How do companies recruit in a period where technology rules? Recruiting and hiring has changed significantly over the years and continues to evolve as technology changes. It's important for job seekers to be aware of how companies recruit so they can take advantage of the ways that companies are finding qualified applicants to hire.
Recruitment strategies
vary. In the past, a company with job openings placed a classified help wanted
ad in the newspaper or stuck a help wanted sign on the door. Some employers
still do that, but more companies are turning to a multi-faceted approached to
recruiting candidates for employment.
Today, companies are
using a variety of methods to find and attract applicants including online job
boards, social networking sites and Facebook and mobile apps.
Passive vs. Active
Recruiting
In some cases, employers passively
recruit by simply posting jobs on their company website and waiting for
applicants to find the job posting and apply. They don't need to do anything
else because of the volume of applications they receive. Other companies are
actively recruiting candidates using many different ways to connect with and
engage potential employees. Even if they do get many applications they want to
be sure they are reaching the best candidates including those who may not be
actively seeking employment, but may be interested if they saw a job posting or
were recruited.
Recruiting on Company
Websites
Many large corporations have more applicants than they can
readily manage, so there is no need to advertise extensively for candidates for
employment. For example, Southwest Airlines received 193,636 resumes and hired
4,349 new employees in 2011. That's a lot of applicants for every available
job. Still, Southwest has a Careers section of the
company website with information on jobs, benefits, the company culture,
internships and tips on what it's like to work at Southwest. Applicants can
apply online by uploading, copying and pasting, or using the resume wizard to
get their resume into Southwest's applicant systems.
Reports indicate that
Google receives over a million resumes a year and many other major employers
receive comparatively large numbers of applications, as well.
If you know of companies
where you would like to work, your first step should be to check out the
company website to find available openings and apply online. Going directly to
the source will get your application in the system fast and you may be able to
sign up to be notified of new job openings as soon as they are posted. Here's
more on finding and applying for jobs on company websites:
Job Boards
Job boards still play a
significant role in company recruiting. Major employers post open positions on
job boards like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com and Dice.com. Job seekers can
create a profile on these sites and upload resumes and letters to apply for
jobs. In addition, many of the top job boards have mobile apps so you can job
search on the fly from your phone or iPad.
Job Search Engines
Job search engines are a
good way for job seekers to get job listings fast, because they search many
sources where employment opportunities are listed. Even though a job search
engine finds many jobs automatically when it searches the Internet, companies use
them to recruit directly as well.
For example, US.jobs is a
national job search site administered by DirectEmployers, a nonprofit human
resources consortium of leading global employers, and the National Association
of State Workforce Agencies. Job listings from member companies are posted
directly on the US.job sites.
In addition, employers that would like their open positions
featured on a job search engine can, for example, tap into LinkUp.com's Recruitment
Advertising Solutions to
receive premium web placement, feed jobs from the company website to Facebook
and take advantage of a variety of other recruiting options. Here's more on the
top job search engines and how to use them:
LinkedIn
LinkedIn continues to be
the dominant network for professional recruiting with 93% of employers surveyed
by Jobvite in 2012 using it to recruit. Of those companies, 89% have made a
hire through LinkedIn. LinkedIn's Recruiting Solutions enables companies to
easily source candidates, share and advertise jobs on LinkedIn and create
company career pages to attract and engage talent.
Job seekers can search
for job openings directly on LinkedIn and follow companies to get the latest
news and current job openings. To use LinkedIn most effectively, your profile
should be carefully optimized so recruiters can find you when they search for
qualified candidates. Here's how:
Newspapers
Yes, companies do still
place help wanted ads in newspapers and your local paper can be a good source
of job listings. You don't have to buy a paper to find the listings. Check
online and you'll find classified ads for a variety of local jobs on your
newspaper's websites.
Referrals
Employers love referred
candidates because the applicant has a recommendation in advance from one of
the company's employees. When there's a referral, there is a better chance of
getting a qualified candidate because the employee knows the company and the
type of person needed for the job.
Plus, referrals
streamline the hiring process. In fact, some companies pay bonuses to employees
who refer candidates who are hired. For the job seeker, getting a referral from
someone who already works at a company can be a great way to get your resume a
close look from the hiring manager.
Social Recruiting
The use of social
recruiting, which takes place when companies use social networking sites like
Facebook and Twitter to advertise job openings and recruit potential employees
is continuing to increase. Over 92% of companies plan on recruiting through
social media in 2012 and 73% have already successfully hired a candidate
through a social network. The top sites for recruiting applicants, aside from
LinkedIn, are Facebook and Twitter, with 66% of recruiters using Facebook to
find new talent and 54% using Twitter.
Companies, large and
small, have Facebook and Twitter pages where you will find company information,
job postings, tips and advice for applying and information about what it's like
to work for the company. Companies often post open jobs to these sites prior to
posting elsewhere, so if you follow the company on Twitter or like it on
Facebook, you'll be able to get a head start on getting your application in.
In addition to companies participating in social recruiting
efforts, the job boards also have a strong social media presence. Most top
sites have Twitter pages where they tweet job openings and career advice. On
Facebook, for example, you can use Monster's BeKnown
appto view and apply for jobs and review company information. You'll
even have an online version of your resume, which can be printed as a PDF to
bring to an interview.
Walk-In Applications
Many smaller employers do
still hire the old-fashioned way with a sign in the window. If you're
interested in a job with a local company, don't hesitate to apply in-person if
you see a sign or stop in and ask if the company is hiring if you don't. You have
nothing to lose, and a job to gain, by asking a quick question.
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