How has candidate attraction evolved?

Not that long ago, all an employer needed to do to get applications for a vacancy was to post a small press advertisement and wait for the polite application letters to arrive in the mail. Over the last few years we’ve seen a radical shift not only in the way employers advertise their vacancies, but also in how they pitch their opportunity and their business to a market of increasingly savvy and demanding jobseekers. These jobseekers are looking at more than just salary and job title; they are looking at company culture, lifestyle, work – life balance, and an Employer Value Proposition that is tangible and recognised by employees.

The Impact of Social Media

Founded in 2003, LinkedIn became the first dedicated social networking site for business, capitalising on the success of Facebook and duplicating it’s model for a more professional audience. Fast forward to late 2015 and LinkedIn reported more than 400 million dedicated users worldwide with 178.4 million of them visiting the site every month. And the impact on recruitment and attraction has been staggering. More jobs are now being secured via networking on LinkedIn than ever before, and in some sectors has completely overtaken traditional applications. It’s not just recruiters and hiring managers who are approaching potential candidates – job seekers are now pro-actively approaching people or companies they want to work for.

Social media has also meant that prospective employers can learn more about a potential hires life outside of work than ever before. Of course, what hiring manager doesn’t look at an applicants LinkedIn profile when reviewing their CV? But they also look at their Facebook, Instagram, Twitter…