Comments on: Recruiting Controversey: Job Boards v. Social Media

By: Susie Moggill

Susie Moggill — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 04:00:15 +0000

Although we are undoubtedly in a recruitment transition, it is inaccurate and overly presumptuous to assume that job boards are, or will become, redundant. Job boards are still the first point of contact for a large majority of Job Seekers and to be absent from this sphere would undoubtedly diminish many employers chances of finding relevant and quality candidates.

From my experience in the recruitment industry, one of the main problems employers have with Job Boards, is that they are inundated with applications from irrelevant candidates who multi-post CVs. However, this is often the result of overly broad recruitment campaigns on behalf of the Employer, rather then lack of network functionality on job boards.

Recruitment Consultants for Employment Office- an Australian recruitment solutions company- are quick to point out the advantages of targeted advertising. Instead of posting your advertisement on all-industry job boards, try sector specific websites. For example, niche online job board http://www.bluecollar.com.au is increasingly becoming the job board of choice for both Australian Job Seekers and Employers, because it not only offers a platform for visitors to browse related opportunities with multiple companies, but also tends to attract candidates who are experienced and interested in the Blue Collar sector.

Today there are multiple ways to recruit- embrace social networking tools, but don’t limit your opportunity to network friendly, Gen-Y users.

By: How I Use Social Media | Daniel Johnson, Jr.

How I Use Social Media | Daniel Johnson, Jr. — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:14:44 +0000

[...] Recruiting Controversey: Job Boards v. Social Media (punkrockhr.com) [...]

By: Melanie Holmes

Melanie Holmes — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:33:18 +0000

Finding a job today is all about networking — whether it is face-to-face or through social networking. If I were looking for a job I wouldn’t rule out any form of reaching potential employers and in today’s world, social networking is one of the best ways to accomplish that.

By: Jim

Jim — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:52:31 +0000

Interesting perspectives from all… What it seems like most people do not utilize the tools provided by a monster or careerbuilder provide these days. As someone wrote life moves fast and if not paying attention then you will miss it. Well, sourcing a resume database accounts for less then 5% of the boards candidates and just posting jobs you cant control who applies. But there is a large amount of information and data that they can provide for targeting. Did you know that over half of the people that visit Careerbuilder do not apply to jobs! They review the content and then do other things ie. go to company website, Facebook to explore the company and so forth. The Monsters and Careerbuilders of the world have been basing their bsiness model on user generated content since the beginning and that is the basis for social media or Web 2.0. Learning how to tap in to this and the amount of data and targeting ability is of a huge value. If you understand the numbers of US people in the workforce estimated around 130million and the traffic of the top 3 job boards being around 45million per month. Everyone wants to go to where the people are at well, that is a large number that are engaged to change careers. I have seen many companies decrease their cost per hire and quality by targeting the 97% of people that dont apply to a single job posting. Example: there are over 1000 sales jobs posted daily in chicago on one of the boards. My post gets an average of 40 applications. I had them break down my job with simular jobs with same skill requirements and the number of total applications. The outcome was that I only got 2% of the candidates. We then put targeted media in place to hit the people that have this skill. Since only the people that met my requirments get my message. The next month i recieved 65 applicants. That is a 30% increase in the right candidates then it was a task to just see who was a better fit.

We need to all get better and understanding the tools that work today and how to just use them better. I will spend my effort that is easy to understand and proven.

Later!

By: Joshua Kahn

Joshua Kahn — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:01:24 +0000

Holy crap. Lots of steam around this one. My scrolling finger is sore. I only hope there’s this much conversation at the socialrecruiting event. My thought is this, there’s no argument really because its a cross paradigm problem. Icky, abstract word, paradigm. But a paradigm is a nothing more than a world view or map. So arguing over which paradigm (job boards vs. social networks) is better is like arguing over whether a bus route map is better than a topographical map. They are looking at the same landscape, “which is better” depends on your mode of transportation, and your destination. Same is true here.

So, know your landscape, know your mode of transport, and pick the right map. Nuff said.

PS – Looking forward to meeting you at the event.

