From the November 2009 issue of Ceridian Connection.

There is quite a buzz these days about Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn -- especially if you have an interest in recruiting the best talent for your company. Everyone's talking about employing social media to attract top candidates. But not everyone recognizes the limits of this approach or considers its place in the recruiting strategy as a whole.

A brief history of resounding change
The recruiting community hasn't always been atwitter about matching people with job openings. "Historically, people found out about job opportunities through their own personal network," says John Higgins, Ceridian vice president of talent acquisition. "They learned about an opening from people they knew. or through advertisements in newspapers and trade magazines. But over time, even the ads have changed as print progressed to the Web. A new world opened up with job posting boards such as Monster, Hotjobs and Careerbuilder.

"Now we see the electronic networking tools a la Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, which make it so much easier to leverage your network. Job seekers can notify everyone -- thousands of people -- with one stroke of the keyboard. Similarly, employers can market to the masses using the same mechanisms."

Five million contacts: A senior recruiter describes her experience "Social media needs to be an everyday part of the recruiting function. My team has found this mechanism to be helpful when we're seeking candidates who are more passive about looking for a job -- the best talent could be those who aren't actively applying. "I use LinkedIn as a search tool for talent, especially for unique niche roles in which networking is important, such as finance and accounting. LinkedIn profiles are a great source of information about candidates, and once you build on the network, you have even more contacts in your recruiting efforts. As my group connected to their respective groups, my LinkedIn network expanded organically. I have five million contacts now. "I'm casting a wider net and the results are richer. Cold calls are a thing of the past. With Facebook and Twitter, the immediacy factor is powerful. This is instant networking -- even e-mail is slower. All this makes my job easier, and it is very cost-effective. One placement per year more than pays for its cost." Sandy Lehman Ceridian senior recruiter

The push and pull of messaging
Twitter holds great promise for employers who want to reach out to interested candidates, Higgins says. "Ceridian's Twitter experience has taught us that as more and more people subscribe, we gain an increased ability to notify people when opportunities arise. After all, we're learning more about them. We know when they might have expressed an interest. We can push messages out quickly and efficiently."

The adoption of tools such as Twitter and Facebook is thought to be more prevalent with professionals younger than 30, but Higgins warns against generalizations. "The more mature professionals are exploring these new mechanisms with great vigor," he says. "Often, they become interested by going online to see what's going on with their friends and family members. Then it's an easy step to incorporating social media into a job search. It's just an extension of something that's already very familiar: a network that mutually benefits its members."

Suggestions for success
Although social media obviously delivers great benefit for recruiting, it's best to take a considered approach. Higgins offers some suggestions:

• View social media as just one component of your larger recruiting strategy. There is a real danger that candidates who come in through traditional channels might not get the attention they deserve.


• Use this potential source with an established plan. You will be managing your brand, so manage the communication. A very specialized skill set is required, so choose the right "brand officer."


• Stay alert to the slightest indication of bias. The Internet offers so much information about potential hires that it threatens to influence recruiters' perceptions and judgments about individuals. Training and education will play an important role in success.


• Be aware that social media efforts take time and effort to manage. Because these methods of communication are often at their most fruitful after normal business hours, determine how, when and where your corporate presence will be felt.


• Determine who will be accountable, who will manage your social media presence and who will manage the inquiries.

The time to act is now
Higgins is clear about the need to take action. "This is a fast-moving world," he says. "So move faster than your competition. Create a strategy to leverage social media to assist with the recruitment of talent. This is a cost-effective and efficient approach. It's a new way to communicate with your customers, your workforce, your prospects and your future employees. All of those audiences are using social media in their daily lives.

"Make the most of your recruiting efforts. Get together with your marketing and sales organizations to put together a thoughtful plan for social media. Don't let another year go by. It's time to get on board."

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