Companies want to be where the most qualified and talented applicants are. Human resource recruiters can use social media to find top and source recruits. Social Media sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter have over 535 million combined users. Over 80% of Companies use some type of Social Media to recruit and iPads for instance are being used in over 50% of Fortune 100 Companies.

Here are some interesting statistics about the effects of Social Media. Over 96% of the world’s population who are under 30 years old have joined a social network. Facebook added over 200 users in one year and has over 60 million status updates daily. 80% of companies have used LinkedIn in recruiting and the fasted growing segment of Facebook are females 55 – 65 years old. There are hundreds of thousands of online blogs with 34% of online bloggers talking about products or business products. 78% percent of consumers polled say that they trust their peers over advertisement slogans.

Many businesses are using introducing iPads as a recruiting tool. In January 2011, Monster.Com announced the release of Monster for iPad, a free app that integrates existing Monster user accounts to work with iPad utilizing technology to help with access to application history, stored resumes and cover letters. New recruiting applications specifically designed for Human Resources personnel are coming out monthly as companies see the need.

In March, Proctor & Gamble launched a global, multi-million dollar campaign targeting young talent. They are using a mobile “poweRBrands” which encourages players rise through the ranks of a consumer goods company eventually becoming global president. The game can be found on Facebook leading the company to potential candidates that fir desired profiles. Even the United States Marine Corps and United States Army have introduced the iPad in their recruitment. They are using the device to record potential recruit information from job fairs. FourSquare and Facebook Places are also additional tools that can help to promote a company’s presence at job fairs and recruitment events.

College campuses are also using the iPad to solicit potential students, show off school features and to screen wants and needs of new students to stay competitive to attract top students. The University of Oregon is using the technology to allow student interaction and reduce recruiting costs. The University of Nebraska is using iPads to improve talent recruitment in sports programs and has an interactive locker room that has improved communication between existing players, new players and coaches. Some colleges have even stopped assigning campus email accounts and are giving eReader and iPad tablets to students. Marketing firms and online companies like Teach First are also using the technology to target the brightest teachers that match desired skill sets and profiles reducing recruitment time and cost while delivering top candidates to their schools.

As job seekers become increasingly more technologically aware, the old days of waiting around for companies to call you are gone. Due to the explosion of social media, smart phones and mobile tablets like the iPad, applicants have immediate, fast access to more information than recruiters could have ever imagined just ten years ago. This is forcing companies to change how they approach top talent. They will have to move quickly and provide applications that are easily accessible. It provides companies with lean recruitment budgets the ability to integrate social media into their hiring strategies. It reduces paper consumption and printing costs and increases the volume and frequency of materials that you can send out to recruits. It allows businesses to change information and update quickly and adapt to changes without incurring large marketing change fees. Companies that utilize this type of technology will also show top candidates that they are at the forefront of technological innovations. Technology based job seekers will base their impression of what an employer can offer in a career based on the online branding presence.

So here is my question to you, are iPads a part of your company’s recruiting strategy?

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ABOUT THE WRITER

Melissa Andrews has a B.A in Political Science, B.S in Elementary Education, a M.A.T.D. in Organizational Training and Development, coaching and online instructional certificates. She has been an instructional designer, trainer, and administrator of a Learning Management System in Healthcare prior to moving into Retail in 2010. Currently pursuining a Ph.D. in Organizational Development.