Recruiters are Watching - American Society of Employers - Anonym

Recruiters are Watching

If you ever feel like you are being watched, you are probably right! A recent survey conducted by Jobvite revealed that recruiters spend a great deal of time reviewing social media accounts.  Careerbuilder.com says using social media to screen candidates has increased by 500% over the last decade and will continue to grow.

What are they looking for?

Recruiters are not looking to see how much fun you had at last month’s holiday party, nor are they evaluating your political opinions.  More important to recruiters are patterns - yes, patterns are what drive talent sourcers to your page.  They want to know how long you’ve worked in your last position as well as how long you have remained in your current role.  In fact, “74% of recruiters visit social media pages to gauge the length of your average job tenure,” according to the Jobvite survey.   Recruiters view this approach as a way to gain better understanding of the individual’s personality.  Businessnewsdaily.com points out that aside from job qualifications, social media searches often result in a hire when the recruiters are able to establish the candidate’s:

·       Professional image conveyed online

·       Positive personality

·       Hobbies and interests

·       Strong communication skills  

Where do recruiter’s go to get this information?

The answer to this is simple. Everywhere.  The same survey revealed that nearly 90% of recruiters use LinkedIn to gather candidate information, while 55% use Facebook.  Snapchat is quickly becoming a source regularly visited in the search for top performers. Gone are the days when recruiters “post and pray” – post their opening on a job board or company website and pray that candidates pour in.  Today successful recruiters know that in order to find strong talent, they must go directly to the source.   

The Risks Associated

In an article published on SHRM.org entitled “Legal Trends Social Media Use in Hiring: Assessing the Risk,” author Jonathan A. Segal suggests that “HR handle social media candidate searches rather than line managers.”  HR professionals have a better understanding of what is acceptable to consider.   Segal also advises that social media searches be conducted later in the hiring process. Preferably after the candidate’s protected group has been established.  Recruiters should also be consistent in their search and review more than one profile, printing each for proper note taking and documentation.  It is also important that social media be one of many search options.  Narrowing the parameters to one option limits the ability to reach a diverse candidate pool and has the potential to unintentionally crowd out various candidates. 

The generation that spearheaded the social media communication style is expected to make up 75% of the workforce in 2025, which is a clear indication that though there may be risks associated, this form of recruiting is here to stay. 

 

Sources: careerbuilder.com; SHRM.org; businessnewsdaily.com; adweek.com

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