It is interesting to note how social media as a people interaction tool has grown to great proportions in just a few years. And rightly so; social media is all about communicating with your intended audience – be it your close circle of friends and relatives, a professional network of like-minded corporate executives, or even the end users of products and services, as in the case of brands and companies. It makes perfect sense then, that the Human Resources departments of companies are seeking out their prospective employees through social media. Be it an organization looking to fill in its current vacancies, or individuals looking to make a career move, social media offers the perfect platform to seek out jobs and candidates, and yes, to understand the attitudes and attributes that define each job seeker and job provider, as the case may be.
The days of using job sites to apply for jobs and recruit candidates are fast becoming passé. Today, HR executives dig into their professional contacts on social networking sites like LinkedIn to search for prospective candidates. LinkedIn is the number one tool when it comes to corporate recruitments. Anyone looking for a decent career move would be doing themselves a big favour by having an account on LinkedIn. By being active on this social networking website, you can keep yourself abreast of the latest vacancies in companies of your choice and also seek referrals for job postings from shared contacts.
Today, HR executives are also using social media to carry out background checks on prospective employees. Almost everyone has a Facebook account and while a LinkedIn profile may only give as much details about a candidate as to his professional and career achievements, a Facebook profile gives HR a clear idea of the basic attitude of the person they hope to hire. This helps executives in determining whether the candidate is a right fit for the job, based on whether or not he has the right attitude to learn and perform. And Facebook is the perfect mirror of a person’s life, showing the HR executive just what he needs to know about his next hire.
Jobs through Twitter are also fast gaining importance nowadays. By following the right people and keeping track of companies that interest you, you can hope to get good career leads. HR executives also determine a prospective candidate’s knowledge of their domain by checking their Twitter accounts.
These days, it is not enough if you post your job requirements on job sites alone. Social media is a more effective and cost efficient tool for both job seekers and job providers. By being in the right place at the right time and in the right avatar, you can effectively use social media to generate the right career leads for you. The power of networking couldn’t have a better significance anywhere else.
