Sourcing & Candidate Research: The Need to Engage Candidates [Infographic]

With the talent market being seemingly tight at times, it is important to know who is out there and what they’re looking for. Researching candidates can be beneficial, especially when your company is searching for top talent. Most job applications now ask candidates for links to their social media profiles as a proactive way for employers to find out more about them. The use of social media in hiring has been increasing as the years go on, as well as other research options such as personal blogs and websites.

In this day and age, many employers use search engines and social media profiles to base their hiring decisions off of. Because of this, it’s important for candidates to pay attention to what they’re posting, especially when applying for a job they really want. However, LinkedIn, Monster.com and Indeed aren’t the only places recruiters should be looking for candidates. Along with online job boards and social media, gathering referrals and attending career fairs are great ways to find out more about potential job candidates. Having a mix of both new and traditional research methods is the right way to recruit.

Employers care about who works for their business, and they want someone who will represent the company well. They don’t want a brick wall working for them, they want someone exploding with creativity who can add value to the company and team. A good candidate presents themselves well and also showcases a good balance between work and life. Employers want to find certain characteristics when researching a potential job candidate, but certain skills stand out more than others. Whether it be asking interview questions or evaluating skills through a resume or portfolio, employers will be looking to see if candidates have both hard and soft skills. Experience is important, but the ability to adapt, solve problems and work well with a team matters to employers as well.

It looks good to employers when they get your application, find you on social media and see positive content. Employers want to hire candidates who, after researching, are good people. Social media doesn’t tell you everything there is to know about a person, but it’s a great way to learn more about someone. With that being the case, and candidates knowing employers are looking into their social media, it’s important to showcase a good personality online. We’ve covered the candidate’s side, now employers just need to know to not look at social media as a decision-maker, but simply use it as a hiring tool. Social media cannot be the only judge of the right hire, but it can help you identify and determine the perfect employee.

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<img src="https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cyYy3546H8qYDOJvrhpdG2FoMxf2tWlU/view" width="100%" alt="The Digital Evolution of Candidate Research [Infographic]"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <a href="https://www.iqtalentpartners.com/digital-evolution-candidate-research-infographic"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> </a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p><strong>The Digital Evolution of Candidate Research [Infographic]</strong>, courtesy of <a href="https://www.iqtalentpartners.com/digital-evolution-candidate-research-infographic">IQTalent Partners</a></p><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <p>

Learn how IQTalent Partners can get you the right talent in tight markets. Contact us for more information on how to research candidates.