\nAfter starting off his career in distribution, Jacques Froissant\u00a0turned towards HR consulting in 1989.\u00a0Acting as associate director, this specialist in IT profiles\u00a0developed the high-tech activities of one of France\u2019s largest general recruitment agencies.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Sourcing Talent on Social Media<\/h3>\n
To be visible online, these community forums cannot ignore a\u00a0few standard principles: optimizing search engine visibility,\u00a0using relevant keywords, and creating links from the\u00a0corporate site and career websites and the company\u2019s page\u00a0on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.
\nRunning communities such as these means abandoning\u00a0the traditional patterns of communication. The point is not\u00a0to advertise vacancies; most companies have careers sites\u00a0and already make use of job boards. It is all about being\u00a0proactive, engaging potential candidates in dialog early on\u00a0and forming a talent pool with an eye on positions that might\u00a0not even exist yet. Community management around the\u00a0employer brand is therefore emerging as a new activity\u00a0within HR departments.<\/p>\n
Employees use the Web<\/h3>\n
Methods to stimulate interest group activities or, quite\u00a0simply, further enhance a company\u2019s image on the Web\u00a0are gradually emerging. The required actions no longer rely\u00a0on recruitment experts seconded to HR departments, but\u00a0potentially on the entire community of employees and their\u00a0ability to create momentum as web users. Already active\u00a0on social networks, these employees are in an ideal position\u00a0to act as ambassadors for their company. It may even\u00a0be in their own professional interest.<\/p>\n
The point is not to\u00a0advertise vacancies.\u00a0It is all about engaging\u00a0potential candidates\u00a0in dialog early.<\/span><\/h3>\nAfter all, it is not unreasonable to ask a sales manager to activate his network as a quick means of recruiting the resources he needs to achieve his objectives. What would be\u00a0illogical, on the other hand, would be to deprive him\u00a0of the keys to using social media effectively. Similarly,\u00a0it would be in the interest of all the members of an\u00a0IT development team with an ever-growing workload\u00a0to speed up the arrival of new recruits. That, however,\u00a0can only be done if the information is spread on the Web\u00a0with optimal organization and coherence. At the initiative\u00a0of HR teams, specific training courses in the use of LinkedIn,\u00a0Twitter and any other appropriate tools for company\u00a0employees are thus emerging. \u201cWe are even introducing\u00a0motivation programs on the use of social media for sourcing talent,\u201d\u00a0adds Jacques Froissant.<\/p>\n
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Yet in inciting their employees to be active on the Web and\u00a0reveal their expertise along with the image of their employers,\u00a0is there not a danger of their being snapped up by other\u00a0recruiters? This question is clearly justified, but the answer\u00a0is as simple as looking up the name of the person in the next\u00a0office on Google! Employees don\u2019t wait for their boss\u2019s\u00a0permission to sign up to LinkedIn, or join interest groups\u00a0on Facebook. \u201cThey\u2019re already on these networks,\u00a0and that\u2019s the very reason why we\u2019re tapping into them!<\/strong>\u201d\u00a0says Jacques Froissant with a smile. Besides, even when used\u00a0for professional reasons, the Internet does not have much time\u00a0for protectionism. Without advocating sharing everything\u00a0online, those who don\u2019t contribute to activities on social\u00a0networks have little chance of unearthing valuable information.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n
New HR roles<\/h3>\n
The employer brand thus becomes everyone\u2019s business.\u00a0\u201cSocial networks also provide the chance to boost a
\ncompany\u2019s recruitment culture,\u201d claims Jacco Valkenburg,\u00a0international recruitment consultant and author of two books\u00a0on LinkedIn. Clearly, using social media pushes boundaries\u00a0and creates new roles for HR teams. In particular, it is up\u00a0to them to choose which social media they want to use\u00a0and create optimal conditions for a sustained, dynamic\u00a0online representation of the company and its employer\u00a0brand \u2013 or even go as far as running and moderating\u00a0special interest forums.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the results of a company\u2019s \u201cdigital\u201d strategy must\u00a0be measured. Consultants agree on the need to take time\u00a0to set it up and make minor readjustments before rushing\u00a0into using indicators (see box). Yet once a strategy has been\u00a0in place for a while, the number of spontaneous applications\u00a0sent in by people who have discovered the employer\u2019s brand\u00a0on the Web or were attracted by it, is no doubt the best proof\u00a0of its success.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Advice from the consultants :<\/h3>\n
