Recruiting in the Digital Era: Guidance for HR Professionals, Recruiters, and Hiring Managers

Renaissance Strategic SolutionsHelping Organizations Walk Their Talk . . .

Recruiting in the Digital Era

Guidance for HR Professionals, Recruiters, and

Hiring ManagersSocial Media and Employee Communications

HR.com Virtual ConferenceJune 14, 2012

Copyright © 2012, Courtney Shelton Hunt - all rights reserved2

About the SpeakerCourtney Shelton Hunt, PhDCourtney is the Principal of Renaissance Strategic Solutions (RSS) and an international consultant, speaker, teacher, and writer. Her background in business development, communications, human capital management, information technology, and academia, combined with her business acumen, enables her to provide a unique holistic perspective and strategic leadership to organizations.

RSS helps organizations enhance their effectiveness through the design and implementation of innovative and leading-edge strategies and programs. Specializing in social media, communications, and human capital management, we work with organizations of all sizes in both the for-profit and not-for-profit sectors, in a wide range of industries.

RSS is the founder and sponsor of the Social Media in Organizations (SMinOrgs) Community, a free professional community that provides information and guidance about the organizational applications and implications of social media.

In May 2013, Renaissance Strategic Solutions and

Social Media in Organizations became part of The

Denovati Group. This deck, created in 2012, primarily

reflects the old brands.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/cshunt312

http://sminorgs.net/

About the Speaker


Courtney Shelton Hunt, PhDCourtney is the Founder and Principal of The Denovati Group and an international consultant, speaker, teacher, and writer. Her background in business development, communications, human capital management, information technology, and academia, combined with her business acumen, enables her to provide a unique holistic perspective and strategic leadership to organizations.

The Denovati Group enhances the success of individuals and organizations in the Digital Era through an alliance that provides thought leadership and guidance, research, consulting and training services, and a professional community that fosters the sharing of information and best practices. These objectives are accomplished through three divisions and two sub-brands:• Denovati Solutions• The Denovati Network• The Denovati Institute• SMART Blog• SMART Resources

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How to Use this Presentation as a Portal

Copyright © 2013, Courtney Shelton Hunt 4

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RECRUITING IN THE DIGITAL ERA

http://www.sminorgs.net/2011/11/recruiting-in-the-digital-era-updated-guidance-for-employers-recruiters-and-candidates.html


Grounding the Discussion

No single set of practices, platforms, tools, or techniques can satisfy every employer’s recruiting objectives

The best approach will be determined by your unique talent management requirements and circumstances, including:– Size of organization and growth trajectory

– Geographic location(s), industry, target markets

– Number and type of available positions

– Level of turnover

– Required skills and experiences

– Candidates’ digital sophistication and access


Taking the Plunge

Think carefully about whether potential benefits are worth the costs, and which social media investments are likely to produce the best returnsBenchmark against the efforts of earlier adopters and learn from both their successes and failuresDon’t rush, or try to do everything at once - a strategic, methodical, and phased approach is more effective in the long run


Work Smart, Not Just Hard

Clearly define recruiting goals and objectivesAssess current practices and identify opportunities for improvementCreate a social recruiting strategyDevelop a “social media system”

For more on leveraging social media smartly,click here to read Part 7 of the Social Media

Primer

http://www.sminorgs.net/2010/11/social-media-primer-part-7-the-sapling-approach-to-leveraging-social-media.html


New Field(s), Same Game

Although cyberspace adds a new dimension to the recruitment and selection process, the rules are generally the same

Employers must ensure the criteria they're using to select candidates are job relevant, non-discriminatory, and legally defensible


The Social Recruiting Funnel



SOCIAL RECRUITMENT



Overview

Employers can share organization information as well as career opportunities, specific jobs, etc. via– Social media platforms (e.g., LinkedIn, Twitter)– Digital communities (e.g., talent communities, alumni

networks)

