Using social media to recruit wisely

Recently reported at a steady 26.7%, unemployment is one issue which still plagues South Africa. The effects of unemployment are numerous. A few of which to name a few, affects not just a nation’s economy, but also negatively impacts the said individual’s self-worth and esteem. Prolonged unemployment can lead to an erosion of skills, basically robbing the economy of otherwise useful talents. Studies have shown that prolonged unemployment harms the mental health of workers, and can actually worsen physical health and shorten lifespans.

In developing his new social media recruitment agency, systems engineer Miguel da Silva believes that one of the ways South Africa can help curb unemployment is to make the best use of the skills the country possesses and hire smarter. “The country as it stands, contains talent and skills which have been untapped so far. There are multiple reasons for this though one specific hole we have found is that the corporate world doesn’t hire smartly. In days gone by, there have been hires based on ‘truths’ put down on paper by people who actually shouldn’t have been hired for the position advertised,” said da Silva.

Social media, has been given negative as well as positive reviews. You can either use it to tear down or, build up. “The biggest benefit social media affords in the arena of recruitment is that you are now able to locate passive, good quality candidates as well as sift through the good hires from the bad ones and, strategically target the talent pool from which you should be hiring from,” he said.

That famous saying from the eighties ‘it’s not what you know, it’s who you know” has never been truer in this present age. Being connected to the correct connections on social media could land the ideal candidate, the ideal job. “Since launching, we have secured over a hundred happy hires in multiple sectors. Quick, quality wins are now possible with use of Global Refer’s online recruitment tool.

“The platform offers the client a branded page with all the job specs and the remuneration you are prepared to pay to whoever helps you find the perfect candidate for the position,” da Silva. “With the help of our built-in tracking system, you can reward the person whose referral clinches a new appointment. This incentive motivates your network, whether you’re an in-house HR professional or a private recruitment agent – to find the best possible candidate. The tool ensures that the recruiter connects with the correct talent pool. Even if your immediate network is not connected to the right candidate, their extended networks might be,” he said. This means that the talent pools become more niche and accurate. The advert will also be seen by passive candidates that are not necessarily looking.

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