How Employers Can & Should Use Facebook for Recruiting - Webinar Blog Coverage

Webinar presented by:

Steven Rothberg, President and Founder of College Recruiter and Mike Palmquist, National Account Executive.

Introduction:

Did you know that Facebook and MySpace are two of the most popular sites amongst U.S. college students and recent graduates? These social media sites dwarf the traffic from any job board, including sites such as Monster, Careerbuilder, and HotJobs.

Yet very few employers are using the social networking sites for recruiting and very few of those are using them well. Employers should be using social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace to help them recruit college students and recent graduates.

This webinar discusses how employers can and should use social networking sites to aide in their recruiting efforts as well as examines the risks and potential rewards.

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Why Should We Care

According to Alexa, Facebook and MySpace get a lot more traffic then Careerbuilder and Monster. As of May, Facebook exceeds the traffic of myspace. It is also the most popular website of recent college grads. In fact; the average age of a Facebook user is 25.

Distinguish Between MySpace vs Facebook

MySpace

• Myspace has it's own search engine that can be used as a resume bank. You can type in keywords such as "Norfolk Virginia electrical engineer" This will pull up candidates pages that have used the same keywords.
  
  
• MySpace shows you information that might make an employer uncomfortable such as the race or age of a candidate. Knowing is not bad or illegal, it's what you do with that information that can get you in trouble.
  
  
• Friends are key - The more "friends" you have, the more incoming links you'll have thus the more traffic you'll get to your page.

Questions About MySpace

Q - About privacy Settings

A - If you create a page on MySpace the default is for everyone in the world to see your page. If you do not want people to see your page you need to adjust your privacy settings.

Q - Should I use my personal page if my company doesn't have or want one?

A - You can use your personal page for recruiting if its "clean" G-rated. Best to check with your company to ensure you are not violating their policies.

Q - Strategies for building "Friends"

A - Get your page up and contact your employees, ask them to "friend you",

Q - Do employers report that they are successful using Facebook and Myspace for recruiting?

A - No - often employers don't really understand how to best use facebook and Myspace, this is one of the reasons for this webinar.

Facebook

• Friends are equally important here, remember this is social networking, so socialize!
  
  
• Facebook's profiles are set to "private" as default. Poking is ok in Facebook, it's not a sexual thing. It's basically like your just saying "hey"
  
  
• A persons "status" is helpful to use to build connections. Maybe you see that a person is into sailing or attending a conference. You can use that information as an icebreaker.
  
  
• You can link your blog content to Facebook, All your Facebook friends will be notified that you posted new content. Its a great way to keep your page fresh.
  
  
• If you have a good candidate, go to that candidates Facebook page and find their friends. They probably have the same qualities. However don't contact their friends out of the blue. Rather, network your way in the door.
  
  
• Facebook Applications - Add the Linked Facebook application "my company's hiring", it's free! It let's your friends and networks know your company is hiring and list's available positions.
  
  
• Facebook Groups - Groups are Free! It's a good way to raise the level of conversation about a specific topic.
  
  
• Use profile search: by company - this is helpful if you are looking for a specific person at an organization. If you're not sure who your looking for, try the advanced search feature.
  
  
• Marketplace - is the online classifieds section, it includes job posting ads.

Questions about Facebook

Q - I heard students don't like to be contacted through Facebook, is it ok?

A - Yes, but do it properly. Do not cold call/email. Network, get your toe in the water. Make them ask you about employment opportunities. Don't harass or stalk them.

Q - How do you set up A company page rather a personal page

A- It's the same process of setting up a personal page, in the beginning you want to select "fan page"

Q - Should we have a "wall"?

A - Absolutely, a wall is like a whiteboard. Comments can be deleted if there not liked.



Takeaways - Top Ways to Kill Your Brand

• Have no voice - you need to be part of the discussion, monitor the conversations, clarify when necessary.
  
  
• Background check - Don't use Facebook for background checking. The recent grads will find out.
  
  
• Create it then forget it -This is not just about a page, it is about networking and engaging.
  
  
• Brochure-ware - Do not create your page to look like a brochure, be creative, get involved.
  
  
• Don't come with cookies - Come with "food" (information) talk with people who want to talk to you but do not invade a persons space.
  

Takeaways - Top Ways to Enhance Your Brand

• Create an active presence - link your blog, update your status.
  
  
• Include candidates, don't exclude by using Facebook as a background check.
  
  
• Network - networking is about what you can do for other people not about what they can do for you.
  
  
• Fan pages, apps, groups, profiles - take baby steps, build on your successes.
  
  
• Be a resource, not a recruiter.

At the end of the day to recruit generation Y successfully you must be Open, Honest and Transparent.