Using social (and “professional”) networks should be a common practice among recruiters. Just the other night I used my knowledge of social network sourcing to generate a handsome list of candidates for a client. I personally use LinkedIn as my professional networking site. You can say that Twitter is my a networking tool as well. Facebook is all about me and the friends and family I associate with. Very savvy recruiters learn to take advantage of these sites by joining groups and becoming fans of organizations.

There are many ways to take advantage of social networking sites. Here are some ways that recruiters can use social networks to their advantage:

• Establish your own business profile
• Build business-relevant networks
• Maintain a networking interchange
• Make new connections
• Conduct candidate searches
• Find new business
• Research people and companies
• Real-time communication
• Expand visibility and influence
• Develop information exchange portals

This list is not exhaustive by any means. With functionality and benefits like those on the list, it is no wonder social networking has been widely adopted by recruiters. Jobscience even integrates their ATS and strategic sourcing tool with today's most popular networks including: LinkedIn, MySpace, FaceBook, Twitter, etc.

You would be amazed at the amount of information that is accessible within seconds. Invest in yourself and career and join a social network. The experience and networking will be valuable.

How to Search Spoke, ZoomInfo, and Jigsaw for Free

How to Search Spoke, ZoomInfo, and Jigsaw for Free

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Does preparation make for better recruiting?

Do you prepare for each day you work in recruiting? Do you script your phone calls to passive candidates? Do you prepare for each job order by researching the job market?

I have learned through experience and by reading many books on sales and recruiting that preparation is an enormous differentiators when it comes to recruiting and sales. Those that want to win the war on talent prepare for battle every day and adjust as necessary.

Preparing for your day. Before your day starts you should finish it on paper. Set goals to be completed for the day. Allow for fires that seem to start everyday in Human Resource management. Set aside some time each day to read and update your knowledge base. Make new connections as a part of your daily plan.

Scripting your calls provides a smooth and seamless message to your contacts. But practice makes perfect. If you don't rehearse your calls then you sound like you are reading from a prompter. Develop a script for voice mails too. Let each caller "hear" you smile whether it is a direct connection or a voicemail.

Every job order or requisition should start with a battle plan. First thing. Are you and the hiring manager/client on the same page? Are there any internal candidates they are thinking about? Second, you should consider your existing database of candidates. Unnecessary money is spent on advertising or search firms for candidates that could be easily minded out of your own ATS. If you don't have a good search tool, find one.

Build and maintain a candidate pipeline for all of your anticipated openings. Strong candidate pipelines communicate strong employment brands, long-term growth expectancies and potentially prevent salary wars with your competition.

Prepare for recruiting the way you would prepare for battle. Understand the market, know thine enemy, and develop relationships with your existing candidates. This will set your recruiting apart from any others and give you that competitive edge.

LinkedIn by the Numbers

LinkedIn by the Numbers – Searching by Title and Clearance

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Developing a strategy for employment branding

Employment branding isn't rocket science. It is using basic marketing principles to set the stage for jobseekers. Your employment brand is important to your success in recruiting. If you have a strong employment brand don't break it down by hiring jobseekers who do fit culturally. Here are four basic things to focus on when developing your employment branding.

1. Create an incredibly easy-to-remember and powerful story regarding your organization. It has to be unique and stand out. Remember that people are your best marketers and that they can spread your storey much faster than advertising ever could. Think about the power of social networks.
2. Actively engage and participate in every recruiting and job hunting discussion you can find. Start having conversations with your jobseekers and current employees. Offer seminars for jobseekers. Be active leaders in the community regarding your niche.
3. Set up a closed community of people who already love what you do and love your organization. Use them to collect information to maintain a good reputation in the employment community. This community should only be open to the employees in your organization. Poll them often to keep your employment brand relevant and pure.
4. Own your career website and make sure that you are providing not only information about your organization, but make it the place for anyone who is looking for information regarding your community. If you endorse community participation, put that information there. Help people get connected in your community.

There are millions of job postings on the web. What makes your career site and organization stand out from all of the clutter? Think about this and use the four steps to creating an employment brand that attracts the right kind of jobseekers.

Always Be Closing

Always Be Closing

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Finding Value in Social Networks

Finding Value in Social Networks

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Recruit Veterans | Hire Military

Recruit Veterans | Hire Military

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Need to Cut Labor Costs but Avoid Layoffs? A Checklist of Cost-cutting Options (Part 1 of 2)

Need to Cut Labor Costs but Avoid Layoffs? A Checklist of Cost-cutting Options (Part 1 of 2)

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