Trend shifting towards passive forms of hiring: experts

Trend shifting towards passive forms of hiring: experts
By Stella Lee | Posted: 10 June 2011 2249 hrs

SINGAPORE : Business-related social networking websites have now made it easier for employers to recruit qualified candidates.

These include those that may not be looking to jump ship just yet.

Recruiters said this has allowed companies to start hiring passively as they wait to fill roles with the right candidates.

The economic growth in Asia has led employers in the region to be more upbeat about hiring compared to their global counterparts.

However, experts said the trend now has shifted towards passive forms of hiring.

Instead of creating a job opening where companies tend to receive an overwhelming number of applicants, companies will simply look for potentials in cyberspace and keep them in mind.

Arvind Rajan, vice president, LinkedIn, said: "People who have been looking for active candidates, who are looking for jobs, looking for jobs abroad, are now looking for passive candidates."

That is because business-related social networking websites have made it easier for recruiters to gain access to a wider pool of potential candidates, and some that are not actively looking for a job may be a better fit to the job requirements compared to candidates who are actively looking.

Peter Haglund, country manager, Manpower Staffing Services, said: "I think the companies are getting more concerned about the right person, and I'm not sure if they are picky or ... more cautious - to make sure that they can deliver much more for less, and they need to have the right person onboard for every position they have."

In Asia where the recruitment style has been geared more towards connections or word of mouth, sites such as LinkedIn provide something extra for recruiters or companies to check out their potential candidates.

Arvind Rajan said: "Every profile exists within a professional social context. So when I see someone's profile, I can see also who they are connected to. I can then check ... with people who have worked with them to find out if they are who they say they are."

But headhunters said there are challenges to checking the accuracy of the information provided in such social networking websites.

Mr Haglund said: "It's the credibility of that data, where you need some support of digging deeper and beneath the data that is shown. It's a lot to take on for any company, especially if it's a specialist role."

But some fundamentals or hiring bias never change even on social networking sites.

Recruiters said they still give priority to candidates who have worked at brand name companies rather than someone with recommendations.

- CNA/al

- wong chee tat :)