I recently shared some insights from the 25th Annual TechServe Alliance Annual Conference and Tradeshow. Held in Miami Beach November 8 through 10, 2012, hundreds of IT professionals and leaders gathered to talk about the latest advancements in our constantly evolving industry.

1. More TechServe Conference Insights: Reaching Candidates Through Social Media
I recently shared some insights from the 25th Annual TechServe Alliance Annual
Conference and Tradeshow. Held in Miami Beach November 8 through 10, 2012,
hundreds of IT professionals and leaders gathered to talk about the latest
advancements in our constantly evolving industry.
In my last post, I reviewed some key takeaways
from the Women’s Roundtable. This month, I’d like
to talk more about a panel discussion I led, The
Digital Debates: How to Most Effectively Reach the
Most Wanted. Joined by Matt O’Connor, SVP of Sales
at Monster, Andrea Wagner, Director of National
Sales at CareerBuilder, and Scott Barbour, Senior
Manager of SMB Sales at LinkedIn, we talked about
some of the pressing issues, trends and challenges
of reaching top talent. Here are some key
takeaways:
Social media is still largely untapped for
recruiting. When we asked the panel audience who had used Facebook or
Twitter to recruit candidates, the answer was…none. Are you surprised? Not
one member of the audience had used social media for reaching top talent.
Instead, they focused their social efforts on branding and marketing. Definitely
a sound strategy, but one that leaves major potential untapped.
Profile optimization is essential to social media recruiting success. Social
sites like LinkedIn offer more tools than simply posting. Recommendations and
endorsements are a great way to demonstrate your value and leadership. Use
these tools (and solicit endorsements or recommendations when possible) to
build your online reputation and enhance your ability to connect with talent.
Also, keep your connections private if you’re concerned about competitors
poaching your contacts.
If you’re not mobile, you’re behind. A mobile-friendly website and/or job
board are key to reaching today’s top talent. As the prevalence of smart
phones and tablets continually impacts browsing habits, it is essential for you
to tap into an audience that is connecting on mobile devices.
There’s no such thing as a passive candidate. Reaching passive candidates has
been a focus for many organizations over the years, but in today’s economy,
there really aren’t any more passive candidates. A vast majority of IT workers
are looking for work, whether they’re currently employed or not. Matt
O’Connor of Monster noted that approximately 80% of the users on Monster.com
are currently employed. Andrea Wagner of CareerBuilder shared data stating
that more than 70% of tech talent is always looking for a job. So, forget your
notions of passive candidates and aim for reaching tech talent, employed or
not.

2. This year’s panel was a great success, and we covered a lot of ground. I asked Matt,
Andrea and Scott to share any final thoughts with our readers on the topic of social
media recruiting, and they provided these tips:
“We know the candidates consume information on job opportunities the same way
that they consume information on other important life events such as selecting a
university or purchasing a car. They validate their decision through the use of many
social media outlets such as Facebook, Yelp or Glassdoor. Gone are the days when
someone will just read a job description and apply to the job as a result of text.
Because of this shift in behavior, Staffing Firms need to make sure their brand is well
represented in various online mediums. If a candidate has a great experience with
your firm, it will end up on a social media site and the same is true if their experience
is negative. Pay attention to what your candidates are saying about you. It matters.”
– Andrea Wagner, Director of National Sales, CareerBuilder
“My last piece of advice would be to be different. To engage top talent, you need to
stand out from your competition. That means moving away from formulaic emails,
generic voicemails, and boilerplate job posts. Find the very best leads you can, and
invest time and energy in developing those relationships rather than casting a wider
net and hoping for a quick win.”
– Scott Barbour, Senior Manager, SMB Sales, LinkedIn
“When it comes down to leveraging technology in the areas of search, match and
analytics, focus on tools that make real fundamental changes in recruiter productivity
and efficiency. Don’t just give people more tools, make sure they have an impact on
the tasks being performed and drive results that truly give you a competitive edge and
drive value to the bottom line.”
– Matt O’Connor, SVP Sales, Monster
We’d love to hear your thoughts on reaching tech talent through social media. Have
you had any successes or challenges in reaching candidates? Please feel free to share
your thoughts in the comments below.
Many thanks to Matt, Andrea and Scott for their participation and great advice!