Changing times :jobportals, social networking & recruiters

I know I must be sounding like a broken record by now-but it is becoming more and more apparent with time.

With all respects to fellow headhunters, recruiters and the best of selection processes, it is not always the best person who gets the best job on offer-it is the right person at the right place at the right time :)!

So, for any aspiring job seeker, the idea is to figure out how to get oneself placed so! More so, these days it itsn't about whom you know, but who knows (of) you!!

There is quite a debate if the job portals face threat from social networking sites. Or are social networking sites fast catching up with job portals?

It is interesting to note how the different stakeholders are approaching the game!

a)More companies and recruiters are using both –to improve their reach.

Job portals are for haven for ‘the active jobs seekers’- or ‘low lying fruit’-of people who are either presently unemployed or underemployed, or unhappy & frustrated, and easy to approach.

The social networking sites are seen as the hangouts of ‘passive job seekers’ –who, in the pretext of connecting, reconnecting, staying in touch, discovering, exchanging information/ideas and opportunities, are open to being wooed for a compelling reason, and so, in terms of quality of their candidature, more desirable.

b) Perspective from job seekers:

An interesting poll " Is Linked In moving from a social networking site towards a Job Portal? "commissioned by Kunjal Kamdar reveals that a very high coincidence of a phenomenal number of profiles on linked in in that indicate “interested in job enquiries”!!

A blog by a SEO/SEM/SMM expert has an interesting take on the pros and cons of hiring through social networking

c) Meanwhile, globally job portals are busy consolidating their stronghold!

Monster acquires Hot jobs paying a whopping $225million. More and more meta search and vertical search engines are making their presence felt, by aggregating results from multiple independent job boards. Examples include Simply hired , Indeed , Bixee that aim to provide a "one-stop shop" for job-seekers

d) And would you believe? In India, we have a wonderful example Naukri that has gone the horizontal way to keep a person busy right through one's life time. Once a person gets a job, the next steps are wedding ? then buying landed property /real estate, and well, social networking once again!! And to ensure the backward integration, the same company has portals providing interests for education , first job, online education Assessment , and insurance ?

Naukri has also embarked on showcasing opportunities separately for those premium jobs with above 15 lakhs salary! Last week I had a visit from their senior VP Product Development and Technology, who shared some insights into the way they are increasing their share of the pie!!

Some of us Pre-Internet recruiters ( I almost used 'pre-historic!!') -had got into business-when most resumes had to be typed (electronic ones came in later at a premium), and the only way to connect was physically-after scouring as many 'physical' networking locations ( associations, conferences), and through postal letters and 'pp numbers' ( Very few in early 90s in India actually had landlines at their houses..and had to depend on the mood/generosity of the neighbour to pass on messages :)!)...find the present electronic media, mobile connectivity, SMS culture..compressing the 'time to connect' at the ease of a click.

But then , is it about all about finding, honey? Or is it engaging them no? Building relationships, personalized customization, counseling, career management…?? Isn't it time for rely on relationships instead of transactions?

So, do we see the room for social media recruitment…..!!?

It is all happening out here, right? Do chip in with your comments, views, opinions.