How Social Media Reshapes

The Hunt for Talent

U-Mass Family Business ForumNov. 2, 2012, Holyoke MA

George Anders

Talent Sourcing: 1970 and Today

1970 1997 2006 2009 2012

Social NetworksYour Web SiteInternet Job BoardsReferralsAgencies & RecruitersPrint AdsPaper Applications

Sources: Rees & Shultz (U of Chicago); BoozAllen; CareerXRoads

The Online Boom Affects Us in 3 Ways

• We can consider VASTLY more candidates• Zuckerberg’s Law: We can tap into a much

wider network of contacts, referrals and useful (?) acquaintances.

• We can enjoy a surprisingly detailed look at the work portfolios of many, many people that haven’t even applied for jobs.

1. The Numbers Game Does Doing More = Doing Better?

Paper Credentials Character Traits for Success

There’s Huge Value in ‘Soft Skills’

Resilience

Desire to Learn

Judgment

Self-Reliance

Curiosity/ Acumen

Compati- bility

Efficiency

Yet Overload Makes Us Fixate on …Education

Transcripts

Paper Credentials

Prior employers

Resume claims

Interview Poise

Blessing or Curse? So Many Candidates

219 1

Source: Jobs2Web Inc.

Applying to Harvard … and Starbucks

6.2% acceptance

0.9%acceptance

Source: The Wall Street Journal.

CriticalSkills

72%

Source: Towers/Watson Talent Survey 2012

Yet We Still Struggle to Find …

Hi-Po Employees

60%

Top Performers

59%

2. Better Networking?

Can We Take What’s Great About Referrals and Make That Digital?

• ‘I Will Vouch for Her’ • ‘He Gets Our Values• ‘We Talked About What

The Job Really Involves’• ‘We All Want to Get

This One Right’

Voila! Here Is Your Social Graph (Create yours at: inmaps.linkedinlabs.com)

You!

Big Data Might Make Us Wiser Networkers

3. Cutting to the Chase

Instant Access to Specialists’ Work

Let’s Go Looking for Graphic Designers

Facebook’s Ingenious Shortcut

70,000 puzzle solutions/year

Top 1% earn an interview

118 solvers win jobs

How Public Portfolios Pay Off

For Employers• You Can Look Anywhere for

Talent at the Right Price

• You Can Identify Stars Who Aren’t Hunting for Jobs

• You Can See Relevant Work Right Away; It’s Efficient

• It’s Easy, at Last, to Notice ‘Talent That Whispers’

For Talent• You Can Live Anywhere and

Attract Global Clients

• Your Work Markets Itself; You Lose Less Time Hunting

• You’re More Likely to Match Jobs in Synch With You

• Your Credibility Builds Fast; Less Time Paying Dues

Takeaway messages

• Social Media Is Least Valuable When It Jams More Names Into Clogged Pipelines

• Social Tools Look Better When They Help Us Use Existing Contacts More Efficiently

• Seeing Candidates’ Portfolios Is Enticing • We Will Always Need Face-to-Face Contact,

At Both the Earliest and Final Stages

Follow Ups? Of Course!

Twitter: @GeorgeAndersFacebook: TheRareFind

Slides will be on SlideShare

Email: George.Anders@gmail.com