Find the best cultural fit by leveraging social media
Deciding who gets the job between two well-qualified candidates can come down to splitting hairs.
Experience is most often the end-all be-all indicator of the person most suitable for the job – and rightfully so. But there are times when qualifications aren't the only aspects to take into consideration. With an effective recruitment software solution by its side, social media can provide the final piece of the puzzle that helps companies decide who's the best cultural fit.
Beyond the background
Companies have long used background checks as a matter of due diligence, and roughly 89 per cent of all businesses responding to a Sterling Talent Solutions survey do so. Yet just one-third of those same organisations have looked at social media when evaluating a candidate.
Whereas background checks carry more of a legal obligation and can eliminate applicants from the process, social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram should be utilised in a supplementary fashion to uniquely evaluate for cultural fits. We all know that even the most skilled employees will struggle to contribute to projects if they don't mesh well with their colleagues.
Creating a better procedure
Your hiring practices should narrow down the most qualified prospective employees and social media can be used to determine who would be the best cultural fit in the company. Unfortunately, just 11 per cent of organisations use it regularly, a Robert Half study found.
Recruiting staff should develop a two-pronged approach.
Ideally, recruiting staff would use a two-pronged approach when evaluating applicants. The first relies on analytical insights driven by data captured over an extended period of time. This offers personnel the ability to figure out which indicators from candidates match successful employees that have been hired in the past. Preferences and exclusions, as well as job templates are tools that can help refine this process.
After narrowing down the pool to the qualified few, recruiters can leverage social media to understand which are the perfect fit. Many organisations see cultural fit as key to improving retention rates, which can in turn help curb turnover costs. It's also an important aspect of boosting team productivity and morale.
It's important not to see background checks and social media in the same light; personal and professional media profiles are obviously going to differ. But using it to help influence a difficult decision between two high-quality candidates is something that's becoming more common across the industry. Contact a FastTrack representative today to learn more.
