Social Recruiting 2.0: Own Your Talent Network

From Social Recruiting 1.0 to Social Recruiting 2.0

Social Recruiting today primarily refers to the ability to post jobs and spot candidates on public social networks, and comes across as the equivalent of classified advertising on new channels. It's business as usual, only with an extended reach. Is it "social?" Marginally. Does it substantially change the way organizations engage with candidates? Scarcely. Does it significantly improve the candidate experience? Minimally. Does it simplify the life of recruiters, improve their relationship with hiring managers, reduce costs and time-to hire? Barely.

Using social networks as a sort of outsourcing mall for everything social is only a small part of the socialization of business and may even end up weakening the Web presence of a brand: "why would you spend so much over the last 10–15 years in marketing money to get people to your web site only to send them somewhere else?" asks Jeremiah Owyang, one of the most prominent analysts in social media. In other words, what becomes of your Web identity as an organization and how do you differentiate yourself from all the other companies that compete for the same talent as you do? That's what "social recruiting" as it is performed today doesn't address.

Social Recruiting 2.0

What is Social Recruiting 2.0? A way for recruiters to leverage technology to scale what's part of their DNA: create relationships, facilitate and encourage connections with and between people, communicate the brand identity, its purpose, and its values, and identify talents to whom hiring managers will relate.

When companies compete for the top 1% in whatever category (the best engineers as well as the best administrative assistants) and 6o% of employees are actively seeking or open to a new job, how can you intercept and nurture the attention of potential candidates? The only way is for companies to create a hub for people and information, a place "where people and company opportunities meet," as Gerry Crispin likes to say. This means welcoming candidates into a trusted private social network where recruiters can maintain a bond between the brand they represent and the people. The Social Recruiting 2.0 approach prompts an environment conducive to focused interactions between a company and the candidates and fosters a continued engagement that enables recruiters to meet, retain and select people who show true interest in the company's culture and its values.

Great candidate service is as critical for any brand as is great customer service. Recruiters are poised to be at the forefront of listening and engagement and will play a critical role in the socialization of businesses.

Is it time to jump into Social Recruiting 2.0?

Yes. Social Recruiting 1.0 only adds a social "layer" to recruiting, which only adds complexity on top of sometimes unyielding systems. Social Recruiting 2.0 transparently embeds connectedness between people and information, and makes it as natural as in our everyday lives. Simplicity drives effectiveness, which in turn drives ROI.

The TalentCircles Social Recruiting 2.0 design reconciles recruiting networking and technology by mimicking real life interactions in a turnkey “social” home that you will master in a matter of minutes.