Networks and resourcing white paper by Business360 and TFPL December 2013

© Copyright TFPL and Business360, Inc. 2013. All rights reserved.

THE RISE OF

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS

AS A RESOURCE

A Repor t by Business360 and TFPL

DECEMBER 2013


RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY

• In recent years we have seen the growth of networks both as a means of locating talented professionals and also as a means

for individuals to locate work opportunities

• Building on prior studies, Business360 and TFPL decided to undertake some research to better understand how these

networks are changing the interface between professionals and organizations

• Our fields of work (Business360 as a provider of professional services delivered remotely, and TFPL as a provider of talent

location, learning and consultancy services) means we have very different perspectives on this change:

o Business360 has seen a growing acceptance by companies of the provision of professional services using individuals

working remotely, with whom the companies often have limited communication

o TFPL has seen the growing pressure that organizations face in trying to locate the talent they need, with highly specialized

skills and competencies, as well as the innovations applied as they try to secure their ideal candidate

• To build our understanding: we conducted some secondary source research; ran a survey with a view to capturing how people

and organizations use networks; and supplemented these findings with a number of client and professional interviews

• This document presents our core findings

• If you have questions or comments, or would like more details about any parts of our work, do not hesitate to contact us



I. CONTEXT

II. INSIGHTS INTO PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS

III. IMPLICATIONS

CONTENTS



I. CONTEXT


III. IMPLICATIONS

CONTENTS


SERVICES ARE DRIVING ECONOMIC GROWTH

Economies globally are shifting to services

• Look at the US: in 1900, 33% of workers were in services; by

1999 it was 78%

• While in agriculture the share fell from 41% in 1900 to less

than 2% by 2000

We are becoming a knowledge economy and we no longer

touch what we sell

• Think banking, web services, insurance, design, IT, consulting,

research, media, law…

Employers have a growing need for talent to manage their

information and knowledge-based services

The changing structure of employment during economic development

CONTEXT

★ The knowledge economy will continue to drive employment



TECHNOLOGY IS MAKING US CONNECTED

TECHNOLOGY IS ENABLING A SEISMIC CHANGE IN THE WAY

PEOPLE CONNECT

Degrees of separation falling

• Once near 6, but averaged 5.27 on Facebook in 2008 and 4.74 in 2011

(some estimates now say around 3)

Professional details open

• LinkedIn already makes available ~250 million resumes of

professionals worldwide

‘Ready resource’ already massive

• Contractor networks like Elance, Guru, ClickNwork and others make

available millions of ‘skilled freelancers’ via the web

Up & Up

Social Media Growth

★ Levels of connectedness will continue to rise

CONTEXT


PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS ARE EXPLODING

THIS IS THE MOMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS

Individuals like them

• Chance to build a platform, showcase skills/experience,

abilities, increase their reach into organizations, tap a

support network…

Organizations like them

• Easier access to a larger number of possible candidates,

low cost and efficient means to screen large numbers of

candidates, easy to place work with experienced

professionals without having to increase headcount or

‘onboard’ people, gives the organization more flexibility…

Employer hold on employees will fall

• Employers and their recruiters can now get ready access to

competitors’ employees, meaning even trusted employees

are always ‘on the market’

PROFESSIONAL SOCIAL NETWORKS ARE THE FASTEST

GROWING SOURCE OF “QUALITY HIRES”:

“Compared to two years ago, 17% more recruiters find quality talent

on professional social networks.”

The 2013 Global Recruiting Trends Report, LinkedIn, July 2013

★ Large professional networks to change employer-employee relationship

CONTEXT


PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS SCALING AS TALENT GAPS EMERGE

There is shortage amidst plenty and companies are struggling to

get the people they need

McKinsey Global Institute:

• By 2020 the global economy could face 38-41 million fewer

workers with tertiary education (college or postgraduate degrees)

than employers will need, or 13% of the demand for such workers

• At the same time, there will be 90-95 million more low-skill workers

than employers will need, or 11% oversupply of such workers

Manpower:

• “35 percent of employers on average report having difficulty filling

jobs due to a lack of available talent. This is the highest shortage

since the start of the global recession”

