Social media is undoubtedly a valuable tool for agencies, which allows them to get right under candidates' and clients' noses. But has the fascination, if ever it was there, worn off?
Social media is still a relatively new phenomenon, and it's probably inconceivable that something still being resisted by many companies and industries can appear to be 'on the way out'. Facebook, for example, has more over-fifties using it than the hip, happening generation it's purportedly aimed at.
LinkedIn has always been recognised as a professional platform, for business users only, with the social element focused on widening our networks and contact base, to increase opportunities and showcase our skills and expertise. Recruiters may still run searches daily, but if the audience has moved off, this is bound to have an effect.
It's important to remember the routines and habits of candidates using the site. For example, far fewer numbers search LinkedIn between recruiters' office hours; the main time the site is accessed by job-seekers is Sunday evening, between 7pm and 10pm, when the dreaded 'Monday morning feeling' starts to kick in for those dissatisfied with their jobs. For those happy in their roles, it's likely they use it sporadically, if at all, and it's therefore fair to assume that their professional details on the social media site are out of date.
Keyword searches may not be as effective as they could be on LinkedIn, as few candidates pen their summary with searchable text in mind. There currently seems a fashion to slim down, or strip, profiles to make them more concise, rendering keyword searches even harder.
Because candidates may not be regular users of LinkedIn, even if they are in the process of searching for a role, it's hard to use the platform when a fast response is needed. It's perhaps more appropriate, therefore, to see LinkedIn as a longer-term tool, to build relationships with employees and clients alike.
Though a professional website, recruiters are sometimes viewed with suspicion when trying to connect with individuals on LinkedIn. InMails, mass messages and impersonal approaches are not the way to combat this; approach and talk to someone just as if introducing yourself in person. The good news is that referrals occur naturally and effectively on this social platform.
The groups both parties join on LinkedIn typically differ: recruiters tend to gravitate towards industry bodies, whilst candidates link up with peers and groups that align with their personal interests.
LinkedIn is still one of the main online tools for recruiters, and with a little shift in strategy and mind-set, there's no reason why this can't continue.
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