What do app developers, social media managers, cloud computing administrators, virtualization engineers and Chief Listening Officers all have in common? These positions didn’t exist 10 years ago. Thanks in part to continuous technological innovation, there is a new set of roles that did not exist until recently, and existing jobs now have new requirements and skill sets. These dynamic digital positions are now some of the most popular and highly sought-after jobs in the market, but they can be difficult to recruit for.
New jobs and skills require new ways of recruiting for these positions. How people and organizations communicate with each other has completely evolved the way employers seek candidates, both in terms of where they find them and how they engage with them. Most of the candidates that fit these job descriptions are best reached via referrals and social networks. And though roles and positions will continue to change and evolve, the underlying recruiting principles remain the same – you still need to find the right fit for your open positions.
Let’s take a look at a few specific changes that technology-driven practices have introduced into the world of recruitment.
Technology and Social Media Dominate
The disruption caused by technological changes has resulted in a new set of requirements for existing positions, while also rendering some older job titles obsolete or at least less significant. Today, people in business development and sales must have strong networks on social media and be well versed in the technology platforms needed to support their work. Hiring managers and recruiters cannot reach quality candidates if they do not know how to leverage social networks for recruiting. Product and engineering staff cannot work in an agile mode without the collaborative platforms and communication methods they now take for granted.
Action Step: Hiring managers need to identify where their target candidates are and establish a company presence within those platforms. LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook are among the top platforms to connect and network on, from sharing relevant positions to responding to candidates’ questions.
Fewer People Have the Skills for Available Positions
Most of the jobs today reflect some technological influence in their titles. A Social Media Manager, for example, has to be savvy with marketing and public relations fundamentals and have experience with the various social media platforms to effectively perform the job. Requirements for this position could include experience with the newest products and platforms for reaching target audiences, creating engagement with stakeholders and collecting analytical data to make further improvements to the campaigns. Clearly, these are specific skills for which even a few years of experience could be hard to find.
The challenge, therefore, is to identify the right candidates who may not have years of experience but can still hit the ground running and perform. Many of the other newer roles would fall into the same category as “Social Media Manager” – jobs for which the people who have the requisite skills and experience are fewer than the open positions available.
Action Step: Prior to inviting a candidate for an interview, pre-screen their technical skills by engaging with them via social media or through your talent community. Interact with the candidates to gain a better understanding of what skills they possess, as well as how dedicated they are to earning a position within your organization. Share as much detail about your company work culture as possible, and ask position-specific questions on the application to gain insights into the candidate’s understanding of the technical requirements of the position.
Speed Is the Key
With the war for talent forcing many employers to regularly poach employees from each other, efficiency and speed in the recruitment process are critical. As an employer or recruiter, you want to make sure you are not making solid candidates wait too long for next steps, because they will surely talk to your competitors if they are more responsive and nimble. Streamline your recruiting processes so you are able to get referrals, source, engage, attract and screen at a fast pace. Once you have the candidates shortlisted, schedule interviews and get them in quickly. Collect evaluations, references and make your decisions as soon as possible.
Action Step: With a recruiting platform that helps you manage and engage with your talent community, you can quickly identify top candidates to bring in for an interview. However, do not exclude passive candidates who may not be present in the community. Encourage employees to refer candidates through a company-wide referral program and leverage social media for its ability to virtually distribute your jobs to thousands of qualified candidates. Also, you will want to utilize a candidate management system to efficiently and effectively keep candidates informed during each step of the hiring process.
Multiple New Methods of Access
Did you know that 89% of companies search for candidates online? Moreover, one in six job seekers found their last job through social networks. With Facebook reporting 901 million users and LinkedIn being the most popular network for job seekers and recruiters, candidates are using these platforms – and so should you, as an employer.
Candidates are more accessible than ever. In addition to social networks, next-gen recruiting platforms make it easier to leverage the power of social networks for recruiting, enabling employers and recruiters to reach candidates in a fast, cost-effective and organized way, while all candidate information is tracked and easily accessible for future campaigns.
Action Step: Social recruiting is becoming the norm, as employers need to be skilled in the best methods and practices to reach top talent. However, that does not mean you need to take on more than you can handle. Outline a social recruiting plan and determine the best platforms and outlets on which to focus your efforts. Using a social recruiting platform allows you to organize your hiring process across your entire team.
What do you think? What are your thoughts on recruiting for non-traditional positions?