★ Today’s professional networks will be used to help fill these talent gaps

CONTEXT

McKinsey: The world is likely to have too few high-skill workers and not

enough jobs for low-skill workers


I. CONTEXT


III. IMPLICATIONS

CONTENTS


OUR SURVEY LOOKED AT HOW PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS ARE

USED AND PERCEIVED

• Our goal was to understand how professionals in the knowledge economy are using professional networks

• In addition to people seeking work opportunities, we also sought the opinion of organizations seeking talent

• We dispatched invitations to participate to ~3,000 individuals, mainly drawn from TFPL’s database of contacts, but also

from ClickNwork and Business360 contacts (roughly 70% TFPL, 25% ClickNwork, 5% Business360)

• Responses came from 49 industry sectors and 26 countries

• The following section provides some summary highlights; if you want to clarify anything, please contact us

INSIGHTS


46% OF RESPONDENTS SAY NETWORKS ARE KEY IN HELPING

ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS CONNECT

There appears to be wide appreciation of the value that

today’s professional networks bring to the process of

matching talent with talent need

Roughly 70% of respondents believe they are either essential

or very important

Just 8% believe that they aren’t that important

How important do you think today's professional networks are

in helping organizations and individuals connect to meet

resource requirements?

INSIGHTS


LINKEDIN IS BY FAR THE DOMINANT PROVIDER BUT OTHERS

ARE SEEN TO DELIVER IMPORTANT BENEFITS LinkedIn is the standout most popular professional network with nearly 35%

of all respondents joining it. For those looking to locate work opportunities,

the figure jumps to 64%

Comments by respondents show a few patterns:

• People tend to find networks that work for them and their needs

• LinkedIn is by far and away the most useful site for contacting people and keeping in

touch, although others (oDesk, Elance, ClickNwork…) are valued for providing access to

real work opportunities

• A significant minority don’t find online networks of any use

ALL RESPONDENTS

RESPONDENTS INTERESTED IN LOCATING WORK OPPORTUNITIES

• LinkedIn, because I've found it the

easiest way to keep track of my

professional contacts and it offers

some very useful groups

• LinkedIn. You can connect to all

sorts of people in a professional

manner. Plus, interested employers

can view your resume and reach out

to you

• Business360 and ClickNwork

provide all the work I am doing right

now

• Elance has worked well for me to

find jobs.

• oDesk, because it gives me a lot of

work options

• It is hard to get work on these types

of sites

• None of them

• All of the above are very important.

The more folks you can get your

information out to the more you can

profit from it.

WHAT NETWORKS HAVE YOU FOUND THE MOST VALUABLE FOR PROFESSIONAL REASONS, AND WHY?

INSIGHTS


JOB SEEKERS WANT TO STAY IN TOUCH, GET ACCESS TO WORK;

TALENT SEEKERS WANT TO ACCESS TALENT For individuals interested in locating work opportunities,

online networks mainly supplement existing functions of:

• Staying in touch with professionals in particular fields

• Providing access to work

• Building a platform where individuals can present themselves

professionally

• Enabling idea and information exchange

When organizations use these networks to locate talent,

they are:

• Mainly looking to connect with specialists (75%) or keeping up

with news and developments (71%)

• Looking to resource occasional or part-time projects (67%

agree or strongly agree) or finding experts (58%)

• Less likely to be directly recruiting (54%)

STAYING IN TOUCH

• Keeping up-to-date with current issues

within the financial sector and more

general 'gossip‘

• Access to individuals I know and

exposure to groups and individuals I

want to know

ACCESS TO WORK

• I gain the ability to grow as a writer and

make money to assist with my family's

financial well-being

• Finding opportunities for professional

development outside of work

A PLATFORM

• Building a branding and "getting your

name out there“

• Getting endorsements and

recommendations

• Public profile and links to new people

with similar interests

WHAT USEFUL FUNCTION DO YOU DERIVE FROM THESE NETWORKS?

