The role of Social Media in recruitment

Written by Shahid Wazed on Feb 08, 2013
The Role of Social Media in Recruitment
Reaching over 500 active and passive candidates via webinars

By Shahid Wazed

What if prospective applicants could interact with City of Edmonton recruiters every day, would
that have any effect on their job search? Imagine being able to win a half hour coaching session
with a City of Edmonton Recruiter to bring clarity and focus on their job search. Would a weekly
“Ask a Recruiter” session help those candidates who are looking to get hired by the City of
Edmonton?
We are creating these realities now in the recruitment section, here at the City of Edmonton. We
have launched our “City of Edmonton Jobs” Facebook fan page last year in November to interact
with prospective applicants every day in order to become the most engaging and futuristic
employer first in Edmonton, then in Alberta, and eventually in Canada.
We are not far from achieving that lofty goal. We initiated recruitment specific webinars (web
casts) on topics such as resume writing and job interview process to reach out to our prospective
candidates before they apply for jobs online so they can put their best applications forward. This
initiative is the first of its kind in Canada so we are lighting the path of social recruiting that other
employers can follow. We have already received phone calls from other Canadian municipalities
such as the City of Lethbridge, the City of Brampton and the City of Winnipeg to help answer
questions around recruiting using social media.
We sold out our “No‐nonsense Job Interview” webinar in January before the event. Over 500
people registered for the webinar. Right after the webinar, we ran a “recommendation” campaign
where we received 45 recommendations for it. Here is what some of the attendees had to say
about this initiative:
“The webinar was presented very well. It was clear, concise and very valuable. It reinforced how to
prepare for any interview. I found it very informative and commend the City of Edmonton for
engaging potential candidates utilizing this medium.” – Janice B.
“If you're thinking about finding your dream job at the great City of Edmonton, this Webinar can be
the difference in between standing out and missing out. If you're not looking for a job with the City
of Edmonton, this is still a valid way into the hiring managers' minds. Then, again, maybe it will
help you realize you actually want to work for the city of Edmonton.” – Fabio P.
“Concise and professional webinar ‐ very valuable. More employers should engage
potential talent this actively” – Richard D.
We are just scratching the surface of what can be achieved when using social media in the correct
manner for recruitment so stay tuned as we roll out other innovative initiatives throughout 2013.

The role of Social Media in recruitment

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