Twittercruit: Should you use Twitter for recruiting?
1. ROT (Return on Time)
If as a recruiter you are doing your job well, you will be keeping touch with good quality candidates. I used to ring a lot of mine in the evening; time consuming but effective. Twitter gives you an efficient way of replacing some (not all) of the telephone calls and e-mails.
2. Free job advertising
Jobs can be automatically posted to a company profile using an RSS feed or via the API for free. The more places you get your jobs out to the better.
3. Extend the conversation
Passive candidates (not a term I like) get the chance to communicate outside a pure transaction of a job application.
4. The human touch
HR/Recruiters are often seen by applicants as uncaring and disinterested. By adding a photo and short bio you can stand-out from other recruiters and show you are human after all.
5. A new network
You get to connect with other recruiters as well and you never know when they may know someone who needs a job that they don't have. Networking is not new but if you're not on Twitter how do you know what you are missing?
6. Spread the word
Your Twitter feeds can be sprinkled across other sites very easily helping to spread the word. I get people who 'friend me on Facebook' but do not 'follow me' comment on Twitter posts that end up on Facebook and vice vera. Just think social tentacles.
7. ROI (Return on Investment)
So many companies use job boards without really knowing how much value (hires) they deliver but still keep on sinking their hard earned budget into them. With only a small number of minutes per day a Twitter feed can easily show a great ROI with only a few hires per year - but will in time form a greater part of your recruiting success. I'd suggest job boards are going the other way!
Of course I could have given ten but doesn't everybody? I will be running social media workshops that go into more details with the first one at Nottingham University on 30th April. Let me know if you are interested in attending.
