According to new research from talent solutions provider Lee Hecht Harrison, social recruiting is expected to take on a larger role in how job seekers find new opportunities.
The research shows that as hiring via social networks grows, only 11 percent of job seekers find new career opportunities on passive job sites.
"Employers are realizing a significant advantage by using social recruiting to actively find the best potential employees," says Peter Alcide, president and chief operating office of Lee Hecht Harrison. "By entering search criteria that is highly targeted to an organization's hiring needs – specific knowledge, skills and ability – recruiters and hiring managers can now access qualified job candidates directly through their social networks. Postings on job boards often generate a large number of unqualified candidates and are proving to be far less efficient in identifying the best candidates."
Recommended For You
Alcide recommends that job seekers incorporate social recruiting's larger role by ensuring their social bios are not disqualifying them from consideration.
"Most companies are using social networks to scope out potential hires and a social bio should answer important questions such as who you are, who you help and how you help them, with specific measurable accomplishments to support it," Alcide says.
Still, social recruiting is only one recruiting method in the hiring process; connecting and engaging with candidates remains a primary part of evaluating candidates, Alcide adds. Once potential candidates are identified based on their qualifications, recruiters and hiring managers should assess each candidate's goals, interests and behavioral traits to determine if they are a good fit.
"Assessing for cultural fit is just as important as assessing for skills," Alcide says. "A significant number of new hires fail not because they didn't have the technical aptitude to do the job but because they didn't fit in with the team. You can't determine a good fit based on a social bio, and this is where strong interviewing and interpersonal skills come in.
"Social recruiting is becoming more sophisticated every day, allowing companies to make better hiring decisions, so it's important for individuals to understand that social networking can make – or break – their career. Whether currently looking for a position or part of an overall career management strategy, social media tools can help individuals ensure they are creating a favorable impression in the virtual world."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
