Dive Brief:
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The joint 2016 Global Recruiting Survey conducted by Social Talent and Alexander Mann Solutions, shows that recruiters are increasingly reliant on social networks for recruitment results. 37% of the nearly 1,000 recruiters surveyed indicated that social media and professional media outlets were their go-to source for talent.
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Ian Cluroe, Director of Global Brand and Marketing at Alexander Mann states that, “We're fast approaching a day when those that don't embrace social recruiting will be left behind, and there won't be any distinction between being an effective recruiter and being social media savvy.”
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Popular social messaging apps like Skype, WhatsApp, iMessage and Viber have seen a 40% increase in use by recruiters since 2014. SnapChat is also seeing heavier use, as recruiters can use this platform to actively engage candidates and reduce the number of drop-offs in communication that often happens with other recruitment methods.
Dive Insight:
The survey asked almost 1,000 professional recruiters around the globe how their social media use has changed. The results indicate that social media is not just a tool for finding talent, but rather for building relationships and increasing dialogue with candidates.
According to the survey, social media use for recruitment has pulled ahead of other methods of sourcing talent, including paid job boards (26%), direct applications (11%), internal employee referrals (9%), and recruitment agencies (3%). LinkedIn is still the most popular social and professional network for sourcing talent, with Twitter and Facebook trailing right behind.
"Our research has shown that social media, including popular messaging apps, enables smart recruiters to expand their outreach and make it more personal and more creative, and truly make a lasting personal connection,” Cluroe says. However, he quickly points out that recruiters should not abandon all traditional methods of recruitment, but rather find ways to integrate social media resources into recruitment efforts.
