Avoiding risks when using social media in recruiting
Over the past few years, the popularity of social media has continued to increase. Not only are well known sites like Facebook and LinkedIn expanding with each new active user, but entirely new social networking sites continue to be created. These websites have evolved from their original purpose as a social connector with friends, to a valuable tool in a company’s recruitment process. Recruiters have been learning more ways to strategically use these sites in getting ahead of the competition, but in doing so they can find themselves at risk of legal question in comparing the information accessed online in relation to their hiring decisions.
A simple Google search of a candidate’s name or a visit to their Facebook and LinkedIn page can reveal a lot about the person, providing an inside look into their life that you normally wouldn’t see on traditional job applications and resumes. In a January 2010 report released by Microsoft, 79 percent of those hiring managers they had surveyed used social media and online searches in their hiring, and of those, 70 percent had actually chosen to reject candidates because of the information that they had found. Knowing how to use these websites efficiently without accessing information that could lead to possible discrimination claims is crucial in the hiring process. With all of the available information at your fingertips, it is important that when choosing to integrate social networking sites in the screening of a candidate that the search remains relevant and nondiscriminatory. Recruitment agencies that set up a policy to follow standards set up by organizations such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act for screening candidates will have effective results. They also will avoid any future legal question that could arise finding that them guilty of violating laws such as the Title VII of the Civil Rights Act or others created to prevent discrimination in hiring.
In order to keep recruiting fair and avoid any question of a hiring decision there are a few key things to remember and techniques to have in place before searching the web. Establishing a strong recruitment policy along with prior education of these guidelines to those in charge of screening candidates (preferably someone who is not making the hiring decisions) is important. Making sure that these policies include what information can and cannot be included in making hiring decisions is vital in addition to creating a set list of what websites are to be used in accessing this information. Using social media to look into one candidate and not others puts recruiters in a questionable situation. If you choose to use social media to look into one candidate, it’s important that it is done with all others as well. Lastly, keeping documentation of all information to reference back to what was used in the recruitment process will be greatly beneficial to the company should any questions arise.
Social media is very valuable in the recruitment process when used correctly and integrated along with other screening tools. It has the ability to locate a large amount of possible candidates as well as provide valuable information. Those recruiters who are able to keep up with consistently changing social networking trends and have a strong knowledge of how to navigate these sites, position themselves above others; finding the best candidates possible, while staying clear of any potential discrimination claims.
June’s job report shows highest unemployment rate this year
The Labor Department’s release today of the U.S job report displayed shocking numbers for jobs added in June. Economists had predicted a report for last month that should display strong results and had high hopes that the economy was heading in a positive direction. Unfortunately, the release of the report was disappointing proving to be just the opposite of what had been expected. In fact, data showed unemployment at 9.2%, the highest recorded this year.
According to the job report only 18,000 jobs were generated in June. This report shows the number to be dramatically below the previous report in May, displaying the addition of only 25,000 jobs. Not only did the data show less hiring it also highlighted major underemployment. Last month a large portion of those seeking jobs were forced to take part-time jobs and jobs below their skill level because they were unable to find full time work. Underemployment affected 8.6 million people in June, leaving those affected with not only cuts in average weekly hours but in their hourly wages as well. Due to these cuts paychecks were left smaller which is taking its toll on the economy. Consumers were left with less buying power affecting the ability to fuel the economy. There have been some signs of recent economic improvement though aside from June’s disappointing report. The recent decrease in gas prices give hope of future economic improvement in the second half of the year, but a strong boost in hiring is needed in order to keep up with the constantly growing population.
Censky, Annalyn . (2011). June jobs report: hiring slows, unemployment rises. CNNMoney, Retrieved from http://money.cnn.com/2011/07/08/news/economy/june_jobs_report_unemployment/?cnn=yes
Change your approach to hiring with an RPO
For any company, finding high quality candidates to fill positions is crucial to the business. Candidates must have the right skills and abilities for the job in order for the company to succeed. Emerging from a hard economic time, a lot of reorganization decisions are seen being made throughout many companies. They are looking to revamp their approaches to hiring and increase their talent pool in order to get ahead of competitors. This can be found to be a difficult and stressful task in the constantly changing recruiting environment where most HR recruiters are having trouble trying to keep up. Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) is now being utilized by leading companies for their hiring needs; they are using the expertise of these providers to find high quality talent for their organization.
The size of many companies’ HR recruiting teams has decreased due to cost-cutting, providing many challenges in hiring. Most HR departments don’t have the time or resources to be updated with the latest recruiting technology tools and online social media channels. This is why many companies are turning to RPO as a solution. They have found that RPO providers have the ability to deliver to their organization results that their HR recruiters cant. RPO’s have the ability to hire top talent, fast, while achieving a more cost effect cost per hire. It also takes the added stress and pressure off of HR and allows them to focus in on other tasks within the company. RPO’s can handle a few of the recruiting tasks or they can handle the entire life cycle. For instance, an RPO can handle all out the sourcing and screening allowing recruiters to focus on the qualified and interested candidates instead of taking the time going through piles of unqualified candidates.
