Facebook and, more recently, Twitter are all the rage on the internet. But do these social networking tools have an application for recruitment? In this session, you will learn how these services can be used to recruit people for your organisation right now. Whilst many dismiss these sites as a fad, how can we easily integrate our recruitment website or ATS into these systems to collect user data?
Twitter, Facebook, Recruitment & Integration Thomas Shaw Recruitment Directory +61 3 9018 5722 [email_address] http://www.recruitmentdirectory.com.au Twitter @thomasshaw Blog http://www.recruitmentdirectory.com.au/blog
How we can use these sites in the Recruitment process “ post n pray” or “post n prey” ? Create integration, not fragmentation Data collection Tips & tricks
CareerBuilder recently release some statistics saying “45% of employers use social networking sites to research job candidates” Facebook now has 300 million users Users are already connected with their social network – no need to create new one Integrate with the social network via API Real time search
Posting job ads is not good enough! Where is the conversation? No engagement! “ Post n pray” turn it into “post n prey”! SEARCH HASHTAG? #jobs #sydney Short URLs – who do you use? API - We can integrate! Automate the process where possible. Use CRM/RMS/ATS ROI – CTR %
Are you automating the process? Integration points Data flow Multiple profile management
If the user has integrated with the social networking site? What data can we collect? What data should we collect Privacy/Legal issues Who owns the data? Store in CRM/ATS?
Always use oAuth. Do not connect via username/password Sites should have integration! Not good enough.
Twitter job search mashup – aggregation
Facebook is taking Twitter features. Ie twitter like tagging @ and then start writing your friends name (auto completes) Facebook has become too bloated. Released ‘lite’ version. No apps or distractions
Social ads – PPC with precision targeting, can measure ROI through CTR
There are many ways to search for users who are potential candidates or clients via Facebook. The easiest way is to use the various search fields such as the header search bar. As most users now make their profile hidden you would have to request to become a friend with the user before being able to see their profile information. Unfortunately this throws up a challenge for recruiters, as you do not want to add clients/candidates to your personal profile. The only way around that is to create an application where the application is the “business” or you will have to create 2 separate profiles – 1 for personal use and one for private use. This has its disadvantages as its time wasting, will decrease productivity and you really want to automate as much of the process as possible.
You can also use the Facebook Directory to search to browse for users
Facebook Marketplace is now powered by Oodles and it is basically a marketplace where you can trade items. It dose have a jobs section, but this is rarely used. Lets have a look at the marketplace before divulging further into applications
It’s important to understand what other recruitment agencies, job boards and HR are using Facebook for. Lets look at a few topics such as Embracing Social Networking – Connecting with passive and active job seekers by communicating and engaging in conversations. Groups – Employers/Agencies, Alumni, Public/Private Applications – Job Search, Latest Jobs, Refer a friend, Employer of Choice, Job Mail, Competitions, Graduate Recruitment Programs Pages – Advertising Services, Products, Connecting with users Research – Using Facebook for background searches Employers are using Facebook for Embracing Social Networking as a tool to attract and retain talent Creating “Pages”, “Groups” and “Applications” Connecting Alumni Promoting “Employer of Choice” Careers NOT Jobs Connecting Employees both past and present Publishing News, Photos, Podcasts, Events Allows employers the ability to monitor staff – but be careful this topic has huge privacy concerns Allow the user to “ add the page ”, “ share ” with friends or “ become a fan ” Interactive Fun Exciting Continually evolving
Did you know you can collect nearly everything from a users profile. What ever information you are posting to these sites, developers can access?