IDEA EXCHANGE

• Exchange of ideas, how to grow my

business, learning new skills, meeting

people

• Valuable connections with people across

continents and business types, to

generate ideas through conversation and

shared insights

WHAT DO YOU USE THESE NETWORKS FOR WHEN LOCATING TALENT?

INSIGHTS


USERS SEE SIGNIFICANT SHORTCOMINGS WITH EXISTING

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS People seeking work opportunities were bothered by shortfalls

(although a sizable minority didn’t see any disadvantages):

• Time required to interact and deal with spam and communications

is wasteful (excessive and irrelevant updates and alerts were

especially annoying)

• Some networks don’t provide a reliable stream of work

• Dealing with the networks can be impersonal, soulless

Organizations believe networks have various disadvantages:

• Lost time – dealing with them is time-consuming and inefficient,

especially for marketplaces (oDesk, Guru, Elance…), which

require a lot of effort to select and manage vendors

• Quality – some organizations get poor quality results

• The growth of impersonal, screen-based relationships and the

loss of human contact is missed by some

TIME SINK/SPAM

• There seems to be an increase in

spammers who create "useless noise“

• I often can't keep up with the amount

of alerts I get

• They take up too much time for the

benefit

LACK OF WORK/LOWER EARNINGS

• As with the case with oDesk, the

feeling that I have to lower my rate in

order to get a job. Feeling like I am

more in a fish market than

professional market

• No definite work

IMPERSONAL

• Sometimes the information they send

is not at all relevant to me

• Mostly online, so limited opportunities

for face-to-face networking

WHAT DISADVANTAGES ARE THERE TO THE NETWORKS YOU HAVE JOINED?

LOST PRIVACY

• You need to be cautious of what you

put out there!

• Personally invasive

• All your info is very public

TIME INEFFICIENCY

• Too many unwelcome, unsolicited

invitations to connect, especially by

those seeking employment or

experience

• Can waste a lot of time

QUALITY

• It can be hard getting people that really

know your business and quality can

suffer

• One can get an incompetent person to

do the work thus at the end of the day

the work is not done in the right way

IMPERSONAL WORK

• Sometime it's difficult to communicate

with people we know only on the

internet

• These networks cut down on face to

face contact, so networking is a bit of

guessing game

WHAT DISADVANTAGES ARE THERE TO THE NETWORKS YOU HAVE JOINED?

NONE

• Cannot think of any

• None

• No disadvantages

INSIGHTS


BUT THEY ALSO BRING NOTABLE ADVANTAGES

People seeking work opportunities are overwhelmingly

positive about the benefits of professional networks:

• 76% agree or strongly agree that they are good at keeping

them connected and informed; 71% believe they are

valuable to their careers

• 55% agree that they have helped them find work, against

24% who say that they haven’t

• Only 43% believe that the networks are good at

promoting them

Primary benefits for organizations are access to skilled

resource and the ability to get work done easily:

• Some organizations have obtained better/easier access

to needed skills

• Some have managed to get work completed more easily

or more cheaply

But, some have yet to realize any benefits

BETTER ACCESS TO SKILLS AND IDEAS

• They find experts to provide solutions

to my organization

• Especially useful when creating teams

for large projects

• Identifying people and skills for specific

areas of requirement & make direct

approach with minimal cost

EASIER WAYS TO COMPLETE WORK

• Work is done in the right way without

having to spend a lot

• It’s useful to be able to parcel work out to

manage peaks better

• Getting things done overnight is a benefit

WHAT ADVANTAGES HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO REALIZE FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION

FROM THESE NETWORKS? HOW HELPFUL ARE PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS TO YOU? THEY…

INSIGHTS


USERS IDENTIFIED A NUMBER OF THINGS THEY’D LIKE NETWORKS TO OFFER Individuals seeking work opportunities mainly wanted better

options for work, but other needs emerged:

• Work, more of it, more reliably and more easily secured

• Some want things beyond work (better navigation, better personal

interaction…)

• Most people that expressed a view don’t want more, seemingly

accepting the deficiencies of online networks as a function of what’s

available at this stage of their development

Organizations primarily want an improved user experience:

