A survey of 400 businesses showed that only half use social media to research candidates but another 10% say they will. We look at the impact of social media on recruitment and people management.
In the news, the new enterprise bill includes measures to tackle late payments, businesses are split over staying in the EU and small businesses can now take advantage of simpler security standards for card payments.
Top news stories
Business secretary Sajid Javid announces plans to tackle late payments
A new enterprise bill, which will will be formally announced in the Queen’s speech at the state opening of parliament on 27 May, will introduce a small business conciliation service to help tackle late payments.
Businesses split over future in EU
Privately owned businesses are concerned over red tape from Europe while multinationals favour the trade opportunities. Meanwhile, David Cameron has begun EU reform talks.
Simpler security standards aim to help small retailers combat fraud
The Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council will simplify the PCI DSS process for businesses that accept credit card payments.
Small businesses want a simpler PAYE system
A simplified payroll system tops the wish list for almost a quarter of UK businesses.
Half of employers research candidates on social media
A study of more than 400 UK employers found that 52% of employers have researched job candidates on social media, and a further 10% plan to start. Employers check personal sites, as well as professional networks like LinkedIn.
Key dates for your diary
26 May: Deregulation Act 2015 comes into force
This includes changes to English apprenticeships, removal of employment tribunals’ power to make wider recommendations, and exemption for Sikhs needing to wear safety helmets, along with other changes that affect specific industries. More details are available here.
Social media and HR: how the world is changing
Social media has had a big impact on many aspects of life and HR is no different. From changing the way we recruit to affecting how businesses and individuals network with others, social media allows employers to have a unique insight into their employees.
Of course, with that transparency, there’s also a need for responsibility, both on the part of the employer and the member of staff. So how should HR teams make the most of the opportunity and protect the company at the same time?
Social media and recruitment
This area has seen significant changes, although recruitment through social media isn’t as widespread as it could be. Research by CIPD showed that only 54% of employers use social media to find staff.
But social media offers excellent opportunities to reach out to an audience of jobseekers, and sites like LinkedIn and Twitter allow you to post job adverts for free or at a minimal cost. These can then be shared through social updates, amplifying the reach.
For certain demographics, social media is their main way of finding a new role, so it pays to make sure you’re visible.
And of course, you can also use social media to research candidates. Professional networking sites like LinkedIn allows you to confirm the details in their application, read any recommendations and find out more information. Personal social media accounts let you see what the candidate is interested in and what they share online.
And while social media shouldn’t be the only measure of a candidate’s suitability, it can provide useful information. It’s increasingly common for companies to reject candidates based on their social media postings, with reports saying that one in five recruiters have done so.
Employment
For existing employees, social media can offer excellent opportunities for networking and building relationships, both internally and externally. CIPD found that 53% of employees made meaningful connections through social media with people they would otherwise not know.
Learning and development are also influenced by social media. According to a report by Accenture, social media allows employees to create and share information and ideas, and to define their own learning, career paths and their own performance feedback.
Some companies are embracing internal social tools like Yammer, which allow employees to connect with others within the business and share ideas. Some businesses find that this helps open communication channels and allows management to share ideas in a much less formal manner.
E-learning is also becoming more common, although 78% of employees say that their organisations don’t use social media to deliver learning and development as yet. We can expect that to change as social media moves out of the communications department and into business as a whole.
Of course, as high profile stories show, sometimes employees share information on social media that shouldn’t be public or is damaging to their employer.
It pays to have a clear policy in place for social media use, so everyone knows what is acceptable and to ensure that there are no repercussions to any disciplinary action. ACAS has guidance on how to do this, together details about how social media is impacting other areas of HR.
Finally, it also pays to keep up to date with how social media is influencing employment law, as this recent case demonstrates.