Webinar: Optimize Your Network to Generate Referral Hires in Five Simple Steps

A webinar from Jobvite

I watched another webinar today that addressed social media and how it can be leveraged for HR and recruitment professionals. It was great to see company branding and marketing as part of the recruitment process as it is increasingly becoming an essential part of a company’s talent acquisition strategy.

The webinar started by discussing the different kinds of networkers from a ‘Version 0.0’ who uses social media only for personal purposes to a ‘Version 3.0’ who is an advanced networker with or without the aid of online tools. The bottom line is that networking transcends technology.

Therefore, professionals who focus on the strategy, not the technology, will be most successful. Some tips:

1. Develop a strategy before commencing your social media recruitment plan.
2. Determine who and how to capture new connections. Who will you include in your network and who from your team will be responsible for doing so? Another consideration is the ‘owner’ of the contact. Should the individual with the connection leave the company, will the contact go with them?
3. Make technology work for you. This includes using the LinkedIn Outlook toolbar and opt-in buttons on your website. Utilizing the technology available to you will help you grow your network more effectively.
4. Proactive outreach. Once you have set up your accounts, dedicate time each week to  find and connect with your target audience.
5. Have something worthwhile to say. There is no point developing a network if you have nothing to say to them. Content can range from white papers and case studies to blog posts and videos or simple tweets or status updates without providing any original content. Overall it is important to develop your content message and to provoke an emotional response.

By creating more consistent content, your brand will become more attractive and you will increase the distribution of your openings and referrals. This is accomplished by five different kinds of people within your social network:

1. Groupies/fans: those highly likely to apply for or refer someone to an opening
2. Linchpins: influencers who will promote and refer your company to their followers
3. Stalkers: fans who are so desperate to join your company, they’ll apply for any position that comes available
4.  Zombies: inactive members who follow you with no interaction
5. Gangsters: people who hate you and your brand no matter what

As social media continues to evolve and permeate more areas of business, companies will need to stay current to stay competitive. For HR managers and recruiters, this is securing the best available talent. By developing one’s networking skills — both online and off — your company will be attract quality candidates and convert them into high performance employees.

View the full Jobvite webinar.
Optimize Your Network from Jobvite on Vimeo.

Related to Optimize Your Network:

• Employer Branding
• Recruitment Strategies
• Referral Bonus Programs