Our guest blogger is David Wishon, the Senior Director of Talent Fusion by Monster responsible for service delivery. Talent Fusion provides comprehensive recruiting and sourcing solutions to its customers by utilizing Monster’s products, patented technology and industry expertise. Prior to joining Monster, he was Senior Vice President for Bank of America responsible for internet sourcing and competitive intelligence.
Today’s recruitment professionals have to be able to market opportunities to a variety of generations, all of which think and behave very differently.
If you’re in recruiting — or any profession these days — you’re hearing a lot about one generation in particular. The “Millennials.” You know, the 18- to 31-year-olds who will make up nearly 50 percent of the U.S. workforce in 2020 (when they will be 24- to 37-year-olds).
They are more educated than any previous generation and they are motivated in a variety of unexpected ways when it comes to their jobs and careers. They look at social connection and opportunity engagement differently from those who belong to other generations.
So it sounds then like we know quite a bit about them. Or do we? And do you, as an individual recruiter, know how to reach these potential job candidates and engage them effectively?
Recruiters today wear many hats and the role is going through considerable evolution. You’re a data analyst, a project manager, a brand marketer, and a relationship developer. You need to arm yourself with serious knowledge, serious technology, and leverage the most impactful communication channels to attract the talent you need, regardless of generation, age or experience.
But there is interesting data available for those in “Generation Y.”
A Millennial’s place in the workforce
Millennials are digital natives, and they’re all connected in some form. Take Twitter for example: According to a study by eMarketer, which takes into account data direct from the platform, 37.4 percent of people in the United States aged 18 to 24 are on Twitter. That number grows to 44.2 percent for the same demographic by 2018, the study says.
Not to mention the volume of people on Twitter outside of that age range. Twitter, as a recruiting channel, is not new but it is important to reiterate that these numbers are staggering. These are all potential job candidates, connected by interests, occupations and hobbies. If they are all on Twitter, why aren’t you? If you’re a recruiter, and you’re not using Twitter, then you’re already missing out on a huge gold mine.
And the simplicity of the service makes it possible to leverage Twitter in both personal and professional ways: Anyone, anywhere can set up a profile, establish a handle and begin to send messages to an audience that can grow quickly. But how do you prepare, set up and manage your Twitter presence?
Of course it begins with signing up for the platform, choosing a username (your handle) and customizing your settings with relevant media. After that you’re in the game.
Now you, like everyone else, get 140 characters to get your message across. That message can include links to content (job listings), embedded photos and a variety of other available media. You have the opportunity to serve up content your desired audience can find, but also to engage directly with them. Using Twitter effectively does require commitment but it can also be made easy.
Well, luckily companies like Monster are building tools to help with some of the key areas around the social equation. Monster Twitter Cards help the process along by allowing you to push your tweets beyond the 140-character limit with crucial information about the available jobs you need filled. And there’s another key component to this particular product: It’s automated to save you precious time.
Ultimately, it’s about people
The channels, networks and tools at your disposal are more robust and built-out than ever before. But consider them merely an enabler. They are nowhere near as effective without the human touch behind the scenes to connect, engage and bring life to social. Millennials care about working for organizations that demonstrate realness. Recruiters would do well to put this on display first and foremost, no matter the channel of choice.
So I encourage you not to feel intimidated if Twitter is uncharted territory. Take the attitude that this is a new frontier to explore. It is not too late to start now. Great talent of all ages, backgrounds and experience levels spend time there, engage there and — most of all — are attracted to great opportunities they may find there.
Suffice it to say: Recruiting is alive and well, and there is no replacement for a good recruiter. So use social and Twitter as another tool in your bag of tricks.
And if you still haven’t gotten started, what are you waiting for? After all, the candidates are already there.
