Social networking sites and recruitment - will this replace Seek, Trademe Jobs, and print media?

[Paul Jacobs]

Who amongst you are signed up to social networking sites like Bebo, Facebook, or Myspace? If so, what do you think of these sites and can you see an application in a recruitment context?

Richard Westney in our Group alerted us to Ernst & Young's presence on Facebook for recruitment purposes - it seems to be taking off. They have 8,468 members! Maybe this is a great way to build and nurture a jobseeker community.

These sites, particularly Bebo and Facebook , are becoming very popular with kiwis. Hey, if there is interest, we can apparently integrate Ning with Facebook profiles.

[Simon Telfer]

Despite not personally being a fan of Facebook I can certainly see it's potential in recruitment. Per my previous posting on this forum, Facebook et als provides an easy platform for a candidate to showcase themselves to potential employers - in a more vibrant way than a prescribed work history and skills (CV). Sure, for more technical roles a Cv type document may well still be necessary. However with "cultural fit" often being touted by employers as being the key to successful onboarding of new starters then a search through a Facebook profile would certainly help the recruitment process in this area.

Question: Can you see a disadvantage of everyone (including competitors) seeing those people interested in working at E&Y and the relationship that is being developed with them? Or am I still thinking too traditionally?

[Graeme Harre]

I'm on bebo because of you. I'm here because of you. I am your social network project.

While I am also on linked in, I have not discovered any value with web-based social networks. Our lives are busy enough as it is without adding in new personalities with which to engage. As a species we have a limit to the number of relationships we can maintain effectively. We are social but are programmed to interact with a small group - eg how many of your email or cell address book contacts have you used regularly. My best network sites are face-to-face meetings through channels not related to my business.

My caveat to lack of value in social networks is "profile building". They can be effective global marketing tools. A number of people in my industry have used them to drive traffic to their sites, ideas, and business'

[Paul Jacobs]

Hey Simon and Graeme - you both make some excellent points and got me thinking - damn you both! I too have "work" to do but I guess I see this sort of discussion really valuable and broadens my own thoughts on the matter. Aah - the value of online social networking!

I have only recently been introduced to Facebook, after using Bebo for quite a few years - my niece first introduced me to Bebo, after some initial resistance may I add, and I like its simplicity. Facebook is a very different beast - and I must admit I can't really be bothered with the number of add-on "Applications" - however, as the Facebook community appear into this as per their take up, I see ENORMOUS potential for recruitment sourcing applications to be "legitimately" integrated with Facebook - Jobster and Facebook are currently developing something but I don't feel it needs to be necessarily that sophisticated. I think Facebook's popularity is due to users wanting to do more than just chat - this can get boring after a while. Facebook is going to make billionaires out of a recruitment strategist(s) that gets it right.

As for other members of this Ning group - I know that quite a few of you have a Bebo and Facebook presence and that you use these mainly to link in with friends and family outside of your home towns. So I for one Graeme aren't using social networking tools to become friends with the world - and in fact they have enabled me to connect with my Gen Y neices and nephews on a closer level which has been great - hey they don't use email or instant messaging anymore - they use social networking sites and You Tube - this is where they are spending all their time. Face-to-face meetings aren't always possible with people spread around the world - I guess this is where Skype can also come in.

Some of you are on Linked In and some have developed enormous networks. I find Linked In a tool for building professional networks only really - and I have established some good relationships with other business people in NZ and overseas. I have used Linked In for recruitment purposes - however, Linked In I feel needs to provide some clearer tools or info on how to use their system better for recruitment. Compared to Facebook, Myspace, Bebo and Ning, Linked In seems boring to me - but I can see its place.

Regarding your question Simon about the Ernst & Young site - I know what you are saying about privacy, competitors etc. I notice that most members aren't using their full name and you can't see their details without requested them to be your friend - so there are some safeguards. I think we will see a lot more companies setting up shop on Facebook and it will become the norm. What I like about E&Y's page is that it is for the sole purpose of recruitment and building a talent community - much of which could be passive jobseekers. The Gen Y audience will love the transparency and the ability to build relationships - it is taking the Microsoft Inc recruitment blogs one step further.

As for the place of the traditional CV Simon - maybe it's time for a change? Not sure about video CVs - it would take forever to shortlist jobseekers - maybe a combination between text and video. Maybe there could be some other ways at the initial shortlisting stage of identifying people's technical skills - maybe a Second Life job simulation approach could be one approach. Maybe in tomorrow's workforce one could just take a glance at an applicant's Facebook page and recognise that people are more multi-faceted than what's on their CV.

