BCA

The first decade of the new millennium brought to us a monumental change in the relationship between businesses and consumers. The rise of social media websites in particular has profoundly affected all aspects of the business model. From production and marketing to human resources and recruiting, a strong online presence is one of the most important things a business can do. It is to no ones surprise that LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter all have valuable roles in shaping the way companies are now relating to their audiences.

As we reach the beginning of a new decade ascending from the peak of a detrimental recession, it is time to see a change in the way these very sites are used to leverage new jobs. How important are resumes when the focus of the job hunt has now changed to networking? LinkedIn, for example, allows you to post your work experience and references online and let you add someone to your network-say a CEO or HR Executive-with the click of a button.

Ryan Rancatore brought up an interesting point in his blog post Will resumes be extinct by the year 2010? He writes, “The advancement of social and business networks, web profiles, and personal blogs have essentially replaced and upgraded the common resume, in my view.  During the past year, I’ve updated my Linkedin profile dozens of times, I’ve sent over 2,000 tweets, and I’ve updated my resume a grand total of… zero times.” True, considering the majority of time an individual modifies their resume is when they are in search of a job.

However, this rouses a question concerning the importance of recruiting. If these social media websites are allowing top executives to communicate with other top executives; why the need for a third party? As recruiters, we serve as a mediator between the job seeker and the hiring manager. Most importantly, recruiters are able to understand the personality of both parties rather than relying on the often-misinterpreted virtual communication. Recruiting top talent requires more than just a LinkedIn account; it is the inside knowledge and key relationships that will get you to your next big role. While social media websites aid in gathering personal information about individuals, it is our job as recruiters to place executive level professionals in leading organizations.

In addition to being the leading proponent in the hiring process, recruiters offer a critical element that online websites cannot guarantee: confidentiality. For one to have a substantial online presence, they may have to sacrifice the privacy and anonymity they are used to. While some may be perfectly comfortable posting their career history online for the world to see, others may find it as a daunting and intimidating task. Searching for a new career is often a private matter, even more so if you are currently employed although looking for your next challenge. As seen when SDSU recently leaked information of the search to the local Union Tribune, the abuse of confidentiality often ends poorly for both parties. In SDSU’s case, they decided not to hire any of the candidates that were listed-all whom were currently employed.

As recruiters, it is impossible to ignore the benefit of being “LinkedIn.” Utilizing all of these networking sites awards you with a bigger advantage than sending your resume into a virtual space. No matter what the network-LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter-depending on the job profile, all sites can assist with the process. While the resume will never fully be extinct, the impact of social networking holds a larger influence than before. However, the power of interpersonal communication will never fail, and it is our role as recruiters to ensure the needs of all individuals are met. By guaranteeing commitments that no website can offer, we can insure the resume will never be extinct.