There is no Social Recruiting

When most people talk about Social Recruiting they mean searching the database on Linkedin. That's not social. It's a deliberate misuse of the term by bloggers who want to announce revolutionary changes that don't really exist.

I've asked many people on my weekly recruiting radio show about this and I know it's true.The next step for social recruiting is searching the database on Facebook.Not much recruiting happens in actual social activities.

Some people also search the participants on Github but then recruiters have been lurking on IT discussion groups since before the internet became open to the general public in 1993, when there were still only bulletin boards.

Inotherwords, there is no social recruiting. If you disagree come on my show and defend your claim. See http://AnimalShowBasics.com

UPDATE: Social Recruiting is short for Social Media Recruiting which means recruiting on Social Media. There is a lot of recruiting happening online by people searching databases but there is almost no recruiting going on via social media. What is social media? Places people gather for exchanges like this one and get to know eachother.

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Permalink Reply by Tim Spagnola on February 11, 2014 at 10:15am

I tweet job.....I'm not social recruiting? ; )

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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on February 11, 2014 at 10:16am

How many people did you place via Twitter last year, Tim?

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Permalink Reply by Tim Spagnola on February 11, 2014 at 10:24am

Not a single one Animal. Thus....fully agreeing with your point. I would welcome a guest....any guest on your show to truly define what 'social recruiting' is and means to our profession. I think I have a new t-shirt idea.

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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on February 11, 2014 at 10:31am

Tim, there is plenty of online recruiting. But it's not social. Social is what you and I are doing here now. Chatting about professional topics. But we don't relate to potential candidates that way on an ongoing basis.

The Microsoft Jobsblog which started back in 2004 was social in that lots of people who wanted to work for Microsoft used to comment on the postings and ask questions of the two girls who ran the blog, Gretchen and Zoe. They were called the Moon Girls.

Mind you, I don't know if the Moon Girl fanboys were really MS material or if any of them were ever recruited. That would be an interesting question. But, my point here is that I've never seen another company have that kind of relationship with a talent pool.

I know that Sodexho is very active in social media. I see them posting on Twitter but I don't know if they are in ongoing contact with potential candidates. That would be social just like you and I networking here is social.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Russell on February 11, 2014 at 11:06am

Social Recruiting is many things: sourcing, branding, engaging candidates, and promoting jobs.

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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on February 11, 2014 at 11:08am

Chris, if it's everything it's nothing. So any kind of advertising online is social recruiting not just online recruiting? Can't be.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Russell on February 11, 2014 at 11:12am

but its not just about advertising Animal...sourcing, engagement are also part of the mix. A big part I might add.

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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on February 11, 2014 at 11:32am

Chris, I don't think you are distinguishing between online recruiting and online social recruiting.

Social is what you and I do. We met online. I bought your job hunting book. We interview eachother. We read eachother's postings and we've maintained our relationship for almost 10 years

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Permalink Reply by Chris Russell on February 11, 2014 at 11:35am

I suppose you could say social recruiting is just online recruiting in disguise. But its just semantics and SR is the label that everyone gives it. Just go with the flow!

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Permalink Reply by Recruiting Animal on February 11, 2014 at 11:36am

Then scouring the resume bank on a job board is social recruiting as well but all of the social recruiting boosters say it is -- and claim that social recruiting is leaving job boards in the dust. As a job board guy, you should care. They are trying to stab you in the back.

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Permalink Reply by Chris Russell on February 11, 2014 at 11:38am

Alright so Social Recruiting is a subset of Online recruiting. The only difference really is online also includes job boards and other types of advertising.