Week 5 EOC: Job Recruiters Turn to Facebook to Find Candidates

As an industry professional I work as an engineer’s assistant/ master control, therefore part of my job consists on being up to date with the news in the world, and as a consequence of watching a constant news feed, I watched an news package about the way that people acquire jobs nowadays. I wasn’t surprised when they stated the importance of having a web resume, as well as a web portfolio (when it applies); however they could not stress more the importance of online networking.

When I hear that word the first thing that comes to mind is LinkedIn, however a recent article called Recruiters Troll Facebook for Candidates They Like by Joe Light, states that “More companies are trying to tap Facebook Inc.'s 750-million-plus user base to find new employees, threatening traditional job boards and competing with LinkedIn Corp.” And I being a user of both I could not comprehend why this phenomenon is happening; up to this point I understood that everybody else (just like me) would like to keep their personal and professional network separate. Confirming the previous statement is Jeff Weiner: “When asked for comment, LinkedIn referred to its chief executive's remarks from last week's conference call to discuss earnings. During the call, CEO Jeff Weiner said users tell the company they want to keep their personal and professional networks separate”.

 

“A consumer’s behavior also is influenced by social factors, such as the consumer’s small groups, family, and social roles and status”. I believe that the answer lies in todays’ social factors as important or as insignificant as social networks. “Where people socialize or exchange information and opinions”, has never been so critical or had such importance for marketers as in recent times, and job recruiters know that. Nowadays “Consumers hear about products and brand experiences from others just like themselves—people they trust—rather than from commercial marketing sources”.