Objectives include– Enhancing employer branding– Offering realistic job and culture previews– Sharing job postings– Developing a pipeline of potential candidates



More Details

Job types: All - different platforms may be used– For different job types (e.g., retail, IT)– To target different groups (e.g., recent college grads, experienced

candidates)

Initiators:– Internal HR/recruiting staff– Hiring managers– Third-party recruiters– Maybe external communicators like marketing

Process:– Information sharing and interactions are usually handled

individually, to reinforce the human element– Some aspects can be automated (e.g., announcing new jobs via

Twitter using a tool like HootSuite)



Guidance

Beware of “social snooping”– Resist urge to casually “check out” people who’ve

connected with your organization on public social networks

– An individual’s failure to maintain good privacy settings doesn’t limit an employer’s risk or responsibility

Maintain proper boundaries– Resist urge to connect with candidates individually

via personal social networks (e.g., Facebook, Twitter)– Professional connections via a network like LinkedIn are

generally acceptable but still require care



SOCIAL SOURCING



Overview

Employers and third-party recruiters can search the internet and/or social networking platforms (e.g., LinkedIn) using specific key words (e.g., accountant, CPA, joint venture, Brazil) to find individuals who meet pre-defined job criteria, regardless of whether they are currently on the job market



More Details

Job types: Generally hard-to-fill positions, or those for whom the candidate pool is fairly smallInitiators: – Internal HR/recruiting staff– Hiring managers– Third-party recruiters

Process: – Searches are often conducted manually– Can be automated or facilitated by software (e.g., a tool

like eGrabber)



Guidance

On any site that’s professionally oriented (e.g., a blog by an IT professional about cyber security), the content is likely to be fair gameOn sites that are likely to contain personal content (e.g., Facebook), sourcers should conduct searches only if they’re vital to filling the position and are focused on job relevant informationSourcers should limit their review of the digital activity they discover and should avoid connecting with candidates on personally-oriented networks



SOCIAL ADVERTISING



Overview

Employers can post advertisements for positions on social networking platforms (e.g., Facebook, LinkedIn) that are specifically targeted to the types of candidates they’re interested in



More Details

Job types: Can be anyInitiators:– Internal HR/recruiting staff– Maybe third-party recruiters

Process: Once the ads are created, they are automatically generated and posted by the platform using criteria provided by the employer



Guidance

Focus ads on platforms where targeted candidates congregate– Entry-level positions in the hospitality industry: Facebook– CFOs: LinkedIn

Ad effectiveness is dependent on how much information people share about themselves through their profiles“Pay-per-click” makes social advertising seem like a cost-effective strategy, but employers could end up paying for “curiosity clicks” if ads aren’t crafted effectively



SOCIAL REFERRALS



Overview

Usually in conjunction with an employee referral program, current staff are encouraged and/or given incentives to share job opportunities with their social networks and refer potential candidates for specific jobs



Details

Job types: Can be anyInitiators: Any current employeeProcess: Referrals can be– Made using individual communication channels

(e.g., email)– Facilitated by software (e.g., tools like those

offered by Jobvite and SelectMinds)



Guidance

Make sure employees understand the practice is optionalIf sharing is done manually, provide clear guidance regarding preferred channels, timing, presentation, etc.If a referral tool is used, employers should provide assurances regarding individual privacy



SOCIAL ASSESSMENT



Overview

Two primary forms:1. Reviewing a candidate’s social references

and/or validating resume details2. Evaluating the quantity and quality of a

candidate’s digital engagement based on his/her public activity

In the future, may also include assessing a candidate’s skills and abilities via “social simulations”



More Details

Job types:1. Can be done for almost any type of job2. Should be conducted for those jobs for which

digital engagement is relevant (e.g., marketing, communications, business development, some IT and HR positions)

Initiators:– Internal HR/recruiting staff– Hiring managers– Third-party recruiters



More Details: Process

1. Reviews are generally conducted manually and involve:– Reviewing recommendations on platforms like LinkedIn

and Facebook– Comparing details on social networking profiles with

other web-based information to verify details, and search the web for evidence to support claims made

