@Alan yes you’re right for many privacy is an issue and Facebook’s track record isn’t great. However they have got a lot better recently at how they manage the API integrations and some (though not all) of the old issues have disappeared. Although privacy concerns are often talked about the stats seem to suggest that they don’t seem to have any tangible effect on what people actually do. Logging into sites with Facebook is quickly becoming a norm and my observation would be that users seem to be getting used to doing it rather than starting an uprising against it…

@Stephen You’re right about the depth of social networks compared to the width. However that is perhaps their strength when it comes to recruiting. I wrote the post below a couple of years back, it quotes some research into the power of weak ties in the job hunting process that was done in the 50s…way way before Facebook went and joined us all up to even more people

http://recruitingfuture.com/2010/04/14/a-golden-age-of-referral-recruitment/

Oh and I’ve got a few idiots in my extended network as well….doesn’t mean everyone is one though

I don’t think connections of connections alone are necessarily good inroads to jobs and companies unless those connections are actual strongly ‘engaged with’ connections but recruitment processes are still very much locked into frameworks and the HR gods and protocols through which all manner of things must pass. Of course I’m talking as an outside 3rd party recruiter however.

True Alan – someone is going to have to pick up the phone at least for now.. but better be a Smartphone at that. For serious innovator ATS is key but will be seeing more experimentation I’m sure on all fronts and parties and the candidate get more network savvy and will inbound attract jobs and hirers to them through presence and profile online – hence recruiters wake up!

Alas, current experimentation and innovation is limited and held back by the lack of notice or understanding by many leaders = perhaps fear and protectionism of existing revenue streams that may be traditional but still work. More Influence is needed and will have to find a balance of new strategy working alongside old for a while.

Love the Ferris Bueller quote “ Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it. Carpe Diem.

I for one, think it’s brilliant, but will say just this. Our networks on SM platforms are now a mile wide, but only an inch deep. We may “know” lots of people, but they don’t really know us. That very tenuous connection means our contact list may not be much stronger than people in the phone directory. It IS something, however, and people are looking for anything which can give them a competitive advantage, or at the very least, rule out the disadvantage of being a total stranger.

So, with Google+ now taking on the roll of integrating everyone I know somewhere, and tons of other social aggregation sites coming along, why would I trust Glassdoor to access my FB account? In fact, this is still my issue with a range of these approaches; all want my FB details, and FB just gives them too much info.

But, hey, I still believe in the telephone

We will all have to keep watching and trying these initiatives – and not just for recruitment.

cheers

Al

Yep – cheers Matt – agreed, the video is there, because it’s the main YouTube presence of Renaissance – haha (they need THAT sorting).

My observation was more that it has passed, in truth. People don’t remember it that well. The impact has dissipated and I bet 100s people around the world are applying for roles with Renaissance around the world every day.

I agree they should have acted on this – but 3 months on, nobody’s really talking about it anymore.

I get your point totally – just a devil’s advocate observation.

Devil’s advocate here. I remember the video, from back in Oct/Nov – and remember the brief buzz it got. I deliberately haven’t viewed it again this time. Here’s the reason.

Fact: I have no idea or memory who the employer is.

Therefore. Fact 2: Social Media negativity is often short term.

This will always be searchable. This will always represent the employer in a negative light, if someone really searches hard enough – and sure there is probably some `unfair` actions going on there – though the largest percentage of the workforce probably still choose to work there, I assume? But these things pass pretty quickly – and rather like Chris & Steve suggest – the guy concerned doesn’t want to go banding this around in his own social profile too much…

Excuse the devil’s advocate view – but it was interesting the only bit my colleague and I could remember was the brass band.