Using Technology to Recruit Credit Union Talent

When some of us began careers in the area of “personnel” (as it was called in those days), computers were non-existent and hiring employees was pretty simple and straightforward:

Step One: Run an ad in the local newspaper
Step Two: Screen typed resumes sent to you via mail
Step Three: Top candidates complete an application form (handwritten) and are interviewed
Step Four: Select best candidate, make offer – HIRED!!

Although this process is still used, your credit union is placing itself at a disadvantage if it ignores technological tools during the recruiting process. Online activity is now mainstream and needs to be used when hiring candidates. Consider these statistics:

• 1.3 million blog posts daily (18 per second)
• 100,000 new blogs daily (2 per second)
• More podcasts than global radio stations
• 90 million Facebook profiles
• 100 million+ LinkedIn profiles

These statistics can be overwhelming, so the first step is to evaluate your options:

LinkedIn is a business-related social networking site with users in more than 200 countries. It’s a way to manage your professional identity, and link to others to build your professional network. As an HR professional, it provides a resource to get a glimpse of an applicant and look at information posted regarding their personal profile. Recently, LinkedIn has uncovered some new tools: Linked Classmates and LinkedIn Talent Pipeline.

If you have any teenagers in your family, it is a given that you are familiar with Facebook. If your credit union isn’t on it, it may be missing the mark in branding and reaching the demographic it needs to recruit from. As an example, Ernst & Young’s Career Facebook page has well over 76,000 “likes.” It includes career and recruiting information, internship experience, photos, a recruiting brochure, a weekly poll question, career tip of the week and guidelines for its Facebook group. Of its members, 44 percent stated they heard about Ernst & Young through Facebook. Although your credit union’s recruiting needs in terms of volume may not be at the same level as Ernst & Young, your pool of applicants may be the same.

When it comes to recruiting, search engine optimization could be one of your best friends. Take the time to ensure your credit union’s job page on your website has the keywords it needs to attract potential applicants searching for jobs in your field and area.

On the horizon is another technology tool called Edge Content/Microformats. Imagine being able to “tag” your job information so that any job site, i.e., CareerBuilder, Monster, etc., will grab that job information and post it in their appropriate lists.

Before launching your recruiting technology, talk to your IT gurus. They can help you map out the best way for you to position your credit union, its job postings, and advertisements to reach the right people – all while screening those who may not meet qualifications. Need some assistance determining which technologies are for you? HRN Performance consultants can help.

There’s no way around it – recruiting through technology is here to stay. Whether you choose to use LinkedIn, Facebook, search engines, or a combination of all of the above, the time to engage is now. So, welcome aboard!

Related Services: HR Consulting, Search Engine Optimization