Résumé On The Dancefloor

I am pleased to introduce another guest blogger Gordon Kaye (@gordon_kaye on Twitter). Gordon has a strong interest in the potential of social media in promotion and recently completed a research study with Sue Hill Recruitment on the role of Facebook in the recruitment industry as part of his MA in Information Studies. Over to you Gordon...

As a DJ and music producer, I developed a strong interest in social media platforms by following how artistes, and particularly new artistes, used these tools to rise through the ranks and emerge as the stars of tomorrow.

Rolling on nearly a decade, it is easy to identify the evolution of social media; LinkedIn reigns as the corporate supreme, Twitter signposts information and hash tags have developed a smart way of performing searches within specific sectors. Facebook is by far the most social of these networks, developing a transparent community where people can share their interests, comments, hobbies, music and video clips. The platform has both been criticised for its part in aiding this Summer’s UK riots and praised for its role in signing up volunteers for the aftermath clean-up operation. However, wherever you stand on the Facebook debate, it is difficult to deny its influence and power.

Whilst studying for a Masters degree in Information Studies at the University of Brighton recently, I based my dissertation on Facebook’s role in the recruitment industry. I welcomed the challenge of investigating whether a social networking site well known for its role in building social communities amongst people with similar interests, could present a suitable place for jobseekers and recruitment agencies to communicate and if, and how, recruitment companies are using Facebook to their competitive advantage.

My investigation examined how students use Facebook as a jobseeking tool and how organisations, both in the recruitment world and outside, were successfully engaging with their audience via Facebook.

My findings unveiled some recruitment companies were using Facebook, but the degrees to which they implemented its use varied dramatically. All saw it as another way of generating traffic to their websites, but some were experimenting and following the trend because they were concerned they might be missing opportunities and only very few had defined strategies. Again, very few measured Facebook’s success in turning enquiries into job applications and even less tracked how many of these transformed to job hires. However, all the agencies in my study believed Twitter was a more successful platform in generating engagement with candidates, but that LinkedIn was significantly the most successful in their campaign.

My research uncovered many ways in which organisations in different sectors were successfully engaging with their public and making financial savings in the process. My findings showed the general consensus in the recruitment world is that it is too early to tell how effective Facebook campaigns have been, because there is very little accurate measurement of the return on investment. There was much evidence to support the positive ways in which Facebook can display a potential employer’s openness and human side and as a place for candidates to see the consultants they are dealing with. In a highly competitive market where candidates have similar skills and qualifications, it can also give employers and agencies a clearer indication of an applicant’s influences, culture, style and the way they communicate in social circles. Facebook can bring valuable information from learning about candidates in a broader sense.

Whatever your point of view, if an organisation is going to successfully engage with their market through Facebook, it is essential that they listen to and involve their audience.  Successful use by organisations encourages their public to communicate by involving them and providing incentives, such as promotional gifts or advice and offers them influence, giving users a sense of power. Some companies’ social media technologies are tightly integrated with how they learn and work, carefully analysing how these forms of media can inform their business strategy and culture in light of surprises and emerging trends. It’s also a place where an organisation can show their social, more informal side. By showing these sides, they may attract a different type of jobseeker. Facebook may also be a more successful platform to engage with passive jobseekers, giving them insight into a work environment and colleagues they could expect to work with.

The main message of my research was that Facebook is not successful for every sector or business and that a defined strategy based on an organisation’s goals should be a careful consideration. However it did identify some of the ways in which Facebook has successfully promoted brand awareness, from artists giving away song downloads to recruitment agencies instigating friend referrals. However, it still remains to be seen whether Facebook is a successful component in the recruitment toolbox. 

Comments

[James Mullan]

Thanks Fiona for posting this and for Gordon carrying out what sounds like some interesting research. I don't know whether this is something that Gordon found in his research but from my experiences some employers use Facebook as a platform to promote an organisation to a very select group of individuals.

For example law firms might only use Facebook to promote their graduate recruitment schemes, because they believe these are the core users of Facebook, preferring to use LinkedIn and other more traditional mediums to promote their firm and roles to potential new employees.

If I was a job seeker I'm not sure I'd look to Facebook as a place to interact with a potential employer. Even as someone who uses a lot of social media tools I'd be nervous about interacting with a potential employer on Facebook. LinkedIn I'd be very happy to follow companies and communicate with current employees of the company, if that situation ever arose.

The other development that I think is quite interesting is the idea of using trusted social networks to enable people to refer connections/contacts/friends etc to roles within their organisation.