Recruitment Software: The Effects of Globalisation and Social Media on HR

A never ending challenge to business today is the rate at which things change and having to keep up with said changes. This is as true for recruiters as it is for any aspect of business.

From the use of social media as a tool to recruitment software in the HR process, recruitment is an industry like any other in terms of how it changes. This has never been more true than in the highly charged times we face now, with the Global Economy as much proof of the state of flux business exists in, as it is a victim of that fact.

One of the latest trends experiencing some growth in the HR field is the application of recruitment software as a tool. The old days of having someone sorting through stacks of resumes are all but behind us. With the ease and simplicity afforded by recruitment software, one has a more central database for sorting through and finding those best suited for positions in a company.

As mentioned before, the growth of social media and other online tools has had a massive influence on how to conduct business within our own structures and outside them. When established companies begin using Facebook  as a serious tool for advertising positions within their structures, it becomes evident that social media has reached a place where the notion of things like Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube,  as mere trivialities, becomes questionable. It’s not possible to look at any of these social media sites as playthings used by teenagers and employees in their spare time. Communication is a fundamental underpinning to any society and social media is as valid a tool for communication as any other.

But social media has been powerfully assisted by (and, in turn, assists) another growing trend in the HR global marketplace: Globalisation. The world no longer exists defined by the borders of the countries we live in. More and more, we are seeing businesses employing on a global scale (the famous call centres in India are but one example). With the rate at which the economy in China and India and other emerging markets is growing, we can expect to see symbiosis between globalisation and social media growing ever stronger. The ease with which social media and the internet allows people from around the world to communicate, surely means that employment is no longer bound by the limits of the borders we occupy.

And while this global workforce must surely be positive in terms of the wealth of options it provides, it must also be recognised for the challenge it poses to HR and Recruitment.  With so many potential applicants to filter, no longer limited to country or state, the challenge falls upon those in HR to work through and analyze each applicant, accurately judging them for the talents and skills they bring to companies. And without the benefit of recruitment software, it’s a challenge that would be impossible to take on.