Social Job Search: Sadler, J. 1

Social Job SearchTrend Assessment

Jennifer Sadler February 14, 2012

Social Job Search: Sadler, J. 2

Introduction.

The search for jobs and recruiting possibilities are no longer only found in the classifieds section of the daily newspaper. According to the Global Recruiting Trends Survey conducted by Linkedin in 2011, 43% of companies consider utilizing social and professional networks to seek new employees a new global trend (Linkedin Recruiting Solutions 2011). Search engines provide ways for consumers to seek new employment, and job sites such as Indeed, Monster, and Careerbuilder all provide listings for new opportunities broken down by profession and location. However, brands are now leveraging social media, not just employment sites, to recruit employees and individuals who are seeking new opportunities have the ability to use their social networks in the same capacity.

There are two types of comparisons to consider when looking into the recruitment aspects of job searches: formal vs. informal and passive vs. active. Formal methods include searches that involve newspapers, recruiting agencies and the Internet, while an informal strategy will use current contacts as a means to recruit, according to a research study by the Department for Work and Pensions (Green, 2011). A passive job seeker will not be as actively involved in the search process as an active person would, most likely because that individual is already in their career field. The Internet is becoming a pervasive tool for job searches and navigating it correctly can mean the difference between landing a successful interview and filling out multiple online applications with no avail.

Social job search is a new method for recruiting and seeking potential employment. Utilizing social media networks, companies and individuals can expand their reach for candidates and openings. A theory of strength in weak ties, noted in the Department for Work and Pensions study, suggests that the weak ties of acquaintances within a person’s social circle are advantageous when searching for employment. It goes on to note that the quality of those included in an individual’s social networks is more important than the quantity, types of networks, or utilization of these contacts.

Traditionally, newspapers, recruitment agencies and online job forums and sites have aided individuals in locating jobs. However, the new trend of leveraging social media has a vast reach for not only individuals but businesses as well. A 2011 Social Recruiting Survey by Jobvite found that companies are investing more money into recruiting via social media than they have in previous years (Jobvite 2011). This paper will use case studies and research to address the emerging trend of social job search from the perspective of both individuals and companies to show a true reach beyond the initial business model.

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Direct Applications.

Social job search is having a direct impact on how recruiters locate potential employees and build their marketing value through social networking sites. L’Oreal is the largest beauty company I the world, boasting 66,600 employees in 130 countries (L’Oreal 2011). In an effort to solve a business challenge to recruit in a better, more efficient way and boost their marketing potential at the same time. There were three specific areas they were trying to focus on and used Linkedin to assist in their needs. The first challenge was to improve how they recruited senior and early career specialists without having to use headhunters. Secondly, they wanted to attract the passive applicants who may not be actively searching for employment. Finally, the company aimed to redevelop their employment brand in order to gain future prospective candidates.

Using Linkedin, L’Oreal made several changes that added to the successful recruitment of new employees. They not only redeveloped the recruiter profile, but also created a company career page to give candidates a way to find their openings in a more efficient way. L’Oreal took advantage of the strength in weak ties approach and had their 15,000 current employees already subscribed to Linkedin recommend whom they felt should fill open positions. By putting their business on Linkedin, L’Oreal expanded their reach for prospects and added to their credibility. The most noticeable improvement Linkedin provided was to edge out the need for headhunters, thus saving the company thousands of dollars for the year. These benefits of social recruiting not only filled the positions that were needed in a faster approach, but it also added marketing appeal to the company. They developed a profile instead of simply posting job openings, which gave them the added credibility. This brand addressed the social job search trend as a way to cut costs and recruit faster, better employees, and their embrace of it added to their success.

In another instance, social job search can be useful for potential candidates as well. Linkedin posts job openings, but Twitter and Facebook can be useful in seeking out employers or building your web presence to be sought out by others. Antonia Harler used her social media skills to search for jobs and eventually land her dream position four months after the search began (Harler, 2011). Harler graduated in 2010 and had the aspiration of finding a job in London doing social media marketing. She went there for two weeks to apply for positions in person but did not end up coming back with a position.

When that didn’t work, she wrote a blog post detailing why she was worth consideration and sent that post out to the connections she had made in her social networks and through email as well. Through word of mouth and sharing her story to colleagues, her post had gained the attention of employers in many different areas in the world and was viewed over one thousand times. She was offered various positions and a month after taking a marketing job she landed a career opportunity with her dream company. The company contacted her via Twitter to ask if she wanted to join the team.

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Antoinia Harler effectively leveraged social media and the influencers in her circle to reach out beyond just the scope of searching for open positions online. Because of her unique approach, she was sought out by employers and her method of social job search was a success. Her blog post was personal, reflective and had elements of sarcasm, but in the arena of digital media a professional demeanor is well accepted while a bit of personality can show employers more about you as an individual.