[Richard Westney]

Agree with Paul. Linked in is dullsville really, but as a networking tool I can't see anything else out there quite like it. I just wish it was easier to navigate and use and offered a bit more than just seeing where people are working now and who they know. By the way, Peter Sheahan's a good catch. You must introduce me!! I have found it useful to "link in" with people who I know but haven't worked with or caught up with for a while. But having just signed up, I'm a little bit cynical about the longer term benefits however and whether I'm likely to be making contact with people I don't know or any useful business contacts. We'll see.
Facebook I am using as brainless entertainment to be honest, and to catch up with some old mates on the other side of the world I haven't seen for ten years or more. Networking it isn't and I have no intention of being friends with dozens of people I currently work with and see every day. What I do like are the obscure interest groups but the numerous add ons are irritating.
As an exiled Pom who was very into Friends Reunited a few years back, it is interesting to see how that particular site has stagnated and plateaued over the last 3-4 years despite them constantly adding new features. Will these sites suffer the same fate when the next cool fad comes along?

[Crispin Garden-Webster]

John Sumser's article on ERN today (07/08) made some inciteful comments on this issue. I also made a few additional comments to this but this Ning thing failed to upload it... will try to re do it later.

[Graeme Harre]

To update my post from 26 july 2007. I now have two twitter accounts - one personal, and one for a social network site I have just recently set up. I set this site up for interest, so will see how my endeavours go. It's called chipsandbeers.com and has been set up to connect people that enjoy particpating in some form of exercise and an element of socialising as well. My personal twitter is more a business tool, although I'm not sure eactly where the value may lie here as I am being surprised by the many different things coming from it taht I did not envisage.

I'm happy to share my experiences with people if they are interested.

[Jared Woods]

I think social networking serves a more personal function for recruitment purposes than as another candidate sourcing channel. If you're a specialist recruiter who is up to date on your industry, using blogs, Twits and connecting with people on a social level through Facebook, Naymz, Bebo et al, gives you an opportunity to cultivate trust and demonstrate expertise. They are exactrly as their moniker indicates - technologically-facilitated social sites. They're the equivalent of online dinner parties, catch-up coffees and after-work beers. Sure, you could storm up to a group of people talking about what it's like to be in high finance at the pub and ask if any of them want a job, but would you?

People connect on social networks because of a personality affiliation, an identification with someone who speaks the same language, knows the same people, has the same challenges and/or came from the same place as you. Strong personal connections are a strong weapon for the long game - for referrals, for reputation building, and for earning your stripes as an industry expert. There's a strategic dimension to the use of your online reputation that shouldn't be sacrificed for a quick buck or a quick placement.

From a corporation point ot view, technosocial conversations require too much risk avoidance. If one person is available to respond as the 'voice' of the company on Twitter, for example, is your business comfortable letting one person within the business communicate as the brand, with no oversight? It's a minefield of potential (and as yet unexplored) legal issues. The more social you make the connections, the more people will believe in your expertise. Unless you're the business owner, you have a personal brand to build. Building that serves your employer's needs, because you'll get the business in the door.

[Kate Harris]

http://www.nickpriceresearch.com/film-and-video/video-vault/?26

UK view from Barkers - Matt Alder, Head of Digital at Barkers (UK Recruitment Communications Agency) discusses new research and provides his perspective on how social networking will impact on employer brands (and how it's currently being used).

[Aron Chantelau]

I am a user of Facebook and recently removed my Bebo account as I wasn't getting much value out of it.

I Personally use Facebook as a tool to catch up with friends, primarily those overseas. In general the only feature I really find useful is the event section (creating an event and doing an invite to friends). This essentially acts as my event diary and I can see who else is attending and the details etc...
I think this works for me, because it is easy to access (I can log in where ever I am) and practical.

If social networking sites are going to be effective for recruitment purposes, I believe they need to be practical and straight forward rather than technological wonders. Who ever figures out a way to do it will certainly do well for themselves.
In terms of Facebook pages run by places like the big four.. I guess it works for the big organisations but less for small to medium..

It's also interesting how everyone seems to have their 'go to' social networking site. Whether that is Myspace, Facebook, Bebo etc.. Perhaps, if someone were to make a successful recruitment application it should be universal to all sites, to capture the entire online market..