Social media based recruitment has been popular strategy for talent acquisition professionals for some time now. 84 percent of the companies now use social media for recruiting, according to a Study by SHRM. This number is up from 56 percent in 2011, an increase of 28 percent. The idea behind this strategy had been to leverage on the time that individuals spend on social media, whether or not they are active or passive job seekers. This opportunity led to a number of applications tracking systems and human capital management softwares integrating social media platforms and social data to their interface. 

But the limits of social recruiting lie in assessing who is suitable for an open job, assessing whether they fit the job or even in assessing whether a candidate is willing to join a company. Each of these social media platforms come with their own limitations. For example, you might not always be able to capture a candidate’s attention in 140 characters. Privacy settings of a prospective candidate may limit your interaction with him or her. Or a security firewall might avoid you from contacting a desired candidate. One solution to tackle these challenges is to build your own social network. Not only does it enable a real-time engagement with an ecosystem of social talent, it also helps prospective job seekers and professionals discuss and exchange ideas. Here are some advantages of having your own social network:

Build a qualified talent pipeline

79 percent of the job seekers leverage social media to conduct their job search. This percentage is as high as 86 percent for young job seekers who are in their first 10 years of their career, according to employer review site Glassdoor. Platforms that help create company based social networks feature search, sort and validation capabilities. Over time, a bank of rich resumes in the pool can be leveraged for immediate hiring situations. It also saves recruiter effort and reduces the time to hire significantly.

Get rich insights with analytics

Social platforms that use contextual technology help build rich profiles of prospective candidates. They also help analyze social footprint data and information about a candidate’s disposition and manners. All of these data points are not easily available unless a candidate joins the network.

Enhance employer branding

According to a Study by Glassdoor, 84 percent of the survey participants said that they would consider leaving their company if their current company with an excellent reputation offered them a job. Using your own social platform means that a recruiter is no longer limited by the rules of a third party media site that may have regular revisions or updates to its platform. It also enables personal engagement, knowledge-sharing and career mentoring opportunities. Prospective candidates could also get invited to the company’s events.

Anytime, anywhere access

Contextual platforms that are built on agile technology interfaces and are hosted on the cloud such as Spire contextual platform can be accessed anytime and anywhere. They also empower professionals to make decisions on the run by giving them access to evidence-based data analytics for accurate and fast decision making.

Positively engage all stakeholders

83 percent of the professionals say that a negative interview experience can change their mind about a role, according to a Study by LinkedIn. A company based social network works creates an opportunity for a job seeker and a recruiter to build a congenial relationship. Recruiters also get an opportunity to convert passive job seekers into active applicants.

The use of a company social network invariably simplifies social recruitment because the candidates as prospective applicants get to learn about the company. It provides a great opportunity to connect with the target audience and leads to the creation of an interactive talent marketplace.