When I talk to HR professionals about social media tools and social recruiting, I’m always asked, “What should we measure?”
Back in the day, I learned about corporate recruiting from HR professionals who were rooted in the manufacturing industry. Recruiting was an extension of the supply chain. Demand planning principles were invoked. We used math. (Well, they used math.) Some forecasting involved. Recruiters worked like cost accountants and forensic scientists to understand how headcount was tied to the business. A workforce plan was created, and it was aligned with products and services. No one assumed that headcount lasted forever. You weren’t entitled to replace an employee who left your department. You budgeted for your headcount like you budgeted for the cost of paper, chemicals, and supplies. Then entry-level Corporate Recruiters, like me, would have to fill openings that were approved through the workforce plan.
I realize that no one does recruiting like that, anymore. Corporate leaders hang onto headcount with ever fiber in their being. Those slots on the org chart might be lost through attrition, but no one in marketing will give up headcount to sales or IT. That’s just not how the world works.
*
So when I’m asked what HR should to measure when it comes to their social recruiting efforts, I shrug my shoulders. What’s your brand strategy? What is your organization trying to accomplish? What do you need to learn? What’s the time frame? What story are you trying to tell?
You can’t measure anything until you have a recruiting strategy, and you can’t have a recruiting strategy until you understand how your hiring process links into the way you operate your company. You can’t operate a company by hiring people through job boards, employee referrals, and social media tools and THEN ask, “What should we measure?”
*
Unfortunately, corporate strategery is hard and everyone likes a road map and a list. So here are some ideas of what you can measure to determine if your social recruiting strategy is working. There are 1,000 more ideas. Suggest some. Please.
- Speed/length of recruiting cycle
- Source of hire
- Time to fill
- Quality of hire: skills and cultural fit
- Online viewing patterns/behaviors
- Conversions from blog/email/twitter campaigns to candidates to hire
- Career site conversions from passive viewer to candidate to hire
- SEO/Job Board/Advertising campaigns, conversations, and conversion to hires
- Costs for traditional recruiting events versus enhanced online presence.
- Retention rates based on sourcing methodologies
- Sentiment of candidates sourced online — positive v. negative experiences
- How interactive tools on your career website are being used
- Subscribers to career website blog/email/newsletter
- Comments/engagement on posted material on career website
- Number of downloads of career materials
- Inbound links to career website/blogs
- Fans/followers/group members for corporate social profiles
- Lawsuits
- Workplace violence incident ratios
- Turnover
- Ennui
What am I missing?
{ 2 trackbacks }
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
HR Metrics: my favorite topic, thank you for addressing this timely subject. There are many consulting firms that do an excellent job providing back end analysis. There are metrics tools that include impressive pie charts, bar graphs, standard deviation analytics. But really, the question boils down to this: what and how are you going to use this information? Will you make a serious change in your recruiting strategies with the information you glean? Are you willing to invest in statistically valid instruments that measure real action, not conjecture? Or are you going to spend thousands of dollars on a data study, show it to the CEO and simply say, “Here’s the metrics report your requested.” My pet-peeves include organizations who make major investments in studies, and then decide it’s either too expensive to act on the recommendations the data makes, or thank you for the colorful charts and graphs, pat you on the butt and say, back to your cubicle.
Smart HR Pros convince their CEOs of the efficacy and veracity of the studies and partner the reports with a compelling report that justifies why the take action on the findings.
Of course your post answers the question why should we do a metrics study and what questions should we ask? You address cogent questions as to how the organization defines itself, and what’s the end game. I’m taking the case a step further and asking the age-old question: So what?
So what do we want to learn? So what do we want to find? So what will we do once we uncover what we find, and so what will we do once we find it. HR Metrics studies are expensive, depending on what outside consulting firm you choose to use. If you are doing an in house study, it still requires hours and hours of time and internal resources to complete. So before you enter into the playing field of HR Metrics, arm your budget to answer the question, So what?
Your twitter pal,
@HRMargo Margo Rose http://hrmargo.com
If we measure “ennui,” can we also measure “Schadenfreude?”
Laurie—
Holy cow, Great list. We also segment our candidates: how many conversations are we having with university recruits, mid career folks and senior talent. Emphasis for us is increasing the volume and quality of conversations with senior talent.
Thanks for a great list, Laurie. Under the heading of “online viewing patterns,” Google Analytics is awesome.
We also have a weekly call with our team so that we connect and get first hand who hears what from across the country and what is working, or not, in the branch offices.
You have the initial stages covered– how about more feedback from Hiring Managers and department heads as to ROI on new hires, 1 yr., 2+ yrs, etc. and what kind of turnaround or retention rate each department has currently. Are their hiring methods and requirements finding the right talent? Can positions be condensed to save $?? Is there positions where ROI is abhorant in order to cut the fat? Yada—
Laurie,
What do you think of leveraging social communication tools like these for change efforts within organizations? Get the same benefits and enable those within the organization who are supportive to have a voice and, hopefully, and influence. Also gives those who are against it a channel to communicate instead of just stewing.
“Corporate Statergery.” Was Lucy typing.
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
I think one of the quotes from your webinar today was great in that this quarter’s stats tells more about what was happening in the past versus how well you are doing today.
@bruno Schadenfreude. Yes! Add that to the list.
@RJ Volume & quality — cool but how do you measure it? That’s too but laudable.
@Diane I live/die by Google Analytics. Good addition.
@mattyMat Is feedback worth measuring? I think it’s for suckers.
Agree on long-term impact on the company. That’s critical.
@lisa You were on my webinar? Love you so much. Thank you. Did you catch the fake butter comment? Hahahahahhahaha, hilarious. Also, George Bush offers strategery. I love that word of his.
Saw your Webinar as well— you were fabulous, dahling!! Very professional– I half expected a Yo! or a “Kiss my butt” at some point — but you held back very well. I was waiting for the cat to meow after your comment too– but s/he never did! I was disappointed— stagefright, perhaps??
Laurie,
I wouldn’t miss any opportunity to listen to your lilting voice. I don’t get the opportunity to go to any of the conferences where you have spoken, so I have to settle for the webinar. Of course, fits right in to my long day of sitting – per your previous blog. I feel so special that you shared my story.
@MattMat I was offered $1,000 to drop the F bomb and I declined.
@Lisa I miss your butt.
PASSION!
I like HRmargo’s “so what” test the best.
Instead of crunching ROI for an HR living, an annual general plan, quarterly recruiting strategies, with your stakeholders answering this question:
“What will your organization look like in 3 months if recruiting has a strategic impact on your bottom line?” the short list of metrics follows from the answer.
Also….Its OK that only HR people care about the detail of the metrics. It is mostly useful to us, and if we use it well, they will come to trust us with the details.
BTW, there are other great tools besides google analytics. I like stacounter.com because of it’s simplicty and ease to download all raw data by spreadsheet.
Great info Laurie – thanks much!!
@Blake No probs!
@Lee All good questions — and a good referral, too.
@Brian I don’t believe you can quantify and measure passion.