I have spoken with numerous colleagues in the industry about Facebook Connect integration with job boards, and currently unable to provide any Australian examples. However… there are a number of global providers who have integrated with the platform including Tribehq , LawEnforcementJobs , HealthJobsNationWide . So why should job boards and career sites integrate with Facebook Connect? Whilst many people may think that not having users register with you could damage your site, this probably will not be the case at all. I am sure there has been many a time that you or I have come to a website for some information only to find that you have to go through a long registration process to get the information you want. I can certainly say that i have hit the back button and got the info from elsewhere. With Facebook connect your users can simply hit the Facebook login button, find the information they want, and stay on your site. Facebook can tell you how many of the user’s friends are already members of your site. You can put a link somewhere that says, “Three of your friends already use the site - invite them to connect.” This can dramatically increase engagement of your existing users by drawing them back to your site. Not only this you can show the friends activity on a page within your site, so that users have yet another reason to return. Facebook also let you pull certain information about the user such as basic profile info, avatar image etc, this can save you space on your server by hosting everything in a centralised location. Whenever a user on your site does an action, you can post this information onto their wall. Obviously i don’t need to tell you how valuable this is, as not only does it appear in the news feed it also encourages their friends to click through onto your site. One-click login and authorisation - This allows users to log in with their Facebook identity and allow your site to access the users Facebook profile information. Privacy and Security Controls - Users have a central control of their information. The users password is not stored on the job board, but when the user connects to the site it authenticates. Increase engagement - Leverage users' personal interests to show more relevant information and surface personalized content from friends such as reviews or comments Distribution Network - Users can share content and actions taken on your site with friends back on Facebook through Feed, invites, and other social communication channels on Facebook. Access to Facebook Platform - Use the same API that the existing Facebook applications use.
Facebook Connect is one of the hottest API scripts being integrated. It allows users to: Seamlessly connect their Facebook account and information with your site (increase users/signup on your website) Connect and find their friends who also use your site (provide a social aspect - friends invite friends) Share information and actions on your site with their friends on Facebook (word of mouth promotion - free publicity) Sites will adopt Facebook Connect for two reasons. First, their users are already actively using it; millions of users have OpenID log-ins and don't even know it. And second, because it's not just a registration system, it's the potential marketing channel. The integration between your website via the Facebook Connect API needs to be carefully thought-out.
Applications are the best, and most workable options for recruitment, as they are an extension of your own website! Adding applications allows you to expand the usefulness of the site as well as increasing traffic back to your own website. Facebook allows users to easily share and connect with the people, organizations, and products they care about. The Facebook Platform extended this by giving developers an easy way to build exciting new experiences directly into the core site. Applications are tools that allow you interact with your friends and networks. Examples of applications that Facebook has built are Photos, Notes, and Groups. Most Facebook users today use 3rd party Facebook applications to add some fun and personality to their Facebook profile. Their purpose is to generate content that the user finds is relevant or of interest to them. There is virtually an application for everything, ranging from a Facebook application that reminds a user when their favourite band is coming to town to a slide show of a collection of sentimental photos. The great thing about Facebook applications is that if it is to be added to a profile, the users listed as a individual’s ‘friends’ are sent an option of also using it. By creating an application specifically for your business, your consultants will not have to repost their adverts on many different job boards. All you need is an RSS feed! Some advantages of using applications include Can use the Facebook API – one of the first steps for integrating with Facebook Connect Searchable via Facebook, Google etc Users can become a “fan” of your application – more power than a facebook page and group Collection of profile data – create a database of information and keep it confidential Users can’t see who else have added the application!
Facebook has recently updated the Application Directory into a easier and workable directory. One of the new features of Application is called “Verified App”. Verified applications have passed a detailed Facebook review to confirm that the user experience they provide complies with Facebook policies. Verified applications have committed to be transparent about how they work and will respect you and your friends when they send communication on your behalf. Because these applications have passed a review by Facebook, they are prioritized higher in the application directory and are highlighted by a green checkmark. Unfortunately having your application verified comes at a cost. For each application submitted for verification, the fee is USD $375. This fee is intended to cover costs associated with the application review process. Current students and registered non-profits who provide official documentation will receive a discounted per application fee of USD $175.
So using all these social networking sites is great… but how can we search ALL social sites at once? Use “people search engines” ie spokeo.com, wink.com, spock.com Within 6, 12 months, nearly all ATS’s will have plans to implement these “social people search engines” into the system. This will become the norm.
I use this last slide for all presentations. Now lets look into the future. You should… Be a leader, not a follower – do something new, innovative Understand the medium – learn how to use it. Take a step back before diving into the medium Identify your target market – are our clients, customers, job seekers using facebook? Create integration not fragmentation Engage with users! – Start a conversation Manage your reputation – monitor everything! 360 Degrees of Technology ROI, Feedback, Comments Work smarter, not harder!
There will always be hype - what goes up, must go down Be transparent, honest and open Start small… “build the foundation and then start adding bricks” Refer all links, jobs, content back to your website Conversation - Engage with users Devote enough time to maintain your social networking presence. Don’t think everyone will visit your profile Are you monitoring your competitors? Use social networks as a sourcing tool to reach passive candidates and for hard to fill positions. Be approachable for job seekers, potential recruits and clients