2. Reviews are conducted manually, based on information and links provided by candidates– Relatively new services like Rabble may help automate

the process



Guidance

Care must be taken to ensure that personal information that is not job relevant is not inadvertently accessed1. It’s imperative to verify the accuracy and validity of the

information discovered2. Three things to remember:

– The nature of the engagement that is relevant to the position should be clearly defined in advance

– The review should be based on information provided by the candidates

– Sound criteria for evaluating the engagement should be developed in advance and consistently applied across all candidates



SOCIAL SCREENING



Overview

Once the pool has been narrowed and the final candidates identified, a search of their public activity in cyberspace can be conducted to reveal any potential risks they may create for the employer



More Details

Job types: Can be any

Initiators: – Internal staff not involved in the hiring decision

– Third-party service provider (which invokes the FCRA in the US)

Process: Searches can be conducted manually or via software algorithms (e.g., the proprietary method employed by Social Intelligence)



Guidance

Although it’s important to mitigate the risks associated with a bad hire, employers should not assume there are no limits to their ability to dig for “digital dirt”The social screening process should not be conducted by a hiring manager or someone involved in making the final decision – designate an independent group to conduct the searches and evaluate the resultsSearches should focus ONLY on publicly available informationDo NOT ask candidates for their login credentials or ask them to log in during an interview



More Guidance

Consider using an FCRA-compliant third-party screening service and incorporate social screening into the regular background checking processEven if a third party is not used, provide candidates with advance notice and have them formally agree to the searchAlso consider creating a process for verifying negative results and giving candidates an opportunity to respond before adverse action is taken



MORE CONSIDERATIONS…



Think Beyond Social Media

Recruitment marketing platforms like Jobs2Web

Social talent community management tools like Find.ly

Services like Skype for conducting video interviews

Virtual job fairs

Client relationship management (CRM) systems for managing contacts and communications with professionals before they become candidates (and enter the Applicant Tracking System)



Put Your Best (Digital) Foot Forward

Website should be current, inviting, and a strong representation of your employment brand and experienceBe sure the brand is consistently and positively reflected in:– Company profile on LI – Individual profiles on LI (especially for recruiting and HR

staff and hiring managers)– Proprietary groups on LI– Social media sites (including Wikipedia, which is often

overlooked)



Engage in Social Benchmarking

Stay abreast of what your competitors are doing and benchmark best – and worst – practicesYou can easily identify and follow them on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter, in addition to setting up Google alerts to monitor their activity



Engage in Social Monitoring

Set up Google alerts or use other tools to monitor how your employment brand is being discussed in cyberspaceCheck sites such as Glass Door and Vault


http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm

http://www.vault.com/wps/portal/usa


Live the Candidate Experience

Everyone involved in the hiring process should– Follow the organization on its social platforms to see

what candidates see and how they engage– Whenever possible, go through the process of

applying for a job to experience first-hand what it’s like

Test processes by having “simulated candidates” – similar to mystery shoppers – pose as candidates and provide feedback on strengths and weaknesses


ABOUT THE DENOVATI GROUP

http://denovati.com/denovati-digital-network

The Denovati…Pronunciation guide: day-no-VAH-teeDeconstructing the term:

– DE = Digital Era– NOV = short for novani, the Latin term for colonists,

immigrants, new residents…– ATI = those who seek knowledge and/or are in the know


The Denovati areDigital Era explorers, pathfinders and pioneers

who seek to understand and effectively leverage social and digital technologies

The Denovati Group


Click here to learn more about who we are, what we do, and what we offer

http://denovati.com/about-the-denovati/

http://denovati.com/about-the-denovati/

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Recruiting in the Digital Era: Guidance for HR Professionals, Recruiters, and Hiring Managers

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Transcript of Recruiting in the Digital Era: Guidance for HR Professionals, Recruiters, and Hiring Managers