By: 090609 #socialrecruiting links | johnsumser.com

090609 #socialrecruiting links | johnsumser.com — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 12:50:45 +0000

[...] Recruiting Controversey: Job Boards v. Social Media Great conversation on the great Punk Rock HR Blog. [...]

By: Laurie

Laurie — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:34:58 +0000

@Leesa I suspect that Weddle will embrace it when he can monetize it.

@Karin Amazes me how often an organization doesn’t really understand their target audience or is in denial about what potential job seekers really think of them. That’s a really keen observation.

@ACT You’re right. It’s relevant and it should be part of your diversified approach.

@Doug Thanks!

@MN I’m glad you’re ranting because that’s what this space is all about. You’re right — there is no silver bullet. Labeling social media a ’scam’ is just cheesy, IMHO.

@HRBabe Hey thanks for the comment. I read about the Texas approach and I’m not sure I agree with that process. I don’t care how you find someone. Once you find them, though, you should follow legally approved ways of measuring knowledge, skills, and abilities.

@Anil We’re all just glad you found a job. That’s an awesome accomplishment in this economy. Hooray & hooray for LinkedIn!

@Michael At some point, the recruiting process will evolve and make a leap. Maybe those job boards will be smart enough to evolve, too.

By: Michael Long (The Red Recruiter)

Michael Long (The Red Recruiter) — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:39:53 +0000

And the battle continues…

I have placed individuals using both methods. From a third-party recruiting perspective, job boards fill a great space for what I would consider to be staffing. When it comes to recruiting… I would side more with social media/networking/etc. (whatever the new add-on to social is this week). I might get some push back on putting those two functions in different categories… but, I really believe that they should be.

My favorite way to recruit is to ask “Who is the best person you know in (fill in the blank)?” That leads to one name, which leads to two, which leads to a network… and, hopefully, the best for what you are recruiting. Takes time… but, it works!

Finally, for those who insist that the best are sitting out on job boards… you’re right. For those who insist that they are not… you’re right. Just give each other a hug and become friends again. If you are finding what you are after using your current methods, stick with it. However, don’t be afraid to expand your selection of tools just in case your talent well runs dry.

Good debate. I’m sure it will continue

Looking forward,
Michael

By: Anil

Anil — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 08:35:55 +0000

The fact that I got a nw job via linkedin and my netwok would sem to prove that these sits are not a scam. The simple fact is that a good corporate recruiter or staffing consultant will use a mixture of sources to get candidates.
Wwe live in a digital age, pople are using these sites so why not tap into them. I would suggest tht not to do so is very short sighted.

Anil.

By: HRBabe

HRBabe — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 06:34:52 +0000

I agree with MN Headhunter – there is a large difference between LinkedIn (professional) vs. Twitter/FaceBook/MySpace (social). And while I don’t at all think Twitter, FaceBook, or MySpace are job board “scams” – I just find them ineffective when it comes to finding a job. I’ve known numerous people to reach out to their social networks after they were laid off, but I don’t know one that has landed a job because of it. Not suggesting it doesn’t happen or that it’s impossible… I just don’t know of any.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of the idea of recruiting via social networks. (I wrote a blog entry about it last year that I linked to my “name” for this comment.) In my mind, social networks make it too easy for discrimination lawsuits to be slapped against the company. I’m of a mixed race, so I’m really sensitive to discrimination. I completely understand that companies can and do use information about candidates that he or she willingly posts online. However, the flip side to that is companies can find out illegal information about a person prior to an interview that would normally be illegal to ask in an interview, i.e., religious views, marital status, pregnancy, etc., and then ultimately use that info as part of the basis for the hiring decision.

Recently, a bank in Texas “nixed” the use of social media in it’s recruiting process. I have to say that I agree. You can read the article here: http://snipurl.com/jen6z

I don’t want people to think I’m against social networks because I’m not. I love Twitter and FaceBook! They have been a great way for me to keep in touch virtually with my family, former classmates, and friends. And I have learned an ton from my HR twitter buds! I’m just concerned about keeping the playing field equal for everyone and adhering to the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That’s why I am not so sure about their uses in corporate recruiting processes.

HRBabe/Christina M.