Check out iCIMS' latest blog post from iCIMS guest blogger Sharlyn Lauby.

Sharlyn Lauby, SPHR, CPLP is the HR Bartender, whose blog is a friendly place to discuss workplace issues. When she’s not tending bar, Sharlyn is president of ITM Group, Inc., which specializes in training solutions to help clients retain and engage talent. Her off-hours are spent searching for the best hamburger on the planet, fabulous wine that cost less than $10 bottle and unusual iPad apps.

Every business is global today – regardless of where your offices are located. We shouldn’t shy away from thinking globally. Global is good. Our organizations can create opportunities with customers and suppliers in places we couldn’t have imagined before.

As Human Resources professionals, we also have to think of our businesses as global entities. If our colleagues in marketing and sales are making international deals, we then need the ability to attract talent from all over the world. Creating a global recruiting strategy might seem like a daunting task, but there are a few things every business can do to get started.
 
The world is using social media for recruitment. Social recruiting has been around for a while but now, more than ever before, companies are using social tools not only to hire top talent but to stay engaged with potential candidates as well. It makes strategic sense that given the number of people using social media in their daily lives, employers have developed a stronger corporate social presence.

In fact, companies choosing not to have a social presence could be sending mixed signals to their audience. For example, an organization can pride itself for having innovative products but conversely doesn’t use innovative tools (like social media) for recruiting. Or perhaps in the case of a company that promotes their global marketing efforts but doesn’t take advantage of the global reach social media has to offer.

Finding global candidates means understanding global social networks.

While social media is being used globally for recruitment, not every country embraces the same social media platforms. For example, last year social media users in the U.S. only grew 7% while in India they grew 52%. Although Facebook continues to lead the pack in comparison to its social media counterparts, it isn’t always the first place U.S. businesses think of when it comes to social recruiting (LinkedIn is number one).  Companies also need to consider popular local channels such as V Kontakte in Russia and QZone in China to connect to hidden talent.

Speak the country’s language

After doing your homework to find the best platforms to reach your target audience, the next step is to create a message that will resonate with them. Companies are realizing the benefits of multi-lingual customer service and now the importance of presenting your employment brand in the candidate’s language.

Applicants are going digital

Almost 15 million people have used social media to find a job. This presents an untapped opportunity for recruiters worldwide. As more companies incorporate social recruiting into their strategy, job seekers will want to make their professional profiles more employer-friendly. Recruiters can use this current gap to create talent networks and build relationships with candidates for the future.

Global Recruitment Advice from Top-Performing Brands:

Companies will face new challenges and complexities when transitioning from local to global recruiting. Because of this, a strategic global recruitment plan is essential to meet international compliance laws, expand unified talent pools internationally, and support growing recruitment needs through in streamlined, automated processes to ultimately win the war for top talent.

Although it seems like a daunting task, many companies have effectively implemented this task by utilizing iCIMS talent acquisition suite. To learn how top brands like United Airlines and Enterprise Holdings have successfully executed their global recruiting strategy, download iCIMS newest ebook, Global Recruitment: Strategic Advice from Top-Performing Brands.