Demand for Recruiters with Social Media Experience Growing

We've reported throughout the year that social media skills are in high demand by employers as it is becoming a more integrated business strategy. Human Resources professionals – especially Recruiters – are more and more commonly required to have skills and experience with social media. Over the past 90 days, employers and staffing firms have placed more than 900 job ads for Recruiters that require social media skills, up 117% compared to the same 90-day period in 2010 and more than 350% versus the same time in 2009. In fact, social media skills now represent 7% of all hiring demand for Recruiters.

Hiring Demand for Recruiters with Social Media Skills and Experience – 4 Years

Source: WANTED Analytics

Metropolitan areas with the highest hiring demand for Recruiters with social media experience during this period were New York, Washington, DC, Chicago, Atlanta, and Seattle, all of which saw year-over-year gains in hiring demand.

Location	Volume of Job Ads	% Change vs. 2010
New York, NY	76	+55.10%
Washington, DC	66	+106.20
Chicago, IL	63	+70.30%
Seattle, WA	41	+141.20%
Atlanta, GA	38	+375.00%

Due to increasing demand, the Hiring Scale™ shows that recruiting conditions for Recruiters with social media skills are likely to be moderately difficult. In the nationwide workforce, there are approximately 11 potential candidates for every open job. However, conditions will vary slightly by location, depending on local talent supply and demand. Of the 5 cities above, employers sourcing for openings in Atlanta are likely to experience the most difficult recruiting conditions. Hiring demand in Atlanta has grown 375% over the past year, while the talent pool is smaller than average, meaning that Recruiters are likely to compete more heavily to source candidates. In addition, it is likely that Recruiters in the Atlanta area will see job ads listed online longer than many of the counterparts nationwide, where the average duration of an online job posting is 43 days (or just over 6 weeks).

Hiring Scale for Recruiters with Social Media Skills in Atlanta

Source: WANTED Analytics

Comment by Jerry Albright on December 15, 2011 at 12:41pm: From my current vantage point I've got to say that if I were to add any more recruiters to the S.S. Professional Search Group - I would very nearly consider having criteria going the opposite direction here. The top recruiters working with me do VERY LITTLE with Social Media. Our top recruiter has NO SM PRESENCE at all.

Here might be my job ad: Recruiter wanted: Must be able to actually DO SOMETHING during the day rather than create "content" build our "brand" and increase our followers. We are looking for someone who will actually be a part of what old schooler's might recall as "revenue generation" or "sending an invoice from time to time." Social Media Stars need not apply. If your Klout score is over 10 - don't bother.

Comment by Suresh on December 15, 2011 at 12:44pm: This is funny, Seinfeld explains Facebook or Social Media. Had to post this..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W8K9SMI9Fk

Comment by Paul Alfred on December 15, 2011 at 12:52pm: @Jerry, Our top recruiters too have no SM footprint whatsoever ... But I will say that I come across a ton of Corporations that want Recruiters that have a Social Presence Online... I think the mentality changes when you look at who is asking for the resource ... Agencies still need to have hands down killer old school recruiters. Corporations are building out their resource strength to include the Social component to Recruiting. Here is the killer question ... If you run an Agency in 2012 would you hire Recruiters with Social Recruiting skills how do you value that skill in the long run?