Survey: Despite hype, few companies recruit on social networks
September 23, 2009 by Sam NarisiPosted in: Hiring, In This Week's E-Newsletter, Latest News & Views, Online recruiting
A lot of experts recommend using social networking sites to find new employees. But are HR managers really getting a lot out of those sites?
No, according to one recent survey.
In fact, 43% of employers don’t use social networking to recruit and have no interest in starting, according to a recent poll by Smartbrief on Workforce. Another 29% haven’t tried, but are interested. Finally, 11% say they’ve tried, but haven’t seen any good results.
Just 17% of companies have successfully recruited through Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.
What about you? Have you used those sites to attract new employees? If so, was it worth it? Let us know in the comments section below.
Tags: Facebook, LinkedIn, social networking
September 24th, 2009 at 9:49 am
It is worth it – because its free. If you have a facebook page, simply post a note for your company that lists current job opportunities with a directive on how to apply. This is a great way to recruit from your customer base or your “fans” on FB. FB is like having a free web page for yourself or business.
If your company Twitters, send a tweet that announces you have current opportunities and link to the FB note or to your own career site. We tweeted that we were looking for a graphic designer with mad photoshop skills and the responses rolled in with qualified candidates. If the person reading the tweet isn’t a fit, they may know of just the right person!
Give it a try! You can’t lose anything by saying here’s what we have and here’s what we want!
September 25th, 2009 at 11:26 am
I am a National Sales Recruiter who recruits for a very niche/specialty industry within healthcare. I utilize social networking on a daily basis to find passive candidates who I normally would not find elsewhere. The fact of the matter is that although social networks are a great and cost effective resource, they only work if you are an active participant. If you have extensive networks, than you can bridge off of them for recruitment, if not you will see very light responses. Social networking on line is just like any other form of networking. The more individuals you know and the more contacts you have, the better it works.
September 25th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Jason, I’d love to hear a success story if you have one to share about recruiting using social networking. Thanks! (BTW, I’ve used LinkedIn with limited success).