect and grow their network of contacts and even careers. How Social Networking is Enhancing Recruitment Programs As the recruitment industry continues to evolve into a place where online connections and networking are becoming as important as traditional job ads and paper resumes, employers will find it necessary to continually rethink the way they search, identify and recruit new employees for their organization. In today’s internet driven society, traditional methods of recruitment and candidate searching are no longer enough. It is important for employers to diversify their recruitment program to include social networking sites to avoid missing out on highly-qualified candidates who frequent these sites. Social networking sites are giving employers the ability to connect with highly-qualified job seekers on a more personal level than ever before. These sites also provide employers with an effective means of locating passive job seekers, a valuable segment of the marketplace that can sometimes be hard to reach when looking to fill a position within their organization. How Job Boards Are Tapping into the Social Networking Phenomena Nexxt, a network of more than 15,000 online niche career communities, recently polled more than 4,000 network visitors and found that nearly 30 percent of visitors currently use social networking sites. Of those respondents, more than 65 percent said they use social networking sites for job searching and professional networking. As the poll results indicate, the number of users who engage in online social networking is continuing to grow and more and more individuals are using social networking as a means to further their careers. Many job boards are recognizing the significance of this trend and are beginning to reconfigure their business strategies to stay competitive by offering a professional place online for employers, job seekers and colleagues to connect online. Many job boards are also utilizing new technologies to allow their users to connect with other members and share information through widgets such as: personal profiles, articles and blogs, etc. which encourages networking with people with similar interests, backgrounds, thoughts, etc. amongst their member base. Many job boards are looking for ways to tap into these social networking communities since not only do these sites consist of a large pool of members, but more and more of these members are looking for jobs on these sites. Therefore, many job boards are implementing relationships with social networking sites so their jobs are able to be searched directly from sites such as Myspace, Facebook, Friendster, and LinkedIn. Similarity between Niche Job Boards and Social Networking Sites Niche job boards, similar to social networking sites, attract members from a specific location, industry or interest, which gives employers the ability to target and reach highly-qualified candidates relevant to their business. Due in part to the popularity of social networking sites, professionals are accustomed to visiting or creating communities that are focused on their specific wants, needs and interests. Niche job boards are well positioned to deliver just what the professional is looking for in terms of targeted jobs, resources and information. This is something general job boards often times have a difficult time providing, given their broad focus in being everything to everyone. There is an evolution occurring in the recruitment industry towards niche job sites and one reason for this movement is the popularity of social networking sites that have driven employers and job seekers to want more targeted information and an effective means of obtaining this information. What the Future Holds for Social Networking and Online Recruitment Social networking is no doubt beginning to transform the future of the recruitment industry and is opening new doors for employers and job seekers to connect in ways not possible before. Social networking will continue to be mainstream and a popular way to interact and network in an online environment. Similar to niche job boards, it is expected for social networking sites to evolve to appeal to a more targeted audience in the future. More and more people will look for sites that are specifically targeted to their wants and needs versus some of the more generic social networking sites today. As the social networking industry continues to evolve and grow, it will continue to play a large role in the recruitment industry. Employers will need to take advantage of the tools available online, and supplement traditional recruitment methods with social networking, niche job boards and other advanced technologies to launch the most successful recruitment program possible. To read more on other topics related to social networking and online recruitment, please visit the Career Articles section.