• Easier use, including better and more powerful search

• Better information; information is often inaccurate or misleading

and this makes networking sites harder to use

• Some commentators did not see a need for anything more from

existing networking sites

WORK

• More work

• Jobs that are available for

telecommuting

• An inspiring job

• Direct links to applications to apply

for jobs and having the open

communication with the employer

• Consistent job offers is most

important for me

SOMETHING OTHER THAN WORK

• Access to meetings

• Stronger protection of information

• The ability to collaborate on work

online with other professionals

• Easier navigation for maintenance

• Greater levels of engagement on the

rich content and ideas made available

in these channels

• Training

NOTHING

• Sometimes the information they send is not at all relevant to me

• Mostly online, so limited opportunities for face-to-face networking

WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST FROM THESE NETWORKS THAT THEY ARE NOT PROVIDING?

EASIER USE

• Less choice - overwhelming number

of networks to chose from - lots of

noise at times

• Better targeting ability

• Quality people that match search

criteria

• Easier ways to search for what you

want. Better ways to contact

candidates

BETTER QUALITY INFORMATION

• Reduction in 'echo chamber' sense

where everyone's friends rec him

whether they've worked together or

not

• Relevant Information

• Accurate info

NOTHING

• Everything is here in these networks

• Nothing needed

WHAT DO YOU WANT MOST FROM THESE NETWORKS THAT THEY ARE NOT

ALREADY PROVIDING IN TERMS OF RESOURCING TALENT?

INSIGHTS


COMPANIES WANT GREATER TRUST IN INDIVIDUALS

THAN NETWORKS CAN (CURRENTLY) PROVIDE Recruiters, Hiring Managers and HR professionals say that

while professional networks help them locate talent, they

remain inadequate for building trust in individuals:

• Technology plays to, and fosters, ‘weak ties’, but recruitment

decisions rely mainly on ‘strong ties’, predominantly with an

underpinning personal relationship

• Hiring managers and HR professionals point out that personal

recommendations are much more effective because there is a

higher chance people will ‘fit’ and be a successful placement

since the recommender understands the organization’s culture

and needs

HIRING MANAGERS & HR PROFESSIONALS SAID:

“Traditional face to face networks where relationships have

been established and built up over time provided added

validation and expertise that is not easily achieved

through electronic networks.”

“Challenge with specialized and senior roles with fewer

potential candidates is that the terminology and

language used to describe experience is less defined

and more wide ranging and so online searching is more

difficult. Personal contacts/talking to recruiters can

therefore be more beneficial.”

“When not possible to meet, electronic networks fill the gap

and allow new connections to be built and networks to

grow where it may not have been possible just through

face to face connections”

INSIGHTS


OPINION IS MIXED ON HOW NETWORKS WILL DEVELOP IN THE FUTURE

Respondents provided a range of fascinating forecasts on how professional networks will develop. The only consistent theme

is that online networks will grow in scope and power:

• Most expect networks to offer more functionality, greater interactivity, verified information, auxiliary services (search, interviewing, vetting…)

• Some foresee a merging of online and offline networks; others see a proliferation of virtual gatherings via video chat, or the emergence of

online courses and other training

• Opinion is mixed on whether the market will consolidate (with smaller providers falling by the wayside) or fragment as specialist providers

emerge (perhaps undercutting the hegemony of today’s heavy hitters)

• Almost all believe that in the future, organizations and individuals will be more reliant on professional networks for recruiting talent and

obtaining work

• A few people pondered the broader implications of a rise in distance work and general de-personalization of the work environment (mostly

seen as a negative, but being able to work from home is seen to have many benefits)

GROWTH

• Networks are fast growing

currently and can only grow

larger in the future and progress

to a level where face to face

interaction in business would

become secondary

• Growing like topsy and

distracting people

FUNCTIONALITY

• I see a mix of online and offline

communities, which at a local

level could involve face-to-face

meetings/workshops to share

knowledge and best practice

• More choices, interactivity…

videoconferencing

CONSOLIDATING

• There will be a consolidation, I

hope, and some of the smaller

networks will be swallowed up.

