Sunday, April 3, 2016

Social Media and Recruiting

Marc Martinez
Social Media and Recruiting
In today’s society, social media is a part of every person’s life in some way or another. Whether it’s online, cell phones, or television, social media seems to control the world around us. With today’s generation, social media is becoming a mainstream form of communication. Since social media has become such a big hit, businesses are now trying to use it for recruiting for job positions.
        Sometimes it can be difficult to advertise for a job position and actually reach the generation that you are trying to target. For example, if you posted a position in the local newspaper, more than likely you are going to get a response from people aged 30+. However, if you advertise on social media, you are more than likely going to get a response from recent college graduates, as well as all age groups. Facebook is a great source for recruiting because all age groups use it compared to Instagram and Vine. Instagram and Vine are used by college-aged people and is not a good source because there’s not a place to type and explain what position you are recruiting for. Facebook is more professional because you actually create a full profile and can see more about the people, and you can track back on their timeline.
Some of the “do’s” for social media recruiting is to be sure you outline the position so people know what they are applying for. Creating a job posting that is bland and missing key details can discourage people. Another key thing to do is to be sure your posting is on an appropriate site that is professional. Using apps like Instagram, Vine, or Snapchat are not appropriate and completely unprofessional. Apps like those are used solely for entertainment purposes between friends and personal life. When recruiting for a position, using Facebook I feel would be appropriate, because businesses also have profiles and you can learn a lot about somebody just by looking at their profile. For instance, you can see their job history, age, marital status, and recent/older posts so that you can get a grasp on their personality. Linked In is another great source for recruiting. Not only for the recruiter, but also for the candidate because it is a website created for professional business. Linked In is a place where people and businesses can post what they are looking for and it provides an easy channel for communication. People can post resumes; businesses can create postings, and then match accordingly.
Some of the “don’ts” for social media and recruiting is to not completely stalk people and judge them based on their social media life. Some people use social media as a way to express their emotions for the time being and do not reflect their personality at all. Therefore, judging a person based upon their social media profiles is completely unfair and unethical. If posting for a job position on a social media site while trying to recruit, it is not a good idea to post where it impacts people personally. For instance, a job posting on someone’s Facebook wall would not be a good idea. However, Facebook does allow advertisements and using the sidebars to advertise is what those were created for. Therefore, using the sidebars would be appropriate. Another “don’t”, like I mentioned earlier, is not use apps such as Vine or Instagram where people post things for solely entertainment purposes between them and friends.
All in all, social media is a great way to recruit and I feel that it will become a primary source for recruiting in the future. However, it is important not to recruit in a way where people feel their personal life is being attacked. Social media is growing and I feel will continue to grow, therefore it should be used to its full advantage to recruit.
References
Adam, Sara. "The 5 “Don'ts” of Social Media Week » Social Media Week." Social Media Week. Social Media Week, 05 Feb. 2014. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
Ruesink, Megan. "Social Media Do's & Don'ts: 10 Tips for Keeping Your Profiles Professional." Social Media Do's & Don'ts: 10 Tips for Keeping Your Profiles Professional. Rasmussen College, 30 Jan. 2014. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.
McCullough, Kathleen, Jill Bisco, and Cassandra Cole. "Social Media and Employment Practices Liability in Recruiting and Hiring." PLUSweb. PLUS, 08 July 2013. Web. 01 Mar. 2014.

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