Client Backlash to Social Networking candidates (Linked In, Jigsaw, Doostang etc)

discussion started 4/24/2007, 10:00 a.m. by Jeff Weidner

With the growing popularity of these Social Networking sites, just as with the job boards 10 or so years ago we are beginning to see a backlash from clients rejecting candidates that we identify thru other means that also happen to be on the Social Networking flavor of the month. This month it happens to be Linked In.

Do you feel, as sourcers, that clients should be prepared to pay for candidates that are identified through other means but also happen to be in client's network on Linked In?

I'm hoping to open it up to discussion but HTC has taken the following stance on the issue:

At this time I have told my clients that because these sites are so prevalent and are becoming more and more ubiquitous there is no way for me to screen candidates for these sites for the following reasons;

A) We don’t use some of the sites and I don’t know what site everyone of my contractors use as they are not under my control

B) Just because a person is on the site doesn’t mean that is how we obtained their name

C) We can’t be expected to verify every candidate we source on a weekly basis against every social site on the internet, as is the case for job boards as well.

D) On some sites such as Linked in they may not have been in “our Network” so we may not have known about them (it is connection dependent)

E) My Name Generators are instructed to only use true phone recruiting and networking techniques to find candidates but there is bound to be duplication.

F) There are so many new members and connections being made on a daily, weekly, monthly basis that it is impossible for us to monitor every site and still be effective at what we do.

G) There are too many variables. As with most things in recruiting entering search criteria is highly human intensive. Only a person can type in specific combinations of skill sets and key words and apply a Sr Warp Core Engineer to a Sr DBA for Oracle position. It depends on the experience of the person doing the searching on their ability to find qualified candidates. Our clients pay for that experience.

Now, as with the backlash with the job boards 10+ years ago I fully expect this backlash to be a temporary inconvenience and that the issue will die down as they become more widespread but I thought it would make good fodder for discussion on the group.

I originally posted ERE.net Electronic Recruiters Exchange
So go there for other members responses to my post.



Thanks,

Jeff Weidner
925 313 9005 X 200
HTC Research Corp