Less choice, but will hopefully

mean more focus for those

networks that remain

• Unfortunately, I can see them

becoming more dilutive and

generalist

FRAGMENTING

• More specialisation and

fragmentation into smaller

groups of 'known' experts

making it harder for the

inexperienced and self-

promoting to get connected

• …growth in smaller industry-

specific professional networks

CHANGING SOCIETY

• The network will become our

essential thing in our life

• As white collar work gets less tied

to full time work onsite, and

swings more toward

telecommuting, freelance, etc,

these networks should become

more important

• …part of a booming outsourcing

industry

HOW DO YOU SEE THESE NETWORKS DEVELOPING OVER THE NEXT DECADE?

INSIGHTS


TECHNOLOGY PERMITS GREATER FLEXIBILITY

Beyond the survey, we conducted interviews that yielded insights in to how organizations value the flexibility and the

expanded pool of talent afforded by digital networks

The reach of networks is seen to provide a much richer and more flexible source of skills and talent, not limited by

geographic location

It is clear that many companies today are not only attracted by this, they increasingly need it

SOME QUOTES:

“Electronic networks help to meet challenges of

staying connected with an increasingly mobile

workforce. It is much easier to keep in contact with

selection of people who may be based in different

time zones”

“There is variable predictability in the amount and

flow of work coming through and so a flexible and

reliable option was needed. We set up a virtual

contractor network to do this.”

“Contractors are available when they want to be. They

choose when they want to do work and may accept or

reject work based on their other client workload” “I value the electronic networks for the immediacy of

the response I can get. My projects are typically short

and need a quick turnaround therefore being able to

get a quick response whenever I might need it is

important”

“Use of the skills network allows the company to

increase or decrease their capacity thereby providing

them with greater flexibility“

INSIGHTS


I. CONTEXT


III. IMPLICATIONS

CONTENTS


HOLD ON TO YOUR SEATS!

Building on our view of major economic drivers laid out in the context, as well as the insights emerging from our survey, supplementary

research and interviews, we have identified a number of implications for the field of recruitment, and resourcing more generally

Business360 and TFPL look at some areas through different lenses and in these implications we draw on each company’s sector

expertise to inform our assessment

Implications include:

1. Continued improvements in online networks will supercharge uptake and relevance

2. Recruiters will depend on professional networks (and today, that means LinkedIn)

3. Open professional networks mean recruiters will need new ways to add value

4. More functions will be completed at distance, boosting outsourcing and offshoring

5. Companies need to be proactive to tap emerging opportunities

6. Individuals need to build, own and manage their online equity

7. TFPL sees an upside for recruiters

8. Business360 believes professional networks will create new ways of resourcing

IMPLICATIONS


CONTINUED IMPROVEMENTS IN ONLINE NETWORKS WILL

SUPERCHARGE UPTAKE AND RELEVANCE

Improvements will keep coming

Online networks will continue to enhance functionality and this will continue to deliver important benefits. Expect these soon:

• Intelligent search (by skill, attitude, cultural suitability…)

• Greater interactivity

• Information verification

• Auxiliary services for search (interviewing and vetting…)

• Dynamic profiles/resumes (aggregating information from around the web)

Connectedness will be the norm:

• Connectedness will contribute to (and possibly correlate with) potential value

• Unconnected professionals will be regarded as quaint, unambitious, and perhaps even treated with suspicion

Benefits will be significant

THE FUTURE OF PROFESSIONAL NEWORKS: BETTER AND MORE IMPLICATIONS


RECRUITERS WILL DEPEND ON PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS (AND

TODAY, THAT MEANS LINKEDIN)

Recruiting as we currently know it will not be possible without

leveraging professional networks:

• Recruiters will increasingly rely on technology to trawl networks for

candidates, as well as sifting and ranking them

• In this environment, search technologies and networks with the

largest number of candidates will secure material advantage

• As costs to locate candidates online fall, traditional talent search

and ad-based recruitment will decline

WE’RE ALREADY SEEING THIS PLAY OUT

A 2013 Society for Human Resource Management study found:

• 77% of employers already use social networks to recruit,

up from 56% just two years earlier

• By far and away the dominant provider is LinkedIn.

