Social Media: Revolution or Evolution?

The RSG Round Table Series 2012

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Social media is the recruitment industry’s current ‘hot topic’; it seems that at every HR networking function or conference, the question on everyone's lips is, ‘how do you get the most out of the multitude of online platforms available?’

I hosted one such discussion myself. In the process it became apparent that whilst we are living in the digital age, we’re not really as socially savvy as we should be. However, this is for a whole host of different reasons to what I had initially imagined.

In fact, the reason I decided to dedicate one of the dinners in our round table series to this subject was after learning that a friend with whom I have been doing business for many years had just implemented an all-singing, all-dancing social media strategy.

When I asked him why he was doing it, what the benefit to his business was and how he was going to measure it he looked, quite frankly, a bit depressed. “No idea,” he shrugged. “I’m only doing it 'cause everyone else is”.

Well quite. So, I wanted to find out more and through the lively debate that ensued at Corrigan’s Restaurant in Mayfair, it became apparent how much social media is still evolving within everyone’s organisations. No one seems to have all the answers.

How much time should you invest in developing your employer brand online and how can you cut through the white noise? Can you ever effectively monitor what is being said about you online and how your staff represent your business?

Is it, for example, right that an RPO provider should be involved in the social strategy? How can RPOs help build the employer brand? How do you measure the success of such a strategy and is it worth the substantial time commitment it will take?

The burning question was are you really missing out if you don’t use it? Interestingly, feedback on this point was a resounding ‘yes’, even though the strategies may be in their infancy and the policies are still stuck in someone’s inbox for approval. There can be no doubt that social media channels are excellent tools in attracting talent and a great way of listening to what people are saying about their own working environments. It’s just the 'how' of effectively capitalising on this that is causing a few problems.

Despite all the 'noise' about social media, there is still a way to go to create successful business outcomes and delivering real return on investment. Whether it’s about legalities, branding, policing or implementation, we’re still not even clear what the questions are yet. However, at RSG we are committed to understanding how the social scene can maximise any potential benefits for our clients and ourselves. Not least because it is still only a way of communicating, and in the recruitment industry we’ve always been committed to that.

Join the discussion by tweeting @RSG using the hashtag #RSGdebate on Twitter; we’d love to hear your thoughts too.

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