The recruiter’s job is only going to get harder as they face changes in recruiting practices, technology innovations and shifting demographics. So what are the key changes that are making the recruitment team’s job even more challenging and what are technology providers doing to assist with these challenges? Read Part One.

In part two of our five part series, we explore the power of social sourcing and search engine optimization (SEO).

Social Presence Directly Tied to Recruitment Search
Social sourcing is distinctly different from SEO, but we have included them in the same discussion as it is your corporate online footprint that determines how easily you are found on the web. Certainly, having a strong social presence is tied directly to your placement in an online search.

There are many tools available that can measure your social strength, or influence. Some names that you may have heard of are Klout, CARMA, Buffer, Bottlenose and Pinpuff—just a few among many tools, some free, that can assist with measuring your social impact.

Where It’s ATS: Boost Social Strength
Applicant tracking software (ATS) providers are fully aware of the need for corporate social strength andare implementing tools to better assist with gaining companies more exposure across social networks. One example is the ability for ATS providers to feed your jobs directly to corporate LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Google+ accounts. Some systems offer the ability for job seekers to use their LinkedIn profile to create an account.

In addition, there are a multitude of free job boards and aggregators, and always more on the way. Popular options include Indeed, SimplyHired, WOW Jobs, Eluta, and Glassdoor, to name a few. Listings on popular job sites rank near the top of general online search results, and most boards hold the ability to talk to ATS systems. Jobs can be sent directly from an ATS to common job sites via xml feeds. This ensures the system stays in communication with the job, meaning if the job is edited, closed or expires then in turn this information is recognized on the external site.

Job aggregators using web crawlers can choose to scrape jobs from your careers pages (assuming you have them in an HTML format); however, the web crawler will not detect if the position comes down prior to its typical uptime duration. This can cause recruiters issues as jobs are still posted on job boards past their desired time frame. When accuracy is critical, an ATS system can send jobs to job boards and alert of any changes to a job, including early de-posting or changes to the description.

The Importance Vs. Onus of Online
Imagine the ease of dispersing your jobs to many job boards all at once, and with so much competition; not distributing your jobs means not being found online. Trying to post each job by hand or update your social media accounts manually becomes a huge waste of a good recruiter’s time.

Google is accepted as one of the leaders in searching and delivering data to users around the world. Larry Engel, an SEO strategist for NAS Recruitment Innovation states that Google made more significant search algorithm changes in 2013 than at any other time in its 15-year history.¹ Google is continually making changes to its algorithm in an effort to deliver the most relevant and useful webpages based on a query. The new search algorithms measure our changing behaviours, for example, the move to more mobile technologies or the potential for using voice activated searches.

Positive User Experience Bolsters SEO
Good providers of applicant tracking will keep their fingers on the pulse of search engine providers such as Google. ATS vendors will constantly be changing their tools so maximum search engine exposure is delivered. The good news is that simple mobile-friendly pages that offer relevant job information naturally rank higher in a search. Generally, the pages that are designed to provide a good user experience are the ones most successful in terms of SEO.

A classic example would have the job listing page leading off the corporate careers page as chosen by the company. The job listing page is very simple with limited branding, meaning that they can be easily viewed using mobile tools such as a smart phone or tablet.

Mobile Market Key to Applicants
Some three in four job seekers are now applying using mobile devices. Those organizations that are not prepared to accept applicants using mobile interfaces are going to discourage an estimated 60 to 75 per cent of those applying.

You will also see on the careers page shown in our example that a portion of the job description is shown on the job listings page as well. This text is beneficial in terms of SEO, meaning google will pick up on keywords found in that text assisting job seekers in finding your company’s job easier.

Companies challenged with getting their jobs in front of job seekers is partially answered by the development of a large online presence. Tools such as social networks and search optimization are embraced by both employers and software providers in the race to attract more candidates.

1 Ere.net – October 2014 Your career site needs to b a Swiss army knife for candidates

Read Part Three now.

Since 1999, HireGround has established itself as a leading provider of Applicant Tracking Software (ATS). HireGround is recognized for its strong customer support, ease of use software, and ability to streamline software processes to meet client requirements.