Invest in \u2026 six months of observation<\/strong><\/p>\nThe consultants we have interviewed insist that it is vital\u00a0to select targeted online communities to promote the\u00a0employer brand. They also add that the most important thing\u00a0is to initiate a dialog, as opposed to merely taking up a\u00a0position there as if one were advertising. However, they also\u00a0agree that it would be unwise to draw hasty conclusions\u00a0based on first attempts. Even with good preparation,\u00a0there is still uncertainty with regards to what a company will\u00a0get out of exposing its employer brand on social media.\u00a0Six months of observation are required to ensure that\u00a0the right information gets delivered to the right people.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Markers and statistics<\/strong><\/p>\nDuring this transitional period, overlook markers\u00a0such as \u201cLike\u201ds on Facebook, \u201cFollowers\u201d on Twitter,\u00a0contributions and reactions to a blog, etc. Take advantage\u00a0of these six months: spend as much time honing your\u00a0strategy as you do feeling your way around and searching\u00a0<\/span>for new leads. Wait until the end of this period to start\u00a0<\/span>examining the statistics, such as the number of suitable\u00a0<\/span>profiles found, applications received and people hired.<\/span><\/p>\n\u201cEstablishing an employer brand on the Web requires\u00a0<\/span>time and energy devoted to the process as well as digital\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>marketing skills,\u201d<\/strong> Jacques Froissant underlines.\u00a0<\/span>The rewards of this investment can be measured on\u00a0<\/span>a medium-term basis by the quality of the talent pool\u00a0<\/span>and the company\u2019s enhanced agility in a competitive\u00a0<\/span>job market. For when the statistics finally do talk,\u00a0<\/span>they reveal just how efficient social networks are\u00a0<\/span>in helping with recruitment.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
New HR roles<\/h3>\n
The employer brand thus becomes everyone\u2019s business.\u00a0\u201cSocial networks also provide the chance to boost a
\ncompany\u2019s recruitment culture,\u201d claims Jacco Valkenburg,\u00a0international recruitment consultant and author of two books\u00a0on LinkedIn. Clearly, using social media pushes boundaries\u00a0and creates new roles for HR teams. In particular, it is up\u00a0to them to choose which social media they want to use\u00a0and create optimal conditions for a sustained, dynamic\u00a0online representation of the company and its employer\u00a0brand \u2013 or even go as far as running and moderating\u00a0special interest forums.<\/p>\n
Naturally, the results of a company\u2019s \u201cdigital\u201d strategy must\u00a0be measured. Consultants agree on the need to take time\u00a0to set it up and make minor readjustments before rushing\u00a0into using indicators (see box). Yet once a strategy has been\u00a0in place for a while, the number of spontaneous applications\u00a0sent in by people who have discovered the employer\u2019s brand\u00a0on the Web or were attracted by it, is no doubt the best proof\u00a0of its success.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Advice from the consultants :<\/h3>\n
Invest in \u2026 six months of observation<\/strong><\/p>\n The consultants we have interviewed insist that it is vital\u00a0to select targeted online communities to promote the\u00a0employer brand. They also add that the most important thing\u00a0is to initiate a dialog, as opposed to merely taking up a\u00a0position there as if one were advertising. However, they also\u00a0agree that it would be unwise to draw hasty conclusions\u00a0based on first attempts. Even with good preparation,\u00a0there is still uncertainty with regards to what a company will\u00a0get out of exposing its employer brand on social media.\u00a0Six months of observation are required to ensure that\u00a0the right information gets delivered to the right people.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Markers and statistics<\/strong><\/p>\n During this transitional period, overlook markers\u00a0such as \u201cLike\u201ds on Facebook, \u201cFollowers\u201d on Twitter,\u00a0contributions and reactions to a blog, etc. Take advantage\u00a0of these six months: spend as much time honing your\u00a0strategy as you do feeling your way around and searching\u00a0<\/span>for new leads. Wait until the end of this period to start\u00a0<\/span>examining the statistics, such as the number of suitable\u00a0<\/span>profiles found, applications received and people hired.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEstablishing an employer brand on the Web requires\u00a0<\/span>time and energy devoted to the process as well as digital\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>marketing skills,\u201d<\/strong> Jacques Froissant underlines.\u00a0<\/span>The rewards of this investment can be measured on\u00a0<\/span>a medium-term basis by the quality of the talent pool\u00a0<\/span>and the company\u2019s enhanced agility in a competitive\u00a0<\/span>job market. For when the statistics finally do talk,\u00a0<\/span>they reveal just how efficient social networks are\u00a0<\/span>in helping with recruitment.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n
![\"ADP](\"http:\/\/www.altaide.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/11\/ADP-sourcing-talent-Altaide.png\" "\\"ADP")
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