Today’s labour market: what to exploit and where not to get lost?
Any business leader could attest that the key to business success is good staff, recruitment and retention of top talent. However, today’s traditional recruitment process is inevitably confronted with increasing digitalisation and the search for professionals on certain social networks: rapidly evolving technologies are also changing the approach of companies themselves, encouraging them to use modern recruitment methods specific to the digital age. It’s not only large foreign companies that are now looking online for top executives or talent. Increasingly, this practice is also seen in Lithuania. The number of companies turning to recruitment specialists is growing, which means the spread of innovative recruitment methods in our country. It has been observed that the 21st century generation is primarily looking for jobs on special job portals on the Internet. The number of users of the social network LinkedIn is also growing daily. The fact that traditional paper CVs and cover letters have been almost completely replaced by virtual employee profiles is obvious. But what do you need to know about modern recruitment, how to make the most of LinkedIn and what aspects should be treated with the utmost care?
It’s not just the information on the CV that matters
Whereas a decade ago a university degree was one of the most important proofs of a candidate’s qualifications for an employer, today the priority is given to a person’s work experience, practice, aptitude and quick learning. Of course, education is important, but a candidate’s knowledge gained from similar work, motivation to improve and communication skills are now replacing a more important selection criterion. For this reason, when preparing your CV, it is essential not only to include personal information or education, but also to include all your competences and talents, briefly mention your previous work experience, your personal website addresses and social networking accounts. It is these latter references that often represent a person’s individual brand and can have a decisive influence on a manager’s decision.
Recruitment companies have recently moved beyond job interviews. Even before meeting a candidate, they check their profiles on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and other social networks. The posts and photos on these sites usually become a kind of virtual reflection of real life. Social media is now an opportunity to find out a wide range of information about an applicant. It is true that only ethical and interesting information can lead to a positive response from the employer. Otherwise, rude, offensive or overly controversial posts and photographs make a bad impression and raise doubts. And then the job offer may never come…
LinkedIn – the social network for professional attitude
Today, recruitment is almost 100% digital. Both globally and in Lithuania, recruitment is primarily online. The chances of finding a job faster are particularly enhanced by membership of the popular social network LinkedIn. This is a special social platform where professionals from various fields, potential employers and business partners can communicate with each other, and where they can establish professional contacts and hunt for highly qualified employees. Since its launch in 2002, the network has attracted more than 200 million users and is still growing by the second.
The platform is free to join, so a LinkedIn member can be a final year student, a ten-year department manager, a politician or a media personality. As has been noted, LinkedIn is particularly convenient for finding highly qualified professionals and experienced employees. The search methods are simple: a member’s profile replaces a CV, and the network of contacts that is built up can be seen by a wide range of audiences. “It is important for a LinkeIn user to provide as much detail as possible about the job criteria and personal information, as this increases the chances of being noticed.
“LinkedIn is now the key to a successful career for many job seekers. This social networking site offers valuable offers if you manage your personal profile responsibly. Failure to do so can lead to a much longer search for the desired position.
How careful should I be?
As many opportunities as digital technology and social media offer, there are some things that cannot be measured or predicted. The first contact in a virtual environment between an employer and an employee is not in person, and they judge each other only on the basis of the information provided. Therefore, it can sometimes be really difficult to confirm that the data is correct, unadulterated and unembellished.
Naturally, online recruitment can only give an idea of the employee’s actual behaviour, work culture and so on. Let alone their future performance. To avoid major doubts, the applicant should provide as detailed a description as possible in the LinkedIn account, in the CV or in the cover letter, and the company offering the job or the recruiters should make the requirements, the offers and other relevant aspects clear right away.
Thus, the recruitment process, its methods and evaluation criteria have also changed considerably due to the modern opportunities and technical advances of the digital age. Candidates are now searched for on the internet by company managers or by recruitment firms, who in turn also first announce their candidacy on dedicated portals or social networking accounts such as LinkedIn. However, the dynamism of the labour market is constantly pushing both sides: employers need to find the most talented and skilled professionals in new ways, while jobseekers need to maintain a solid image both in real and virtual life.
