Hiring using Social Media: Pot of Gold or Fool’s Gold?

Back in the day without the Internet and Social Media, companies often hired employees from their network. Friends, families and other people that you trusted were the lucky hired candidates! Yet, even in the dark ages, these lucky candidates were not always the “best” candidates. They were just the most accessible.

Today, business owners and hiring managers are turning to Social Media to expand their network. We are now connected to more people. But just like the old days, it doesn’t necessarily mean that the people in your social media network are the best candidates.

The only way you know if you are hiring the best candidate for your company is to:
1) Define the role clearly.
2) Source candidates based on this criteria.
3) Conduct your due diligence, even if you know them well.
4) Determine if the candidate “can” and “will” do the job.

Social media tools are just that . . . a tool. Use them to expand your sourcing strategy. But, don’t think a candidate is the best candidate just because he/she knows was easy to find and knows 200 of your colleagues on LinkedIn or Facebook.