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Three Business Trends Recruiters Should Think About

by | Nov 14, 2011 | Recruiter Training, Top Echelon Blog

Recruiters find themselves in a constant battle, trying to balance working “on” their business with working “in” their business.

Unfortunately, that’s a battle that gets more and more difficult to fight in today’s challenging economic conditions.  (As well as the massive amount of information that we’re being bombarded with every day.)  That’s why it’s important to keep tabs on the employment trends in business these days, especially if you can put those trends to work for you and help bolster your recruiting desk and firm.

The Huffington Post recently highlighted three such trends for small business owners, all of which are extremely applicable to recruiting firm owners.  While none of these trends are mind-bending or are the business equivalent of a “snap ending” at the movies (like, for example, Planet of the Apes), they should be thought about in terms of your firm’s direction for 2012.  This is especially the case when deciding where to put your time, energy, and resources.

Trend #1: Facebook matters A LOT

How much?  Well consider the fact that according to Nielsen’s Social Media Report for the third quarter of this year, Americans spend 25% of their overall Internet time involved in social media, and that number keeps growing.  Then throw into the mix that they spend more time—by far—on Facebook than on any other website, even more than Google.  (Remember, on Google, you’re more than likely just doing a search, while on Facebook, you’re staying a while.)  How many people use Facebook?  Over 500 million, as of the end of the second quarter of this year.

Now how about this?  Americans spend twice as much time on social media as they do on online gaming, and online gaming could almost be categorized as addictive.  Social media is NOT going away, and no matter what your personal views are, from a business standpoint, you have to be in the game in a big way.  How does social media play into your firm’s recruitment sourcing strategy?  What kind of presence does it have on Facebook?  Any presence?  The answers to these questions aren’t just important now, but for the future, as well.

Trend #2: Your firm’s online reputation and image is CRUCIAL

According to a report by Cone Communications, a public relations and marketing agency, 80% of people change their minds about a product or service based solely upon what they see online.  You might automatically think about online reviews of products on websites like Amazon.com, and you’d be correct . . . but it goes beyond that.  Every company has to provide a positive experience for its website visitors, or their reputation and their image is going to be sullied.  What’s the first thing a person does when they hear about a new company, product, or service?  They “Google” it, of course!

What’s a candidate or hiring manager going to do after you make a call and introduce yourself and your firm?  They’re going to “Google” you and your firm, that’s what!  And what are they going to see, especially as it pertains to your website?  What’s the experience going to be like?  What’s their first impression?  How are you branding yourself in their minds?

Trend #3: Preparing for a “Data Disaster”

According to a study by Carbonite, 54% of new business owners don’t believe that “data disaster” will affect them, and 57% don’t even have a plan in place to prevent it.  How important is a recruiter’s data to their firm?  Without the data, there is no firm.  Then consider this: according to statistics provided by FEMA, approximately half of all businesses that suffer data loss in a disaster NEVER reopen. That’s it. Game over.

What is YOUR firm’s data backup and recovery plan?  Do you use a recruiting software?  If so, is it an online version, like Big Biller recruiting software, that can back up your data daily?  Or is it a desktop version that you back up consistently?  What’s your plan in the event of a “data disaster”?

As I mentioned, these trends aren’t exactly moments of epiphany.  However, that may be exactly why they fly below the radar and aren’t noticed by more small business owners and recruiting firm owners.  They need to be noticed by them, and firm owners need to address them.  Recruiting is a game of inches, especially now, in this economy.  You need every edge that you can get, and the three trends in this article represent that edge, in more ways than one.

Here’s to meeting these trends—and the challenges they represent—head on and enjoying a great 2012!

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