Recruitment of talent has come from a long way, from the posting of job adverts in newspapers a number of years ago. These offline adverts have mostly disappeared, and recruiters now have more access to new and more improved methods of recruitment, thanks to the internet and the new technology that is gradually changing (http://enablingchange.co.uk/the-impact-of-new-technology-and-the-internet-on-the-recruitment-industry/) the way the recruitment industry works. One of these new forms of technology that have changed the recruitment industry is the social media, which is now being used by most people to find jobs.
Is social media killing the UK recruitment industry?
Social media was initially introduced as a networking platform that provides you with better connections with family and friends all over the world. However, in the past number of years, social media has undergone several changes, highlighted by Sphere Digital at http://www.spherelondon.co.uk/blog/digital-marketing-update-social-media, to become one of the leading resources in the world of digital marketing. Companies and businesses all over the world are now using social media for various purposes, which include promoting their brands, connecting with clients, and – a more recent development – recruitment of talent.
The use of social media for the purpose of recruiting talent has had a significant impact on the UK recruitment industry, with statistics showing that up to 85 % of employers use social media when recruiting employees. These high statistics begs the question whether social media has helped to revolutionise the recruitment industry, or if it is slowly killing various businesses in the industry (http://www.thedrum.com/news/2012/08/20/social-media-killing-recruitment-industry) such as recruitment companies that earn revenue by being the link between employers and candidates.
While the use of social media by employers can be viewed by some people as a threat to the recruitment industry, a deeper look into how the technology is influencing the industry reveals one main truth – social media is a very useful tool in the recruitment industry, which has helped to change it for the better.
Table of Contents
How social media has changed the UK recruitment industry
1. It is an effective way for advertising jobs
One of the major challenges that recruitment industries face when they are trying to recruit talent for their clients is the lack of effective platforms for advertising job openings. This is because some of the available channels are either expensive or lack enough reach to attract quality talent. However, with social media, recruitment companies (the leading one in the UK being Spherelondon.co.uk, can be able to advertise job openings for their clients to millions of users all over the world, giving them access to a large pool of candidates. In addition, advertising jobs on social media is free, which significantly reduces the costs incurred by recruitment companies.
2. It is a very rich ground for hunting talent
Job candidates are always competing with each other in an effort to secure the best job on the market, especially digital marketing jobs, where the demand for great talent is on the rise. As a result, job candidates usually result to platforms such as social media, where they can be able to interact with various brands around the world that are looking for skills they have. Candidates also use social media as a platform for receiving the latest updates and news about possible job openings.
In addition, social media is largely used by professionals who are already employed, but are passively seeking jobs or are open to being recruited. This makes social media a very rich hunting ground for recruitment companies, where they can be able to find high-quality talent that meets the requirements of their clients.
3. It provides valuable data used in recruitment
Another challenge faced by recruitment companies when they are hiring talent through the internet is the shortlisting of candidates, which is harder to do online than in person. However, in the past few years, a new trend has emerged in the recruitment industry where employers are using data from candidates’ social media profiles to screen candidates and conduct background checks on them. By using this data, recruitment companies can be able to get an insight into who the candidates are, their interests, their participation in the industry, their attitude, etc. The recruitment companies/agencies can also use the data found on candidates’ social media profiles to create customised interviews that are more effective.
4. It is a great marketing platform for recruitment companies
Recruitment companies are also businesses, and as such, they need to promote themselves in order to land clients who can hire them to recruit talent. When promoting themselves, these companies usually use a combination of various marketing techniques, which range from SEO, email marketing, video marketing, pay-per-click advertising, TV commercials, and several others – varies from one company to another.
The problem with most of these marketing techniques is that they are quite expensive, even the likes of SEO and other digital marketing skills. Fortunately, for recruitment companies, they also have the option of using social media to promote themselves, a platform that is free and has a very large reach. In addition, recruitment companies can use social media to increase brand awareness by posting regular updates about the company, as well as networking and interacting with potential clients that might be looking to hire talent.
5. It has helped to create many jobs
Social media is a very important tool in the recruitment industry, which helps businesses to find better talent and increase the efficiency of the recruitment process. However, it is also revolutionising the industry in another way altogether – creating business for the recruitment industry. Over the past few years, social media has become an integral part of digital marketing campaigns used by various brands all over the world, leading to a high demand of people with great social media skills. This has created several social media jobs, such as:
– Content developers who are tasked with developing quality content that brands can post on their social media accounts
– Social media engagement specialists tasked with the management of a brand’s social media communication
– Social media advertising specialists
– Social media managers
Conclusion
Social media has had a significant impact in the world of recruitment, and it has risen to become one of the main channels used when recruiting employees. This has raised concerns in the past that social media may be killing off the UK recruitment industry, by providing employers with an alternative option when they need to hire employees. However, as it is evident from the above information, social media tool is also a powerful resource for recruitment businesses, which they can use to significantly increase their bottom line.