RPO’s have the ability to provide a company with valuable results. Due to the current economy, most companies are working with smaller budgets and decreasing the amount of hires allowed; therefore it’s important to keep a focus on quality rather than quantity of candidates. Leading organizations who have experience with RPO’s have recorded high cost reductions and/or greater efficiencies in the hiring process. Many have seen reductions as high as 85% in search firm fees and 87% in offline advertising expenses. RPO’s continue to show results that include an expanded candidate pipeline, shortened cycle times, and reduced cost-per-hire. For hiring quickly, efficiently, and at a cost effective amount, RPO’s have specialists utilizing the latest technology and tools to fill crucial positions.
(2011, July). Workforce Management, 90(7),
Expand Your Talent Pool with Passive Candidate Development
Sourcing is typically done by casting a wide net out to one or more job boards. This approach works fine for candidates that are actively searching for a new position, but what if you want to tap into those that are currently employed and not looking? Perhaps you’re even interested in finding top notch candidates who work in similar positions in competitive companies. Passive candidates, as opposed to active candidates, cannot be found in a search of resume and job board postings. To find these candidates, Passive Candidate Development should be used.
With Passive Candidate Development, the recruiter directly sources talent from those currently employed and not actively in the job search process. Passive Candidate Development, also known as direct sourcing, focuses on finding qualified candidates currently in management positions from a list of targeted competitors. Once a list of names has been generated, candidates are identified and cold calls are made to each target candidate presenting the job opportunity. When the process is complete, qualified, available, and interested candidates are found to enrich a company’s talent pool. Sourcing specifically those passive candidates using this service will takes more time as candidates must be convinced to leave their current position. Using an RPO for Passive Candidate Development can take the time consuming and stressful pressure of the recruitment process off of the internal recruiters and Hiring Managers. This service has the unique ability to provide an organization with a higher caliber of skilled and qualified candidates than the company would normally come across with other forms of sourcing. With a focus on finding candidates currently employed in similar positions, this approach can find a diverse list of candidates within a similar industry and geographic area.
At Hire Velocity, we have had extensive experience using Passive Candidate Development for leading companies. Over just an eight-week period we were able to target 6,000 names, leading to 9 hires for a leading global management consulting firm. This significantly reduced their cost per hire, saving them about $8,000. Many benefits come with choosing to use Passive Candidate Development. Costs for high priced executive search fees can be reduced and new pipelines can be built with these types of candidates. This service results in a higher quality of hire and because of their specialization in the field, these candidates require minimal training.
Simplify Your Hiring Using Full Life Cycle Recruiters
When it comes to the hiring process, there are a number of situations that can unnecessarily complicate the process. If you’re burdened with more recruiting work than you can efficiently handle, outsourcing the tasks to a Full Life Cycle Recruiter may be the solution for you. Why burden yourself with managing the entire process and all of the tools when a Full Life Cycle Recruiter can do that much more efficiently for you. With Full Life Cycle Recruiting you are allowing specialists, who are backed with advanced technology and tools, to assist your business in reaching its ultimate potential. To adequately access the most qualified candidates, it takes money, time and often results in stress. Many of the recruiting tasks are very routine in nature while some are much more strategic and complex. With Full Life Cycle Recruiting, not only are posting and agency fees reduced but you can also reduce your cost per hire. Without the stress and time spent on trying to find the right candidate, your Hiring Manager will be able to focus their efforts on their core job and on projects more strategic to your company.
The service will handle the entire hiring process for you from job description creation to sourcing, phone screening, interview scheduling, offer management, employment screening and even onboarding. Your entire hiring productivity will be increased, while also reducing costs and time wasted. Hire Velocity offers the Full Life Cycle Recruiting service that will give your business confidence in obtaining the most qualified candidates to join your team. Let us assist you with your repetitive recruiting tasks while you focus on the bigger company issues. At Hire Velocity we were able to within a five month period assist a major department store in hiring 400 department, store, and division managers.
The Full Life Cycle Recruiting service can be managed virtually or on-site. With either, the main focus will be what is best for your business. The end goal is to improve your productivity while saving you time and money in the delivery of quality hires.
New Jobs Found in Emerging Fields
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in the upcoming years the latest growing job sectors will be coming from the IT, healthcare and financial services industries. Jobs in manufacturing and farming, according to a recent BLS report, have been making a rapid decline, while new jobs are emerging to fit around the consistently changing market.
New lines of work are being created to fit consumers’ lifestyles. By the year 2018, economists anticipate that over 1 million jobs will be added into the workforce. We are already seeing changes in hiring as technology advances. The title of a social media specialist, something that was previously non-existent, now plays a major role in running a successful business. Massage therapist and other jobs in areas that help to fulfill a healthier lifestyle rank among the top job fields with a wide variety of job opportunities in the medical field.
This shows positive signs for the recent graduates who will have an advantage with the latest knowledge in these emerging areas as they start their career. It’s also good news for anyone else looking to make a career change. Most of these new jobs will require only unique training for the position, as opposed to having to go back to school to work towards a particular degree.
“Looking for a growing job sector?try social media, accounting, or massage”. Associated Pres (2011) Web. June 2011 <http://www.boston.com/business/personalfinance/articles/2011/06/08/looking_for_
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