In a recent article from Peter Weddle, CEO, WEEDLE’s Research & Publishing, “The Rise of Hybrid Employment Sites:” he states:
“The conventional view of job boards and social media sites has been to see them as separate and distinct stovepipes of recruiting activity. One provides a platform for recruitment advertising and resume search, while the other supports data mining and networking with employment prospects.” What Peter goes on to say is that the reality is very different – that what has emerged is a “hybrid employment site.”
What does a hybrid employment site offer? Both traditional recruitment advertising services and a wide range of social features such as content delivery, relationship building, and candidate acquisition.
Weedle’s report states, “The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that at any given point in time – even during a recession – just 16 percent of the American workforce is actively looking for jobs. In other words, over four-fifths of the candidate population is unlikely to be visiting corporate career sites, Facebook pages or LinkedIn groups. They don’t think of themselves as job seekers.” As an executive in job search mode, you may be thinking that you are part of the four-fifths group.
Here is what is exciting about this transitional time:
Many of the job boards are revamping their content, features, and functions to appeal to a broader audience – where they can offer traditional recruitment and some social experience. They are using social media to target passive and active job seekers with information about the career content and networking opportunities. A few companies are jumping on the bandwagon because the value proposition is so high, that they are requiring new employees to register at an industry specific site to take full advantage of the multiple features that could impact their job/industry knowledge and performance.
Building relationships is still key. Traditional face-to-face networking will never be replaced, but has taken a step back because it can be very time consuming in today’s fast-paced world. It can be challenging for an executive to change positions if they are not ready or willing to do so. This is the challenge a recruiter faces when trying to convince top talent to consider leaving their current job. Recruiters must build relationships to gain the trust of potential executive candidates. Online networking creates two ways for recruiters to cultivate relationships and be more efficient with their time. Using these online resources is a way for recruiters to leverage relationships and build a talent pool for their job orders.
Job boards remain one of the top online channels for attracting new employees according to SurveysCareerXroads Source of Hire and Source of Employment surveys. The higher-level candidates are drawn to these sites now because of the career-focused content and potential positions posted. Some companies are leveraging the social media aspect of recruitment advertising on these job boards to tweet job postings. On the candidate side, they are able to see their LinkedIn connections at a potential employer after they have applied for a position with that company.
Another huge advantage is the ability to submit credentials in an online job board database (adding Facebook profile, twitter, blog and personal website). The idea behind this is that a recruiter can find you and begin networking with you online. It also helps them build a network of talent of potential employees in active and passive job seeking mode for employers. The down side to doing this is unless you secure who can see your posts and information, it could allow those recruiters to see information you might want to reserve for your friends or family only.
Hybrid employment sites have taken recruiting and the job seekers to the next level, combining job boards and social media into an all-encompassing online platform. These hybrid employment sites are not only important for you to be aware of on a personal basis, but can also impact how you or your company looks for candidates to fill open positions.