Social networking is changing the job-recruiting landscape - South Florida Business Journal:

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“Less than 10 yearse ago, recruiters made their living on the phones connecting people toone another,” said Marko president of Pompano Beach-based Now Hiring You, a recruiter for financial and technical jobs. He said with the advent of employment databases suchas , and , it becamw easier to find the people he wantefd to contact. Social networking has changed the useof static, databased searches. “We have seen thos older dynamics change,” Evans said. “Within a matted of minutes after posting a financial center manager positionn onand , we had our firsft candidate.” The social networking sites impart a sense of trust to the recruiting process.
“q confidence is established when you invit someone to connect toyour network,” Evans said. “And when you ask for someone knows someone, who knows someone.” Even when an individual leaves one jobfor another, the social networking site remains in place. Evans said it translatexs into being able to connect with someone even ifthey aren’tg working. “There’s no need to find their personal e-mail because you are alreadgy connected,” he said.
Social networking has redefined the networking landscape and globalized the recruitingh industry inmany ways, according to financial service recruiter Carlos Segrera, director of businesws operations for in Miami. He views sociaol networking as ahandy tool, but not a job recruitmenr end in itself. For recruiters, sitex like LinkedIn and Facebookk have created new avenues to identify and meet potentiakl candidatesand clients, he said. His Stephen James Associates’ Plantation-based recruiter Carlos J. is the practice director for the firm’w banking group in Florida. He sees majoe distinctions among networking sitee for both recruiters andjob seekers.
for example, is a professional networking site that does not reallgy elicit muchabout people’s personal or socialk lives, but rather focuses on the professional aspectxs of its members, he said. “Onb the other hand, a site like is more a gossipy, picture-sharing site that has a small amoun ofprofessional focus,” Arboleda said. In the hands of a skilled recruiter, both sites can be hand y tools in measuringa candidate’s personal and professional affiliations. “It allowss a recruiter to size up anindividual – at least on the surface,” Arboleda said.
Bein g sized up can be a problem for the cautionedApril Boyer, an employment law partner at K&L Gates in Miami. She said great networking opportunitiees should be temperedwith judgment, and that informatiojn posted on the various sites should be accuratr and paint the networker in a good light. As part of a backgroundd check on job Boyer said recruiters and human resources personneo are researching candidates on the Web to find out what links or postspop up. Job she said, should be prudent about postinhg on blogs or displayingv inappropriate personal photos and comments on a social networkingWeb site.
“Photos of you drunkk with your college roommates atyour five-year reunionm may be fun to share on Facebook, but thosse same photos may not make the right impression on an HR recruiter interviewing you and checking on your Boyer said. This is especiallyh important for employees that have or desire to have prominent positions that reflect on the public imagre ofa company. Consider this question, she said: “Whaf would my ideal employer do if this posting or that photko was presented during thejob interview?
” Social networking is has increased turnaround times in reaching and allows multiple contacts at the same The big advantage is that it allows peoplre to proactively post themselves on sites withouty formally applying for a position. Attorney Brad director of recruiting for in West Palm sees social networking as a generational thing an important tool particularly for reaching thosee underage 30. “It is cost- and and has facilitated recruitment,” he “It’s important to keep it as a helpful toolto use, then on to othedr tasks.” Spraberry said he communicates more via Facebooo than via e-mail.
“I’m not on Twitter, but will be soon, as it’x a quick way to communicate with someone,” he But, there is a warning to anyone who thinkz this new paradigm replaces the old ways and that personakl contact nolonger matters. That’s not so, recruite r Segrera said. He explained that while social networking has increaserd the avenues fornew relationships, it has not replacex the need for face-too face meetings.