How recruiters are using Social Networks and what are the things to avoid ?
Although I'm not a recruiter, I have used LinkedIn and other networks to find candidates for available positions in my company, and it has made me acutely aware of a number of things:
1) Recruiters DO use networks, and the internet as a whole, to find and screen candidates
2) Not only do they use professional networks such as LinkedIn, they also use socialnetworks such as MySpace, Facebook and similar
3) Think about what gets posted about you on any of these, in your own profile and in others'. Did you get really, really drunk at that last party you went to? If there's a photo of it that identifies you on MySpace (yours or your friends') a recruiter might find it
4) Think specialty networks. Find a network that covers your specific field or area of interest. This is often where recruiters look first, as people here have the specific skills the recruiter is looking for
5) But don't ignore the general ones, either. LinkedIn a.o. are great for networking across fields, supporting the theory of Weak Links. Plus, it can greatly help you if you at some point want to move into another field.
6) Personal web sites are out, blogs are in. But don't make about your cat or home renovation project. Most personal web sites are just a form of blog anyway, so just go with a blog. If you have something interesting to say about your field, do so. Real bonus points there.
1) Recruiters DO use networks, and the internet as a whole, to find and screen candidates
2) Not only do they use professional networks such as LinkedIn, they also use socialnetworks such as MySpace, Facebook and similar
3) Think about what gets posted about you on any of these, in your own profile and in others'. Did you get really, really drunk at that last party you went to? If there's a photo of it that identifies you on MySpace (yours or your friends') a recruiter might find it
4) Think specialty networks. Find a network that covers your specific field or area of interest. This is often where recruiters look first, as people here have the specific skills the recruiter is looking for
5) But don't ignore the general ones, either. LinkedIn a.o. are great for networking across fields, supporting the theory of Weak Links. Plus, it can greatly help you if you at some point want to move into another field.
6) Personal web sites are out, blogs are in. But don't make about your cat or home renovation project. Most personal web sites are just a form of blog anyway, so just go with a blog. If you have something interesting to say about your field, do so. Real bonus points there.
Off late Recruiters have realised to find out innovative means to source candidates and the way internet has taken over, it becomes a great source to find out the right talent for the right job.
How to Use Networking Sites:-
Well this is really tricky in the sense that one has to master every other networking site in a unique and different way as the strategy changes with the nature of the Network and location and many more parameters as stated below:
e.g. If you are on Orkut where you will find more of friendly discussions and personal stuff, but what works here is the way people have clubbed together in the so called 'Community' having similar interests. You can find Communities based on people working in the either same company or at a given location or SBU, ex employees, colleges, alumni etc.. So for a recruiter it not just serves as a platform to source all the time but also to get to know what kind of talent pool is available and at what location and so on and so forth. You can add people, post jobs, interact with people on any given topic under the sun. Now as the ball is in your court and you can act to your needs.
Some new ideas that are picking up is Blogging, which have already gone places if you read some succes stories, now we also have dedicated blogs towards recruiting. It's upto a recruiter how to make use of them, and has to be innovative and creative to get into this. Also check out the podcasts that are being used by several employers as a recruitment tool.
Now as far as things to avoid, well first is being ethical and not being a spoil sport by spamming people, coz it then changes the mindset of the individuals in the network and all in all comes back to all of us recruiters.
Also information one is putting across should not be faking things as then you lose your credibility.
More significantly follow the code of conduct at a given community and use it to all your needs.
How to Use Networking Sites:-
Well this is really tricky in the sense that one has to master every other networking site in a unique and different way as the strategy changes with the nature of the Network and location and many more parameters as stated below:
e.g. If you are on Orkut where you will find more of friendly discussions and personal stuff, but what works here is the way people have clubbed together in the so called 'Community' having similar interests. You can find Communities based on people working in the either same company or at a given location or SBU, ex employees, colleges, alumni etc.. So for a recruiter it not just serves as a platform to source all the time but also to get to know what kind of talent pool is available and at what location and so on and so forth. You can add people, post jobs, interact with people on any given topic under the sun. Now as the ball is in your court and you can act to your needs.
Some new ideas that are picking up is Blogging, which have already gone places if you read some succes stories, now we also have dedicated blogs towards recruiting. It's upto a recruiter how to make use of them, and has to be innovative and creative to get into this. Also check out the podcasts that are being used by several employers as a recruitment tool.
Now as far as things to avoid, well first is being ethical and not being a spoil sport by spamming people, coz it then changes the mindset of the individuals in the network and all in all comes back to all of us recruiters.
Also information one is putting across should not be faking things as then you lose your credibility.
More significantly follow the code of conduct at a given community and use it to all your needs.
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