Among the recruiters using social tools, 94% say they

use LinkedIn (Facebook 54% and Twitter 39%)

• 80% of organizations say the primary reason for using

social networking sites is the ability to recruit ‘passive’

job candidates

• A 2012 survey from Jobvite found that 93% of job recruiters

use LinkedIn to find qualified candidates (from 87% in 2011

and 78% in 2010). 66% used Facebook (from 55% in 2011)

• Pfizer reportedly gets up to 40% of its candidates via

LinkedIn

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS WILL BE AN ESSENTIAL TOOL FOR RECRUITERS IMPLICATIONS


OPEN PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS MEAN RECRUITERS

WILL NEED NEW WAYS TO ADD VALUE As technology facilitates connections, recruiters need to enhance their

service to become trusted advisors, working more closely with clients:

• Recruiters will need to understand culture and personality to make

suitable, sustainable matches - something so far that technology is not

yet able to provide (an October 2013 article in Bloomberg shows how fast

this is changing)

• Having more connectivity and interaction with the talent base is where

recruitment consultants will excel

• It’s early in this revolution, but likely paths include:

o Focusing on specific sectors or roles

o Adding services, such as suitability guarantees, agreeing to service

level agreements

o Competing through the use of ever more sophisticated software and

talent selection algorithms

RECRUITERS MUST FIND INNOVATIVE WAYS TO ENHANCE THEIR SERVICES

SOME COMPANIES IN

THE VANGUARD

IMPLICATIONS

http://knack.it/about/

http://www.evolv.net/

http://cream.hr/

http://www.clearfit.com/

http://connectcubed.com/


MORE FUNCTIONS WILL BE COMPLETED AT DISTANCE,

BOOSTING OUTSOURCING AND OFFSHORING

Easier access to credible, proven talent sources outside the

firm will boost outsourcing:

• As it becomes easier to locate and manage qualified

individuals overseas, more functions will be completed at

distance, boosting outsourcing and offshoring

• Key requirements will be:

o Ease of tapping relevant individuals with verified

credentials

o Management relaxing constraints on corporate use of third-

parties

o Secure systems and networks to ensure data security

• Taken together, these changes will greatly lower transaction

costs of drawing on external talent and allow companies to

operate with materially lower headcount

ACCENTURE SEES A SHIFT FROM INTERNAL EMPLOYEES

TO OUTSOURCING BUSINESS PROCESSES

COMPANIES WILL LOOK EXTERNALLY FOR COST AND QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS IMPLICATIONS

http://www.accenture.com/us-en/outlook/Pages/outlook-journal-2013-masters-of-the-mix-outsourcing.aspx


COMPANIES NEED TO BE PROACTIVE TO TAP EMERGING

OPPORTUNITIES As competition for talent intensifies and professional

networks become better established, organizations must:

• Be proactive and creative – it’s a competition for talent and it

takes work to win

• Assess alternative sourcing strategies – with the proliferation

of professional networks, organizations can locate talent from a

growing range of routes, bringing cost, resiliency and quality

advantages

• Identify functions that are suitable for completion remotely

– as it gets easier to locate and manage professionals remotely,

companies stand to benefit by outsourcing/offshoring a greater

range of business functions. Some, like payroll and data entry,

have already mostly been outsourced, but going forward, more

central business functions, like brand management, financial

analysis and more forms of business research, will be

conducted remotely

Organizations need to be responsible when using

social media networks in the recruitment

process. There should be a respect for privacy and

guidance on what to consider and what to disregard in

the recruitment process.

Interview comment – Megan Jenkins

Head of Central KM - Markets, Training and Research

At DLA Piper

“There should be a distinction between personal

social networks and professional social

networks. Currently the technology is creating a

blur between the two, causing concerns for

privacy and discrimination and HR Issues as seen

in recent cases in tribunals.”

