How to Use Social Networking for Recruiting

You may be interested in tapping into the power of social networking website when finding job candidates. There are four social networking websites that can work well for recruiting, if used correctly: LinkedIn, Facebook, Ryze, and Doostang. It might make sense to use just one of these sites, a few, or all, depending on your goals and what particular industry you are in. You can use these sites alone, or combine them with other popular job hunting sites such as Monster and CareerBuilder when hunting for potential candidates.

First, let's look at LinkedIn. This website is by far the most professional oriented of the social network websites. It was started in 2003 by a former PayPal executive, and it now has over 30 million members in over 150 different industries. People use this site as a place to keep up-to-date professional information about themselves, like a real-time resume of sorts. Its strengths lie in its professionalism and is primarily used for professional contacts only. If you wish to communicate with a candidate on a more personal or casual level, this is not the place to do it.

Facebook might be viewed at the opposite end of the spectrum from LinkedIn - it is definitely more casual and less professional. Why would you want to use Facebook for recruiting? Well, for one, it simply has a vast pool of people - over 150 million people worldwide. Custom applications have been built for Facebook specifically for job recruiters, some of which link into more traditional job-hunting websites. Other Facebook applications, such as Indeed Jobs, let potential employees search from millions of jobs across thousands of websites. Using the right apps, Facebook members can also post their profiles in specific niches, making them visible to recruiters.

Another interesting option for locating qualified candidates is the website Ryze. It was founded in 2001 by a former engineer, and now boasts a half million members. Ryze is popular among aspiring entrepreneurs and those looking to start small businesses. It is a powerful tool for people looking to network with like-minded business owners. People who want to network on Ryze, and potentially seek employment, are encouraged to fill out a complete profile about themselves and upload examples of their past work. While it is a professional networking site, many people add more personal details about themselves than is typical for a site like LinkedIn, for example.

Doostang is another professional social networking website that is relatively new to the scene. It has about the same number of members as Ryze, approximately half a million, but Doostang is an invitation-only network. It is heavily populated by business school graduates with at least five years of work experience. It stands relatively alone among social networking professional sites, and markets itself as an exclusive network. It may or may not be right for you, but if this is your niche, its exclusivity might allow you to make some powerful contacts.

Whichever website or combination of websites you choose to utilize, you will likely be drawing from a good pool of candidates. People who use these websites tend to be highly motivated and strong networkers. They also tend to be selective about where they work, and seek out companies that will let them fully utilize their talents and advance their careers.

About the Author

Henry Joen has been writing articles for nearly 3 years. His newest interest is in outdoor fire pits. So check out his latest website that discusses fire pit outdoor deals and outdoor gas fire pit info so you can give your backyard a special focal point that the whole family can enjoy.