There are also other potentials for using this new trend for business and individual success. Building a company brand via social networks could assist in building the value of that organization. One suggestion would be to harness the effectiveness of mobile devices and allow companies to use location based sites such as Foursquare to tell consumers that there is a job opening when they check into their location. In addition, an individual could use these multiple platforms to create various forms of social media resumes. Mashable gives a list of individuals that use QR codes, Youtube videos and inforgraphics to leverage social media for their advantage when applying for a position (Mashable 2012). Businesses could also leverage Twitter to have Tweetups, or Twitter meetings, where they invite eligible candidates for interviews.

Future Predictions.

Before integrating social job search into an organization it is important to understand the potential for future return of this trend and in what direction it is moving. In an interview with Addie McGowan, Associate Director of Social Media at BigFish Creative Marketing, she explains her use of social media in the recruiting process and where the trend may be heading for the future (McGowan 2012). Addie states that her organization utilizes social media in three distinct functions: growth and networking, qualification for social media positions, and viewing portfolios. By building relationships with local social media enthusiasts, the company is able to gage whether a person would be a good fit for their team or be able to recommend another individual. They also monitor how individuals use their skills by way of social media to assess their qualifications and note if someone has an online presence or portfolio of work.

When asked how effective social networks become in locating desired candidates, McGowan states, “If they are not active on social media personally and making an effort to connect with us on these platforms, they are not someone we would look to hire.” She further suggests that those interested in pursuing a job via social networks should connect with companies on a personal level rather than listing skill sets and leverages the connections you have on networks such as Linkedin.

The trend of recruiting via social media could have a vast impact on the business landscape. As noted by the L’Oreal Case Study, the company saved thousands on headhunters by simply using Linkedin to reach mid to senior level employees. Social media is evolving and companies are creating profiles to meet the consumer demand; their need for expert digital marketers will expand as the trend evolves. If a business is serious about perusing a candidate, they will need to be knowledgeable of that person’s

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true reach, or Klout, in social media. Traditional means of posting open positions, such as newspapers and bulk job search sites, will not be an effective way to reach those individuals. Alternative means of recruiting are necessary in those instances, such as viewing Linkedin profiles and seeking local candidates with the aid of Twitter.

However, social job search may not be an effective means of recruiting if you are not searching for a demographic of consumers that uses digital media on a regular basis. Leveraging social media works well with mid to high-level recruitment and those consumers who have a presence on the Internet. Small businesses would be able to announce job openings via Facebook and Twitter, whereas larger companies may need to use Linkedin to view profiles and resumes of potential candidates. The retail, telecommunications, entertainment, and health industries may be most heavily impacted by this emerging trend. While most are actively engaging in digital media, the health industry is growing in its presence and thus needs the right type of recruiting means to gain long-term employees.

Moving forward, this trend will likely be integrated into most networks so that a posting for an open position spans Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook and mobile devices simultaneously. Businesses such as GetHired.com will emerge that use these different media to gain more appeal. GetHired.com allows employers to post jobs on their site and then filter them through different networks that redirect back to the company’s site (Gethired.com). A potential employee can set up a profile and employers will be able to schedule a video or face-to-face interview and seek opinions from colleagues on the candidate. Sites such as this shows that social job search is gaining appeal as a trend.

To retain a competitive advantage, companies should begin using social media as a means of recruiting mid to high-level employees through networks such as Linkedin. Because competition is high to gain the best recruits, companies should focus on gaining an online presence and focus some marketing on the value of their employees. Individuals who are seeking to gain a job via social media should strengthen their connections and show a presence that is directed towards their career field. Addie McGowan said that companies are able to do more research on potential employees, but for this group there is “more opportunity to build a public, visible, personal brand for yourself as well as a candidate online that could be purposely or accidentally found by recruiters or potential employers. (McGowan 2012)”

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References.

GetHired.com. Introduction video. 2012. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsX30pLL2h4&feature=player_embedded

Green, Anne E; Hoyos, Maria; Li, Yuxin; Owen, David. “Job Search Study: Literature Review and Analysis or the Labour Force Survey”. Department for Work and Pensions. http://research.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd5/rports2011-2012/rrep726.pdf

Harler, Antonia. “Case Study: How one blog post helped me get a job in social media”. 2011. http://www.businessesgrow.com/2011/02/10/case-study-how-one-blog-post-helped-me-get-a-job-in-social-media/

Hernandez, Brian. “10 Creative Social Media Resumes to Learn From”. May 20, 2011. http://mashable.com/2011/05/20/social-media-resumes/#146411-Put-Your-Best-QR-Face-Forward

Jobvite. “2011 Social Recruiting Survey Results”. http://web.jobvite.com/rs/jobvite/images/Jobvite-SRP-2011.pdf

Linkedin Recruiting Solutions. “Global Recruiting Trends Survey 2011. Country Report: US. http://talent.linkedin.com/node/14010

L’Oreal Case Study. Linkedin. 2011. http://talent.linkedin.com/node/45259

McGowan, Addie. Associate Director of Social Media at BigFish Creative Marketing. Personal Communication. February 14, 2011

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