COMPANIES NEED TO TAKE CHARGE AND BE PROACTIVE IMPLICATIONS


INDIVIDUALS NEED TO BUILD, OWN AND MANAGE

THEIR ONLINE EQUITY

As organizations increasingly rely on online professional

networks and the web generally to locate talent, individuals will

need to ensure they are well represented online

Individuals need to:

• Build their online profile and presence

• Own and actively manage their information, including emerging

technologies (e.g. see visual resumes at Pinterest or visualize.me)

• Provide a mix of online presence that matches the likely search

strategy of target employers

• Establish a network that will facilitate their career goals

• Make sure to invest sufficient effort in both online and offline

networks

• Ensure that information about them online is accurate (or at least

reflects positively on them) and current

SERVICES ARE ALREADY EMERGING

THAT SORT THROUGH ONLINE INFORMATION

TO SPOT PROMISING CANDIDATES:

• TalentBin claims to be The talent search engine for

the entire web that enables users to Find passive

candidates where they are active online, based on

their skills, interests and actions

• Entelo claims to help users find the right candidates

at the right time

And specialized metrics are emerging that will help

employers screen individuals for very precise

attributes. Klout, for instance, measures an individual’s

social influence

INDIVIDUALS WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ONLINE PRESENCE AND EQUITY IMPLICATIONS

http://www.pinterest.com/careersherpa/visual-resumes/

http://www.vizualize.me/

http://klout.com/home

http://www.entelo.com/

http://www.talentbin.com/


TFPL SEES AN UPSIDE FOR RECRUITERS

RECRUITING IS A COMPLEX BUSINESS

People-to-people connections, recognizing and dealing with

the subtleties of personality and culture, needs a level of

interaction and understanding that technology alone cannot

deliver; technology is a facilitator of communication

Recruitment companies can flourish by:

• Utilizing their strong understanding of a client’s

requirements and culture in making the most suitable

recommendations

• Leveraging a whole host of media to develop new

connections and use more traditional communication

methods to enhance their knowledge and understanding of

that person

WILL THIS CHANGE IN THE FUTURE?

We probably overestimate the ability of technology to make

judgements on human interactions

It is very difficult to emulate the level of connectedness and

understanding about a person one can achieve through

reading facial expressions, body language and tone of

voice. All these go towards building strong trusted

connections; a machine does not have emotional

intelligence

Technology will help identify more and better candidates,

leaving recruiters free to focus on making quality selections

PROACTIVE RECRUITERS CAN BENEFIT FROM THESE CHANGES IMPLICATIONS


BUSINESS360 BELIEVES PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS WILL CREATE

NEW WAYS OF RESOURCING

The basic human drive to connect, which today is building

open professional networks at scale, will change the

employee-employer relationship

Networks will become another resourcing option available to

organizations: instead of using employees or traditional

outsourcing vendors, companies may choose to outsource

functions to network providers that will leverage talent within

the network for fulfillment

‘Network resourcing’ will bring significant advantages:

• Better verification of talent, skills and credentials

• Better access to niche skills

• Greater redundancy (easier to get replacements)

• Greater flexibility (permanent, temporary, casual, remote…)

• Lower overheads, lower unit rates

• Frees employees to focus on higher level functions

INCREASING RESOURCING OPTIONS AVAILABLE TO CORPORATIONS

In-house recruitment

Recruitment agencies

Talent marketplaces

Outsource vendors

Crowd sourcing

Curated networks

Talent networks

• Just emerging

• Potentially greatest

scope

• Scalable

• Shifts from fixed to

variable costs

• Plays to global

organizations

Time

More resourcing options

enabled by:

• Improving technology

• Greater connectedness

PROFESSIONAL NETWORKS WILL INCREASINGLY BE USED FOR RESOURCING IMPLICATIONS


ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS?

We’d love to hear from you…

John Marchant

[email protected]

+1 212 866 4680

www.business360.com

Claire Valentine

[email protected]

+44 207 751 7161

www.tfpl.com

CONTACT US

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.business360.com/

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.tfpl.com/

Networks and resourcing white paper by Business360 and TFPL December 2013

Business

Transcript of Networks and resourcing white paper by Business360 and TFPL December 2013