Smarter way of finding the best talent
They say good things come to those who wait, but better things are achieved by those who hustle.
When it comes to talent recruitment, more companies are veering from the traditional post-and-pray approach (where employers place “wanted” ads in newspapers or online job sites and then wait for applications to come in), toward a more active search for the right people for the job.
Mobile services leader Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) has harnessed the power of the Internet to proactively connect with people who could best fit the company’s employment needs. As it looks for talents with digital skills, Smart has also leveled up its approach for attracting and retaining employees. The company has successfully used the business-oriented social networking service LinkedIn and the popular social networking sites Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
“Just this year, we got in touch with several professionals on LinkedIn and hired 16 executives and 26 supervisors and staff. We got a new assistant vice president through LinkedIn,” said manager Rowena Vasquez of Smart’s People Group. “Social networking sites really help because you instantly get to know about potential employees – especially on LinkedIn where you can see their employment history and skills set.”
Vasquez said that to increase interest in Smart as a potential employer, it posts company and industry updates on its WorkatSmart online accounts, and also shares photos about fun employee activities.
“We also want them to know more about Smart. We want them to get acquainted with the industry we’re operating in, as well as the benefits and perks of being a Smart employee. The information flow should be two-way,” she said.
According to Smart, when a company sends the right message to its target audience, it becomes easier to attract the right candidates.
Smart’s efforts have paid off, as it has become the first Filipino company to get 80,000 followers on LinkedIn – more than double the follower count of other top companies in the country. Moreover, Smart has more followers than foreign telcos like SingTel of Singapore and Telus of Canada, which have also been on LinkedIn for a little more than a year.
Smart also has a 92-percent response rate on LinkedIn – meaning, when it sends a message to potential candidates, it gets a response right away.
The WorkatSmart accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram also have thousands of followers, and the numbers are growing by double-digit rates month-on-month. In the first four months of 2015, the company has hired about a dozen people it was able to connect with through these social networking sites.
“Interest in Smart has been high. It helps that Smart has been winning several top employer awards both here and abroad,” said Smart senior vice president for the People Group Annette Santiago.
Last March, Smart was named winner in the Employee Engagement and Development category of the Asean Corporate Sustainability Awards. In 2014, it won the Top Employer citation from the Asia CEO Awards, and Best Place to Work honors at the Asia Communication Awards.
When Smart made an online announcement about a job fair earlier this month, it expected to attract about 200 applicants. When the event day arrived, about 600 people arrived at the Smart headquarters in Makati City.
“Our employee engagement eff orts, Smart’s reputation for excellence, and our innovative talent recruitment strategies help us get and retain the best employees in the country,” she added.