Whether you focus on direct hires, contract staffing, or both, chances are you are using social media for recruiting. So what about the new dog in town, Google+? Is this new Facebook-esque site worth your time?
According to many blogs out in cyber space, the answer is a resounding “Yes,” assuming of course that Google+ gains the popularity that social networking giants Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn® have enjoyed. While the site borrows features from each of these sites, it has a few unique twists on the concept that make it particularly suited for recruiting:
- Circles – This is the one that everyone is talking about. Google+ allows you to segment your connections into customizable “circles,” and you decide which circles see each piece of information you post. There are a number of ways this could be used for recruiting. For instance, if you recruit in a variety of niches, you could post job openings just to a circle you created with candidates in that niche. You could have another circle for clients and send periodic marketing messages. The possibilities are endless!
- Hangouts – This feature allows you to basically have video chats. But the feature is more powerful than its name suggests, according to the www.recruiter.com article “Google Plus (Google+): Finally, A Recruiting Friendly Facebook.” The article suggests that you could use this feature to gather hiring managers and candidates for interviews. This is especially useful for contract staffing because placements usually need to happen quickly and the parties involved are often hundreds of miles apart.
- Search – The site employs the standard Google search algorithms, so you can search Google+ profiles using the same search methods you use on your regular Google searches.
- Profiles – The profiles are more extensive on Google+, allowing users to list all their prior work experience in one place.
These are just a few of the useful tools Google+ can offer. There already are and undoubtedly will be many more articles written on how Google+ can help recruiters, and we’ll be sure to share any particularly good articles with you.
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