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Hiring 2.0
October 05, 2009
By M. Smith Granade
The evolution of the Internet has revolutionized the way HR professionals are able to advertise and fill opportunities. Today, because much online content is generated from the "bottom up," with many Web users being publishers of information, HR professionals can not only promote positions they have to fill online, but also use the Internet to learn much more about job candidates than they would from traditional resumes alone.
But with improved technology comes growing pains. Many companies face a bevy of challenges, including training, implementation, and even cultural obstacles when considering the use of social media venues for business purposes. For many HR companies in particular, harnessing the power of Web 2.0 technologies is still a murky practice.
"Several of our clients are still wary about Web 2.0, and I can understand their concerns," says Hollister founder and CEO Kip Hollister. "With something as deep and powerful as the Internet, we have to consider both the risks associated with putting your brand out there and time management."
With this in mind, Hollister has wrapped its arms around the new media channels in which its market is present. Partnering with Boston new media communications agency 451 Marketing, the company launched and developed a model that allows it to consistently position its clients' jobs in front of the most frequented new media channels.
The company created communities on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook for each of the areas for which it provides staffing solutions: accounting and finance, administrative, creative and marketing, technology, and human resources. In addition, the company markets via YouTube and manages three blogs.
Hollister's Twitter handles include @AccountingMA, @BostonTechHub, @CreativeBoston, @BostonMarketing, @BostonHiring, and @JobsBoston. Hollister's LinkedIn sites are: Boston Accounting and Finance Professionals, Boston Creative Group, Boston Executive Assistants, Boston HR Leaders, Boston Jobs, Boston Marketing Group, and Boston Technology Hub. On Facebook, Hollister has mirror pages.
Individuals can choose to follow these Twitter handles—and join LinkedIn groups and Facebook pages—to discover job opportunities throughout New England. Users also can access these outlets to discover the latest industry news and trends.
By using such unconventional yet highly targeted channels, Hollister can reach candidates other staffing agencies cannot. In the past, Hollister would have posted a link on a job board to target a largely active job-seeking demographic. However, today the company is able to further expand its reach by leveraging the power of social media channels.
Hollister's online communities provide members with value-added information while offering them the opportunity to start and participate in discussions, pose questions, and network with like-minded professionals.
"To understand your market, you have to go all in and create a valuable experience," says Meg Toland, director of Marketing for Hollister, Inc. "Hollister's virtual communities offer a valuable experience for everyone, from the active job seeker to the already happily employed."
Hollister refers to these online communities as "passive job boards" because they allow recruiters to position job opportunities in front of both active and sought-after passive job candidates—professionals who are gainfully employed and, therefore, unlikely to frequent job boards such as Monster, Hotjobs, and Dice.com.
"In today's economy, many people are looking for work, which makes the search process more difficult," says Hollister. "When there is an excess of job seekers, companies that are hiring get flooded with resumes—many from ill-matched candidates—from these traditional job boards, and it's time-consuming to sort through them all."
Moreover, today's savvy job seekers expect to be able to engage in a two-way conversation with hiring companies rather than receive top-down-only communication. They want answers to their questions and to be able to get a feel for a company's culture. Hollister has received a strong response, particularly from Generation Y job seekers who are frequent users of social media channels.
Constructing the virtual communities is an ongoing organic process. To keep the communities thriving, Hollister continually must publish content that is worthy of members' valuable time—content that will help them develop professionally, as well as keep them engaged long term.
For assistance building and maintaining its virtual communities, Hollister relies on the support of 451 Marketing. According to Founding Partner A.J. Gerritson, "to do this well, you have to consistently provide content that enhances people's professional lives. You do this through listening, interacting, and problem solving."
In addition, social media experts from 451 Marketing come to Hollister's office regularly to train recruiters on how to best use social networking sites to their advantage in their day-to-day operations. By searching the Web for candidates' resume-like job histories and their published content, Hollister can proactively seek out candidates for its clients, much like a football coach recruits players who possess skills he wants for his roster.
"Web technologies are evolving at a remarkable rate. Part of our commitment to Hollister is to keep it abreast of the latest tools and applications to give it a competitive edge within its industry," says Gerritson. "Web 2.0 technologies have dramatically changed recruiting; Hollister is differentiated by its knowledge on how to use these platforms to find otherwise elusive candidates."
In the trainings, professionals from 451 Marketing consult on issues such as developing a new media recruitment strategy, identifying an online voice, effectively navigating social media channels, and managing time.
As technology continues to evolve, Hollister considers it vital that companies embrace it and integrate it into their business strategy. The company warns, however, not to forget about the value of traditional recruitment methods.
"Social networking tools add enormous value to the recruitment process," says Hollister. "But they only represent one early step in the hiring procedure. You have to marry traditional recruiting tactics with social media-based recruiting strategies, so the value of face-to-face relationships is not lost."
M. Smith Granade is a contributing writer for Hollister, a Boston-based staffing firm.
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